《Shocking The World After Bringing My Family Back In Time!》


 Chapter 1

    On June 15, a sudden mudslide occurred in Tonggu Scenic Area of Beijing City in Province A. The disaster left many people injured, three people lost in contact, and there was still no news after the search.


    Jiang Xia was left dumbfounded the moment the mudslide hit her. She would never have thought that the self-driving trip she had prepared to celebrate the end of her college entrance examination would become her family¡¯s grave.


    The only thought that came to Jiang Xia¡¯s mind before her vision got blocked was, ¡°If the heavens could give me another chance, I definitely would not choose to drive in the mountains.¡±


    At the same time, in the 1960s, a significant event also happened in Tong Shan Village.


    It was mentioned that Jiang Chuan had taken his wife and daughter into the mountains to look for food, and no one had seen them since then. People assumed they had encountered some wild beast and died inside.


    At this point, the person who spoke couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Everyone in the area knew that there were wild beasts in the mountains. Typically, for safety, no one would dare to go in. But since the drought, there has been a shortage of food, so no one cared about that. However, they would go in groups for peace of mind if they entered the mountains.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve heard that Jiang Chuan¡¯s family is quite pitiful! Old lady Jiang said she would sell his second daughter if he couldn¡¯t find enough food for the family. ¡± A peasant woman in a blue short-sleeved shirt sighed as she spoke.


    Jiang Chuan¡¯s mother was ruthless, Jiang Xia was only thirteen years old. No wonder Jiang Chuan took the risk of entering the mountains.


    Another woman, chatting with them, interjected, ¡°Didn¡¯t Jiang Chuan already exchange a daughter for his nephew to get a wife? Now he¡¯s going to lose another one?¡±


    It was pretty common to exchange a daughter for a daughter. Two families would swap their daughters and then let the new girl marry their son. It was killing two birds with one stone. Of course, the men of the two families gained from it, no one ever cared what the women¡¯s thoughts were.


    Although the villagers felt that the exchange was normal, the old lady was too much. She had just exchanged one, and now she is thinking of the other one.


    ¡°Even though Jiang Chuan¡¯s daughter is skinny, she looked gorgeous. I heard the old lady gained a lot of benefits from exchanging his eldest daughter, which is why she¡¯s so concerned about his second daughter recently. ¡±


    Hearing the peasant woman¡¯s words, a few families who did not believe in the same values showed looks of disdain. So the entire Jiang family was counting on Jiang Chuan?


    The Jiang family was considered a large family in Tong Mountain Village. Jiang Chuan¡¯s father had three sons and two daughters, leaving him with many grandchildren.


    Usually, the youngest child, Jiang Chuan, should have been the family¡¯s favorite. However, for some reason, old lady Jiang did not like him, leading to his timid character.


    After Jiang Chuan married his wife, Zhou Lan, they gave birth to only daughters. It was then that old lady Jiang started scolding his family. If not for the fact that Jiang Chuan had worked hard for the family without complaint, his family would have been chased out long ago.


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    Old lady Jiang had not cared for Jiang Chuan¡¯s daughters ever since they were born, but now that they had grown up to be elegant girls, she immediately thought of benefitting from them.


    ¡°Jiang Chuan¡¯s grandparents are so biased. They are plotting against Jiang Chuan¡¯s daughter.¡± A man said in a disdainful tone. Although he said that, from the looks of the current year, others might follow suit if there was still no grain harvest.


    ¡°Let¡¯s stop chatting and hurry up the mountain. We should start returning if we still can¡¯t find Jiang Chuan and his family!¡± The village chief shouted and began to call out to everyone.


    Not everyone who came today was here to help look for Jiang Chuan. Some of them didn¡¯t know the situation and just wanted to join the group to see if they could pick up some scraps and get some food back. Incidentally, they listened to an ear of Jiang Chuan¡¯s family gossip.


    On the other side, three people looked at each other by the extinguished bonfire deep in the mountains.


    A Haggard-looking woman looked at the man beside her and then at the thin, petite girl with two pigtails. She called out with uncertainty, ¡°Xiao Xia?¡±


    ¡°Mom?¡± the girl replied with a confused expression.


    Only when Jiang Xia addressed her as ¡®mom¡¯ did Zhou Lan confirm she was indeed her daughter. At this moment, Jiang Chuan let out a heavy sigh and furrowed his brows. He was a little confused about the situation before him.


    Didn¡¯t they almost get buried by the mudslide? Why did they suddenly become someone else?


    Abruptly, a loud laugh came from beside him, startling Jiang Chuan.


    ¡°Xiao Xia, how did you become like this?¡± Zhou Lan asks Jiang Xia while laughing. Her daughter used to be the prettiest girl in school, and it was hard for her not to laugh when Jiang Xia¡¯s look changed.


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    Hearing her mother¡¯s words, Jiang Xia raised her eyebrows, which made her pitiful face look a little more lively. When she got closer, Jiang Xia got a better look at her face from the reflection in her mother¡¯s eyes. Following that, the memories that belong to this body also gradually entered her mind.


    Jiang Xia felt a headache coming along, looking at her stern-looking father and her carefree mother smiling.


    ¡°Dad, what do we do now?¡± Jiang Xia felt she should not expect much from her mother. She could only look at her father earnestly, hoping to see if he had any plans. But Jiang Chuan shook his head and sighed. There was nothing he could do in this situation.


    Seeing that the father and daughter were about to fall into silence again, Zhou Lan laughed and said, ¡°Since we¡¯re already here, let¡¯s not think too much. Sweetheart, I¡¯m hungry. Can you make me something to eat?¡±


    Jiang Chuan was helpless against his wife¡¯s overly optimistic personality. He nodded with a doting expression.¡±Alright, I¡¯ll go get some food.¡±

 Chapter 2

    As soon as Jiang Chuan left, Zhou Lan sat next to Jiang Xia and touched her little face. She clicked her tongue and said, ¡°I raised a fair and chubby girl! What happened to you? Xiao Xia, do you think we¡¯ve transmigrated?¡±


    ¡°Transmigrated?¡± Jiang Xia mumbled the word a few times, deep in thought.


    Zhou Lan had always been talking about transmigration and rebirth, so Jiang Xia had some understanding of specific fragments from online novels. It was true their situations were very similar.


    Jiang Xia pondered as she accepted her mother¡¯s wild imagination. Although it was a little unrealistic, they had to pay attention to one point: which is not to let anyone else notice their changes.


    In any era, bad things always happen if they involve the supernatural. It wasn¡¯t easy to live again, so they had to be careful. Jiang Xia explained her concerns to her mother, and she expressed her agreement.


    Jiang Chuan returned with some wild fruits with two pairs of eyes moving back and forth from the fruits to his face. The pitiful look on their faces made Jiang Chuan feel a little guilty. He touched his nose and said, ¡°There is very little food. It might be due to the drought.¡±


    His words reminded Jiang Xia and her mother of a memory they had just gained. There had been no rain for several months, and the crops had died from the drought. People from town had been digging for wild vegetables for a long time.


    Jiang Xia pursed her lips as her stomach growled. She could no longer put on a show and lay back without caring about her image. ¡°Father! We barely escaped from the mudslide, but here we are, about to starve to death. Can we even survive?¡±


    Jiang Chuan raised his eyebrows slightly when he heard Jiang Xia calling him that. Zhou Lan knew what her husband thought when she saw his expression. She repeated what Jiang Xia had just said to her husband and added, ¡°Sweetheart, do you think we transmigrated because I kept saying I wanted to lose weight and I am here to experience life?¡±


    Jiang Chuan didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry as he placed the fruit in Zhou Lan¡¯s hands. He then looked at Jiang Xia and told her, ¡°Xiao Xia, come catch some fish with me. ¡±


    ¡°Fish?¡± Jiang Xia sat up from the ground and almost lost her balance as she had gotten up too quickly.


    ¡°Yes, I saw a small river over there. Let¡¯s go take a look.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Jiang Xia got up from the ground and followed in her father¡¯s footsteps. Jiang Xia wanted to roll her eyes at her father for not allowing her mother, who had been practicing martial arts since she was young, to tag along. Her father loved his wife dearly and always reminded Jiang Xia to protect her mother.


    When they both arrived at the riverside, Jiang Xia turned around and saw her mother slowly following along. She waved at her before rolling up her pants and entering the river.


    The river was a little shallow, and the water was very clear, yet there was not a single fish in sight. Jiang Chuan was the knowledgeable one; he would pry open a few stones and could occasionally see a fish or two.


    However, seeing it didn¡¯t mean catching it. Zhou Lan watched as the father and daughter pounced on nothing but air. After much difficulty, he caught one, but it was not much bigger than her daughter¡¯s tiny hand.


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    After trying it a few times, Jiang Xia gradually figured out the pattern. Her sharp eyes caught a mudfish hidden between two stones. She grabbed it this time but ended up getting soaked in water.


    The father-daughter pair brought the four fish they had caught to Zhou Lan, all looking like they were waiting to be fed.


    Seeing this, Zhou Lan burst out laughing, but she stopped after coming to a realization, ¡°How do I cook this fish? There is no pot, no vegetables, and no seasoning¡­ Why don¡¯t I find a tree branch and skewer it? Fill our stomach first?¡± She learned quite a bit from the novels she had read.


    Jiang Xia and his father looked at each other, their eyes full of grievance. Just thinking about it was enough to know how bad the food would be. With the lack of side dishes and seasoning, no one was sure if the fishy smell would be gone and if it was even possible to cook it.


    ¡°Sweetheart, I need the lighter. I saw quite a few branches over there. We can use them to start a fire,¡± Zhou Lan said while extending her hand to Jiang Chuan.


    Seeing Zhou Lan¡¯s hand reach out to him, Jiang Chuan reached into his pocket out of habit. But as soon as he reached out his hand, he remembered it was not his own clothes he was wearing.


    Zhou Lan was still studying the fish when she noticed her husband had not made a move. She raised her head while Jiang Xia cast a suspicious glance at her father.


    The three looked at each other and instantly realized they had not adapted to their current environment.


    Zhou Lan laughed dryly and said to the two of them, ¡°Fire, there¡¯s no fire! The fish ¡­¡±


    As she spoke, Zhou Lan¡¯s voice became lower, she ended up sounding a little dejected.¡±No food, no accommodation, and we are being abused by being in these bodies. What a life!¡±


    Hearing this, Jiang Chuan¡¯s heart sank. He turned to look at Jiang Xia, but to his surprise, Jiang Xia furrowed her brows and her eyes were dark as if she was thinking about something.


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    ¡°Xiao Xia?¡± Jiang Chuan called out.


    ¡°Dad, do you think our family¡¯s car might have come through here with us?¡± Jiang Xia looked at her father and asked in a serious tone.


    Jiang Chuan¡¯s first reaction was that it was impossible. They woke up in someone else¡¯s body. How could the car get here? However, on second thought, it would be great if the car was really here.


    Since they were on a self-driving tour, they had brought a lot of things with them as they wanted to have a meal in the wild. Besides daily necessities, there were also rice, noodles, fried eggs, vegetables, and even a solar-powered pot. If the car was here, they wouldn¡¯t have to worry so much.


    Jiang Chuan said with uncertainty, ¡°Why don¡¯t we go back and look?¡±

 Chapter 3

    In response to her father¡¯s suggestion, Jiang Xia brought her parents back to where they had woken up.


    Jiang Xia was indeed worthy of her title as a top student. It was easy for her to remember the route they had taken previously. If Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan were to lead the way, they might have to take a long detour before they could return.


    The three of them looked around and couldn¡¯t find any wheel marks or traces of a smashed car. They couldn¡¯t help but feel a little disappointed. At this moment, Zhou Lan noticed that something seemed to be glowing in the bushes not far away.


    In this unfamiliar environment, Zhou Lan was confused about the situation and did not dare to step forward rashly. She called Jiang Chuan and Jiang Xia, and the three of them carefully approached the glowing object.


    The closer Jiang Chuan got to the glowing object, the more familiar the light felt. It was like the headlights of his beloved car. The three of them were overjoyed when they saw the whole thing clearly. Jiang Xia was right! Their car was here!


    If not for Zhou Lan¡¯s good eyesight, no one would have noticed the car lights from such a distance, especially in the daytime. Jiang Xia¡¯s eyes lit up as she gave her mother a thumbs up. She then opened her arms and rushed toward the front of the car.


    It was strange that the car was not worn out at all. Jiang Chuan checked his beloved car closely, looking excited. On the other hand, Zhou Lan opened the trunk to check what they had.


    After calming down, Jiang Chuan looked at his wife and daughter, who seemed to have their upper bodies glued to the trunk, and finally showed a relaxed smile. He didn¡¯t have to worry about his family starving again.


    ¡°Mom, should we have sweet and sour or braised fish today?¡± Jiang Xia was helping her mother find the seasoning while she glared at the mud loaches still opening their mouths with eyes looking like wolves.


    ¡°What do you prefer?¡± Zhou Lan asked Jiang Xia without even lifting her head.


    Jiang Xia¡¯s eyes sparkled as she said with a smile, ¡± Steam it! This fish was just caught and is very fresh. If the seasoning is too heavy, you won¡¯t be able to taste the fish. ¡±


    Zhou Lan swallowed her saliva when she heard Jiang Xia¡¯s words; her daughter sure knows how to enjoy her food.


    The three of them came up with a plan. Jiang Chuan was in charge of cleaning the fish, Jiang Xia was in charge of washing the dishes, and Zhou Lan was in charge of starting a fire.


    The fragrance of the rice gradually drifted up, and their stomachs began to grumble.


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    When the food entered her mouth, Jiang Xia sighed with emotion.¡±It¡¯s so good to be alive!¡±


    With enough food and clothing, Jiang Chuan finally had the time to think about the problem at hand. ¡°How do you guys think this car followed us here?¡± Jiang Chuan asked.


    Jiang Chuan¡¯s question made the two stop eating. Jiang Xia looked at his car and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It¡¯s pretty strange. We¡¯ve entered another body, yet the car remains intact.¡±


    ¡°Could it be that we have passed through a time tunnel? Because we¡¯re of mortal flesh and blood, our bodies will disappear during transmigration. We can only enter the bodies of those who have died. The car is made of steel, so it¡¯s fine?¡± Zhou Lan expressed her thoughts and even nodded as she spoke.


    Although it was not completely logical, it was not unreasonable. But Jiang Chuan had more thoughts about it.


    They had entered the body of this family. Not only did his name not change, but even the names of his wife and daughter had not changed; they were still a family. How could there be such a coincidence in the world?


    No matter how much he thought about it, Jiang Chuan felt that everything he was going through was too bizarre. If he could go back, he would write it all down to prove that it was not a dream.


    After the three of them had a full meal, Jiang Xia looked at the beloved car worriedly.


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    From the memories they had gained from these bodies, if they drove the car out, it would not only be shocking, they would also be taken away for research. Moreover, the road conditions here did not allow it.


    However, if they left the car here, it would become a useless car in no time. They would lose a tool that could guarantee their livelihood. How should they deal with this?


    Jiang Xia was not the only one who was worried. Zhou Lan and Jiang Chuan also felt the same way. It wasn¡¯t easy for this car to follow them here and abandoning it would be a waste. Jiang Chuan patted his car while the other two gathered around the off-road vehicle, sighing louder.


    Jiang Chuan¡¯s feelings for this car were more complicated than his wife and daughter¡¯s regret for losing their transportation and storage tools. He was a man! All men love cars!


    As if saying goodbye to an old friend, Jiang Chuan looked at his beloved car with heartache. After patting it for the third time, the black vehicle suddenly disappeared from their sight.

 Chapter 4

    Zhou Lan and Jiang Xia¡¯s eyes widened in shock, while Jiang Chuan was staring at his hand in a daze.


    ¡°Where¡­ Where¡¯s the car?¡± Zhou Lan held Jiang Xia¡¯s hand tightly and said in a trembling voice. Jiang Xia was still calm as she stared at where the car had disappeared. The next second, the disappeared car suddenly returned to its original position.


    Seeing the car appearing again after disappearing, Jiang Xia was only slightly surprised. However, Zhou Lan was so shocked instantly jumped behind her daughter.


    Faced with her mother¡¯s eccentric behavior, Jiang Xia sighed and said to her father, ¡°Father, you are controlling this?¡±


    Having been exposed by his daughter, Jiang Chuan couldn¡¯t suppress the joy on his face. ¡°Look, our daughter is so smart.¡± He said this to Zhou Lan but directed his following sentence at Jiang Xia, ¡°Xiao Xia, you always call me dad, don¡¯t address me wrongly in the future.¡±


    Jiang Xia pursed his lips, expressing her dissatisfaction with his father¡¯s overjoyed expression.


    ¡°Sweetheart, you can get it to appear and disappear?¡± The admiration in Zhou Lan¡¯s eyes made Jiang Chuan even prouder, and he gave off a smug look.


    Jiang Chuan didn¡¯t know what had just happened. He had the same thought when his wife sighed, thinking they couldn¡¯t keep the car, and the car disappeared in front of his eyes.


    At the same time, he had a strange feeling in his mind, as if he had established a connection with the car. To confirm this guess, he muttered in his heart, and the vehicle appeared here as he wished.


    ¡°Yes, I can control it,¡± Jiang Chuan said as he demonstrated it to his wife.


    Zhou Lan¡¯s eyes sparkled as she exclaimed, ¡°Amazing!¡±


    Jiang Xia coughed twice to show her presence when she realized her parents had forgotten about her again. Hearing this, Zhou Lan looked at Jiang Xia and rolled her eyes. She walked to Jiang Xia¡¯s side and pulled her around for a spin.


    ¡°Xiao Xia, do you feel that something is wrong?¡± Zhou Lan asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Jiang Xia asked warily. She had no idea what her mother was thinking about, but she had goosebumps all over her body.


    Zhou Lan frowned, ¡°That¡¯s not right! Our Jiang Xia should be the main character in this kind of transmigration plot! Why did your father receive the power instead of you? It¡¯s useless.¡±


    Jiang Chuan almost choked on blood at Zhou Lan¡¯s words. What did she mean by it was useless for him to receive it? She had just said that he was terrific.


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    Seeing his father¡¯s face turn from bright to dark, Jiang Xia couldn¡¯t help but hold back her laughter. ¡°Mom, it¡¯s enough for dad to get the ability. Do you still expect our whole family to be powerful?¡± Jiang Xia said to her mother with a smile.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking.¡± Jiang Xia¡¯s smile grew wider as she heard her mother¡¯s words.


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying that I don¡¯t have any. Mom, you don¡¯t have any either, right? In the future, we¡¯ll just have to rely on dad. ¡± Jiang Xia said.


    After hearing Jiang Xia¡¯s words, Zhou Lan¡¯s eyes darted around guiltily as she said in a low voice, ¡°Who said I didn¡¯t have any powers?¡±


    Although Zhou Lan¡¯s voice was low, it was like thunder to Jiang Chuan and Jiang Xia¡¯s ears.


    ¡°What?¡± The two overlapping voices gave Zhou Lan a shock.


    ¡°What are you two shouting for!¡± Zhou Lan retorted in dissatisfaction, then continued, ¡°I wanted to say it just now, but I was so shocked by your dad¡¯s power that I forgot to say it.¡±


    ¡°What power?¡± Jiang Xia asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that my strength seems to have increased. You know that martial artists have rigorous requirements for their bodies. Therefore, it is very easy to sense when something changes. I wasn¡¯t sure before, but after seeing your dad¡¯s ability, I think strength should be my power. ¡± As she spoke, Zhou Lan walked to the side of the vehicle. She reached out her hands and placed them under the car to lift the front of the car. Although she didn¡¯t raise it very high, she was obviously much stronger than before.


    Jiang Xia¡¯s jaw was about to fall off after seeing that, but no one seemed to care. Jiang Chuan walked up to Zhou Lan and asked with concern, ¡°Your strength has increased, but what about your body? Don¡¯t you feel uncomfortable? If you¡¯re not feeling well, you have to let me know.¡±


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    ¡°I¡¯m fine! I¡¯m so strong. What could happen to me?¡± Zhou Lan answered with a smile.


    ¡°So I¡¯m the only one with no power in this family of three?¡± Jiang Xia asked. After experiencing two rounds of mental devastation and seeing her parents act lovingly, Jiang Xia was experiencing some self-doubt.


    It was only when the couple was done with each other that they remembered they had forgotten about Jiang Xia.


    ¡°Jiang Xia! Your mother and I have powers, so it doesn¡¯t make sense that you¡¯re the only one with no power.¡± Jiang Chuan said after looking at the expressionless Jiang Xia, feeling a little guilty.


    Jiang Xia was even more depressed when she heard this. She had checked herself when the two had forgotten about her, and the result remained the same. She was the only one with no power.

 Chapter 5

    Jiang Xia was only disappointed for a short while and ended up not caring much about it. After all, both her parents had new powers, and she just had to rely on them to protect her.


    The three of them figured that this car could not be driven out, and its biggest function now was to store things.


    They tested it out and found that if they placed an object outside the car, it would not disappear with the vehicle. The three of them devised a plan to put the items in the car separately so they could find them whenever they needed them.


    ¡°Xiao Xia, why did you leave your necklace here? You wear it all the time,¡± Zhou Lan, who was packing up in the front seat, said to Jiang Xia with a necklace in her hand.


    Jiang Xia looked up and saw a piece of jade in her mother¡¯s hand. The jade was carved into the shape of a small bamboo joint and was tied to an ordinary red rope.


    Jiang Xia recalled what happened last night and laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t know if Jades has spirits,¡± Jiang Xia said with a smile, ¡°But I put it in my bag last night when I felt it getting hot while I was sleeping. I didn¡¯t expect something like this to happen today.¡±


    ¡°Jade can give off heat?¡± Zhou Lan exclaimed in surprise.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! Maybe I was just confused in my sleep.¡± After saying that, Jiang Xia took the necklace and continued, ¡°Maybe all these happened because I took it off.¡±


    ¡°Then you try wearing it!¡± Jiang Chuan, who was taking things out of the trunk, said.


    Jiang Xia laughed it off, placed the jade in her pocket, and continued packing. After the three of them finished packing, Jiang Chuan was the first to mention the ¡®new¡¯ family, and it caused the three of them to fall silent.


    Jiang Chuan¡¯s family in this world was pitiful; his family did not like him since he was born. He did the most work and ate the least. In the past, before everyone got married, he was bullied by her brothers and sisters. After they married, he was bullied by his sister-in-law, nephews, and nieces.


    Also, Jiang Chuan¡¯s wife had not had a good day since she married him. Even the house previously allocated to them had been snatched away by his nephews. The family of five could only hide in the thatched hut for the rest of their days. Next to them was a pigsty, and the smell was simply indescribable.


    Suddenly, Zhou Lan recalled Jiang Chuan¡¯s mother¡¯s face when she said she would sell Jiang Xia in exchange for food. A hint of murderous intent emerged in her eyes.


    ¡°Why do you keep that money-losing thing all day? All she does all day is eat, eat, eat! Our family doesn¡¯t have the food to keep worthless goods. Hurry up and give her to me. Our neighbor is still waiting!¡± Jiang Chuan¡¯s mother¡¯s shrill voice echoed in Zhou Lan¡¯s mind, making her want to return with a vegetable knife immediately and cut that old thing.


    Jiang Xia didn¡¯t know why her mother was so angry suddenly, so she gave her father a quick look.


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    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, honey?¡± Although Jiang Chuan was also puzzled, he could make some guesses from his years of understanding as husband and wife.


    ¡°I remember what that old hag said about selling Jiang Xia,¡± Zhou Lan said.


    Jiang Chuan¡¯s face darkened upon hearing this. Jiang Chuan knew what his wife was talking about from the memory he had also gained.


    Jiang Chuan¡¯s mother said those words with only Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan around; Jiang Xia was not present; therefore, she was not sure what they were talking about.


    Jiang Chuan and his wife from this world were soft-spoken and did not dare to talk back to their parents. They could only convince them they would find food and should not sell Jiang Xia.


    ¡°When we get back, we¡¯ll part with them.¡±


    Jiang Xia looked at her parents with a dumbfounded expression on her face. What exactly did her grandmother in this world say to make her parents so angry?¡¯


    ¡°If I could, I don¡¯t want to go back there. Just thinking about those people¡¯s faces makes me sick.¡± Zhou Lan retracted her killing intent and sighed in sadness.


    ¡°We have to go back. Otherwise, everyone will think we¡¯re dead, and our household register will be canceled. If that happens,it will not be convenient for us to go anywhere. Moreover, there is still a third daughter there. We can¡¯t just leave her in a tiger¡¯s den, can we?¡±


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    No matter what era it was, a household register was a big deal. Without a household register, one could not even enter the city.


    When her father mentioned the third daughter, Jiang Xia was reminded of the little girl who was even skinnier than she was.


    Although the three girls were thin and small, they had good looks and were beautiful. Otherwise, the eldest daughter wouldn¡¯t have been able to be sold for so many things.


    The three sisters had a good relationship. The two sisters cried for several days when the eldest daughter got married. Only when old lady Jiang used a broom to beat the two of them did they stop crying.


    As she thought about it, Jiang Xia, who was usually calm and collected, began to bear a grudge against old lady Jiang and the Jiang family.

 Chapter 6

    ¡°After we go back, we¡¯ll take Xiao Xia with the third daughter and separate from the rest of the Jiang family. Then we¡¯ll see if the eldest daughter is doing well. If she isn¡¯t doing well, we can bring her back; it¡¯s not like she can¡¯t get a divorce. We¡¯ll see if she wants to marry again when the time comes. If not, we¡¯ll take care of her for the rest of her life. We owe it to her. ¡± Jiang Chuan said.


    It was rare for Jiang Chuan to say so much, but he seemed to have arranged the road ahead.


    In Jiang Xia¡¯s memory, her eldest sister was a gentle and kind girl. She had a good temper and liked to smile. Although everyone in the village had the same hairstyle, she was the most beautiful and eye-catching one.


    Before her eldest sister got married, she could be said to be the pillar of the family. Everyone in the family would smile at the sight of her, no matter how complex their situation was.


    She knelt before her parents the night before her wedding and cried silently. It was the first time Jiang Xia from this world had witnessed her eldest sister crying. Both Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan from this world also cried when her eldest sister got married.


    Until the very end, the sensible daughter did not mutter a single word about not wanting to get married. She knew there was no way back, and she did not want her parents to feel any worse than what they were already feeling.


    Jiang Xia¡¯s heart ached at the thought of this.


    ¡°Yes, bring the eldest daughter back. If they don¡¯t let her go, I¡¯ll let them have a taste of my fist.¡± Zhou Lan said as she waved her fist.


    Jiang Xia was amused by her mother¡¯s funny look, and her previous low mood was swept away. Since there was no way she could change what had happened before, she would try her best to salvage it.


    Because it was getting late and it would be dangerous to walk at night, Jiang Chuan suggested that they stay on the mountain for the night and make their way down the mountain the following day.


    However, just as they finished setting up their tents, Zhou Lan¡¯s sharp ears caught the sound of people shouting.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s coming.¡± Zhou Lan said.


    The father and daughter didn¡¯t dare to ask any more questions. They quickly packed up the tent and wiped away any traces that didn¡¯t belong in this era. Jiang Chuan then muttered to himself, and the black vehicle disappeared.


    The sky had yet to turn completely dark, but some villagers had already lit their torches. Most wild beasts feared fire, so burning it in advance would give them a greater sense of security.


    The three of them saw a little light not far away. They gave each other a quick look, started lying on the ground, and pretended to be unconscious. After all, they were in this state when they first woke up in these bodies.


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    ¡°Chief! There seems to be someone in front!¡± A loud voice startled Jiang Xia.


    Although she learned quickly, it did not mean that she was able to get into character quickly. Jiang Xia became more and more nervous as she heard the footsteps gradually becoming more evident.


    ¡°Hey, chief! We found them! We found Jiang Chuan and the others!¡± The young man who found Jiang Chuan¡¯s family first shouted. He sounded excited not only because he had found them but also because they could finally go home.


    The later it got, the more dangerous it was in the mountains. The village chief had already sent back a group of women who had followed them to pick fruits and other food, leaving only strong young men.


    However, no matter how strong they were, they were still afraid. Many of them were also tired after the long search, and some even assumed that Jiang Chuan and his family had to be dead by now.


    The village chief knew deep down he just wanted to try his luck again, so he said to the villagers, ¡°It is not easy for anyone due to the drought now. It¡¯s hard to say there won¡¯t be other people going up the mountain to look for food again. We should all look out for each other.¡±


    While some villagers agreed, others only stayed to show respect to the village chief. Of course, the village chief already said this would be the last lap, but who would have guessed they found Jiang Chuan and his family.


    ¡°Jiang Chuan! Jiang Chuan, wake up!¡± The young man who found them slapped Jiang Chuan¡¯s face lightly. Seeing his eyes move, the young man quickly shouted, ¡°He¡¯s awake. He¡¯s still alive.¡±


    As the young man shouted, Jiang Chuan slowly opened his eyes. With his sallow face and thin body, there was no need for him to act as if he had just been unconscious.


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    As someone called out to Jiang Chuan, others rushed to help Zhou Lan and Jiang Xia. Only when they fed the mother and daughter some water did they pretend to be awake.


    ¡°Jiang Chuan, how do you feel? Can you still walk?¡± The village chief, Dan Bin, who had rushed over, squatted down and asked the dispirited Jiang Chuan, handing him some water as he spoke.


    Jiang Chuan took two sips of water and pretended to be more energetic. He smiled and said, ¡°Yes, thank you, chief.¡±


    After saying that, he looked at Zhou Lan and Jiang Xia. Seeing that the two of them had gotten up, he smiled reassuringly.


    If it wasn¡¯t for the time, place, and other restrictions, Jiang Xia would have liked to praise her father for his acting skills.

 Chapter 7

    As Dan Bin helped Jiang Chuan, he handed him three pieces of cornbread. In this day and age, every family had very little food. Those from poor families had to split a cornbread into two and share it among themselves. It was rare to see people like the village chief who still cared about others.


    Jiang Chuan took the cornbread and gave it to Zhou Lan and Jiang Xia; he could not help but feel grateful.


    Dan Bin was appointed to be village chief by the higher-ups. At first, the villagers were unhappy with the arrangement of some outsider being the village chief. However, as time passed, the villagers were convinced. Putting everything else aside, how he protects his villagers was something no other village chief could do.


    For example, he had previously left all the food in the village for the villagers while he had to bear the pressure from the leaders asking him to hand over the food. Another example was when he had to run back and forth a few times in the mountain for Jiang Chuan¡¯s family.


    In fact, during this drought, most villagers were busy keeping themselves alive; they paid no attention to how others around them were handling it. However, Dan Bin still reminded them to show some care to others.


    It was also because of this village chief that no one in Tong Shan Village had starved to death. Even though everyone was hungry, they were still alive, weren¡¯t they?


    Going down the mountain was much faster than the journey up the mountain. Now that they have found Jiang Chuan and his family, they could not care less about them. They only wished they had rockets on their leg, allowing them to fly home.


    After a while, the village chief was the only one left behind with the three of them.


    ¡°Chief, thank you so much. If you didn¡¯t bring people to find us, our family might die in the mountains.¡± Jiang Chuan said weakly after eating the cornbread.


    Jiang Xia supported Zhou Lan by holding her arms. The two of them were not used to the mountain path and were stumbling as if they had no energy due to hunger.


    ¡°You¡¯re from our Tong Shan village, and I would never allow myself to abandon our villagers. In the future, don¡¯t take such risks anymore! ¡±


    ¡°Chief, we didn¡¯t want to come here, but you know what¡¯s happening in my family.¡± Jiang Chuan forced a smile and stopped talking.


    It wasn¡¯t that he was looking for someone to pour out his grievances, but he wanted to separate from the rest of the Jiang family. He had to lay some hints.


    The village chief also knew Jiang Chuan¡¯s difficulties, so he shook his head and sighed.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Jiang Xia screamed suddenly. Jiang Chuan and Dan Bin immediately turned their bodies and looked at her.


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    When all three of them looked at her, Jiang Xia explained, ¡°I accidentally scratched a tree.¡±


    After ensuring that Jiang Xia was fine, Jiang Chuan said, ¡°Slow down, you two. Look out when you¡¯re using the tree for support.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Jiang Xia nodded in agreement while she replied.


    After Jiang Chuan and the village chief turned around, Zhou Lan asked in a low voice, ¡°Are you really fine?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine,¡± Jiang Xia replied and glanced at the small cut on her hand. It was only a reflex when she screamed previously, and she was okay, she then put her hand back into her pocket.


    Because the cut was not immediately treated, a drop of blood oozed from Jiang Xia¡¯s hand to the bamboo-shaped jade.


    Although their speed was not considered fast, they didn¡¯t dare to go too slow. After all, there were still wild beasts in the mountains. If they were completely alone, the risks would increase.


    It took them more than an hour to finally get down the mountain. Because everyone was walking in a straight line holding a torch, it looked a lot like a dragon.


    They would have to pass another village to return to Tong Shan Village. But it was already mealtime, and the fragrance of food could be smelled from every household, making everyone drool. The village chief was no exception. He swallowed his saliva and thought that Jiang Chuan¡¯s family must have had no choice. Otherwise, why would they go so far up the mountain?


    When they returned to the village, the strong laborers were already hungry, so they all rushed home.


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    The village chief wanted to send Jiang Chuan and his family back to their home, but Jiang Chuan refused by saying, ¡°Chief, please head back first! I¡¯ll talk to Zhou Lan for a bit.¡±.


    In the past, Jiang Chuan and his wife used to address each other directly by their first names, Jiang Chuan had not forgotten this and tried to change his habits.


    ¡°Alright! Then I¡¯ll head back first.¡± The village chief said.


    The village chief knew what Jiang Chuan wanted to say to his wife without even asking. It was about how they were going to explain to the Jiang elders that they didn¡¯t bring back any food.


    Before the village chief left, he did not forget to glance at Jiang Xia, his eyes full of sympathy. He thought to himself, ¡°It seems like Jiang Chuan is going to lose her second daughter soon, it¡¯s been hard on the child.¡±

 Chapter 8

    There is a big tree at the entrance of Tong Shan village. Several stools were placed under the tree for the villagers to gather around to chat when night falls.


    Nowadays, everything is short in supply. Without an emergency, hardly anyone would keep their homes lit up. Usually, after dinner, everyone would gather together in small groups and chat about family matters. The village entrance was one of the gathering points.


    However, today was an exception. Only Jiang Chuan and his family were left at the village entrance. When the men from the other families returned, they all lit up their oil lamps, and the smell of rice gradually drifted in from all directions.


    As the head of the family, Jiang Chuan looked at his wife and daughter and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking along the way, and I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be easy for us to split up with the Jiang family. Jiang Fu and Wang Fen have been sucking Jiang Chuan¡¯s blood since he was young, so they won¡¯t let us out easily.¡±


    Jiang Fu and Wang Fen were Jiang Chuan¡¯s parents from this world. From the memory Jiang Chuan gained, he knew that this man had started cooking, washing, and cleaning the house ever since he was four or five years old. Jiang Fu and Wang Fen forced him to do farm work when he grew up.


    There was a time when Jiang Chuan¡¯s parents discussed paying for their eldest son¡¯s and second son¡¯s school fees. Jiang Chuan also wanted to go, so he mustered up the courage to speak to Wang Fen. However, he overheard his parents talking inside the room just as he reached the door.


    Wang Fen¡¯s contemptuous voice remained in Jiang Chuan¡¯s memory. Wang Fen had said, ¡°That stupid kid told his second brother that he wants to go to school? Him? Going to school? If it weren¡¯t for the fact that he could still do some work, I would¡¯ve killed him long ago.¡±


    When he entered this body, Jiang Chuan could clearly feel fear and despair.


    ¡°They are just a nest of bugs!¡± Zhou Lan was indignant. Jiang Chuan wasn¡¯t the only one who received all the memories of the original body. Zhou Lan and Jiang Xia received new memories too.


    If both Jiang Fu and Wang Fen¡¯s treatment toward Jiang Chuan were considered abused, it would be the same for Zhou Lan. Every chore that had to be done was given to Zhou Lan. The Jiang family had three daughters-in-law, but only Zhou Lan lived like an animal that was ordered around by others.


    ¡°I¡¯ll propose to go our separate ways when I get back, but we still have to be prepared to drag time out.¡± Jiang Chuan explained the situation to his wife and daughter with a serious face.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Jiang Xia agreed. The Jiang family would not let them go until they were squeezed dry of their value.


    Jiang Xia rolled her eyes at the thought of the Jiang family¡¯s behavior, ¡°There¡¯s no harm in dragging time. The reason why they don¡¯t let us go is that they have something to gain from us. If there¡¯s no profit, we instead become their burden. What do you think will happen then?¡±


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    Hearing his daughter¡¯s words, Jiang Chuan suddenly understood what Jiang Xia meant to say and exchanged a smile with her.


    Zhou Lan was bewildered by the father-daughter pair. She confusedly looked at them and asked, ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡±


    ¡°Mom, I think it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t ask too much! In any case, if those stinky bugs don¡¯t want to separate from us, just do everything you can to go against them.¡± Jiang Xia said.


    ¡°Ah? Won¡¯t people notice the difference if we were to act differently from how they acted before?¡± Zhou Lan asked and looked at her daughter with bright eyes. Although she was confused, she was more eager to try.


    Jiang Xia sighed while Jiang Chuan smiled helplessly and patted Zhou Lan¡¯s head, ¡°Don¡¯t make it so obvious. Just try to come up with an excuse to leave whenever they ask you to do something.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see!¡± Zhou Lan agreed obediently.


    Just as the three were making plans for the future, a figure hurriedly walked over and said, ¡°Good, you guys haven¡¯t left.¡±


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    When the person got closer, the three of them recognized it was the village chief. For a while, they all question why the village chief is back.


    ¡°Chief! Is there anything wrong?¡± Jiang Chuan asked, confused.


    Dan Bin took a few deep breaths and opened his mouth only when his breathing evened out, ¡°Let¡¯s go! I¡¯ll go with you to see your parents!¡±


    Jiang Chuan understood the village head¡¯s good intentions. The village chief had rushed back deliberately for the same reason Jiang Chuan worried about.


    At the same time, Jiang Xia and Zhou Lan were touched by the village chief¡¯s concern for them. Whether it was going up the mountain to find someone, giving them cornbread, or protecting them like this, all of these were acts of kindness.

 Chapter 9

    Dan Bin paid a lot of attention to Jiang Chuan¡¯s family not only because he sympathized with Jiang Chuan¡¯s fate, but also to make up for his regret of not being able to stop Jiang Chuan¡¯s daughter from being forced to marry someone else. The girl who used to smile and call him Grandpa Dan every time she saw him had left.


    The higher-ups had stated that forcing a marriage was considered a business marriage, and it was prohibited. However, in this remote village, the practice of forcing a marriage happened all the time. Therefore, most village leaders had no choice but to turn a blind eye to it. As long as the matter didn¡¯t blow up, they would pretend that they didn¡¯t know.


    When Dan Bin found out that Jiang Chuan¡¯s eldest daughter was forced to marry, he thought to himself that if Jiang Chuan came to him for help, he would do anything in his power to interfere with the matter. However, Jiang Chuan disappointed him.


    When they reached the front of the Jiang family¡¯s courtyard, the door opened before they could even say anything. It was obvious that the people inside saw their shadows.


    Jiang Xia raised her head and took a peek. The one who opened the door was the eldest son of the Jiang family, Jiang Gui, Jiang Xia¡¯s oldest uncle.


    In the past, Jiang Xia was timid and always liked to lower her head when he is around, giving people a feeling of her being a coward. Jiang Xia, who had just entered this body, had also inherited this habit. After realizing that there was a problem with her standing posture, Jiang Xia straightened her back to give off a confident look.


    Jiang Gui had big shoulders, a round belly, and a square face. His face should have been stern, but it was ruined by his small and collapsed triangular-shaped eyes.


    To Jiang Xia¡¯s surprise, even with his small eyes, she could easily tell that he was a shrewd and calculative person.


    Jiang Gui smiled and welcomed the village chief into the house. He then face the house and shouted, ¡°Father, the village chief is here.¡±


    Jiang Gui¡¯s voice was not only heard by his mother but also by the second son of the Jiang family, Jiang Hua, who was currently living in the west room. After hearing Jiang Gui¡¯s words, Jiang Hua opened the door and walked over with his wife.


    Compared to Jiang Gui¡¯s unique appearance, Jiang Hua had a more common appearance and was the type that couldn¡¯t be found in a crowd. Because he was shortsighted in school, he liked to squint his eyes to look at people.


    ¡°Chief, you¡¯re here. Come in and have a seat.¡± Jiang Hua said as he walked up to the village chief and smiled. Only after he addressed the chief that he showed Jiang Chuan a serious look and said, ¡°Brother, why didn¡¯t you discuss it with your family before going up the mountain? Do you know how worried father and mother are?¡±


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    Jiang Xia laughed out of anger when she heard this. Fortunately, she was used to lowering her head, so no one noticed her abnormality.


    Her second uncle was amazing! He knew how to talk! It was this bunch of blood-sucking bugs that forced them up the mountain, and now they were saying that they didn¡¯t discuss before going up the mountains? All the villages in the vicinity were suffering from drought. Where else could they find food? Wouldn¡¯t that mean their only choice was to go up the mountain?


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I was afraid that Xiao Xia would be sold by my mother, so I had to go up the mountain. I know that there are wild beasts on the mountain and you will be worried, but the nearby area is dry and there is nothing to eat.¡± On the surface, Jiang Chuan only answered what Jiang Hua had said, but in fact, he had said everything he meant to say.


    Jiang Hua was stunned and looked at Jiang Chuan with suspicion. How did his third brother, who was usually the quiet brother suddenly become so talkative?


    Jiang Xia lowered her head and raised her eyebrows. Her father was amazing!


    The door wasn¡¯t closed when Jiang Gui welcomed the village chief, and the houses weren¡¯t soundproof. So after he shouted, the surrounding neighbors all came to the door to listen to the gossip. Although there had been many rumors about old Jiang¡¯s family among the villagers, this was the first time they had heard it directly from the person involved.


    Jiang Hua¡¯s wife saw that Jiang Hua didn¡¯t react for a moment, so she quickly tried to smooth things. ¡°Chief, hurry up and come on in! There are still some fruits at home, I¡¯ll go wash them.¡±


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    Hearing Jiang Hua¡¯s wife¡¯s words, the village chief quickly waved his hand and said, ¡°No, no, I¡¯m just here to see brother Jiang. I¡¯ll leave after a few words.¡±


    As they were talking, Jiang Fu had already arrived in front of them, followed by Wang Fen and Jiang Gui¡¯s wife.


    Jiang Xia roughly calculated the time in her heart. From the behavior of these people in the past, this should be the time when Jiang Fu is lying down and getting ready to sleep, while Wang Fen and Jiang Gui¡¯s wife start chatting in the central room.


    This was really a heartless thing. Jiang Chuan had worked hard for the Jiang family for so many years, but all he got was indifference and oppression. Even the villagers who had no relationship with him could go up the mountain to look for him, but they could act as if nothing had happened and did not care about his life and death.


    The more Jiang Xia thought about it, the more she clenched her fists. Anger was rising from the bottom of her heart. It was not only her dissatisfaction but also the resentment from the original body.

 Chapter 10

    Hiding beside Zhou Lan, Jiang Xia suppressed her emotions and looked at the culprit who had caused all this.


    Previously, Jiang Xia was a pitiful little girl. Due to the long-term oppression, she had hardly seen the faces of the two elders of the Jiang family and only had a vague impression of them.


    However, Jiang Xia¡¯s mouth twitched when she saw them. She finally understood why the two of them favored their eldest son. Jiang Gui had perfectly inherited the genes of the two. Jiang Fu¡¯s distinctive square face and Wang Fen¡¯s dark triangular-shaped eyes.


    Jiang Xia took a deep breath and looked at his father to cleanse her eyes. She didn¡¯t quite understand how the two of them had given birth to the kind-hearted third brother.


    Although their third brother, Jiang Chuan, had a weak personality, he was very good-looking. Otherwise, how could Jiang Chuan marry such a beautiful woman like Zhou Lan and give birth to three beautiful daughters with the treatment he gets from the Jiang family?


    ¡°Thank you, Chief! You helped us find Jiang Chuan and even specially brought him back.¡± Jiang Fu smiled at the village chief.


    The moment Jiang Xia saw Jiang Fu¡¯s smile, she immediately thought of a square piece of dried orange peel, which was full of wrinkles.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, brother Jiang. This is what I should do.¡± Facing the hypocritical Jiang Fu, the village chief had no choice but to be polite.


    The village chief knew more about the Jiang family compared to the rumors spread by the villagers. The village chief knew that the rumors the villagers were unsure of were true, and this made his impression of the Jiang family even worse.


    After Jiang Fu thanked the village chief, he started to criticize Jiang Chuan, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you want to fool around, but you didn¡¯t have to implicate the villagers. Do you know how long we¡¯ve been searching for you? Villagers like you who don¡¯t follow the rules and regulations would have been left alone long ago if this was any other village. You¡¯re lucky our village chief is responsible. Otherwise, nobody would even care if you died. Make sure you remember our village chief¡¯s kindness in the future.¡±


    Jiang Xia rolled his eyes at Jiang Fu¡¯s long-winded speech. His face really didn¡¯t suit the speech he was trying to make. He didn¡¯t mention at all that he was going to sell her, and completely dissociated himself from the matter. Then, he used them as an excuse to please the chief.


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    The village leader glanced at Jiang Chuan but didn¡¯t expose Jiang Fu. He smiled and said, ¡°Jiang Chuan was lucky to have escaped this time. In the future, try not to go up the mountain. If you really can¡¯t feed your family, you can come to me and we can think of a solution together.¡±


    The village chief especially emphasized the words ¡°can¡¯t feed your family,¡± and looked at Jiang Fu with a meaningful look.


    Jiang Chuan¡¯s parents were already in their sixties yet they looked more energetic than the young people in the village. How could they not have enough food?


    Jiang Fu felt a chill run down his spine from the village chief¡¯s gaze, and he hurriedly smiled apologetically.¡±Okay, okay, thank you, chief. I understand.¡±


    The village chief was about to leave when he saw Jiang Xia holding Zhou Lan¡¯s hand from the corner of his eye. The village chief reached out his hand and touched Jiang Xia¡¯s head. With a kind expression, he said, ¡°I think this little girl is not bad. Take good care of her!¡±


    Jiang Chuan¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard the chief mentioned Jiang Xia. He suddenly knelt down in front of Jiang Fu and Wang Fen.


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    Everyone was shocked by his sudden action. They heard Jiang Chuan, who was usually not good with words, say, ¡°Father, mother, I¡¯m sorry that I can¡¯t bring any food back. Please don¡¯t sell my daughter. I know that I¡¯ll be a burden if I bring my wife and daughter home. In order not to be a burden to my parents, brothers, and sisters-in-law, I¡¯ll leave the Jiang family with Zhou Lan and our daughter! Please forgive me for being unfilial.¡±


    Jiang Chuan¡¯s words were sincere and they came from the bottom of his heart. It made people feel sad and at the same time, they couldn¡¯t help but sigh at Jiang Chuan¡¯s filial piety.


    In this era where men were more valued than women, having three daughters was indeed a burden in many eyes. But what they didn¡¯t know was that in the past, Jiang Chuan and his wife not only had to work every day to earn food, but they also had to dig wild vegetables and pick wild fruits when they had free time. Just the workload from the two of them was equivalent to four or five other families.


    Jiang Chuan¡¯s three daughters were really sensible. After they finished their work at home, they would go and help others sew and patch in exchange for some food. As for the other members of the Jiang family, other than working during the day, they basically spend the rest of the day resting at home.


    Jiang Chuan¡¯s words and actions shocked the Jiang family for a long time. The village chief was the first to react as his eyes fell on Jiang Chuan, who was kneeling straight with his head lowered.

 Chapter 11

    Looking at Jiang Chuan, who was kneeling on the side, a little smile emerged from the village chief¡¯s eyes.


    This child finally knew how to stand up for himself. The way he crafted his sentence was beautiful. He first mentioned that he wanted to move out of the family, but he then twisted it in a way where he was actually thinking about the Jiang family. First, he wanted to settle the matter of Jiang Fu selling his daughter. Then, he wanted to say that he couldn¡¯t find food and that it was a burden to bring his wife and daughter back. He made it seem like he wanted to leave for the sake of his family.


    If Jiang Fu wanted Jiang Chuan to stay, it would no longer be Jiang Chuan¡¯s problem if he couldn¡¯t find food in the future. He already said he wanted to leave the Jiang family and not cause them any trouble, so he cannot be blamed in the future if Jiang Fu didn¡¯t agree to his suggestion now.


    However, if they didn¡¯t stop Jiang Chuan from leaving, the Jiang family would be labeled as the family who is using their son. Only when they are able to find food will they be part of the family, but if they are of no benefit, they would be kicked out right away.


    However, the best part of it all was that no matter what choice Jiang Fu made, Jiang Chuan¡¯s family wouldn¡¯t have to work for others in the future.


    Jiang Fu was truly angry this time, and his breathing was much rougher. But under everyone¡¯s gazes, Jiang Fu could only grit his teeth and say, ¡°Jiang Chuan, father don¡¯t blame you. If you didn¡¯t find any food this time, you¡¯ll be able to find it next time. Come, get up.¡±


    As he spoke, he gave his two sons a look, signaling for them to help Jiang Chuan up. However, even with the amount of strength they were using, they couldn¡¯t get Jiang Chuan up. Instead, Jiang Chuan resisted with all his might.


    ¡°Father, I¡¯m sorry. I really can¡¯t find any more food. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have taken the risk to go up the mountain. I knew there were wild beasts on the mountain, but I had no choice. We couldn¡¯t find anything to eat, and there was nothing on the mountain either. If it wasn¡¯t for the village chief and the villagers who came to find us, we would have starved to death on the mountain.¡± Jiang Chuan didn¡¯t leave any room for negotiation. If it wasn¡¯t for the dark sky, the veins on Jiang Fu¡¯s forehead would have been visible.


    ¡°Brother, don¡¯t say that. You still have your brothers, let¡¯s think of a way to solve the food problem together.¡± Jiang Hua¡¯s wife said.


    Jiang Hua¡¯s wife was good at smoothing things over. Whenever she saw that things were not going well, she would come out to smooth things over. This time, she wanted to delay things and then solve them later. However, Jiang Chuan did not give her any time to delay.


    ¡°One¡­¡± As soon as Jiang Chuan said that, something happened.


    ¡°Mother, mother, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Jiang Gui¡¯s wife interrupted him.


    Everyone looked at the two of them and saw that Wang Fen had already fainted in the arms of Jiang Gui¡¯s wife. She knelt down, put her down, and began to shout eagerly, ¡°Mother, what¡¯s wrong? Quickly find a doctor.¡±


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    The woman¡¯s ear-piercing screams got everyone on full alert. Seeing that something was wrong, villagers started gathering around. Jiang Chuan also had to get up quickly. After all, she is Jiang Chuan¡¯s mother and he had to continue acting.


    Jiang Xia, who was standing nearby, suddenly noticed Wang Fen¡¯s finger move. Everyone¡¯s eyes were on Wang Fen¡¯s face. No one except Jiang Xia noticed this detail and this made her give off a cold look. She pinched her thigh hard and tears fell instantly.


    ¡°Grandma, we¡¯re sorry. We¡¯re sorry that we couldn¡¯t find any food and made you angry which caused you to faint. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, mom and dad really didn¡¯t mean it. We will work hard to find food in the future!¡±


    One fainted and the other one crying, it was causing everyone to have a headache and they all hated the fact that they were not the ones who went to find the doctor previously.


    After a few cries, Jiang Xia also passed out. Seeing her daughter faint, Zhou Lan couldn¡¯t be bothered to continue pretending to be weak. She carried her daughter and ran towards the door while shouting for the doctor.


    Who would have thought that after running just a few steps, Zhou Lan stumbled and fell, and she did not get up.


    This drove Jiang Chuan crazy. His beloved wife and daughter had both fainted, he didn¡¯t care about the old lady anymore. He carried the two of them and called for the doctor.


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    Most of the onlookers were completely dumbfounded. What was going on with the Jiang family?


    ¡°Move, move, the doctor is here, let the doctor in.¡± Along with the news that the doctor is here, a path opened up in the crowd.


    The members of the Jiang family escorted Wang Fen into the house, completely forgetting about Jiang Chuan, leaving only Jiang Chuan, his unconscious wife, and his daughter was left in the yard.


    Jiang Chuan looked in the direction of the main house with his wife and daughter in his arms.


    ¡°Jiang Chuan, hurry up and bring your wife and daughter back to the house.¡± The village chief said and carried Jiang Xia to the main house.

 Chapter 12

    Jiang Xia felt a sharp pain in her philtrum but dare not open her eyes. With her eyes closed, she felt the village chief push the main door twice but still did not manage to open it. With a bang, the door was kicked open.


    She didn¡¯t know if it was because it was so chaotic inside that they didn¡¯t hear it or if they didn¡¯t want to leave.


    ¡°Jiang Chuan, where is your room?¡±


    At this time, Jiang Chuan¡¯s eyes were no longer red like before.


    Of course, Jiang Chuan was worried about his wife and daughter, but when his wife blinked in his arms, he knew that she was pretending.


    When they entered Jiang Chuan¡¯s room, the village chief frowned unconsciously, and the rest of the villagers who came to watch also covered their noses. The smell was unpleasant. The village chief couldn¡¯t care less. He placed Jiang Xia on the bed and felt her pulse.


    Jiang Xia¡¯s breathing gradually stabilized, but Dan Bin still stared at Jiang Xia with concern.


    ¡°How¡¯s Zhou Lan?¡± The village chief asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Jiang Chuan¡¯s voice was weak and he sounded like he was about to cry. At this moment, the doctor finally arrived.


    In order not to be discovered, Jiang Xia woke up the moment the physician checked her pulse. She pretended to be confused and looked around and even subconsciously touched her acupoint.


    ¡°Her body is too weak, she needs to start eating and improve her body condition!¡± The doctor said. Although he said this knowing what had happened in the past two years. He could only sigh and shake his head as he spoke. He then took Zhou Lan¡¯s pulse and got the same result.


    At this moment, two of the people standing outside the window had strange expressions on their faces. The two of them were the ones who went out looking for the doctor after the chief had left with Jiang Xia.


    After making sure that the three of them were fine, the village head called for someone to send the doctor back. He followed them to the gate of the Jiang family¡¯s house and asked about old lady Jiang¡¯s condition. But after hearing the answer, he had the same strange expression on his face.


    As soon as the village chief stepped into the Jiang family house, he heard a soft cry. He followed the sound and found a little girl who looked to be only six or seven years old squatting in the corner and crying.


    ¡°Jiang Gu?¡± The village chief asked.


    ¡°Chief, Grandpa chief.¡± Jiang Gu cried and hiccuped, calling out for help while sobbing.


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    The village chief picked the girl up and asked, ¡°Why are you here? Why don¡¯t you go to your room?¡±


    ¡°I, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll cause trouble for father and mother. Jiang Xia and mother both fainted.¡±


    Seeing that Jiang Gu was out of breath from all the crying, the village chief hurriedly tried to calm her down, afraid that she would faint from all the crying like Jiang Xia.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. Your mother and sister are awake. Grandpa chief will bring you to them.¡± The village chief said while carrying Jiang Gu into the house.


    Jiang Xia and Zhou Lan were both lying on the bed. Jiang Xia was holding Jiang Chuan¡¯s hand and asking him a series of questions all in regard to how her grandmother was feeling.


    The series of questions made the village chief¡¯s heartache. Needless to say, just looking at the place where Jiang Chuan lived, it was obvious how miserable his family was. No wonder he was able to make that speech previously. He had thought that Jiang Chuan was only putting on a show to leave the family, but now it seemed that he was telling the truth.


    It seemed that Jiang Chuan had been thinking about separating from his family for a long time! He only did it this time because the situation was really getting from bad to worse.


    When the village chief placed Jiang Gu next to Zhou Lan, the three of them were stunned for a second.


    ¡°Mother, sister, how are you?¡± Jiang Gu asked while crying. Jiang Gu was Jiang Chuan¡¯s youngest daughter in this world, which makes her Jiang Xia¡¯s younger sister.


    This daughter was not well-liked by the original Zhou Lan. However, at this moment, Zhou Lan did not know if it was because of the lingering feelings she had for her daughter, or because she felt that the hearts of mother and daughter were connected. Looking at Jiang Gu crying, Zhou Lan¡¯s tears started falling uncontrollably.


    Zhou Lan stood up and hugged Jiang Gu in her arms. She consoled her softly, ¡°Xiao Gu, don¡¯t cry. Mommy¡¯s here. Don¡¯t be scared, don¡¯t be scared.¡±


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    Unexpectedly, Jiang Gu cried even louder after hearing Zhou Lan¡¯s comforting words. She clutched Zhou Lan¡¯s clothes tightly, and her soft sobs turned into loud wails.


    Jiang Xia¡¯s eyes welled up with tears as she listened to their conversation. She stood up and hugged the two of them.


    Jiang Chuan turned around, his eyes red.


    The village chief discreetly dispersed the crowd and left the Jiang family¡¯s residence with the rest of the crowd.


    Who knew how many people were going to lose sleep on this chaotic night?

 Chapter 13

    No one knew if old lady Jiang had deliberately forgotten about last night¡¯s incident, but as soon as the sky brightened, she knocked on the door along with her angry curses, ¡°Zhou Lan you lazy woman, why aren¡¯t you getting up to cook? Are you trying to starve us to death!¡±


    Seeing that there was no movement in the room, Wang Fen shouted even more, ¡°You¡¯re lazy and greedy. You are fated not to have a son in this life so no one will take care of you in your old age!¡±


    No one knew if this line was towards Jiang Chuan or Zhou Lan, or perhaps both of them.


    In the past, Zhou Lan would come out as soon as she hear Wang Fen scolding her. It was weird that they were ignoring her today.


    Wang Fen kept her eyes wide open, and her chest was heaving up and down. Thinking of what happened last night, Wang Fen¡¯s face darkened and she cursed even more.


    After knocking for about five minutes, Wang Fen¡¯s anger reached its peak. When she was about to wake her other two sons up to smash the door, the wooden door opened and fell in her direction.


    The door had fallen directly onto Wang Fen¡¯s body making her giddy.


    Jiang Xia, who was still standing in the room was shocked. Before Wang Fen could scold her, Jiang Xia started to cry loudly and shouted, ¡°Grandma, grandma, are you okay? I just want to open the door! I didn¡¯t expect it to hit you. ¡±


    Unlike Wang Fen, who didn¡¯t dare to use her loudest voice when scolding people because she was concerned about her neighbors, Jiang Xia didn¡¯t care. She cried and shouted, ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m sorry! Stop scolding us! I thought you left, so I opened the door. I didn¡¯t know you were still outside.¡±


    Upon hearing Jiang Xia¡¯s voice, the other members of the Jiang family put on their clothes and walked out of their rooms. A few of the younger ones also leaned against the window and peeked.


    ¡°Mother! Mother, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Jiang Chuan was the first to arrive at the old lady¡¯s side, followed by Zhou Lan and Jiang Gu. They all looked really weak.


    Jiang Chuan lifted the door that was pressing on Wang Fen. Fortunately, the door was not thick, or it would have smashed her. Even so, there was a big bump on her forehead.


    After lying on the ground for a while, Wang Fen sat up with the help of her eldest and second sons.


    ¡°Jiang Chuan, is this brat of yours trying to kill me?¡± Wang Fen yelled at Jiang Chuan.


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    Jiang Chuan kneeled in front of her with his head lowered, his voice full of shame. ¡°Mother, Xiao Xia didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Don¡¯t be calculative with a child.¡±


    ¡°Not on purpose? I think this little brat just wants to kill me! Jiang Chuan, before you went out, you promised that if you couldn¡¯t bring back any food, you would leave her to me to deal with. You still remember, right?¡± Wang Fen threatened Jiang Chuan while she glared at Jiang Xia and at the same time pinched her hard.


    Zhou Lan, who was pretending to be weak, noticed Wang Fen¡¯s movements and was furious, yet she had no choice but to hold back her anger because of Jiang Xia¡¯s instructions.


    ¡°Mother, Xiao Xia is still so young. She can¡¯t be exchanged for many things. Please don¡¯t think about that anymore. I am begging you as your son.¡± Jiang Chuan begged.


    ¡°Qian Li from the neighboring village is looking for a girl around this age and is offering a lot of things. Don¡¯t waste my time telling me all these useless things and let me take her away.¡± As she spoke, she stood up and tried to pull Jiang Xia towards her.


    Jiang Chuan suddenly stood up and pulled Jiang Xia behind him, his face pale. He didn¡¯t think that after the ruckus last night, the old lady would still have thoughts about selling his daughter.


    Qian Li has been thinking about remarrying ever since his wife died recently. Who knew that he had been thinking about marrying Jiang Xia? Everything had already been decided. If his family had not come, would the original Jiang Xia have been sold out without a trace? No, that¡¯s not right. The original Jiang Xia is already dead, if that is the case, what would have happened to Jiang Gu?


    ¡°Human trafficking is illegal!¡± Suddenly, a voice interrupted Jiang Xia¡¯s thoughts.


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    ¡°Doctor Li, why are you here?¡± Jiang Hua¡¯s wife saw that there were outsiders and quickly went up to welcome them.


    It was doctor Li who had treated them last night. Nowadays, it is rare to find doctors in villages, some villages didn¡¯t even have doctors. Therefore doctors are considered to have high status, after all, no one could guarantee that they would be free of illness and disaster for the rest of their lives.


    Doctor Li looked at the crowd and turned to ask Jiang Gu, ¡°Jiang Gu, who did you say was the one who was hit by the door?¡±


    After doctor Li¡¯s question, everyone¡¯s eyes focused on Jiang Gu.


    Jiang Gu was frightened by his gaze and hid behind Zhou Lan, timidly replying, ¡°It¡¯s grandma. Grandma was hit by the door just now.¡±

 Chapter 14

    Doctor Li looked at the door, then at old lady Jiang. Other than the bump on her head, she didn¡¯t seem to have any issue.


    It took a while and the old lady finally reacted. She covered her forehead and started to fall back in pain, letting her two sons support her. Even though doctor Li could tell that she was putting on an act, he still examined her from head to toe. In the end, she just took two doses of anti-swelling medicine and was fine.


    When the matter was over, doctor Li explained the current law to Wang Fen before he left. It wasn¡¯t just the Jiang family¡¯s elderly couple who were present, there were also other people present.


    ¡°Old lady, all the villages and towns have already issued clear instructions that marriage can not be bought or sold. To put it bluntly, this is human trafficking. If you¡¯re reported, you¡¯ll be arrested. Not only will you be arrested, but even the village chief will have to take responsibility.¡± Doctor Li explained.


    ¡°Eh! Doctor Li! It¡¯s not as serious as you say. I¡¯ve found a good family for Jiang Xia, that¡¯s why I want to marry her off. Doctor Li, you¡¯ve misunderstood.¡± Wang Fen replied.


    Doctor Li was sick and tired of the old lady¡¯s hypocrisy. He looked at Jiang Xia, then at Jiang Gu, and said, ¡°Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu are both 13 and 9 years old respectively. They have not reached the legal age for marriage, so the village will not register their marriage.¡±


    Without waiting for Wang Fen to speak again, he turned around and left.


    Seeing that doctor Li had left, Jiang Chuan and his family also sneaked away.


    Wang Fen was in a daze from doctor Li¡¯s rebuking and didn¡¯t react for a long time. Why had everything been so bad for the Jiang family since yesterday?


    Zhou Lan immediately rolled up Jiang Xia¡¯s sleeve upon returning to her room. The purplish-green marks made Jiang Xia¡¯s petite figure look even more pitiful.


    Zhou Lan¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. She wished she could go back and give Wang Fen a good beating.


    Jiang Chuan was also shocked by Jiang Xia¡¯s miserable state, and his eyes were filled with uncontrollable anger.


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    ¡°How dare she?¡± Jiang Chuan gritted his teeth and squeezed out the words.


    Jiang Xia could not help but gasp in pain when Zhou Lan touched her lightly. However, she still said, ¡°Dad, I¡¯m fine. With the traces of the old woman¡¯s abuse on me, it¡¯ll be another bargaining chip for us to separate from them. The more things we let outsiders see, the faster we will be able to split with them. When we¡¯re completely separated, we won¡¯t have to swallow our anger anymore.¡±


    Jiang Chuan nodded in silence. If they really showed all signs of abuse to the other villagers, when they eventually split up with the Jiang family, the others will have nothing bad to gossip about.


    No matter what era it was, the words of others would always crush people. Only when you had all the evidence would it be reasonable for them to split the family.


    Seeing that her mother was still angry, Jiang Xia gave her a reassuring smile and said, ¡°Mom, it¡¯s fine. We will get our revenge sooner or later. Look, didn¡¯t the old woman suffer today? She was at a loss of words!¡±


    At this point, Zhou Lan raised her head and asked, ¡°Xiao Xia, did you do it on purpose today? You didn¡¯t let me and your father go out, and made us wait for a long time before opening the door¡±


    Jiang Xia answered Zhou Lan with a smile, ¡°Yup! I noticed yesterday that our door was a little faulty. There were only two screws on the top and bottom. When I heard her knocking on the door, I secretly loosened the screw and pushed it. But I only did it because the door is thin. If it¡¯s thick and the old woman died from it, then there is no way we can separate from them.¡±


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    Jiang Xia had considered all the situations. Jiang Chuan could not help but look pleased.


    Seeing her daughter¡¯s proud expression, Zhou Lan¡¯s expression also relaxed a little. She smiled and said, ¡°My daughter is amazing. By the way, Xiao Xia, were you the one that got Doctor Li here too?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we needed someone convincing to be the witness. We needed to ensure that the old lady is fine so that she won¡¯t slander us in the future.¡± Jiang Xia said. Jiang Xia had also asked Xiao Gu to leave the door open when she went to find the doctor so that passersby or curious onlookers could take a good look. The more people there were to testify that their family had been abused, the better.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, mother, where¡¯s Xiao Gu?¡±


    Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan only noticed that Xiao Gu didn¡¯t come back with them after Jiang Xia mentioned it. The three of them couldn¡¯t be blamed for this. After all, they had just transmigrated yesterday and were still not familiar with this new daughter.

 Chapter 15

    So where exactly was Jiang Gu?


    Outside the main house, a small figure was hiding in a corner, eavesdropping on the conversation of several people in the house.


    ¡°That little brat did it on purpose. It should be her father that ordered her to do it,telling her if she wants to separate from us, she will have to hit me with the door!¡±


    Wang Fen¡¯s words were so fierce that Jiang Gu shivered in fear. It was as if she wanted to skin Jiang Chuan and his family alive.


    Jiang Fu¡¯s expression was also very gloomy as if it was the prelude to a storm.


    The one applying the medicine on Wang Fen¡¯s head was Jiang Hua¡¯s wife. She didn¡¯t dare to say anything as she applied the medicine. If she didn¡¯t control her strength well, Wang Fen would be angry.


    ¡°Is your hand disabled? You don¡¯t know how to apply medicine!¡± Wang Fen shouted at Jiang Hua¡¯s wife. There was nothing she could do other than applying the medicine quickly and return to her seat beside Jiang Hua.


    Wang Fen glared at her, then turned to her husband and asked, ¡°What should we do about Jiang Chuan¡¯s decision to separate from the family?¡±


    The house had been too chaotic last night, and Wang Fen had yet to discuss this matter with her husband, but now that everyone was here, she wanted to handle this problem as quickly as possible.


    Hearing this, Jiang Fu was instantly enraged. He smacked the table and roared, ¡°I¡¯m not dead yet and he wants to separate from the family, there is no way I would agree to this!¡±


    ¡°Father, father, don¡¯t be angry. We won¡¯t let Jiang Chuan go. If he leaves, who will do all the work that needs to be done?¡± While soothing Jiang Fu, Jiang Gui asked his wife to pour a glass of water for the old man.


    ¡°Hmph! We¡¯ve raised this son for so many years, he thinks he can separate from the family just because he wanted to? He wants to leave without paying back the debt of us raising him?¡± Jiang Fu said angrily.


    ¡°Right, we can¡¯t split! You want to leave us after eating our food for so many years! You bastard!¡± Wang Fen chimed in from the side.


    Jiang Hua listened to the conversation between the two elders of the Jiang family and frowned slightly, ¡°Maybe we don¡¯t have the right to make the decision this time.¡±


    ¡°Jiang Hua, what are you saying!¡± Wang Fen rebuked angrily, while Jiang Fu stared at his son without a word, waiting for him to continue.


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    ¡°Father, you heard what brother said yesterday. If he says that he can¡¯t find food every time he goes out in the future, then should we still let him have his meal?¡±


    ¡°He can still work during the day,¡± Jiang Fu said gloomily. From what Jiang Fu had said, everyone understood that he had decided to keep Jiang Chuan alive. Jiang Hua sighed and didn¡¯t say anything more.


    When Jiang Hua returned to his room, his wife followed. Jiang Hua looked at his wife and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t mother ask you to cook? Why did you follow me back?¡±


    ¡°Do you think Jiang Chuan can separate from this family? If they are able to, then should we move out too?¡±


    ¡°What are you thinking? Father and mother will not let Jiang Chuan go.¡±


    Even though Jiang Hua said no, he was also calculating in his heart. If Jiang Chuan¡¯s family were to be given away, with Wang Fen¡¯s favoritism towards his elder brother, the future workload would definitely all go to him. And his daughter would probably face the same problems Jiang Xia was facing now, he was afraid that her daughter would also be sold to other families to get married.


    Thinking of this, Jiang Hua¡¯s head hurt even more.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the power doesn¡¯t lie in father and mother¡¯s hands? If Jiang Chuan successfully separates from the family, our family will end up becoming like them! I¡¯m not doing that.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s talk about it after Jiang Chuan really leaves the family! Hurry up and cook, if mother doesn¡¯t see you later, you¡¯re going to get scolded again.¡±


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    Jiang Hua¡¯s wife pouted and walked out of the door. She had been scolded a lot in the past two days when Zhou Lan wasn¡¯t around. She had thought that she wouldn¡¯t have to work anymore once Zhou Lan was back, but she didn¡¯t expect things to stay the same.


    In the room, Jiang Hua scratched his head as he thought about Jiang Chuan¡¯s behavior last night. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that Jiang Chuan seemed to be a little different. He clearly remembered that Jiang Chuan was not very good with his words, so how could he have spoken so flawlessly last night?


    However, when he thought about it carefully, he realized that what Jiang Chuan had said was the truth.


    Wang Fen fainting yesterday and getting smashed by the door today, if Zhou Lan and Jiang Xia hadn¡¯t fainted, and if Jiang Gu hadn¡¯t gone to find a doctor, then the blame will definitely all go to Jiang Chuan, but it was odd that the problems had been resolved so easily.


    Jiang Hua thought about it and felt that there seemed to be something wrong with Jiang Chuan. He wanted to test him when he had time. After all, he didn¡¯t want his third brother¡¯s family to leave. If they left, Jiang Hua would have to do more and their days would be far worse compared to how it is now.

 Chapter 16

    Jiang Chuan, Zhou Lan, and Jiang Xia couldn¡¯t find Jiang Gu after searching for quite a while. When they were about to go home and discuss whether to look for her outside, Jiang Gu returned by herself.


    Seeing Jiang Gu enter, Zhou Lan pulled her over and asked anxiously, ¡°Xiao Gu, where did you go? Dad and mum were worried sick.¡±


    ¡°I, I¡¯m fine.¡± Jiang Gu said, a little surprised. Jiang Gu had rarely received such concerns from his mother, causing her face to turn red.


    Jiang Xia was surprised to see this. She smiled at Zhou Lan and said, ¡°It¡¯s good that Xiao Gu is fine. Xiao Gu, did you go out?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Jiang Gu shook her head and continued, ¡°After you all left, I stayed behind and eavesdropped on grandpa and grandma¡¯s conversations.¡±


    Eavesdrop? Jiang Xia was stunned for a second when she heard the word. She then asked in surprise, ¡°Xiao Gu, why did you eavesdrop?¡±


    ¡°I ¡­ Didn¡¯t dad say he wanted to leave this place? I just wanted to hear what methods grandpa and grandma will use to stop us.¡±


    Jiang Xia had not noticed it before, but after hearing Jiang Gu¡¯s words, she suddenly felt that her sister was smart; she knew how to help the family.


    ¡°Then what did you hear, Xiao Gu?¡±


    Jiang Gu shook her head dejectedly and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything. Grandpa said that he wouldn¡¯t let us go. Then, grandma kept scolding us.¡±


    Jiang Xia gritted her teeth at the thought of the old lady¡¯s nasty scolding. The old lady did not think before she spoke; anything could come out of her mouth.


    Jiang Chuan thought for a moment and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think they can stop us. They are just using filial piety to pressure us. We are in power now. I will ask the village chief later.¡±


    While the three of them were talking, Zhou Lan remained silent. She only hugged Jiang Gu with one hand, her heart aching.


    No wonder people always say that the children of the poor were able to take care of themselves at an early age. If they did not understand things early, they might be abandoned without even knowing.


    Although Xiao Xia had been smart since she was young, she didn¡¯t know as much as she did at Jiang Gu¡¯s age.


    ¡°Father, I keep feeling that those two will play some tricks. We have to leave quickly!¡± Jiang Xia said with a serious expression.


    While they were talking, the smell of rice drifted over, causing their stomachs to growl simultaneously.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll have breakfast today,¡± Jiang Xia said.


    Zhou Lan, who had been silent all this while, snorted. ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat their food. It¡¯s so bad.¡±


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    Jiang Chuan¡¯s heart ached when he saw his wife being so stubborn even though she was hungry.


    Jiang Chuan¡¯s family had been well-off since Jiang Xia was a kid. He had never thought that one day his family would have to starve.


    ¡°Father, can you take out the food?¡± Just as Jiang Chuan was thinking of a solution, Jiang Xia spoke.


    Previously, Jiang Xia did not dare to tell Jiang Gu they had food. However, seeing that her sister was bright, there was no need to be so guarded toward her.


    Jiang Chuan looked at his second daughter and younger daughter, thinking about the biscuits in his heart.


    In the next second, two small boxes of biscuits appeared in Jiang Chuan¡¯s hands. He then placed the biscuit in his daughter¡¯s hand, which made her eyes widen.


    Jiang Xia held her sister¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Xiao Gu, dad, mum, and I encountered something magical on the mountain. We found quite a lot of food, but we can¡¯t take it all out now. We will let you have more when we finally separate from the Jiang family.¡±


    Jiang Gu held the two boxes of beautifully packaged food in her hands, her eyes full of disbelief.


    ¡°Xiao Gu?¡± Jiang Xia called out again, and Jiang Gu finally returned to her senses. She gave a big smile and replied, ¡°Okay!¡±


    Her expression also amused Jiang Xia. Jiang Xia helped open the biscuit packaging before handing it back to Jiang Gu.


    Smelling the sweet scent of the biscuit, Jiang Gu almost drooled. However, instead of having it for herself, she took a deep breath and handed the biscuit to Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan.


    ¡°Dad, mum, you guys eat first.¡± Jiang Gu said.


    Zhou Lan¡¯s gaze fell on the biscuits, and her eyes began to sting again. She took a deep breath, pushed the biscuit back, and said, ¡°You and your sister eat more.¡±


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    Jiang Gu took a few more glances at her. Seeing that Zhou Lan insisted she had it for herself, she slowly retracted her hand and placed the biscuit in front of Jiang Xia, ¡°Sister, you eat.¡±


    Instead of refusing, Jiang Xia picked up a piece of biscuit and stuffed it into Jiang Gu¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Oh, sister¡­ It¡¯s, it¡¯s so delicious. It¡¯s so sweet and fragrant. It¡¯s like it¡¯s going to melt in my mouth.¡± Jiang Gu exclaimed.


    After all, she was still a child; this was the first time she had eaten such delicious food. Jiang Gu couldn¡¯t care about anything else and only focused on her mouth¡¯s sweet taste.


    ¡°Eat more if it¡¯s good.¡± Jiang Xia said with a smile.

 Chapter 17

    When the four of them were half-full, Jiang Xia said, ¡°Xiao Gu, we searched the entire courtyard just now, but we couldn¡¯t find you. Where did you hide?¡±


    ¡°You know the wall behind Grandpa and grandma¡¯s house? There¡¯s a small path there.¡± Jiang Gu explained. Jiang Xia then recalled a part of her past.


    There was indeed a small path behind the main house, but rather than calling it a small path. It would be more accurate to call it a crack between the house and the wall. Jiang Xia had told Jiang Gu about this place in the past, but as Jiang Xia grew up, she could no longer fit in there.


    Patting Jiang Gu¡¯s shoulder, Jiang Xia gave her a thumbs-up and praised her, ¡°Great job!¡±


    Jiang Gu blushed again after receiving such a sudden compliment.


    Zhou Lan was happy to see her two daughters getting along so well. She and Jiang Chuan always wanted to have two or three children, but she was already very old when she gave birth to Jiang Xia.


    But now, Jiang Gu¡¯s arrival made up for this regret. She still had an elder daughter. When they finally settled down, she would bring her back, and the family of five would live happily together.


    With one arm carrying Jiang Gu and the other holding Jiang Chuan, Zhou Lan smiled at Jiang Xia and said, ¡°You are all my good daughters. Our family¡¯s future will only get better!¡±


    Jiang Xia nodded her head vigorously. She believed her mother¡¯s words.


    As they were getting emotional, Jiang Xia suddenly felt her stomach growling and said, ¡°I, I¡¯m going to the toilet.¡±


    Zhou Lan, who wanted to say something, suddenly stopped. She then told Jiang Xia, both angry and amused, ¡°Hurry up and go. Come back and listen to what I have to say.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Jiang Xia replied and ran to the toilet. She did not forget to grab some toilet paper.


    In the countryside of this era, the toilets were all located outside. They were dirty and smelly, and Jiang Xia almost fainted when she opened the door. Jiang Xia pinched her nose and endured the disgust before she finished using the toilet.


    When Jiang Xia came out of the toilet, she was holding the small and exquisite jade in the shape of a bamboo joint.


    She had placed it in her pocket yesterday and had forgotten about it. She felt it in her pocket when she went to the toilet.


    As Jiang Xia was touching the Jade, she suddenly felt the world spinning around her. When she opened his eyes again, she found herself in an unfamiliar grassland.


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    ¡°Where is this? Am I not at home? I should be at home! I want to go home!¡± The sudden turn of events terrified Jiang Xia so much that she could not make a sound and could only scream in her mind.


    The next second, she appeared at the door of the toilet again.


    Fortunately, the other members of the Jiang family were all eating in the house, so no one saw what had just happened. Otherwise, they would all go crazy.


    Jiang Xia touched her chest and panted with lingering fear. What happened to her just now? Was she hallucinating?


    When Jiang Xia returned to her room, Jiang Chuan noticed her unusual behavior. She looked as if she had just lost her soul after going to the toilet?


    ¡°Xiao Xia, Xiao Xia, what are you thinking about?¡± Jiang Chuan called out, which caused Zhou Lan and Jiang Gu also look over.


    Jiang Xia slowly started focusing on her surrounding. Her gaze stopped on Zhou Lan, and her eyes lit up instantly.


    ¡°Dad, come here for a moment.¡± After saying that, Jiang Xia took the lead and walked out.


    Jiang Chuan gave his wife a look. Although his daughter was wise, it was never good to know too much.


    Zhou Lan understood what Jiang Chuan meant. She mumbled to Jiang Gu, ¡°Your father and sister are being so mysterious as if we are so interested in their little secret. Let¡¯s not care about them, continue telling me how your grandparents had bullied you in the past two days when we were up the mountain. When we move out, I will help you take revenge!¡±


    While Zhou Lan was listening to her younger daughter, Jiang Chuan followed his second daughter out of the room.


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    Jiang Xia lowered his voice and said to Jiang Chuan, ¡°Father, I think I have a special power too.¡±


    ¡°What power?¡± Jiang Chuan said in surprise.


    Jiang Xia looked around to ensure no one was around before she took out the Jade necklace and disappeared.


    When it happened for the first time just now, Jiang Xia was not prepared and panicked. This time, however, Jiang Xia quickly scanned her surroundings when she opened her eyes. Her father was still waiting for her, and she had to explain the situation to him as soon as possible.


    The sky was blue, the water was clear, and there was an endless grassland. There was a piece of land beside the river that had been cultivated. Jiang Xia ran over to take a look and noticed that it was pure black soil.

 Chapter 18

    Jiang Xia was pleasantly surprised and immediately returned to where she came from.


    Jiang Chuan was still in a daze from his daughter¡¯s sudden disappearance, but when he saw her appear, he quickly asked, ¡°Xiao Xia, what happened? Why did you suddenly disappear?¡±


    Jiang Xia extended her hand towards Jiang Chuan and grinned, showing off her white teeth, ¡°Father, what do you think this is?¡±


    Jiang Chuan¡¯s first reaction was that Jiang Xia was holding soil. He picked up some and sniffed it. His eyes lit up, and he said in surprise, ¡°Xiao Xia, where did you get this dirt from?¡±


    He was sure his daughter didn¡¯t take anything with her just now. She suddenly disappeared and reappeared again, with soil in her hands.


    Jiang Xia chuckled and said, ¡°Dad, I touched the jade and found myself in a new space. Just now, I took a look at the surrounding. There¡¯s a grass field and a small river inside, and the scenery is magnificent.¡±


    Jiang Chuan was more concerned about the land than his daughter¡¯s praise of the scenery. Although he had told his wife and daughter that they would live a better life after moving out, the food in his car alone would not last long. And with the lack of equipment in this era, it was more complicated for him to think of ways to make money. Seeing the drought worsening, he was worried about his family¡¯s future.


    However, just as he was worrying, his daughter gave him such a significant gift. It was simply a blessing from the heavens!


    ¡°Xiao Xia, quickly tell me how much land we have and how much food we can grow. You mentioned there was water too? Now that it¡¯s dry, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be difficult to drink water in the future.¡±


    Hearing her father¡¯s question, Jiang Xia tried to recall. ¡°The land is alright, about two or three acres. As for water, there¡¯s a small river. I saw that the water flow in the river is quite rapid, so it should be enough for us.¡±


    Jiang Chuan calculated in his heart. One acre of land was about 666 square meters, and two acres were about 1333 square meters. If the land were rectangular, it would be about 66 meters long and 20 meters wide. We¡¯ll add a little more if it¡¯s three acres of land.


    In the modern world where Jiang Chuan¡¯s family lived, two or three acres of land should be enough for four people to live on. Even if they were to ignore how the crops would differ from the modern world, it would take time for the crops to grow.


    Jiang Chuan felt that his daughter¡¯s interspace had a better water utilization rate and said, ¡°How about this! Xiao Xia, you can first plant some food on the land in your space and bring out some water when we need it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Jiang Xia nodded in agreement, ¡°Father, we need seeds to grow food¡­¡±


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    At the mention of the seed, the father and daughter looked at each other.


    All of the Jiang family¡¯s assets, like grains and seeds, were in the hands of the old lady. It was sad to see that Jiang Chuan¡¯s family had nothing.


    ¡°Father, why don¡¯t you look at our car and see if there¡¯s anything we can grow?¡± Jiang Xia asks hesitantly.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he said.


    After that, Jiang Chuan fell silent. Jiang Xia was confused while looking at his father, who seemed to be in a daze. What was his father doing?


    Just as Jiang Xia was feeling lost, Jiang Chuan suddenly came to his senses. He held a large watermelon, two apples, and a few strawberries.


    Jiang Xia took the watermelon, patted it a few times, and said in surprise, ¡°Father, were you choosing what fruits to pick out just now?¡±


    After Jiang Xia mentioned it, Jiang Chuan realized he was choosing things. When he was thinking about what he had in his car, the images in the car appeared in his mind.


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    ¡°I think that was indeed what was happening¡± Jiang Chuan laughed as he spoke.


    He was no longer surprised by these extraordinary things through his wife¡¯s instigations. Jiang Chuan cut open the watermelon and apple to get the seeds, not the strawberries. The strawberries could grow independently by leaving the whole thing in the soil.


    Jiang Xia put everything into the space and felt a little heartache. They were all fresh fruits, but they couldn¡¯t eat them. They had to wait for them to rot and grow new crops.


    Seeing his daughter¡¯s depressed look, Jiang Chuan patted her head and smiled, ¡°You guys can eat whatever you want after the plants are grown.¡±


    Just as the father and daughter were fantasizing about the beautiful life of being able to eat and drink as they pleased after separating from the family, Wang Fen¡¯s shrill voice could be heard from outside the door again.

 Chapter 19

    ¡°Lazy woman, it¡¯s already dawn, and you¡¯re still not up to work. If you can¡¯t find any food, can¡¯t you at least do some work?¡± Wang Fen¡¯s voice instantly made Zhou Lan stand up in a fit of rage.


    She was already burning with anger listening to how her younger daughter talked about starving and working for the past two days. Now, this old lady still dared to provoke her.


    It was true that people respected the old and loved the young, but it did not mean that those who did not respect their elders and bullied their children were worthy of respect.


    Seeing Zhou Lan¡¯s reaction, Jiang Xia quickly wrapped her arms around her mother¡¯s waist and said in a low voice, ¡°Mum, my dear mother, calm down. If you beat up that old lady now, we¡¯ll never be able to part from this family.¡±


    Jiang Chuan took his wife¡¯s arm and nodded in agreement. With his wife¡¯s current strength, one punch from her would send Wang Fen straight to the hospital.


    Zhou Lan¡¯s mind gradually calmed down under the two¡¯s continuous consoling, but her chest was still rising and falling.


    At the thought of how they locked her younger daughter out of the house, refused to give her any food, and even mixed wild vegetables with husks just to tell her that it was her only meal, Zhou Lan felt like beating the Jiang family to death.


    ¡°A family of jinxes, lazy people, only knows how to eat and not bring food back home, giving birth to a few money-losing goods, and yet I can¡¯t sell it? Why can¡¯t I sell it? It grew up eating my Jiang family¡¯s rice. If I say it can be sold, it can be sold.¡±


    Wang Fen¡¯s courage grew when she heard her husband say that the family could not be separated. When she thought of Jiang Chuan¡¯s timid personality, she was even more confident that Jiang Chuan was just saying it for the sake of it and didn¡¯t want to move out.


    As long as Wang Fen said she wasn¡¯t selling her, there was nothing the others could do to stop her. It doesn¡¯t matter if they get married. What¡¯s important is that she sent her there and received the money.


    Wang Fen had decided to use her old attitude to deal with the Jiang Chuan family.


    Jiang Chuan opened the door with a kick and stared at his mother with a blank expression while still standing inside the room.


    Wang Fen was frightened by her son¡¯s expression and subconsciously took two steps back.


    Realizing that she had been frightened by the brat, she looked down. Wang Fen got even more angry and annoyed. She cursed, ¡°Jiang Chuan, what is your family doing? It¡¯s already bright, and you¡¯re still not working. Do you want me to die of exhaustion?¡±


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    ¡°Your head no longer hurts?¡± Jiang Chuan looked at his mother and asked with a gloomy expression. He then glanced at the door that had just been installed swaying because of his kick.


    Jiang Chuan¡¯s words made his mother look at the door as if she felt the pain of being hit by the door again.


    ¡°Jiang Chuan, you still dare to mention it? That money-losing thing of yours deliberately hit me with a door. You have to pay me for the doctor¡¯s treatment.¡±


    Jiang Chuan and his mother looked at each other and suddenly sneered. He walked past Wang Fen and went straight to the door.


    ¡°Jiang Chuan! Jiang Chuan! Where do you think you are going?¡± Wang Fen continued shouting, but it didn¡¯t stop Jiang Chuan. Seeing Jiang Chuan leave without looking back, she immediately pointed her finger at the people in the room.


    ¡°You damn bastards, why aren¡¯t you calling Jiang Chuan back!¡± For some reason, Wang Fen felt terrible when she saw Jiang Chuan acting like this.


    Jiang Xia held her mother, who was about to fly into a rage, with one hand and her sister, who was hiding behind her in fear, with the other. As they walked out, Jiang Xia said with a smile, ¡°Grandma, why should we call him back? Didn¡¯t father agree to your request to go out and work?¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s going to work! It¡¯s clearly¡­¡±Wang Fen didn¡¯t need to finish her sentence for everyone to know what she would say.


    Seeing that Jiang Gu was strolling out of fear of the old lady, Jiang Xia asked her mother to carry her.


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    When the three of them walked past the old lady, Jiang Xia pulled Zhou Lan¡¯s arm and made them stop beside her.


    Jiang Xia raised her head and flashed a sweet smile at her grandma. She then spoke in a voice that could only be heard by the four of them, ¡°Grandma, I¡¯ve kept a note of how you¡¯ve mistreated my family and me all these years. One day, you will have to repay us. In fact! This morning, I was still hoping if the door could be a little thicker and I could smash it directly on you until you never got up again. Would that be doing you a favor?¡±


    After saying that, Jiang Xia pulled her mother along and left the Jiang family¡¯s residence.


    She only took a few steps when she heard her grandma¡¯s furious roar. This time, she didn¡¯t have the mood to suppress her voice, and her curses spread far and wide.


    ¡°Jiang Xia, you worthless piece of shit! I¡¯ll sell you out sooner or later!¡±

 Chapter 20

    On the way out, Jiang Gu couldn¡¯t help but stare at her sister in surprise. Was this her second sister? The sister who had to lower her head when she walked? The sister who was too afraid to speak most of the time? The changes were too good to be true!


    Jiang Xia felt the young lady staring at her so intensely that she raised her head helplessly and asked, ¡°Xiao Gu, do you have a question for me?¡±


    Jiang Gu thought she had been staring very carefully, not wanting to be caught, but she was obviously wrong.


    Jiang Gu¡¯s face turned red as she whispered, ¡°Sister, you¡¯re amazing! How dare you talk to grandma like that?¡±


    In the past, Jiang Xia had wished for rockets on her leg so that she could escape whenever she saw her grandparents. She did not dare to speak too loudly with the two of them and would occasionally lose her voice.


    Jiang Xia¡¯s eyes glinted coldly as she said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be afraid of. When we almost starved in the mountains, I realized that grandma was nothing compared to death. I almost died once. Why should I be afraid of grandma?¡±


    Jiang Xia¡¯s words did not matter to Jiang Gu. All she knew now was that her sister had become a strong girl, and she would not be bullied in the future.


    From Zhou Lan¡¯s point of view, she could see her younger daughter¡¯s admiration for her second sister. This made Zhou Lan feel a little jealous.


    The three of them continued walking quickly and soon arrived at the village chief¡¯s house. Jiang Chuan was already there, and he was talking to the chief.


    The village chief¡¯s wife saw the three of them standing outside the door and rushed to open it and welcomed them in.


    ¡°Zhou Lan! Are you two ready to separate from the Jiang family?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhou Lan nodded.


    ¡°Alright then! I understand your family¡¯s situation, so get Jiang Fu and the others here! Let¡¯s announce it before everyone and sign the agreement to move out. When you get to town, you can divide the household register. Jiang Chuan will then have to set up a separate household register.¡±


    After explaining the process, the village chief asked his wife to look for the servants. A neighbor of the Jiang family happened to pass by the chief¡¯s house, so they asked him to pass on the message to the Jiang family.


    Jiang Fu and his family quickly arrived because as soon as Jiang Chuan¡¯s family left, Wang Fen went to look for her husband to discuss their problems.


    From Wang Fen¡¯s description, Jiang Fu was sure that Jiang Chuan was determined to separate from the family. At the same time, he was annoyed at his wife for acting too fast. They hadn¡¯t even thought of a way to deal with Jiang Chuan, but Wang Fen had already driven them away.


    If Jiang Chuan were still a part of the family, even if he didn¡¯t work for a while, there would always be a way to force him back to work in the future. However, if they split up and completely cut off all connections, where would they find an excuse to make him do hard labor?


    ¡°Jiang Chuan! Your father and mother are still here! How can you suggest splitting the family?¡± Wang Fen took the initiative and started acting.


    When she saw the Jiang family, Jiang Xia had already displayed her usual cowardly attitude.


    The village chief¡¯s house was far from the Jiang family¡¯s house. The people who had witnessed what had happened last night were the Jiang family¡¯s neighbors, so many people in the village didn¡¯t know the actual situation. When they heard Wang Fen¡¯s voice, their first reaction was that Jiang Chuan had no reason to move out of the family.


    In this country where filial piety was the priority, Jiang Chuan¡¯s act of splitting up for no reason would be despised.


    The village chief had heard Jiang Chuan¡¯s reason for the separation, and he knew a lot about the Jiang family¡¯s situation. Seeing that Wang Fen had already started acting, the village chief was annoyed and waved his hand to quiet the old lady.


    ¡°Mrs. Jiang, I¡¯ve already sent someone to invite a few clan elders in the village to be witnesses. Perhaps they can help to mediate any misunderstandings between you two.¡± the chief said.


    The clan elders were seniors from the village, and they were all people of virtue and prestige. In the past, many villages were formed by people of the same clan, and this village was formed by many of the Wang clan members. Due to the increase in the number of people from other areas, the village was renamed Tong Shan village. The entire village also elected the elders.

 Chapter 21

    In this era, the village chief could not decide to separate from the family alone. It had to be witnessed by everyone and acknowledged by the clan leader so that the relationship could be broken.


    When the five clan elders finally arrived, groups gathered before the village chief¡¯s house to listen to gossip.


    ¡°Fellow elders! Jiang Fu and I are not dead yet, and Jiang Chuan is already considering separating from the family. What do you think we should do!¡± Wang Fen started complaining even before the village chief could speak.


    ¡°Elders! Jiang Fu and I have spent so much effort raising Jiang Chuan since he was a child, but this brat no longer wants us! Why is my life so hard!¡± Wang Fen continued.


    Although Wang Fen¡¯s surname was Wang, she was not originally from Tong Shan village.


    When Wang Fen was young, she called everyone ¡°big brother¡± and ¡°little sister.¡± She was attentive to several clan elders and always wanted to get some connections, which led to many people knowing her. It was also the reason why she spoke first today.


    The elders heard what Wang Fen had to say,but seeing that she didn¡¯t say anything useful, they turned to Jiang Chuan and asked, ¡°Jiang Chuan, why do you want to separate from your family?¡±


    Jiang Chuan maintained his dense expression and said, ¡°I felt that I would be a burden with my wife and two daughters, so I wanted to leave.¡±


    An elder with a beard glanced at Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu and saw the two girls looking down timidly. He continued to ask Jiang Chuan, ¡°Your little girl looks like she¡¯s six or seven years old. Why only think about this now?¡±


    Zhou Lan glanced at the old man and said in a low voice, ¡°Xiao Gu is already nine years old,¡±


    The old man didn¡¯t ask any more questions but waited for Jiang Chuan¡¯s answer, ¡°I used to think that as long as I worked hard, I would be able to support everyone. Now, I realized that I couldn¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± Another elder asked.


    It wasn¡¯t just the curious elders. Even those who were close to the Jiang family were. Not to mention their personalities, Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan were extremely capable in work. With the addition of the first and second brothers from the Jiang family, how could they not support their family?


    Jiang Fu felt that something was wrong when he heard this, and he sensed a disaster coming.


    ¡°If I could support my family, why would mother keep considering selling my second daughter? I went up to the mountain because my mother said that if I couldn¡¯t find food, she would send my second daughter to Qian Li from the neighboring village. My mother has already sold my eldest daughter, and I really don¡¯t want to lose another daughter. She¡¯s only 13 years old.¡± Jiang Chuan cried as he spoke. His sincere words and emotional performance made everyone sympathize with him.


    He didn¡¯t answer the question directly, but he made everyone understand that he wanted to separate from the family because he didn¡¯t want his three daughters to be sent away one by one.


    ¡°Jiang Chuan! Don¡¯t spout nonsense! What do you mean by selling your daughter! Your mother found a good marriage for your eldest daughter and married her over!¡± It was Jiang Gui who said this.


    He wanted to interrupt Jiang Chuan for quite some time now, but he was shocked by the sudden change in his brother, which gave Jiang Chuan the chance to finish his sentence.


    Jiang Chuan gave his brother a bitter smile, ¡°Big brother, you said that mother picked a good marriage for Xiao Qing? But I didn¡¯t even see the person who came to fetch the bride! The only thing I knew about the marriage was that it was to someone living in the mountains!¡±


    ¡°I wanted to visit her and asked mother for an address. However, our mother said that a married daughter is like water poured out and asked me to pretend that I never had this daughter. I admit that I¡¯m not a good father, but how can mother marry my daughter off without a word, and while I was working? Big brother, if you think this is a good marriage, how about letting your mother treat your daughter like this?¡±


    Jiang Chuan¡¯s words left Jiang Gui speechless, and he stared at his brother with wide-open eyes.


    Jiang Chuan continued, ¡°Now that mother is preparing to sell Xiao Xia, is Qian Li a good marriage in big brother¡¯s eyes?¡±


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough!¡± Jiang Fu slammed the table, which startled everyone present.


    Jiang Chuan shifted his gaze from Jiang Gui to his father with disdain in his eyes.


    Jiang Xia also thought to herself that the old man finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore.

 Chapter 22

    Everything that just happened had been planned out previously by Jiang Chuan. Whether it was Wang Fen¡¯s scolding or Jiang Gui¡¯s obstruction, it had all been arranged by Jiang Chuan. His purpose was to test what reasons his family would come up with to stop them from separating.


    Jiang Xia peeked at her father and then lowered her head, smiling like a sly fox. Jiang Fu had to try a lot harder to argue with her father. Her father acted like he was still the soft and timid son to let their guard down.


    After that, he would throw out something everyone was curious about, which allowed him to continue his speech. Everything that needed to be said was out, and the rest didn¡¯t matter.


    Obviously, after mentioning Wang Fen¡¯s idea to marry Jiang Xia to Qian Li, the neighbor¡¯s opinions became biased toward Jiang Chuan and his family.


    ¡°Jiang Chuan, we were in the wrong for this matter. At that time, I saw the man and thought that his living conditions were not bad, so I gave the girl to him. We didn¡¯t tell you because we didn¡¯t think it through. Your mother didn¡¯t tell you where your daughter got married to because she was afraid you would face danger in the mountains. How about this, when we get home, I¡¯ll take you to see the eldest girl.¡±


    Jiang Fu was indeed the head of the Jiang family. With just a few words, he had managed to deceive the matter of selling Jiang Qing and even restored some of his reputation by apologizing.


    Thanks to the era favoritism for men, Jiang Fu could cover up the issue of human trafficking so easily. After all, the one being sold was a girl. In this drought and lack of food, how many families had not planned to sell their daughters for food?


    ¡°Also, about Jiang Xia¡¯s marriage, since you are against it, let¡¯s see which family we like. This time, we will let you know.¡±


    Jiang Xia gritted his teeth in anger after hearing Jiang Fu¡¯s words. She had sold her elder sister and was now prepared to sell her. How could she let him go so easily?


    ¡°Grandpa, why do you still want to sell me?¡± Jiang Xia asked, and this made her grandpa really angry.


    Jiang Xia continued by saying, ¡°Grandpa, you said you¡¯re not selling me, but I¡¯m only thirteen years old, and you want me to marry out! When big sister got married, grandma did not give them any dowry, but she asked for many betrothal gifts. If this is not selling, what is? Or do you still think I am eating too much food from home? But I haven¡¯t been to the dining table. What exactly am I eating that¡¯s too much?¡±


    Jiang Xia was crying and shouting at the same time. The surrounding was silent, and only the girl¡¯s helpless screams could be heard.


    ¡°Grandpa, grandma, why don¡¯t you like our family? Is it because mom only gave birth to three girls? Or do you hate dad? Dad is clearly your child too!¡±


    ¡°Why are you doing this to us? Mom and dad have to work during the day to earn food, and they have to dig for wild vegetables at night. Xiao Gu and I help people sew clothes just to get some food. We do all the chores at home, and grandma will beat or scold us if we forget anything. Why is that?¡±


    The girl¡¯s hoarse cry silenced everyone at the scene. The other villagers around remained silent because they didn¡¯t expect Jiang Chuan¡¯s family to live such a life, while the Jiang family remained silent as they were shocked that Jiang Xia had said everything out loud.


    They all thought that Jiang Chuan would not say too much as he still cared about his reputation. After all, they would still live in the same village even if they separated.


    The house was silent for a long time before the village chief sighed and said, ¡°Brother Jiang! Let Jiang Chuan family move out!¡±


    Then, he turned to the elders and asked, ¡°What do the clan elders think?¡±


    Hearing the village chief¡¯s question, the few elders nodded silently.


    It was useless for Jiang Fu to say anything now. He looked at Jiang Xia with a deep gaze and turned to Jiang Chuan, ¡°Jiang Chuan, it¡¯s already hard enough to live in a group for the past few years, and you still want separate? Forget it! I won¡¯t say anything more. You guys take care. ¡±


    Jiang Xia could not tell if Jiang Fu¡¯s words were a reminder or a warning, but they made her uncomfortable.


    ¡°At least I can see my parents when I go to bed at night.¡± Jiang Xia mumbled to herself. Even though she was talking to herself, her words naturally reached everyone¡¯s ears as the main hall was extremely quiet.

 Chapter 23

    With Jiang Fu¡¯s consent, separating from the family was no longer difficult.


    Jiang Chuan¡¯s and Jiang Fu¡¯s both signed their names on the agreement forms. All they needed to do was wait for Jiang Chuan to go to town and register for a new household register, and all the procedures would be complete.


    Before they signed the agreement, Wang Fen refused to give Jiang Chuan any of her assets and cried on the ground.


    It was probably because they had confirmed the separation, Wang Fen didn¡¯t even care about how she looked in front of everyone else. She shouted, saying Jiang Chuan was ruthless and that she would not let any of his nephews take care of him in his old age.


    Wang Fen¡¯s behavior caused a lot of discussion in the village. There was little entertainment during this time; everyone usually listened to gossip and talked about family affairs. It was not easy to encounter such a big event. Naturally, they talked about it.


    After sending the clan elder off, the remaining Jiang family members also left.


    The village chief asked Jiang Chuan to stay behind to discuss the family¡¯s plan. Not only did Wang Fen¡¯s actions give others a source of entertainment, but they also gave the village chief and the elders a slap in their faces. From ancient times until now, other than those who made mistakes and were driven out of the family, there had never been a situation where the son moved out of the family without taking anything.


    Jiang Chuan looked at the village chief, who had been taking care of them for the past two days, and smiled, ¡°Thank you, chief. I feel much more relaxed now that I can move out. At least I don¡¯t have to worry about Xiao Xia and Xiao Gu being sold.¡±


    ¡°Alright! Then where are you going to stay?¡± The village chief asked.


    Jiang Chuan was also worried about where they would live after coming out. He even considered going back to the mountain to get the vehicle.


    Seeing that Jiang Chuan didn¡¯t answer, the village leader smiled and said, ¡°There¡¯s a vacant house in the west of the village. It belongs to my distant relative. His son had made a fortune in the city a few years ago, and the house is now empty. He said that I could decide whether to keep or sell the house. Although it¡¯s a little remote and quiet, how about you move there after you move out?¡±


    Jiang Chuan¡¯s eyes lit up when they heard the chief¡¯s words. After thanking the village head, Jiang Chuan took the family of three back to their house to get their things.


    At this time, the Jiang family, who had already returned home, were in a state of unrest. Jiang Fu and his wife, Jiang Gui and his wife, and Jiang Hua and his wife, a total of six people, occupied the main house. Outside the house, the younger ones were divided into two groups, each having their fun.


    After a moment of silence, Jiang Fu spoke first, ¡°From today on, Jiang Chuan is no longer a member of the Jiang family. Our work will be redistributed.¡±


    ¡°Jiang Chuan is so unfilial. He only knows how to anger his father and mother. Father and mother, come and drink some water.¡± Jiang Gui¡¯s wife brought two glasses of water to the old couple.


    Jiang Fu didn¡¯t reply but took a sip of water while Wang Fen smiled.


    Jiang Hua¡¯s wife glanced at her eldest sister-in-law and didn¡¯t say anything. Before she went to the village chief¡¯s house, she had pulled her husband aside and told him not to talk much.


    If Jiang Chuan could separate, then let him be. With Jiang Chuan as the leader, it would be easy for her family to separate in the future. The old couple¡¯s favoritism towards the eldest brother¡¯s family could be seen clearly by anyone in the family. There was no reason to stay and let them suck their family¡¯s blood now.


    ¡°Father, are you going to let Jiang Chuan and his family off so easily? Isn¡¯t that letting them off too easily?¡± Jiang Gui said with a straight face, his small eyes filled with anger.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already signed the papers. What else do you want?¡± Jiang Fu asked in a flat tone.


    Jiang Gui chuckled and cracked his knuckles. Because he had been favored by the two elders of the Jiang family since he was young, and because of his robust looks, he looked pretty intimidating.


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy for Jiang Chuan to live with three women. There¡¯s quite a lot of gangsters these days, isn¡¯t there?¡± His words revealed his sinister intentions.


    Jiang Chuan had done almost everything for the Jiang family over the years, but the Jiang family still felt that Jiang Chuan owed them.


    Jiang Fu took another sip of water from the large teacup, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Wang Fen, sitting beside him, nodded with a smile and said, ¡°Yup! It¡¯s not easy to live these days! How can they not suffer!¡±


    When Jiang Hua¡¯s wife heard these words, her heart started beating like a drum. She timidly hid behind her husband, thinking that it had to be carried out slowly if she wanted to separate from the family too. She had to see what Jiang Chuan¡¯s family was going to do before making any plans.


    Jiang Hua, who had been silent since the incident, had a strange feeling whenever he thought of Jiang Chuan and Jiang Xia.

 Chapter 24

    On the way back to the Jiang family¡¯s house, Jiang Xia heard a lot of discussions about her family.


    ¡°Hey, what kind of deity do you think Jiang Chuan offended? He just came down from the mountains yesterday, and now he wants to move out. His mother is so cruel that she doesn¡¯t want to share anything with him. How can there be such a mother?¡±


    ¡°Now that you mention it, I remember that there were rumors in the village saying that Jiang Chuan isn¡¯t a child of the Jiang family. He was picked up from the streets.¡±


    ¡°Picked up from the streets? Impossible! In this day and age, no family could fill their own stomachs, yet they had the mood to pick up children?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t believe it at first either, but look at how the Jiang family treated Jiang Chuan. Although it was normal to have a favorite child, it didn¡¯t make sense Jiang Chuan was mistreated.¡±


    Jiang Xia perked up her ears and listened carefully to the topic. She, too, was suspicious of the relationship between her father and the Jiang family.


    At the Jiang family¡¯s house, Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan went to the house to pack their things while Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu waited outside.


    It wasn¡¯t that they were afraid Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu would cause trouble. They were actually worried that they would injure themselves again.


    While Jiang Xia was drawing cute characters on the ground for his sister, a shadow loomed over them.


    ¡°You two money-losing things, move aside. Why are you blocking the door? Are you keeping a look out for your parents?¡±


    The woman¡¯s voice sounded like a new piece of chalk scribbling on the blackboard. When she heard the woman¡¯s raised voice, Jiang Xia felt like covering her ears.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be a lookout for?¡± Jiang Xia asked calmly without raising his head.


    ¡°Hmph! Perhaps they were up to no good and wanted to take away things that belonged to the Jiang family. Move aside and open the door.¡±


    Jiang Gui¡¯s wife was here to pick a fight with them. Everyone in the Jiang family knew that Jiang Chuan was poor. She just wanted to pick a fight and make them unhappy before they left.


    ¡°Aunty, mind your words. You know in your heart whose hands are not clean. Five years ago, who was the one that took the fifty cents from the locked cabinet? Do you need me to tell you?¡± Jiang Xia¡¯s voice was not loud, so only the three could hear him.


    Upon hearing this, the eldest daughter-in-law¡¯s face turned pale. She said sternly, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about, you worthless thing?¡±


    ¡°I still remember the extra things you put back after that. Now that my family is moving out,do you think grandma will suspect you if I mention this? If she really starts suspecting you, your coming days won¡¯t be easy!¡± Jiang Xia said while raising her head and revealing a malicious smile.


    Jiang Xia used to be very smart and had a very good memory, so it was easy for her to remember things. She became so quiet and did not like to talk or look at others because she had gotten abused by the Jiang family.


    ¡°You! You!¡± Jiang Gui¡¯s wife was getting annoyed but did not dare to say anything.


    Because she was no longer trying to stir up trouble, Jiang Xia pulled Jiang Gu along and started drawing other things.


    When Jiang Chuan finished packing up, he saw Jiang Gui¡¯s wife standing at the door, and his two precious daughters were squatting in front of her.


    Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan hurried forward and carried them.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, what are you doing here?¡± Jiang Chuan asked coldly.


    Jiang Gui¡¯s wife was about to fight back when she saw Jiang Xia¡¯s cold gaze. In an instant, all the vulgarities were swallowed back into her stomach.


    ¡°I¡¯m just checking to see if you¡¯ve taken anything that belonged to the Jiang family.¡± Jiang Gui¡¯s wife said.


    Jiang Chuan knew she was here to cause trouble after hearing what she had to say, so he ignored her and walked out of the gate.


    Zhou Lan followed him and took two steps forward. Feeling frustrated, she turned around and gave the eldest daughter-in-law the middle finger.


    Sitting in his father¡¯s arms, Jiang Xia couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter.


    ¡°Xiao Xia, what are you laughing at?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just saw mother give aunty a gift. ¡±


    ¡°Eh? What gift?¡± Jiang Chuan was full of questions.


    ¡°Father.¡± Jiang Gu called out, and Jiang Chuan turned around.


    ¡°Mother just did this to her,¡± Jiang Gu said while showing her middle finger.


    Seeing her daughter¡¯s honesty, Zhou Lan quickly pressed her hand down and smiled at Jiang Chuan.


    When Jiang Xia saw the hand gestures, he could clearly feel his father¡¯s face darken. His expression then turned helpless. There was nothing he could do when he pampers his wife so much!

 Chapter 25

    Jiang Chuan¡¯s family was greeted by many of their neighbors as soon as they opened the door.


    ¡°You only have this much?¡± Someone could not help but ask.


    Jiang Chuan nodded and led Zhou Lan, Jiang Xia, and Jiang Gu to the west part of the village.


    ¡°Is that really all they have!¡± The person who asked the question sighed.


    ¡°They¡¯re not even going to take the rice?¡± Another person chimed in.


    ¡°I think it is not a matter of whether they want to take it but whether they can take it!¡±


    A man carrying a hoe gestured to the Jiang family¡¯s courtyard with his eyes.


    The crowd saw Jiang Gui¡¯s wife standing at the door, and Jiang Gui standing in the middle of the courtyard. No one dared to crowd around anymore and slowly they started to disperse.


    ¡°Tsk, what family? I didn¡¯t believe that Jiang Fu¡¯s family could be so evil before, but it seems like Jiang Xia was right.¡±


    Hearing that, Jiang Gui¡¯s wife looked over with her eyes wide open.


    ¡°I was wondering who it was! So it¡¯s you, this blind woman. I think you¡¯re not only blind in the eyes but also blind in the heart. You only see the worse in everyone.¡± Jiang Gui¡¯s wife said.


    The blind woman¡¯s name was Li Xia. She became blind a few years back because she had to save her husband when her house caught fire. Li Xia and Jiang Gui¡¯s wife had never gotten along even though they were about the same age.


    ¡°Ha! To sell her granddaughter and let her son leave with nothing is not considered bad?¡± The blind woman said with a smile.


    ¡°How can that he considered selling! My mother-in-law has obviously found a good marriage for Jiang Xia.¡±


    The blind woman laughed even louder this time, ¡°A good marriage? Your Jiang Hong is even older than Jiang Xia! Why don¡¯t you marry Jiang Hong to Qian Li?¡±


    ¡°Who wants to marry him! My Jiang Hong is going to marry someone in the city.¡±


    ¡°Your Jiang Hong is marrying into the city?¡± The blind woman¡¯s words were full of sarcasm.


    The blind woman couldn¡¯t be blamed for looking down on her. Jiang Hong, who had inherited her parent¡¯s characteristics, couldn¡¯t be described as pretty.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? My girl is in good health. One look and I can tell she¡¯ll give birth to a boy.¡±


    ¡°Even if she really gave birth to a boy, imagine if he has Jiang Hong¡¯s looks¡­ Tsk.¡±


    As soon as the blind woman finished speaking, she heard crying in the yard. The Jiang family¡¯s children were playing in the yard, and most of them didn¡¯t dare to come forward, but after the Jiang Chuan family left, they began to go around. Jiang Hong happened to be hiding behind the gate, eavesdropping.


    There was no girl who didn¡¯t want to be beautiful. Hearing someone criticize her looks like that, she couldn¡¯t help but cry.


    When Jiang Gui¡¯s wife heard her daughter cry, she quickly comforted her. Before closing the door, she didn¡¯t forget to say a harsh sentence to Li Xia, ¡°Just you wait, don¡¯t let me see you again!¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± The blind woman said, feeling really good after that fight with Jiang Gui¡¯s wife.


    As the saying goes, ¡®Don¡¯t bring grudges to the next generation,¡¯ but that was only if they were good people.


    Since the smoke blinded Li Xia¡¯s eyes, Jiang Gui¡¯s wife started calling her a blind woman and even urged her daughter to call her that.


    Not only that, but Jiang Hong and her classmates also isolated Li Xia¡¯s son at school, telling him that his mother was blind and disabled. This caused Li Xia¡¯s son to fall into depression for a while. In the end, it was only with the help of Jiang Qing and Jiang Xia that Li Xia¡¯s son slowly recovered from the trauma.


    It was a pity Jiang Chuan and his family missed out on this fight.


    ¡°Dad, are you sure this is the place?¡± Jiang Xia asked with a suspicious look as they stood in front of a pile of ruins.


    Jiang Chuan was also a little uncertain. He looked around and found that there were still people living in other houses. It couldn¡¯t be wrong, this had to be the place!


    At this moment, the neighbor from the next-door shop opened their door as if they were about to go out.


    ¡°Hi, do you know where the house of Dan Bin¡¯s relative is?¡± Jiang Chuan stopped him and asked.


    The neighbor raised his hand and pointed at the ruins. ¡°This is the place! This house collapsed last year. I¡¯ve already told the village chief.¡± Then, he looked at Jiang Chuan suspiciously and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re going to stay there?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Jiang Chuan laughed dryly, ¡°We haven¡¯t had a place to go yet, so he told us to stay here. ¡±


    Although the matter with the Jiang family had caused quite a stir, not everyone in the village liked to gossip, so naturally, some of them still didn¡¯t know what had happened.


    ¡°How can people live in this state? You should go and talk to the village chief again!¡±


    Without waiting for Jiang Chuan to ask any more questions, the man left with his hoe.

 Chapter 26

    Jiang Xia walked to the ruins and sat down on a rock with a sigh. Does this mean they are going to live on the streets?


    Zhou Lan walked to Jiang Chuan¡¯s side and put her head on his shoulder. She mumbled, ¡°When people transmigrate, they end up as the young ladies of wealthy families or the daughters of warlords. Why are we the only ones who ended up becoming a pitiful family? I felt so suffocated before, I didn¡¯t even dare to speak because I was afraid of dragging you two down. ¡±


    ¡°I was wondering why you were so quiet,¡± Jiang Chuan said thoughtfully, ¡°Now that we¡¯re out, you can say whatever you want. No one will stop you even if you shout into the megaphone.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still in the mood to tease me!¡± Zhou Lan pouted in dissatisfaction and punched Jiang Chuan¡¯s shoulder, which almost caused internal injuries.


    Rubbing his shoulder, Jiang Chuan said, ¡°Sweetheart, do you want to send to the hospital? You used too much strength!¡±


    ¡°Ah? No! I ¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan looked at each other as if they had just realized something. Zhou Lan walked to a pile of ruins and chose a huge rock. She held it with both hands, exerted force, and lifted the rock.


    ¡°Mum, what are you doing?¡± Jiang Xia asked. She ignored the public display of affection her parents had just shown to the back of her head and followed her mother with Jiang Gu following behind her.


    ¡°I am so strong,¡± Zhou Lan said while looking at her hands in disbelief. Although she had felt that her strength had increased, she did not realize it had increased this much. It seemed that she had only truly gained the power after she had slept.


    ¡°Mother is so powerful!¡± Jiang Gu praised as she clapped her hands.


    ¡°Xiao Gu!¡± Jiang Xia pulled Jiang Gu aside and said, ¡°You can¡¯t tell anyone that mother is strong!¡±


    Jiang Gu nodded after some thought. She knew that sometimes good things have to be hidden. She remembered when she was in the second grade when a child brought a stunning doll to school. The next day after school, he found that it broke.


    If the villagers knew that her mother was strong, many people would want her mother to work for them. Even her grandparents would make her mother go home.


    Jiang Xia was very fond of Jiang Gu¡¯s obedience. Jiang Xia kissed her on the cheek, making Jiang Gu so embarrassed that even her neck turned red.


    When Jiang Gu saw her parents and sister smiling at her, she was so embarrassed that she turned around and started running away. As she ran, she didn¡¯t forget to shout, ¡°I¡¯ll go and tell Grandpa chief about the situation!¡±


    Jiang Gu ran so fast that Jiang Chuan and the other two didn¡¯t even have a chance to stop her.


    Ever since their family arrived, they had caused a lot of trouble for the village chief. They didn¡¯t want to disturb the chief, but now that there was no choice.


    ¡°Dad, the old house has collapsed. It will take at least three or four days to rebuild it. Shall we build a straw shed and live in it for a few days?¡±


    Zhou Land and Jiang Xia watched many melodramatic romance and survival films back in the modern world, and now it is coming in handy.


    Jiang Chuan had nothing to say when he heard the suggestion. It wasn¡¯t like he had any other ideas.


    ¡°Okay, your mother and I will clean up these stones first. You go and collect the wheat straws that can still be used.¡±


    The three of them got to work immediately. With Zhou Lan¡¯s power, it was not difficult for the couple to move the stones.


    After moving two large rocks, Jiang Chuan suddenly remembered that his youngest daughter had said she would find the village chief. What would they say if the village chief came and saw that the work was done?


    As soon as Jiang Chuan stopped his wife, he heard some conversations from a distance. Zhou Lan had good eyesight and saw a group of children running over, and Jiang Gu was leading them.


    When they got closer, the three of them saw that there was a group of adults following behind.


    Jiang Gu¡¯s face was covered in sweat as she ran in front of them, ¡°Dad! Mum! I met some friends on the road and they said they wanted to help us build a house.¡±


    Jiang Xia roughly counted eight or nine children around Jiang Gu¡¯s age. She could not help but be impressed by her little sister¡¯s popularity!


    Jiang Gu and Jiang Xia welcomed their children, while Jiang Chuan and his wife welcomed the village chief and his people.


    The village chief had indeed forgotten that the house had collapsed. He had wanted to give Jiang Chuan and his family a place to stay, but he didn¡¯t expect something like that to happen.

 Chapter 27

    At the village chief¡¯s call, a dozen villagers agreed to help Jiang Chuan¡¯s family re-build the house out of sympathy. However, many didn¡¯t come as they heard they would not be provided food even if they helped.


    The family looked at the villagers and felt both surprised and grateful. There were at least 20 of them that came to help. There was nothing much the family could do other than to thank them.


    The village chief looked around and decided to assign tasks to everyone. It was the same as what Jiang Xia and the others had planned.


    First, they would clear out the place, then build a straw shed for the family of four to live in. After that, they would start building the walls and fixing the houses. As for the materials needed to build the houses, the village would lend them for the time being, and they would return the money after the houses were built.


    During this time, a guarantor was required to borrow something, especially public property. The village chief was the guarantor for Jiang Chuan¡¯s family this time and surprised many villagers. They did not understand why the chief treated Jiang Chuan and his family so well.


    While Jiang Xia was working, she took note of the villagers who helped them build their houses. She would ask Jiang Gu who they were when she did not recognize the faces, and Jiang Gu was able to give her their names every time.


    Because the house had collapsed, cleaning it up was a lot of physical work. They managed to build the straw shed first and since the weather was hot this time of year, they wouldn¡¯t even feel cold sleeping in it at night.


    Seeing that the people who had helped them were sweating profusely, Jiang Xia wished she could just go into her space and bring them more water.


    Seeing her sister sigh, Jiang Gu could not help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Everyone seems tired, so I want to find some food and water for them.¡± Jiang Xia said.


    Hearing her sister¡¯s words, Jiang Gu looked around and bit her lip. Some of her friends were already sitting on the ground in exhaustion.


    Because of the drought, everyone was always hungry and most of the villagers were already very thin, yet they were still willing to help them with their house.


    Jiang Xia walked to her mother¡¯s side, tugging at her arm, she said, ¡°Mom, let¡¯s go find some food. If there¡¯s no rice, some vegetables or fruits will do!¡±


    Zhou Lan knew what Jiang Xia was grateful to the villagers just from looking at her expression.


    ¡°Where do you think we will be able to find food in this drought?¡± Zhou Lan said helplessly.


    ¡°The mountain.¡± Jiang Xia whispered into Zhou Lan¡¯s ear.


    When she went down the mountain yesterday, she observed the environment. Although it was very dry outside the mountain, the mountain area was still humid and it was still possible to find some food. With their current powers, they should be able to handle the danger.


    Zhou Lan thought about it for a moment and felt that she should pull Jiang Chuan aside to talk.


    While Zhou Lan and Jiang Chuan were talking, Jiang Xia calculated the time. It would take two hours for them to go back and forth, so if they stayed in the mountains for one hour, that would be three hours. They should be able to come back before dinner.


    Now that Zhou Lan got used to her power, she felt full of confidence. She could bring down one or two wild beasts in the mountains as food and even exchange them for money. This way, a lot of their problems would be settled.


    However, not long after they left, the two realized how naive they had been. After all, they were people from the 21st century and had no concept of hunger and thirst. After walking for only 20 minutes, the two felt their legs did not belong to them, and their bodies were trembling.


    ¡°Xiao Xia, did we make a stupid decision?¡± Zhou Lan said to her daughter with a tearful face.


    The corners of Jiang Xia¡¯s mouth twitched. As a straight-A student, she didn¡¯t want to admit that she sometimes also makes stupid decisions. Her passionate self allowed her to forget about her own physical condition. Just because she did not feel hungry does not mean she was full.


    ¡°Jiang Xia, I¡¯m thirsty and hungry right now. I really want to ask your father to bring out the water and food in the car.¡±


    At the mention of water, Jiang Xia suddenly remembered that she still had access to an extra space. How could she have forgotten such an important thing?


    Jiang Xia smacked her forehead and dragged Zhou Lan to a remote corner while Zhou Lan looked at her daughter¡¯s strange behavior with a face full of questions.


    ¡°Xiao Xia, what are you doing? Stealing from others? No, no, no! We can¡¯t do this. The villagers even helped us build our house! How can you steal from others!¡±


    Jiang Xia¡¯s face darkened; her mother was clearly overthinking. She thought that her daughter was going to steal something.


    ¡°No, mum, there¡¯s something I forgot to tell you.¡±

 Chapter 28

    After saying that, Jiang Xia took a large piece of leaf and entered her interspace. While in it, Jiang Xia used the large piece of leaf to collect some water.


    Zhou Lan watched as Jiang Xia suddenly disappeared and reappeared. The large leaf she had picked out was already filled with water when she reappeared.


    Zhou Lan¡¯s eyes widened as she exclaimed in surprise, ¡°Xiao Xia, you¡¯ve also obtained a power? The ability to retrieve water?¡±


    Jiang Xia shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s not water. It¡¯s more like an interspace. There¡¯s grass, river, and two to three acres of cultivated land.¡±


    ¡°Is this the type of space for the female protagonists in novels?¡± Zhou Lan started expecting more when she heard of her daughter¡¯s power.


    Instead of a space for female protagonists, Jiang Xia felt that the Jade was more like a tool that could teleport people from one space to the other. However, it was useless to think too much into it, so she just treated it as an extra space for now!


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! It might be!¡± Jiang Xia said, scratching her head.


    ¡°My daughter, you¡¯re so lucky! How did you discover this ability?¡± Zhou Lan asked.


    Jiang Xia pulled out the red string from her neck. The small and delicate Jade became very crystal clear under the sun.


    ¡°Eh? Isn¡¯t this the one you¡¯ve been carrying? This is how you travel to the interspace?¡± Zhou Lan said in disbelief.


    Jiang Xia nodded, confirming Zhou Lan¡¯s guess.


    ¡°Really? But there wasn¡¯t anything special before, so why did this interspace suddenly appear?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it was the same with dad¡¯s car!¡±


    After hearing Jiang Xia¡¯s words, Zhou Lan felt that she was right. Both of them had obtained their powers without knowing. The only difference was that she and Jiang Chuan had obtained their own powers, while Jiang Xia¡¯s powers were attached to other objects.


    After thinking this through, Zhou Lan quickly accepted the fact that her daughter had a new power.


    Jiang Xia handed the water to Zhou Lan while they thought about what to do next.


    To return empty-handed would be such an embarrassment. If they return now, they couldn¡¯t keep their promise to find wild vegetables for dinner. However, they didn¡¯t have the strength to go up the mountain.


    They couldn¡¯t just sacrifice their life for the sake of how they look in front of the villagers!


    Just as Jiang Xia was discussing with Zhou Lan about looking around the area for food, Zhou Lan suddenly commented, ¡°This water is really good!¡±


    ¡°Look at how thirsty you are! Even the water taste good,¡± Jiang Xia teased her mother with a smile.


    ¡°No, Xiao Xia, this water is actually sweet!¡±


    Zhou Lan¡¯s words puzzled Jiang Xia. It was just water from a river; she didn¡¯t add any sugar. How could it be sweet?


    ¡°Xiao Xia, do you have more of this water?¡± Zhou Lan asked while she placed the big leaf in Jiang Xia¡¯s hands.


    Filled with suspicion, Jiang Xia entered the interspace again. Placing the leaf aside, Jiang Xia cupped the water with both hands and began drinking. Surprisingly, even Jiang Xia thought that the water in this space was sweet. It was even better than spring water.


    After taking two sips of the water, Jiang Xia appeared in front of Zhou Lan with the leaf.


    ¡°Xiao Xia, do you feel like your body is full of strength?¡±


    The corner of Jiang Xia¡¯s mouth twitched. She suspected that her mother is overthinking again.


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯m afraid we don¡¯t have enough strength to go up the mountain. Why don¡¯t we look nearby to see if there are any wild vegetables.¡±


    Zhou Lan stood up and took two steps, but she no longer felt tired or hungry this time.


    ¡°Xiao Xia, I really don¡¯t feel hungry anymore. Instead, I feel full of energy. Why don¡¯t you get up and try walking around?¡±


    At first, Jiang Xia was skeptical about her mother¡¯s words, but stood up and tried walking around. It was extraordinary, but she really did feel a lot better. She even suspected that she got brainwashed by her mother?


    Jiang Xia thought about it for a while, but she still couldn¡¯t be sure if the changes in their bodies were due to the water.


    However, they were ready to proceed according to their previous plan since they had enough physical strength.


    The two of them walked a lot faster this time as they regained their physical strength and managed to reach the top of the mountain in less than an hour.


    Jiang Xia had mixed feelings looking at their surroundings. They came up here without any preparations and found out they had powers. After receiving the memories from the original bodies, they had to live as another person. Too many things had been going on in the past few days that she didn¡¯t have the time to think about it. But now, she couldn¡¯t help but doubt if all of this was real. Perhaps it is all a dream?

 Chapter 29

    ¡°Xiao Xia, what are you daydreaming about?¡± Zhou Lan, who was walking in front, suddenly shouted at Jiang Xia.


    Jiang Xia shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡±


    ¡°Xiao Xia, come and see if this is edible.¡±


    Zhou Lan loved to eat wild vegetables even in the modern world. Some wild vegetables not only tasted good, but they also had high nutritional value. However, they lived in a big city, so they bought their wild vegetables and rarely dug them out themselves.


    Jiang Xia walked to the other side of the field and squatted down to study the small patch of wild vegetables with her mother.


    ¡°It should be!¡±


    Perhaps it was because they were on the edge of the mountain and were affected by the drought, the small patch of vegetables was small and yellow.


    After getting her daughter¡¯s approval, Zhou Lan was about to start digging when Jiang Xia stopped her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s walk further in. This small slice is too pitiful. It doesn¡¯t look good if we were to bring this back.¡±


    Jiang Xia wasn¡¯t a Saint, and it was just that the wild vegetables reminded her of the skinny villagers. Since they were already here, they should return with some good crops.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Zhou Lan said.


    The wild vegetables didn¡¯t look good, but that does not mean they couldn¡¯t find something better if they walked further in.


    However, after taking two steps, Jiang Xia seemed to have thought of something. She returned to the wild vegetable they found previously and watered it with the water she took from her interspace.


    ¡°Jiang Xia, why did you water the vegetables? We¡¯re short of water now. We still have to save your water for drinking!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a little mum, don¡¯t worry. I still have some in my interspace!¡±


    ¡°Alright! You¡­¡±


    Jiang Xia followed Zhou Lan¡¯s gaze and saw that the wild vegetables that the interspace water had watered were growing rapidly. In just a few seconds, it had grown into a large area.


    ¡°This¡­¡± Jiang Xia was so shocked that she couldn¡¯t speak. She could only stare blankly at the wild vegetables.


    Zhou Lan was the first to come to her senses. She squatted down and tugged on Jiang Xia¡¯s arm.¡±Xiao Xia, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and dig!¡±


    ¡°Mother, this is ¡­¡±


    ¡°I told you! The reason why we felt our strength recover just now must be because of that water of yours.¡±


    Seeing what had just happened, Jiang Xia no longer dared to doubt her mother¡¯s words. She followed Zhou Lan and began to dig the wild vegetables bit by bit. When Jiang Xia was almost done digging, she took out some water and poured it on the ground. This time, she did not only water one plant but an entire area.


    Grass and wild vegetables started emerging from the ground and growing. The whole process took less than five minutes.


    ¡°Dandelion, caldron, ferns¡­¡±


    Zhou Lan said the names of every vegetable she dug up and refused to stop until the entire basket was full.


    Jiang Xia didn¡¯t mind her mother. She walked to a small sapling and continued to experiment with the use of the interspace water.


    ¡°Xiao Xia, your water is too magical! Does this count as growing wild vegetables out of thin air?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t count,¡± Jiang Xia said, who had returned to Zhou Lan¡¯s side.


    ¡°We need seeds for it to start growing. I tried it with stones, but it didn¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°Argh! I see!¡± Zhou Lan replied.


    Glancing at the pile of wild vegetables behind her mother, Jiang Xia said helplessly, ¡°Mum, do you really think we can finish eating all of this?¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Zhou Lan threw another garlic root behind her and looked at Jiang Xia in confusion.


    Jiang Xia gestured for her to look behind her. Zhou Lan was startled when she turned around.


    ¡°Ha, haha, I didn¡¯t know I already dug! Xiao Xia, you don¡¯t understand. Digging wild vegetables can get you addicted!¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I really don¡¯t understand. Let¡¯s quickly put away the wild vegetables and go back! Dad and the villagers are all waiting!¡± Jiang Xia said as she arranged the wild vegetables properly. She tried her best to put as many of them in the basket and placed the leftover ones in the interspace.


    After tidying up their things, the mother and daughter were about to return home when the sound of something running suddenly caught Zhou Lan¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Xiao Xia, come here!¡± Zhou Lanshouted anxiously. She carried Jiang Xia and started running.


    She was now certain that it wasn¡¯t just one thing running towards them. Of the memories that Zhou Lan had gained, some were about the wild beasts in the mountains. Was it really a group of wild beasts this time?


    Zhou Lan did not dare to stop and ran for a few hundred meters.


    ¡°Mother, have we outran those things?¡± Jiang Xia asked when they finally came to a stop.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhou Lan nodded, then frowned and looked back in the direction they had been running from.

 Chapter 30

    Seeing that Zhou Lan was still looking in that direction, Jiang Xia was a little confused, ¡°Mom, What are you looking at? Shouldn¡¯t we hurry?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s strange. All the sounds suddenly stopped.¡±


    ¡°It stopped?¡± Jiang Xia suspected that those were the sounds of running animals, but why did they suddenly stop chasing?


    Zhou Lan then boldly suggested, ¡°Xiao Xia, why don¡¯t we go back and take a look?¡±


    Zhou Lan was looking at her with sparkling eyes. Jiang Xia thought of her mother¡¯s strength and let out a long sigh and said, ¡°Fine. But mum, you have to protect me! If I get hurt, we don¡¯t have the money to treat it. ¡±


    ¡°Alright! I know! If there¡¯s any danger, I¡¯ll take you away immediately.¡±


    After saying that, Zhou Lan walked back with Jiang Xia in her arms.


    The closer they got to the place where the sound disappeared, the more nervous the mother and daughter became. When they were getting near where they were picking wild vegetables, the two stopped and hid behind a tree to observe the situation.


    However, what they witnessed was not what the mother and daughter were worried about. They noticed that the place where they had picked the wild vegetables was surrounded by a group of rabbits, deer, sheep, and other herbivores. There was even a wild boar among them.


    ¡°Jiang Xia, do you think these animals came here for the wild vegetables?¡±


    Jiang Xia nodded in agreement. Only the part where Jiang Xia had watered was growing new crops. The animals must be here because they smelled the vegetables.


    Jiang Xia¡¯s eyes brightened when she saw the increasing number of animals. Was it possible for her to move all these animals into her interspace? If it is possible, then her family would no longer have to worry about food in the future.


    But she realized her idea was not right. If she really managed to store these animals in her interspace, they would probably eat up all the grass in just a few days. However, if possible, she could probably store a rabbit or two!


    Jiang Xia shared her thoughts with Zhou Lan, who agreed with her.


    Jiang Xia decided to tie the rabbit and sheep¡¯s limbs to prevent the animals from running around in her interspace. She would set up a fence in her interspace when she returned to let them free.


    The mother and daughter got some branches and waited for an opportunity. The branches were long and thin, just the right kind to be used as ropes.


    Jiang Xia thought it would be challenging to catch these animals, but they didn¡¯t seem to sense any danger and only focused on gnawing at the grass.


    Zhou Lan gently held down the three rabbits and three sheep while Jiang Xia tied them up and placed them into the interspace.


    While the two were packing up, Zhou Lan suddenly thought of a way to make money for their future use. She could find some rare plant seeds and water them with the water from Jiang Xia¡¯s interspace. That way, her family would not have to worry about money in the future.


    The two of them began to wander up the mountain to look for it, but it was not easy to find such rare seeds. After searching for a long time, they encountered two unconscious deers who had knocked into a tree instead of finding the seeds they were looking for.


    Looking at the hoof prints, they were probably after the wild vegetables, but they ran too fast and hit the tree.


    It was already evening when the mother and daughter were done tying up the deers.


    When they arrived at the village, Jiang Xia got the deers out of her interspace and dragged the deer together. Fortunately, at this time, everyone was preparing dinner at this time, and few people could be seen on the road.


    Zhou Lan saw Jiang Chuan¡¯s figure from a distance. She then let go of the deer and ran toward her him.


    Zhou Lan ran so fast that she had utterly forgotten about Jiang Xia. Jiang Xia almost fell to the ground when her mother ran past her.


    The deer started to move after it sensed that there was lesser strength pulling it.


    Jiang Xia was only a 13-year-old child, her body was thin and small and she couldn¡¯t control the deer. She was being pulled left and right by the deer.


    Jiang Xia being stubborn, refused to let go of the deer. She pouted her little mouth and forced herself to walk. She stretched out her feet and kicked it twice, scolding, ¡°You dare to bully me when there¡¯s no one to control you? You bully the weak and fear the strong!¡±


    Pfft! Zhou Lan couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter.


    Her daughter had always been smart since she was young and she rarely gets to see her childish side. Now, not only had her body become smaller, but her mental age had also become younger.

 Chapter 31

    Jiang Xia blushed at her mother¡¯s smile. Fortunately, the sky was getting dark and her embarrassment could not be seen clearly.


    ¡°Mum, you¡¯re really something. You forgot about your daughter after seeing your husband!.¡± Jiang Xia said with a little anger.


    ¡°No way! I¡¯m back now.¡± Zhou Lan said and picked up the deer. Jiang Chuan helped take the deer from Jiang Xia¡¯s hand.


    The family of three chatted as they walked into the village. Zhou Lan started sharing what they had encountered that afternoon and it got Jiang Chuan amazed.


    ¡°My daughter, our future path to wealth will depend on you.¡± Jiang Chuan joked.


    Jiang Xia patted her chest cooperatively and said, ¡°Leave it to me!¡±


    Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan were amused by Jiang Xia¡¯s reaction. The atmosphere was unprecedentedly relaxed. They were sure that their family would have a good life in the future.


    ¡°Oh right, where¡¯s Xiao Gu? She must be exhausted today!¡±


    ¡°Yes, she was asleep when I came out. The village chief is looking after her!¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Jiang Xia replied and slowed down to look at the deer that had given up struggling.


    ¡°Dad, how should we deal with this deer? Do you want to take it home?¡±


    Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan looked at each other and stopped walking. They were still not used to their current life and had not thought about the problems they would have to deal with later.


    Jiang Chuan thought for a moment and said, ¡°How about this? Take this deer to the purchasing station to exchange for some rice, flour, and daily necessities.¡±


    The current purchasing station could be used to exchange for a lot of things. Meat or eggs could be exchanged for money, or other food and daily necessities.


    Since they lived near the mountain, a lot of villagers actually knows how to hunt.


    After every day¡¯s farming work was completed, hunters were allowed to go up the mountain to hunt. Of course, in this era where private trading was not supported, private sales were definitely not allowed, so they had set up the purchasing station.


    Although the three of them had come up with a plan, they couldn¡¯t just sell it directly. They had to let everyone have a look. Otherwise, they would be questioned when they suddenly exchanged so much food.


    So when Jiang Chuan and his family appeared in front of everyone with the deer, everyone was dumbfounded.


    The village chief was the first to react when he asked, ¡°Zhou Lan, did you and your second daughter hunt this?¡±


    ¡°No, no, we bumped into them when we were picking wild vegetables,¡± Zhou Lan quickly denied. I don¡¯t know if he fainted from hunger or what, but he hit a tree in front of us.¡±


    When the village chief heard Zhou Lan¡¯s words, the corners of his mouth almost twitched and trembled. The entire village had gone up the maintain to look for them yesterday, but no one saw any deer.


    ¡°Zhou Lan, you brought your second girl up the mountain? It¡¯s too dangerous.¡± One of the men who was helping out wiped his sweat and asked.


    ¡°There were no more wild vegetables to pick here, so mother and I thought of going to the foot of the mountain to dig some back. You all volunteered to help us build our house, and we wanted to thank you all with some food¡±


    Jiang Xia said as she walked out from behind her parents and showed them a big basket of wild vegetables.


    Seeing so many wild vegetables, the villagers got even more speechless. It was impossible to say that they weren¡¯t jealous, but they felt that they were. After all, the young lady and her mother went up to the mountain to look for food to cook for them.


    Jiang Xia knew what they were thinking when she saw their complicated expressions. She said, ¡°Uncles, my parents discussed it. Tomorrow morning, we will send the deer to the purchasing station to exchange for some food. These few days, the uncles that have helped us build our houses, we must make sure you all don¡¯t go hungry! There are also wild vegetables. When we have time in the afternoon, mother and I will bring aunties there. Mother said that it¡¯s not easy for everyone now, and now that we found some food, it¡¯s good to share with everyone.¡±


    Upon hearing Jiang Xia¡¯s words, the eyes of all the villagers who had come to help light up.


    Previously, they had come to help because of the village chief, but now they were willing to do so. They were all not very close with Jiang Chuan¡¯s family before and they didn¡¯t know what kind of a man he was. Now, they could see that he was someone worth befriending.


    While the villagers were still immersed in the wonderful thought of having food and vegetables to eat, the village chief had already calmed down and was taking a few more glances at Jiang Xia. From the long string of words that this little girl had said when they were moving out, it seemed that she was no longer so timid.

 Chapter 32

    Patting Jiang Chuan¡¯s shoulder, the village leader said, ¡°Jiang Chuan, your family is blessed and they all had such good hearts. In the future, you should talk more and keep in touch with everyone.¡±


    Hearing the chief¡¯s words, the rest of the people quickly echoed.


    ¡°Yup! Jiang Chuan was blessed, and so were his wife and daughter. I¡¯ve never seen wild vegetables that look so good in all these years!¡±


    At this time, Jiang Gu was also woken up by the discussion of the crowd. The village chief had asked the other children to go back before dark.


    After all, everyone knew that Jiang Chuan left his previous family with nothing, but they didn¡¯t expect his wife to really get food back.


    Jiang Gu walked to the crowd in a daze and tugged at the hem of a man¡¯s clothes, ¡°Uncle, have my parents and sister returned?¡±


    The man lowered his head and saw that it was Jiang Gu. He immediately smiled, ¡°They are back! Your mother and sister even brought back food!¡±


    After saying that, the man carried Jiang Gu and shouted, ¡°Jiang Chuan, your little daughter is awake.¡±


    The man¡¯s words immediately attracted the attention of the Jiang family members. He then carried Jiang Gu to Jiang Chuan and placed her in his arms.


    ¡°Mother, uncle said you brought back food. Is that true?¡± Jiang Gu asked, rubbing her eyes.


    Jiang Gu, a nine-year-old child, had been exhausted during this period of time.


    ¡°Xiao Gu, look!¡± Jiang Xia first raised the wild vegetables in front of Jiang Gu and her eyes lit up at the sight of so many wild vegetables. It was as if she could smell the fresh fragrance of these wild vegetables.


    ¡°So many! Mom! Sister! You guys are amazing!¡±


    Looking at Jiang Gu¡¯s greedy face, Jiang Xia was secretly happy and continued, ¡°And ¡­¡±


    ¡°There are more?¡± Jiang Gu¡¯s eyes widened.


    At this moment, Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan cooperated and separated, leaving a gap in the middle.


    Jiang Gu was so excited that she couldn¡¯t even understand what he was saying. She could only look at her father with her big eyes.


    ¡°We can exchange food for our family!¡± Jiang Chuan said to Jiang Gu with a smile.


    Jiang Gu covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes filled with surprise.


    The people around her were all amused by her cute reaction, and laughter could be heard in front of the house that had yet been built.


    Although they were in a good mood, they were still hungry. Seeing that it was almost time for dinner, the Jiang Chuan family quickly thanked everyone who had helped.


    Jiang Chuan asked the village chief for some rice and promised to return it the next day. However, before the village head could answer, someone spoke first, ¡°The chief¡¯s house is far away, you can use mine first!¡±


    Jiang Chuan didn¡¯t say much and followed them to get the rice.


    Since Jiang Chuan family still had no proper house, they had built a simple stove for the family. Of course, the pot was borrowed from the neighbor.


    Jiang Xia followed Zhou Lan to the village¡¯s well to draw water. Jiang Gu didn¡¯t know what to do, she could only run and jump around happily in front of the house.


    Jiang Xia helped her mother pull the bucket up and added some water from the interspace. She could let them drink the water from the interspace as if they were her family, but she also hoped that these kind people could lead a better life. So she didn¡¯t know if mixing the water would still have the same effect, but she still tried.


    Just as Jiang Xia and Zhou Lan arrived at their neighbor¡¯s house, they saw a woman standing in front of Jiang Chuan¡¯s house, asking him something.


    ¡°Why are you looking for my wife?¡± Jiang Chuan¡¯s tone was distant and impatient.


    ¡°I just saw that your wife found a lot of wild vegetables that look quite good! I also want to ask where you found it.¡±


    Jiang Xia recognized the voice immediately. It was a lady from the Sun¡¯s family. She was very close to Jiang Gui¡¯s wife. Since Jiang Gui had been doted on by the Jiang family since he was a child, he had a strong body. He had been the leader of the gangsters since he was a child. The Sun family¡¯s son followed him everywhere he went, and it was because of this that the Sun family¡¯s daughter-in-law was in a hurry to get close to Jiang Gui¡¯s wife.


    It was also these two women who always worked together to bully Zhou Lan every time they saw her.

 Chapter 33

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Jiang Chuan said coldly.


    Old Sun¡¯s wife¡¯s expression changed when she saw Jiang Chuan ignoring her. She said sarcastically, ¡°Nowadays, everyone is talking about having kindness, and sharing the good stuff, why can¡¯t your family do the same?¡±


    It was obvious that she was eyeing the deer that Jiang Xia and her mother had brought back. Her eyes were glowing with greed as she thought of something.


    Jiang Xia pulled Zhou Lan along and walked a few steps, blocking old Sun¡¯s wife¡¯s line of sight.


    ¡°Zhou Lan is back! I was still asking Jiang Chuan where you have been.¡±


    Zhou Lan couldn¡¯t be bothered with her and left with her husband and daughter. It wasn¡¯t the time for them to punish those people from the past just yet.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t go! You still haven¡¯t told me where you dug up the wild vegetables!¡±


    At first, the group of men was too embarrassed to listen to the conversation, but when they noticed that something was wrong, they started gathering around.


    Zhou Lan stopped walking and had no choice but to say, ¡°Why should I tell you?¡±


    ¡°Everyone is advocating the spirit of sharing now. Since you found such a good place, you should tell all the villagers! Good things shouldn¡¯t be kept for yourself!¡±


    Indeed, in this era, the country encouraged everyone to have a spirit of sharing. They had to work and eat together, and everything had to be divided equally.


    However, the situation was different now. The drought had caused an extreme shortage of food. If they continued eating big portions of food, then every time anyone ate, they would only have the mentality that it was better to die from overeating than to starve to death. No matter how much food they had, it would not be enough.


    It was said that after people starved to death in other places, the country began to change its policy and distributed food to each family so that each family could have enough food. Only then did the situation improve.


    Jiang Xia¡¯s eyes flashed with coldness, but the moment she raised her head, she smiled, ¡°Then, what should we do according to your wishes?¡±


    She could see that the eyes of a few people lit up after the lady said that good things would be divided equally.


    When she saw that only Jiang Xia responded to her, she gave Jiang Xia a rare smile. Little did she know that Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan were waiting to watch a good show!


    ¡°Zhou Lan, your second daughter is the most obedient one.¡± After saying that, the woman lowered her body and said to Jiang Xia, ¡°Jiang Xia! Don¡¯t you think the uncles in the village are good to you?¡± The woman said as she looked around.


    As soon as Jiang Xia saw the woman¡¯s small movements, she knew what she was up to.


    The ones who were nice to them were the people who came to help with the work. Although she knew that most of the people were here because of the village chief, it was her family¡¯s house in the end, these people should keep that in mind.


    Jiang Xia cursed in her heart, but she still kept a smile on her face, ¡°The uncles who came to help us build the house are all very good! Previously, we had nothing and the uncles were willing to help us build a house.¡±


    It was more convenient for children to speak than adults. It was because they were children that their words sounded sincere. Since it happened so suddenly, Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan didn¡¯t have the time to guide her, so everything Jiang Xia said was based on her own feeling.


    The people who had come to help out felt at ease after hearing Jiang Xia¡¯s words.


    Because everyone didn¡¯t hear what old Sun¡¯s wife had said earlier, they didn¡¯t understand what had happened. However, some of them were quick-witted and recalled the relationship between the two of them. They couldn¡¯t help but curse the lady for taking advantage of them.


    They were the ones who had built the house for Jiang Chuan¡¯s family, but this woman wanted to give credit to the whole village.


    Seeing that Jiang Xia was not falling for her trap, old Sun¡¯s wife continued, ¡°Since uncles are so good, shouldn¡¯t Xiao Xia help them? Now that the uncles are all starving, shouldn¡¯t you share some of the wild vegetables and deer you found?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Jiang Xia purposely dragged out her words.


    ¡°Father and mother have already told everyone we will exchange the deer for food. These few days, those uncles that worked hard to help our family build a house will be given food. As for the wild vegetables, my mother and I will also bring the aunties up to dig them, so there¡¯s no need for you to worry. Father and mother taught me to be grateful. We naturally can¡¯t let the people who have helped our family suffer. Do you agree with me, Auntie?¡±

 Chapter 34

    Jiang Xia¡¯s words were clear, and old Sun¡¯s wife also understood them. However, she still looked at the pile of meat and vegetables and was unwilling to give up. After looking around, Madam sun smiled apologetically and said, ¡°How about this? I see that you have a lot of work to do at home. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll ask your Uncle Sun to come and help.¡±


    Seeing that Jiangxia wasn¡¯t taking the bait, she had no other ideas. She knew that the deer could be exchanged for a lot of food. Letting her man bring their child here to eat would save a lot of food for the family. They could slack off when the rest was helping, it would not tire them out anyway.


    ¡°Oh right, Auntie, I just remembered now that you mentioned working. Just now, my mother told me that after the house is fully built and there is still some leftover food, we will share it with everyone. Even if everybody gets a handful, it¡¯s still food, right?¡±


    Upon hearing Jiang Xia¡¯s words, the lady¡¯s eyes lit up. That was great! Not only could her family do lesser work, but they could also get some food.


    Only the lady was happy upon hearing this, others in the crowd were not. Before old Sun¡¯s wife could speak, someone in the crowd shouted, ¡°It¡¯s just helping build a house, those that help out today are enough! We don¡¯t need anyone else helping!¡±


    Seeing that someone had spoken, the others followed suit.


    The mother and daughter had indeed discussed this matter before. Previously, they only wanted to repay the villagers with something, but they were also afraid that some people only came for the sake of food and would get lazy. However, it would be a different story if they distributed the food.


    Rather than eating them all, it was better for them to take them home and distribute them.


    Seeing that there were people who were trying to ruin her plan, old Sun¡¯s wife shouted, ¡°Why are you guys the only ones who can help, but not my family? Jiang Chuan hadn¡¯t even said anything! What are you not satisfied with?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t use your little tricks here. If the child doesn¡¯t understand what you¡¯re planning, do you think we don¡¯t?¡±


    In a village, there were always a few families that didn¡¯t get along with each other. The one who spoke up was a man who usually disliked old Sun¡¯s family. As an honest farmer, he hated Jiang Gui and his gang for bullying others.


    ¡°We came to help Jiang Chuan when he had nothing. What do you mean by saying this now? You just want to gain something from this. Why is your skin so thick! Didn¡¯t you hear what the little girl said? They¡¯re only taking us to the mountain to repay us. You didn¡¯t do anything, so why should they take you there?¡±


    Old Sun¡¯s wife got really angry. Seeing that everyone around her was laughing at her, she couldn¡¯t stay any longer, she turned around to leave.


    Seeing that the matter had passed and the crowd dispersed, the village chief slowly walked to the front of the family.


    From the village chief¡¯s point of view, he hoped that Jiang Chuan would tell the whole village where to dig for wild vegetables, but he also knew that whether it was wild vegetables or food, they were both scarce items. Whoever could find them was the lucky one. He really couldn¡¯t use his status as an excuse to bully others.


    Walking to Jiang Chuan, the village chief reached out his hand and patted Jiang Xia¡¯s head. He smiled and said, ¡°This child is smart and knows how to talk. It¡¯s a good thing for her to move out.¡±


    If Jiang Xia and Jiang Chuan were to say those words, they would have a completely different effect.


    Jiang Chuan nodded with a smile. He knew that Jiang Xia had been a smart girl since she was a child. Therefore, whenever Jiang Xia had problems to deal with, the couple would give her some space to express her thoughts.


    That night, the villagers who were building houses for the Jiang Chuan family had a full meal. It was just ordinary wild vegetable porridge, and they all had their usual appetites, but they felt that the porridge was delicious. They all planned to do more work starting tomorrow and help Jiang Chuan¡¯s family build a house as soon as possible.


    The next morning, the Jiang Chuan family left for the purchasing station.


    The purchasing station was about 20 to 30 miles away from the Tong Shan Village. Jiang Chuan planned to drive the car out and only hide it when they see someone. The deer was really a silly animal. As long as Jiang Chaun¡¯s daughter placed the wild vegetables in front of it, it would follow her without any rope.


    However, plans change all the time. As soon as he reached the village entrance, he met the village chief and the others.


    ¡°Chief, are you waiting for us here?¡± Jiang Chuan quickly greeted him.

 Chapter 35

    The village leader nodded and took Jiang Chuan to a donkey cart. He patted the man who was driving the donkey cart.


    ¡°Let Xiao Wu send you to the town.¡± The village chief said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you with this.¡±


    ¡°No problem at all! I¡¯m going to exchange these two rabbits too.¡±


    After saying that, the man pulled out two rabbits that were tied to their feet from under the shed of the donkey cart.


    Looking at Xiao Wu¡¯s simple and honest smile, Jiang Chuan¡¯s family smiled but cried in their hearts. How long will it take for him to arrive?


    Jiang Xia tied the deer to the side of the donkey cart and hung a handful of wild vegetables in front of it before letting it follow the donkey cart.


    There were only the four of them and the two rabbits in the carriage, so the donkey carriage could run faster.


    The few of them jolted on the donkey cart until their faces turned pale. The man called Xiao Wu saw their appearance and teased them that they had never left the house.


    In fact, it wasn¡¯t wrong to say that they had never gone out. In the past, Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan were both really capable and the old Jiang couple would make them work 24 hours a day, so how could they have the chance to go out?


    There were only two times when Zhou Lan had a chance to go out, and it was because they had too many things to carry, so they asked Zhou Lan to go to the purchasing station with Wang Fen.


    Xiao Wu drove the donkey cart for two, almost three hours before they reached the town.


    This was the first time that Jiang Xia had come to a town in the 1960s. Everything was new and interesting. Whether it was the previous Jiang Xia or the current Jiang Xia, they had no concept of towns.


    The street they were on was probably the main street. The road was wider and there were a few small restaurants on both sides. Further ahead was a row of large bungalows with the words ¡°Supply and Marketing Club¡± written on them.


    The Supply and Marketing Club was a supply and sales cooperation organization in this country. It mainly provided channels for the purchase and sales of goods for the common people, and the food purchasing station was also in it.


    The few of them drove the donkey cart slowly on the road. Because of the drought, there were not many people walking on the roads of the town.


    Looking at the desolate scene, Jiang Chuan couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Their days aren¡¯t good either!¡±


    Faced with such a situation, Jiang Xia was a little worried. Could it be that they couldn¡¯t even exchange for food? Then he would have to go back on his promise to the villagers.


    ¡°Dad, do you think we can still exchange for grain?¡±


    Now that there was a shortage of food everywhere, she didn¡¯t know how much her meat could be exchanged for.


    Because Xiao Wu was familiar with the situation, they found the purchasing station without much effort.


    As soon as Jiang Xia pushed the door open, she saw four people playing cards with cigarettes in their mouths.


    Perhaps hearing the noise, the few of them were a little flustered. Just as they were about to put away the cards, the short man inadvertently glanced at the door and saw a few farmers in ragged clothes. He immediately waved to the other three to stop them from ending the game.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know to knock before you enter?¡±


    Xiao Wu didn¡¯t expect to encounter such a situation. The purchasing station was always full of people in the past years, so there was no need to knock. He was stunned for a moment, then immediately put on a smile and said, ¡°We¡¯re here to exchange for some food.¡±


    ¡°Exchange for some food?¡± The short man was also surprised by what he said. He got up and walked to Xiao Wu¡¯s side, ¡°What do you have to exchange? I¡¯ll tell you first that we won¡¯t accept those that need to be submitted to the higher-ups. ¡±


    In this era, farmers had to submit items to the higher-ups. For example, to raise chickens, they had to hand in eggs and so on.


    ¡°No, no, don¡¯t worry. We want to exchange for the prey we hunted.¡±


    Hearing this, the other three people who continued playing at the table suddenly became interested.


    Now that there was a drought, all the animals ran deep into the mountains, and since there were many large wild beasts in the mountains, hardly anyone would be able to catch prey.


    ¡°What did you hunt?¡± One of the men asked.


    Xiao Wu first showed them the rabbit and received a disappointed look. However, it was still meat, so the four of them didn¡¯t say anything.


    Jiang Chuan saw Xiao Wu giving him a look and instantly understood what he meant. He then stepped forward and said, ¡°We still have a prey we want to exchange.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± This time, the four of them didn¡¯t show any happy expressions.


    ¡°You have to come out and take a look.¡±


    The short man¡¯s eyebrows immediately shot up when he heard this. Jiang Chuan bother entertaining him and walked directly to the door. The short man then followed him to the door.


    ¡°This, this is!¡±


    The three people who were still in the room heard the short man¡¯s surprised cry and looked at each other, then immediately walked out the door.


    ¡°Do you accept live deers here?¡±

 Chapter 36

    ¡°Of course! How can I not accept it?¡±


    The kid¡¯s eyes lit up as he looked at the deer in front of him. A living deer was much more valuable than a dead one.


    ¡°You caught this roe deer by yourself? Which village are you from?¡±


    The short man was just casually making conversations; there was no way he would reject this living deer.


    Hearing his question, Xiao Wu quickly took out the letter of recommendation from the village chief to prove their identity.


    In this era, many things required a letter of recommendation. The letter of recommendation was usually a kind of identification certificate issued by a village or a work unit.


    Jiang Chuan was glad they accepted the village chief¡¯s kindness. Due to their lack of understanding of this era, there were many things that they didn¡¯t think of.


    Jiang Chuan glanced at the greed in the man¡¯s eyes and secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    After roughly reading through the introduction letter, the short man said, ¡°Tell me now! What do you want in exchange? We only have a lot of things like matches and oils here.¡±


    Although they also needed these daily necessities, their first priority was filling their stomachs.


    ¡°We would like to exchange for food.¡± The few of them said in unison.


    Zhou Lan added, ¡°We would also like to exchange for an iron pot, a big one.¡±


    Zhou Lan was the one cooking at home, so naturally, she was the only one who thought of the pot.


    The four looked at each other and laughed, ¡°We can give you the food, but the iron pot¡­.¡±


    It was as if Zhou Lan had said something funny, and the short man couldn¡¯t stop laughing. ¡°Young lady, how could you think of exchanging for an iron pot! Even if we wanted to, we don¡¯t have it!¡±


    After hearing what he said, Zhou Lan suddenly remembered that two years ago, the country had a large-scale production of iron and steel, and every family had to hand over their ironware. Only in the past two years had they relaxed a little.


    Zhou Lan¡¯s ears heated up, and she stopped talking. Jiang Chuan tried to smooth things over. ¡°Why don¡¯t we weigh the deer first, then we¡¯ll talk about how much we can exchange?¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± the man said as he nodded to the other three man.


    With Xiao Wu being a person who often went to the town, few were not worried they would be at a disadvantage. As the deer got weighed, the short man was amazed at its size.


    ¡°27 kg, this deer is considered quite big! After removing the fur, I¡¯ll give you 45 dollars.¡±


    Animals were also skinny during the drought, so it was really rare for a deer to be at least 20 kg.


    Jiang Chuan glanced at Wu, who nodded slightly.


    ¡°Alright, how do you want to calculate the price of this grain then?¡± Jiang Chuan asked.


    This time, the four of them didn¡¯t discuss it in front of them. Instead, they entered the house and only came out only after discussing it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll trade 1kg for 1kg. How about 13kg of cornbread and 13kg of rice?¡±


    As they were talking, an old lady walked over. Although she saw that the short man was busy, she still called him into the house. Jiang Chuan and the others were waiting outside.


    Jiang Xia was busy teasing the silly deer, the group of people did not notice her. They only heard a slightly chubby man whispering to another person, ¡°Brother Liu¡¯s mother is here again. It can¡¯t be for brother Liu¡¯s wife, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing so. I heard that brother Liu¡¯s wife is having a lot of trouble because she¡¯s pregnant. She¡¯s been complaining every day that she wants to eat meat.¡±


    ¡°You want meat? Wasn¡¯t this too much of a coincidence? I just got it.¡± The chubby man glanced at the deer and said.


    Another person sighed softly, ¡°Brother Liu really dotes on his wife. If it wasn¡¯t for brother Liu¡¯s insistence, perhaps we could lower the price of this meat.¡±


    Although the two of them spoke softly, Jiang Xia¡¯s ears were still sharp as she stood close to them.


    Jiang Xia rolled her eyes and an idea came to his mind. She pulled Zhou Lan over and whispered something into her ear. Then, she rummaged through the large basket on her back.


    ¡°Xiao Xia, do you think we can take it out again? Didn¡¯t Xiao Wu take two rabbits?¡± Zhou Lan squatted down beside Jiang Xia and muttered to herself.


    ¡°Xiao Wu¡¯s rabbit is too skinny,¡± Jiang Xia said with a smile. The man¡¯s wife is pregnant, and she needs to get some nutrients. Rabbits have finer meat than deers, so they¡¯re easier to handle. Most importantly¡­¡±


    Jiang Xia said as she lifted the wild vegetables that were covering the basket. Zhou Lan¡¯s eyes widened when she peeked inside.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Jiang Xia put a finger to her mouth and made a shushing gesture.


    Jiang Chuan caught a glimpse of the mother and daughter and followed them, ¡°What are you two doing?¡±


    Jiang Xia noticed that Xiao Wu was chatting happily with someone and was not paying attention to them, so she quickly said to her dad, ¡°Dad, with Xiao Wu here, I¡¯m afraid our plan won¡¯t work out. Let¡¯s find an excuse to walk around and see if we can exchange it for something else.¡±

 Chapter 37

    Jiang Chuan had also thought of this previously so he just nodded.


    When the short man came out, Jiang Chuan agreed with the exchange plan he had proposed.


    ¡°Uncle, we still have something to exchange.¡± Jiang Xia quickly added after they confirmed the plan of exchanging for the deer.


    ¡°We also want to use these to exchange for diesel lamps, salt,jars, and so on.¡± Jiang Xia said as she lifted the wild vegetables that were covered in the basket.


    Seeing this, Xiao Wu also came over to join in the fun. The moment the basket was opened, two fat rabbits can be seen sleeping in it.


    For a moment, the four man and Xiao Wu both had some subtle changes.


    If Jiang Xia and her mother really met the deer based on luck, then was no way catching these two rabbits was based solely on luck.


    The short man¡¯s eyes lit up as he thought it would be great if he could get in touch with someone who was good at hunting. Without thinking much, he asked Jiang Xia to weigh the rabbit on the scale.


    Xiao Wu didn¡¯t think about the benefits of being friends with Jiang Chuan¡¯s family previously. But now he thought that since Jiang Chuan¡¯s family was so good at hunting, it could help him out if they could hang out more in the future.


    Jiang Xia finally felt relieved when he saw that Xiao Wu did not have any special expression on his face. She had been worried that Xiao Wu would think that they were hiding their food when he saw them take out other meat and was unwilling to give more to the villagers.


    It seemed that Jiang Xia had been overthinking it. However, in this era where everyone was starving, it was no wonder that she had such thoughts.


    After weighing their rabbits, the short man then moved on to weigh the rabbit Xiao Wu had brought. He then started checking with them on the items they wanted to exchange for one by one.


    To Jiang Xia¡¯s surprise, even though they had exchanged very few items, they somehow still manage to exchange them all.


    Xiao Wu, who was exchanging items with Jiang Xia and the others, also benefited from this. In the past, he would lose half of his weight after removing the skin and bones, but today, he was able to exchange everything with a full weight.


    Jiang Chuan and Xiao Wu followed the three other men to carry the food, while the short man took Jiang Xia and Zhou Lan to get the daily necessities.


    The short man told them to follow him to get the daily necessities but in fact, He just wanted to show Jiang Xia and her others around. His main purpose was to get to know them, if they could really hunt for such great meat all the time, it would benefit him if he kept in touch with them.


    Jiang Xia followed the short man and stopped in front of a courtyard. When the door was pushed open, there were three large brick houses. It seemed like they were living a good life.


    The short man¡¯s mother had also returned with them. As soon as she opened the door, she rushed into a house, presumably to see the short man¡¯s pregnant wife.


    Before the short man went to get the things, he pointed out the chairs in front of him and told them to sit on it if they do get tired.


    After he left, Jiang Xia looked around and said to her mother, ¡°Mum, since Xiao Wu isn¡¯t here, why don¡¯t we exchange the things we brought before?¡±


    Zhou Lan had the same idea before Jiang Xia even mentioned it. Although Jiang Xia and her father were usually the ones who had to worry about most of the family matters, Zhou Lan was still the lady of the house, she still tried to help out whenever she can.


    ¡°I think so too, but what reason should we give? If we suddenly have so many things, Xiao Wu will definitely suspect us.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, we¡¯ll use the Jiang family as a shield. They probably won¡¯t ask too much if we just want to exchange for things.¡±


    The mother and daughter had decided to start acting when the short man came out. Jiang Xia was the first to speak, ¡°Mom, I think the uncle who we exchanged things with today is quite good. Why don¡¯t we exchange the noodles we brought here?¡±


    ¡°Your grandparents gave this to us when we separated from the family. Should we really exchange it?¡± Zhou Lan¡¯s tone was conflicted.


    ¡°Mum, grandpa and grandma only gave us this noodle. The most we can do with it is have one or two meals, why not exchange it for something better? Mom, exchange it!¡±


    ¡°You are right. It¡¯s not practical to just eat the noodles, it¡¯s better to exchange them for something useful.¡± Zhou Lan said.


    Before they could continue, the short man who overheard the conversation added, ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I happened to overhear your conversation when I came over.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine! I¡¯m just hesitating. After all, it¡¯s something given by the child¡¯s grandparents. Actually, I brought it with me because I wanted to exchange it, but¡­¡± Zhou Lan continued acting.


    Zhou Lan had only completed half of her sentence, when the short man, being a smart person, immediately understood what Zhou Lan was worried about and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can exchange if you want, my lips are tight, and I never talk about other family affairs.¡±


    ¡°So should I really exchange it?¡± Zhou Lan looked at Jiang Xia with uncertainty, only to receive a firm nod from her.

 Chapter 38

    Having received support from Jiang Xia, Zhou Lan put down her basket and took out a packet of noodles wrapped in oil paper.


    The noodles that Jiang Xia¡¯s family ate were all personally rolled up by Zhou Lan and packed in a plastic bag just in case she had some leftovers and didn¡¯t feel like cooking. The oil paper was also borrowed from Jiang Xia¡¯s neighbor last night and she was planning to return it to him when she returned home.


    ¡°We want to use the noodles to exchange for two enamel basins. I wonder if that¡¯s possible?¡± Zhou Lan asked. She was not familiar with the current prices of items, so she could only probe.


    In this era when machines were not common, it was difficult to buy anything. For things like fine grain, not only were they expensive, but they also needed food stamps to buy.


    Food vouchers were a type of food purchase voucher that was issued during a specific economic period. Not only did the purchase of food require vouchers, but the purchase of cloth, meat, and other items also required vouchers.


    Jiang Xia listened to their conversation from the side and did not interrupt them. Although she still remembered certain things from her history classes in school, they were all just based on textbooks. Now that she was here, it is better to just wait and see what the short man had to say in this situation.


    The short man¡¯s eyes widened the moment Zhou Lan took out the noodles. The noodles were much more refined than the grain he had at home. Where did this family get such good flour from?


    ¡°You guys wait here, I¡¯ll let my mother take a look.¡± The short man said quickly.


    Although the short man was the one who agreed with the exchange, his mother was still the one in charge at home.


    The old lady of the Liu family strode over to the two of them. When she saw the noodles in Zhou Lan¡¯s hands, her wrinkled face bloomed like a flower and she immediately let the two of them into the house to chat.


    ¡°Young lady, what do you want to exchange it for?¡± The old lady asked.


    Zhou Lan tried to repeat her request again, but it was something the old did not want to hear.


    ¡°Young lady, that¡¯s too much! We don¡¯t have that here¡± the old lady said after a while.


    Jiang Xia quickly added, ¡°Grandma, we¡¯re not too sure about the market price. Mother only said that because I¡¯ve always wanted two enamel basins.¡±


    It was not that Jiang Xia was afraid of them, but his father was still packing food at the purchasing station and it would be bad if they offended someone because of this.


    The old lady noticed the way they were dressed and felt that Jiang Xia was telling the truth, ¡°Fine-grain is indeed hard to come by, but this enamel basin you are asking for is also hard to buy. How about this, I¡¯ll pay you a dollar per kg for your noodles, how¡¯s that?¡±


    Jiang Xia, who didn¡¯t know the price, looked at her mother. But to her surprise, Zhou Lan was also looking at her.


    Seeing that the two of them didn¡¯t speak, the short man became anxious, ¡°These noodles only cost five or six dollars if you buy them with a food voucher. My mother is already very generous to offer you a dollar per kg.¡±


    Zhou Lan nodded and took out the oil paper bag from her basket. ¡°Then, let¡¯s exchange this bag too.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, we¡¯ll take them all.¡±


    The old lady got excited again as she saw the noodles. The doctor she had hired previously said that her daughter-in-law was pregnant with a boy and she needed to be nourished. Previously, she was worried that she didn¡¯t have meat or fine food to nourish her daughter-in-law, but just as she was about to give up, someone came with so much good stuff.


    After discussing the items to exchange, the short man went into the house to find them. The old lady stayed and chatted with the two of them. She heard from her son that the noodles came from their family when they left, but she had her doubt.


    Although they were dressed in tattered clothes, they didn¡¯t flinch when they talked. It was obvious they had some secrets.


    After chatting for a while, the old lady started to form opinions about Zhou Lan and her daughter. But it was the same for the mother and daughter pair, they realized how much the old lady valued her daughter-in-law, or should they say, her grandson.


    Zhou Lan had read a lot of books about pregnant women¡¯s eating and actions when she was giving birth to Jiang Xia. However, It was interesting to hear more from the old lady. It made Zhou Lan wish she had a notebook to write it all down.


    When the short man came out, he saw two women chatting happily.


    The short man handed the items to Zhou Lan. Jiang Xia took a quick glance and noticed that not only were there a lot, but he gave extras for some of the more common items as well.


    Jiang Xia raised his eyebrows slightly. This short man was a good person and did not look down on them because of their tattered clothes. Instead, he seemed to be trying to build a good relationship with them.


    Zhou Lan also noticed the situation and after some thought, she took out all the wild vegetables in the basket.

 Chapter 39

    ¡°Auntie, these are the wild vegetables we just picked. They¡¯re not worth much, please keep them.¡±


    These were the wild vegetables that Jiang Xia had taken out from the interspace before they left in the morning. It was mainly to cover the noodles and rabbits, she did not expect to use them now.


    Perhaps it was because she had taken the wild vegetables out of her interspace, but they didn¡¯t seem to wither even after a few hours.


    The more old lady Liu looked at the wild vegetable, the more she loved it. She even pulled Zhou Lan aside and praised her for being a good person.


    The short man was also smiling. His family had been in the purchasing station for a long time and had eaten quite a bit of good food in the past. However, ever since the drought started, the quality of the items that were used to exchange for it had become lower and lower. He did not expect to suddenly receive so many good things today.


    When Zhou Lan and Jiang Xia returned, Jiang Chuan and the others were done loading the grain onto the donkey cart.


    For some reason, Jiang Xia felt that her father was staring at something in her hand with a burning gaze.


    ¡°Dad, what are you looking at?¡± Jiang Xia asked in confusion.


    Jiang Chuan took the things from the mother and daughter and put them in the car. ¡°Do you still have anything you need to get? If you don¡¯t want to, we¡¯ll go back now.¡±


    Jiang Xia was a little conflicted when she thought about the enamel basins. It was not that she liked it very much, but it had always been the original Jiang Xia¡¯s wish.


    Jiang Chuan¡¯s family of five was not well-liked by the old Jiang couple. They didn¡¯t even have a proper place to wash their faces and had been using a large broken jar to wash their faces.


    Xiao Gu had even been scratched by the edge of the jar. Since then, Jiang Xia started forming the desire to buy an enamel basin.


    ¡°Do you want to walk around?¡± Zhou Lan asked Jiang Xia as she recalled what her daughter had told her about the enamel basin.


    ¡°Yes, I want to go and see if I can get an enamel basin.¡±


    ¡°You can only buy the enamel basin with industrial tickets,¡± Liu Xing said, ¡°It¡¯s useless even if you have money but no industrial tickets.¡±


    Liu Xing was a short man, she shared his name as they were walking out of the house previously.


    Seeing Jiang Xia¡¯s disappointed face, Liu Xing continued, ¡°How about this, I¡¯ll take you to the Supply and Marketing Club that I¡¯m familiar with to see if there are any processed products?¡±


    The processed products were products with poor quality or defects. Such products did not require tickets and were cheap. The processed products of the Supply and Marketing Club could not be seen on the market these days as nobody was willing to sell such items to the public.


    The donkey cart was placed in the courtyard of the purchasing station, and a few of them followed Liu Xing to the Supply and Marketing Club.


    Liu Xing was recognized here, he talked to the department director, and the department director asked someone else to take them to the warehouse.


    There were a lot of things in the warehouse and they were all neatly arranged in different categories.


    With just a glance, Jiang Xia noticed a large basin in the corner. The paint on the basin was chipped off, and a corner of the basin was chipped off. Jiang Xia asked for the price, and the original price was two dollars. Now, if they wanted it, they would give them a 50% discount.


    Apart from this, Jiang Xia also picked a slightly smaller pot and an enamel jar with a lid, spending the only two dollars they had.


    Before the four of them left, Liu Xing specifically told them to come to the town more often and to exchange items with him.


    Because they were carrying a lot more items this time, the speed of the donkey cart was much slower this time.


    Perhaps it was because the donkey cart had slowed down, or perhaps it was because she had lost all feeling in her butt, but Jiang Xia was in the mood to look at the scenery around her.


    The harvest season should have been approaching, but there were not many farmers on both sides of the fields. The land was desolate.


    Jiang Xia sighed. She could not help but think that if their family did not have so many tricks up their sleeves and were just like the original Jiang Xia family, would they still be able to survive?


    ¡°Xiao Xia, what¡¯s wrong? Are you uncomfortable?¡± Zhou Lan asked a little anxiously.


    ¡°No,¡± Jiang Xia shook her head, ¡°I was just wondering when the drought would end. If we don¡¯t find any water, people will starve to death.¡±


    Although Tong Shan Village had yet to starve to death under the leadership of the current village chief, it was only a matter of time before something bad happened.


    Hearing Jiang Xia¡¯s words, the other three¡¯s hearts sank as well. The heavens were not willing to give them any food, so what could they do?


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. In this day and age, every day you get to live is a blessing. So why do you have to worry so much?¡±


    Xiao Wu was a big-hearted man, and he comforted the few of them with the idea that things would work out when they got there.

 Chapter 40

    Even though they were gone for a few hours, the construction speed did not slow down at all. In fact, It was even faster than usual.


    Seeing that they had returned, the village chief walked up to them. Looking at their cart full of things, he smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯ve earned quite a lot!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to the village chief for letting Xiao Wu take us there. Otherwise, we might have been scammed.¡±


    Jiang Chuan was telling the truth. They couldn¡¯t even figure out the price of the items, if it weren¡¯t for the letter of recommendation, it all depended on what Xiao Wu said.


    ¡°You are too polite. I have also gained a lot of benefits from you. Chief, you don¡¯t even know, the people at the purchasing station only gave me enough food for my two rabbits after Jiang Chuan brought such a big prey.¡± Xiao Wu said.


    ¡°Alright,¡± the village chief patted their shoulders, ¡°You just need to get your things home now.¡±


    While the village head was chatting with the two, Jiang Gu rushed over to Jiang Xia. Jiang Xia was about to catch her, but the little girl climbed over her and onto the donkey cart.


    ¡°Sister, you guys exchanged the deer for so many things?¡± Jiang Gu asked in surprise.


    ¡°Of course not! We caught some rabbits on our way there, so we exchanged them for more things.¡±


    The family had discussed this with Xiao Wu on the way back. Xiao Wu was really understanding. After all, he knew that the Jiang family had to take care of themselves too and could not share everything with the villagers.


    ¡°You caught rabbits? You guys are so lucky!¡± The people helping out couldn¡¯t help but sigh when they heard the conversation.


    Jiang Gu helped Zhou Lan and Jiang Xia unload the things into the cottage. While they were moving, Jiang Gu shared with Jiang Xia what happened in the morning.


    Old Sun¡¯s wife had publicized that if they were willing to offer help, they would be able to eat and find wild vegetables. It brought a lot of villagers to their houses as most of them just wanted a free meal, and it angered the people who helped build the house previously. Only when the village chief said he had already recorded the names of the people who helped them that the others left.


    Jiang Xia found the situation to be amusing. Did she really think that everyone was a fool? Even if the village chief didn¡¯t remember the names of those that helped, she would remember it. They had to return the favor to those who were helpful to them and those who wanted to take advantage of them should get as far away as possible.


    After the two of them were done packing, Zhou Lan began to cook.


    While helping Zhou Lan with the cooking, Jiang Xia vaguely heard someone saying that it was suspicious that they managed to exchange so many things with the deer. Then, someone else explained that they had caught a rabbit on the road.


    Jiang Xia knew the villagers would be suspicious, but it didn¡¯t matter. If they couldn¡¯t find any evidence, it was useless to doubt them.


    The fragrance of the wild vegetable porridge spread far and wide. The first ones who ran to the pot and waited were the group of friends that Jiang Gu had called over yesterday.


    Many pairs of big eyes stared at the porridge, and people started to feel hungry one after another.


    With the interspace water¡¯s help, Zhou Lan and the others only needed to eat their usual amount to be full. However, the appetites of these people were not small. In order to prevent the porridge from burning at the bottom, Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu had to mend the fire while Zhou Lan stirred the porridge with a spoon.


    Jiang Xia took a look at the house in her free time. The walls had already been built and if they were quick, they might be able to build the roof tonight.


    The pot of fragrant wild vegetable porridge was done, and everyone¡¯s eyes glowed with greed.


    Looking at the amount of food that they had brought back, everyone would only have a small portion of porridge. However, Jiang Xia was not worried. Whether it was cooking or distributing the food, it was to build an image in everyone¡¯s hearts that her family was grateful to people. Even if they were to finish the food, she could just exchange for more, her family would not go hungry.


    Jiang Xia took a small bite to check if the porridge was cooked, and she was immediately hit by the fresh fragrance. Although they had already eaten it once last night, Jiang Xia couldn¡¯t help but praise her mother¡¯s cooking.


    ¡°Is it cooked?¡± Zhou Lan asked.


    Jiang Xia nodded vigorously, indicating that it was already cooked and that it was very delicious.


    Zhou Lan smiled and then called Jiang Gu over. She asked Jiang Gu to bring over the bowls from the various households, and she gave them some porridge.


    The first to enjoy the porridge was naturally the village chief. The village chief tried the porridge that Jiang Gu brought over and couldn¡¯t help but praise the cook.

 Chapter 41 - Chapter 41: The plan works

    Chapter 41: The plan works


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    ¡°Jiang Chuan, your wife has excellent cooking skills! This wild vegetable porridge is so fragrant and flavorful.¡± The village chief said while eating his porridge.


    Jiang Chuan laughed, face filled with pride. After waiting for the other children to get their portion, Jiang Chuan sat beside the chief and took his portion of the porridge. It was only when he tried it that he realized what the others were talking about, it was really good porridge.


    Although Zhou Lan had always been a good cook, it was never this good, let alone receive these reactions from others.


    Jiang Chuan thought it was perhaps the ingredients and water that her daughter brought back that made the porridge taste so good.


    ¡°Yup! It¡¯s too delicious! Mrs. Jiang, how did you make this? Please teach us! 1¡¯11 let my wife learn from you.¡±A man raised his voice and the surrounding people agreed.


    Zhou Lan laughed heartily, ¡°It is the same way you make porridge. Maybe it was the wild vegetables that made it taste better.¡±


    Someone tasted the vegetables upon hearing Zhou Lan¡¯s words and they were indeed bomdond rasreo me vegeuaoies upon nearing z,nou Lan s woros ano mey were inaeea very fresh.


    ¡­..


    ¡°Mrs. Jiang, you¡¯re really lucky to have found such good ingredients.¡±


    Although it was her daughter¡¯s credit, she was the one being praised. However, Zhou Lan was still happy to hear the praises.


    Because they were only building a simple house and they did not lack manpower, the chief informed them that they will be able to move in by tomorrow night.


    His words made little Jiang Gu very happy. Perhaps it was not obvious to the others, but Jiang Gu felt that she finally had a home.


    A house of their own and a happy family. A place where she will always think about.


    Jiang Xia noticed Jiang Gu¡¯s reddened eyes and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Xiao Gu? Are you still hungry? There¡¯s still some soup left in the pot, I¡¯ll get it for you.¡±


    Jiang Gu shook his head and looked at Jiang Xia with puppy eyes. ¡°Jiang Xia, now that the house is built, does that mean we have a home of our own? We don¡¯t have to worry about being sold, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Xiao Gu don¡¯t need to worry about it anymore.¡± Jiang Xia¡¯s eyes reddened upon hearing Jiang Gu¡¯s words.


    Jiang Gu¡¯s words were heard by the people close to her, and they couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for the two girls.


    Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu¡¯s arms were bruised. The Jiang family used to claim it was from the way the kids had been playing. But now that the matter had blown up, everyone knew that Jiang Chuan¡¯s family had been abused.


    Seeing that the sky had turned completely dark and was not possible to continue working, Jiang Xia whispered to her mother, ¡°Mom, there must be people who are concerned about us finding wild vegetables and animals. We have to think of a way to make those who want to take advantage of us back off.¡±


    Hearing Jiang Xia¡¯s words, Zhou Lan instantly recalled the old woman from the Sun family who had been eyeing her family¡¯s food.


    They wanted to repay the people who had sincerely helped their families and were not willing to be taken advantage of.


    Knowing her daughter, Jiang Xia would only bring the topic up if she had a plan, so Zhou Lan asked, ¡°What do you plan to do?¡±


    Jiang Xia¡¯s eyes curved into crescents as she smiled, ¡°Mom, let¡¯s talk to the village chief later. We¡¯ll gather at the village entrance at about five o¡¯clock tomorrow morning. One person from each family wall bring a basket to the mountain. They can dig their own vegetables when they know the location.¡±


    Due to the drought, there wasn¡¯t much work to do every day. Other than families like the Jiang family who deliberately make things difficult for others, normal villages normally wake up around seven o¡¯clock. Therefore, setting the time that early would limit the people going.


    Jiang Xia added, ¡°Also, tell the village chief that there aren¡¯t many wild vegetables. If too many people go to dig, the vegetables will run out.¡±


    Zhou Lan nodded repeatedly when she heard her daughter¡¯s words.


    It is not that Jiang Xia expected to keep the secret for a long time, but the longer the secret is kept, the better it is for them. But they still had to make people feel their care in order for them to be grateful.


    Moreover, she was the one who decides where the wild vegetables are. If she found out someone was taking advantage of her family, she would just water the crops in a different location.


    Zhou Lan rephrased the words Jiang Xiag had said and pass them on to the village chief.


    The village chief nodded and gathered the people to spread the news.


    The young men were all really happy when they heard that their wives were going up the mountain the following day.


    Those without a wife could only wait for Zhou Lan and her daughter to bring them there some other time..


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 42 - Chapter 42: Going up the mountain again

    Chapter 42: Going up the mountain again


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Everyone praised Zhou Lan for her thoughtfulness and promised that they would complete building the house before sunset tomorrow.


    That night, those who helped Jiang Chuan were all smiling from ear to ear. Thinking that there will be more vegetables tomorrow, many of them were so excited it was as if it was the new year.


    In order to prevent any thieves, Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan left their belongings in their neighbor¡¯s house.


    Jiang Chuan had learned that their neighbors were nice people from his conversation with the village chief. Most of them enjoy being alone which is why they moved to this part of the village.


    Perhaps because of the excitement, Jiang Gu woke up earlier than usual and woke the whole family up.


    Jiang Xia opened his eyes slowly and looked at the sky and figured out it was only about four o ¡®clock. However, when she remembered that she had to go up the mountain later, she resisted the urge to sleep and got up.


    Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan were also in a daze, but they knew that they should only sleep after the house was built, so they got up one by one to wash their faces.


    ¡­..


    Last night, they left a basin in front of their neighbor¡¯s house. Water was in short supply these days. Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan had to walk all the way to the village entrance to get half a bucket of water. The family took turns using it.


    In this era where there was no food and clothing and hygiene was not so important.


    Compared to Jiang Xia¡¯s listless expression, Jiang Gu was a lot more excited, ¡°Jiang Xia, this basin is so beautiful. It¡¯s even better than the one in uncle¡¯s room!¡±


    Jiang Fu and Wang Fen loved their eldest son so much that they would send all the good things to their eldest son¡¯s house.


    Jiang Chuan¡¯s situation was the complete opposite. Instead, he was scolded by the two because he had asked to change the broken basin when Jiang Gu got hurt using it.


    Jiang Xia patted Jiang Gu¡¯s head. She truly loved her younger sister, who had been bullied so much living with the Jiang family.


    While Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu were chatting, Zhou Lan and Jiang Chuan were making breakfast. It wasn¡¯t that the two sisters didn¡¯t want to help, but they were forced not to by their father.


    Last night, they had to borrow a big pot in order to cook the porridge. But this morning, Zhou Lan used a smaller pot so she did not need any help. All Jiang Chuan did was to make sure Zhou Lan did not feel hot while cooking.


    The two of them were clearly an old couple, but they still like to stick together. Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu felt sour watching them as they also yearned for this kind of love. There are many people in the world, and it was not easy to meet someone to be the love of their life.


    In the modern era, there was a saying that said love was a luxury that could only be encountered but not sought.


    In order to prevent them from running out of energy, Zhou Lan used the water from Jiang Xia¡¯s interspace when she cooked. Jiang Chuan took out an empty bottle of mineral water, and Jiang Xia put it back into the interspace after she finished using it.


    After the family of four had a sumptuous meal, Zhou Lan brought Jiang Xia to the village entrance.


    Jiang Chuan helped Zhou Lan carry her basket and said, ¡°Be careful when you go up the mountain. Don¡¯t travel too deep in. If you encounter any problem with wild beasts or even from the people that are going, hide. Come back soon.¡±


    Jiang Chuan was right, there would always be some people with evil intentions in the year of the grain shortage.


    Zhou Lan nodded and turned to look at Jiang Chuan and they smiled at each other.


    Jiang Xia glanced at his mother, who was so strong that she could beat up five strong men on her own. Jiang Xia wanted to assume her father¡¯s words were for her instead, yet her father was holding her mother¡¯s hand while he was talking.


    When Zhou Lan and her daughter arrived at the village entrance, they found that there were already eleven or twelve women waiting there with baskets on their backs. After interacting around, Jiang Xia confirmed that they were all people who were willing to help her family.


    The village head¡¯s wife was the first to speak, ¡°Zhou Lan, I¡¯ve counted for you. We still have three more wives going, let¡¯s wait a little longer.¡±


    Zhou Lan nodded. If it weren¡¯t for the village head¡¯s wife helping her, she really wouldn¡¯t have remembered who was who.


    After about five minutes, three more people arrived, and everyone was finally there.


    Jiang Xia counted the number of people again. There were a total of 15 people. Since they were the ones to bring them up the mountain, they had to be responsible for them.


    Seeing that the sky had already brightened, Zhou Lan and Jiang Xia led their people toward the mountain.


    After walking this route twice, the mother and daughter were quite familiar with it. In addition, there were villages around, so they would not encounter any danger on the road. This was also why the village men agreed that their women could follow them up the mountain..


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 43 - Chapter 43: Blessed land from the heavens

    Chapter 43: Blessed land from the heavens


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    The journey was boring Jiang Xia and her mother listened to the wives talk about their family affairs. One of them even pulled Zhou Lan to her side and started talking about what happened to the Jiang family.


    ¡°Zhou Lan, 1 heard that your in-laws¡­¡± The woman talking stopped and tried to phrase her sentence differently, ¡°The Jiang family left all their work to their second son after your family left. However, Jiang Hua isn¡¯t the type to suffer losses. He said that if there is any work, they would have to split it evenly between the two brothers otherwise he won¡¯t do it. He almost got beaten up by old Jiang!¡±


    Hearing the woman¡¯s words, Jiang Xia sneered in her heart. It would be a surprise if they didn¡¯t cause a ruckus since they were all selfish people.


    Other than the rotten things in the Jiang family, there were also other conversations, such as gossip about her father.


    There were rumors from the older generations that Jiang Xia¡¯s father had been adopted. Of course, it was never confirmed.


    This made Jiang Xia even more curious about what the previous Jiang Chuan was like. Jiang Chuan looked nothing like his father or mother. No matter how hard Jiang Xia tried to imagine, Jiang Chuan¡¯s good looks did not come from his parents. However, they were no longer a part of the family and she had no way to confirm her theory.


    The women¡¯s pace was similar to Zhou Lan and Jiang Xia despite not drinking water from the interspace.


    ¡­..


    After walking for about two hours, the group arrived at the foot of the mountain.


    As Jiang Xia and her mother did not travel in too deep into the mountain the last time, the crops mostly grew outside. Walking based on their memories, they manage to find a large pit with wild vegetables and this surprised Jiang Xia.


    The power of the space water was too powerful!


    When the women saw that there were really wild vegetables, they scrambled to dig them up. Jiang Xia followed suit and dug one up. She wiped off the soil on it and took a small bite. As she had expected, the wild vegetables did not taste as fresh and tender as before. No wonder no animals came to eat them.


    Seeing that everyone¡¯s attention was on the wild vegetables, Jiang Xia gestured to her mother to let her know she will be traveling deeper into the mountain.


    Zhou Lan nodded in acknowledgment.


    Jiang Xia started sprinkling water once she manage to find a secluded area. She did not dare to sprinkle too much and sprinkle a few drops along the way as if she was giving directions. She would sprinkle more when she found a good place.


    Alone, Jiang Xia proceeded forward, leaving Zhou Lan a few markers along the way. Finally, after walking for some distance, she found an extremely well-hidden location.


    The surrounding trees were very lush. When she arrived, she realized that the distance between the trees was only enough for one person to pass through. After passing through the forest, there was a patch of grass in the middle. The trees circled the area as if it was a location specially designed for Jiang Xia.


    After confirming the location, Jiang Xia quickly took out her interspace water and carefully sprinkled it on the ground. She did not sprinkle too much for fear of attracting a herd of beasts like last time.


    A moment later, the space water that was sprinkled on the ground began to take effect. The originally yellow ground now had a green color.


    The seeds grew rapidly and turned into wild vegetables. Then a few rabbits came out of the grass and began to eat the rare delicious food.


    Seeing that everything was in place, Jiang Xia headed back. Along the way, she met her mother and the others. They all had some wild vegetables in their baskets on their backs.


    As soon as Jiang Xia saw Zhou Lan, she waved at her and said happily, ¡°Mother, I¡¯ve found a place to dig up wild vegetables,¡±


    ¡°Then hurry up and bring us there,¡± Zhou Lan said, playing along.


    Jiang Xia nodded and led them to the place she had set up.


    The group of people, including Zhou Lan, was stunned when they saw the green field. Zhou Lan had not expected that Jiang Xia would be able to build such a large field. It was enough for all of them.


    Jiang Xia didn¡¯t see the rabbits. They must have fled after hearing the human voices.


    ¡°What are you waiting for!¡± Someone said and snap everyone back to their senses. They quickly took out tools from their baskets and started digging.


    Digging up wild vegetables was not an easy task, but smiles could be seen on everyone¡¯s faces.


    In this day and age, one was not afraid of being tired, but afraid of not getting the chance to be tired. Being tired meant that they had work which meant they had food.


    Seeing the relaxed and excited expressions on everyone¡¯s faces, Jiang Xia suddenly felt that it was a good choice to do something for the villagers.


    After digging up a decent amount of wild vegetables, some of the villagers remembered that they had not thanked their benefactor..


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 44 - Chapter 44: Consideration

    Chapter 44: Consideration


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    ¡°It all thanks to Zhou Lan that we manage to find this plot of land that can provide us with the food we need. Zhou Lan, your family did not interact much with us in the past. But in the future, you can always come to me!¡± The village chief¡¯s wife spoke first.


    ¡°Yes! In the past, we only ever interacted with Old Jiang and did not know your family was such good people. You should definitely visit us more often.¡±


    Zhou Lan¡¯s face showed a smile when she heard what her neighbors had to say.


    ¡°Mom, are you happy?¡±


    Zhou Lan glanced at her without saying a word only showing her smile.


    After digging for nearly an hour, more than half of the wild vegetables were in everyone¡¯s basket.


    Jiang Xia saw that they almost all of their baskets were full and said, ¡°Aunties, the wild vegetables will go bad if we dig too much. Why don¡¯t we dig up enough to last us three to four days and come back then?¡±


    ¡­..


    Everyone stopped digging as they agreed with Jiang Xia¡¯s theory and rested on the spot. As most of them came to the harvest on empty stomachs, one by one they started taking out some cornbread and started eating.


    Jiang Xia was trying to figure out a way to stop these people from spreading the news on this plot of land before the village chief¡¯s wife clapped her hand and said, ¡°Everyone come here, I have something to say.¡±


    The village chief¡¯s wife holds certain status when it comes to Tong Shan Village, especially among the women. After all, there were topics where it was inconvenient for men to speak up, and she was always there to help out.


    Everyone walked over and surrounded the chief¡¯s wife.


    ¡°We all know what the current situation is like. After such a long drought, the food we have is decreasing bit by bit. If the other villagers find out about this space, how long do you think we can all last with this amount of wild vegetables?¡±


    Upon hearing the village head¡¯s wife¡¯s question, the few people who were previously excited to show off their harvest lowered their heads.


    ¡°Yeah! We cannot last long if people find out!¡±


    ¡°Think about it again. This is a treasure land discovered by Zhou Lan. They brought us here to dig because we helped build the house. If you tell everyone the location, they would all end up being really greedy. What if they are determined to dig everything away?¡± The village chief¡¯s wife went straight to the point again.


    This mountain belonged to everyone. If the news spread, people from all over the village will start digging everything up.


    Indeed if they were to tell their relatives about this good location, they would get a good reputation. But the end result only meant lesser vegetables for themselves.


    ¡°But what I¡¯m most afraid of is that some local ruffians will hear about this and take this place for themselves.¡±


    The words of the village head¡¯s wife were the truth. There were no signs of exaggeration. It was not that people did not want to be good people, but they could not afford to be. Between themselves and strangers, they would naturally choose themselves first.


    It was the same as how a child will be willing to share if he had hundreds of pieces of candies, but he would not if he only had one piece.


    The current situation was similar. Everyone only manage to get what was needed for a few days, they were not willing to share it.


    Jiang Xia was really surprised to hear the village chief¡¯s wife say this and it was what she had in mind.


    Originally, she thought that no one would listen to her, but now, with the village chief¡¯s wife¡¯s speech, there should be lesser news spreading around.¡±


    Everyone seems to have come to a conclusion themselves. Not only did they want to seal their mouths, but they also wanted everyone else to do the same. Seeing that she had achieved her goal, the village chief¡¯s wife waved her hand and let everyone proceed with what they were doing.


    After that, she sat down beside Zhou Lan and Jiang Xia and said with a smile, ¡°Were you two worried about this?¡±


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 Chapter 45 - Chapter 45: A good meal

    Chapter 45: A good meal


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Zhou Lan blushed and kept quiet. It was Jiang Xia who answered frankly, ¡°It¡¯s not that we are not willing to help. We just wanted to make sure we repay the people who helped us when we most needed it. If we manage to find more places with better harvests in the future, we will naturally share it.¡±


    The village chief¡¯s wife smiled generously, ¡°That¡¯s right. Xiao Xia is the one who understands and knows how to repay the kindness. Zhou Lan, you and your husband are really blessed. Look at how smart your kid is.¡±


    Jiang Xia blushed in embarrassment at the compliment and Zhou Lan nodded with a smile. All mothers enjoy hearing praises about their daughters.


    ¡°Oh right, 1 suddenly thought of something. When 1 went to town to exchange for food yesterday, 1 forgot to ask if wild vegetables can be exchanged for food. Fellow villagers, maybe we can dig up some more and see what we can exchange for.¡±


    After Zhou Lan¡¯s reminder, the women finally reacted and went back to dig up some vegetables. However, there was still quite a lot left, which gave the wild vegetables time to grow again.


    When they returned to the village, they took another route that did not pass by the other villages. The road into the village had also been changed to a path that was not often used.


    The group left early and returned to the village to prepare for noon.


    ¡­..


    Jiang Xia¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw that they had already reached the roof of the house.


    ¡°Zhou Lan, you guys are back so soon!¡± A young boy with sharp eyes immediately saw the team carrying baskets and shouted.


    The men who were helping to build the house also looked over and see their wives.


    ¡°Zhou Lan, how many wild vegetables did you guys manage to harvest?¡± A man asked as he jumped down from the roof.


    Jiang Xia chuckled, revealing her small teeth. She placed her small basket backpack on the ground for everyone to see.


    The small basket was filled to the brim, and the green vegetables made one¡¯s appetite increase.


    ¡°Xiao Xia! Where on earth did you find such a good wild vegetable? I¡¯m getting hungry.¡± The village chief¡¯s wife walked to his side and showed him the half-filled basket of wild vegetables. The village chief¡¯s eyes were wide open. This time, it was not only the Jiang Xia family that had wild vegetables. The other families that had come to help had wild vegetables to eat as well.


    This made the village chief sigh. He had offered to help Jiang Chuan and his family because they were in trouble. It had to be true that good people will be rewarded.


    A group of married men looked at the wild vegetables that their wives had brought back and wished they could have a bite of the unwashed vegetables. As for those who were not married, they could only watch others show off to them.


    ¡°Hey! Old Li, are you still happy being single? There are so many benefits to marrying a wife! When I get home, my wife can even cook wild vegetables for me! Are you envious?¡±


    The man known as Old Li spat at the person who spoke, ¡°Zhou Lan is taking us there tomorrow! What are you showing off for?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it is tomorrow! Oh, you even have to go up the mountain yourself! Tsk tsk!¡±


    The speaker deliberately dragged out his voice. Old Li hated him so much while everyone just laughed when they saw them bickering.


    The men all mentioned that they will skip lunch and try to finish the house in one go. Instead, they would have a good meal in the evening and then go home to sleep.


    Jiang Chuan¡¯s family was very happy to see them being so forthright. Zhou Lan brought Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu to the well to get water to wash the vegetables. They didn¡¯t expect the other wives to come too, with extra vegetables in their hands.


    Jiang Xia was surprised and asked, ¡°Why are you all washing the vegetables too? The wild vegetables that mother and 1 dug up are enough for us to cook this wild vegetable dish.¡±


    One of the women looked at Jiang Xia and smiled, ¡°It¡¯s a good day today considering your house will be done. Thanks to you, we¡¯ve dug up so many wild vegetables. My husband said to get some spices from home so we can cook a good meal.¡±


    A group of women was washing vegetables by the well, all of them showing smiles.


    However, in the eyes of some people, this smile was not the same. Some of their eyes turned red as they looked at the green vegetables in their hands..


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 Chapter 46 - Chapter 46: Threat

    Chapter 46: Threat


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Old Sun¡¯s wife walked over with a few people and stood in front of Zhou Lan, blocking her view.


    Zhou Lan looked up and her smile instantly disappeared when she saw who it was.


    ¡°Oh look. You are washing vegetables here.¡±


    Ever since Zhou Lan had rejected Old Sun s request for food, Old Sun¡¯s wife¡¯s resentment towards Zhou Lan had increased to another level.


    Zhou Lan was not interested in having a conversation with her. Despite knowing she could take on ten people like Old Sun¡¯s wife, Zhou Lan controlled herself as she had to keep a low profile.


    What was the saying?


    I practice martial arts to be able to make the fools talk to me calmly, I read to be able to talk to the fool calmly.


    ¡­..


    Zhou Lan was now putting on the attitude of a scholar. If she were really provoked in the future, she would definitely show her the consequences using her strengths.


    Zhou Lan¡¯s silence only served to fuel Old Sun¡¯s Wife¡¯s arrogance.


    ¡°Are you feeling guilty? Why don¡¯t you dare to say anything? You are also not willing to share the location of the wild vegetables. No wonder you weren¡¯t well-liked in the Jiang family. You deserved it!¡±


    Jiang Xia was infuriated when she heard this but when she was about to speak, another aunty cut her off.


    ¡°Madam Sun, your words are interesting. They were the ones that found the plot of land with wild vegetables, why must they share it with you? If you are so good with your words, why not ask the ground where you can find those wild vegetables?¡±


    A few of the ladies beside them laughed out loud, and Jiang Xia also giggled secretly. Her eyes were sparkling as she looked at the lady who was helping them to punish the woman.


    ¡°Yeah! Madam Sun, if you¡¯re so good then ask the ground! If you really manage to get wild vegetables to grow, we won¡¯t get greedy and take yours away from you!¡±


    Old Sun¡¯s wife¡¯s face turned white after being ridiculed by the crowd. She can only continue to attack Zhou Lan because she cannot win the argument.


    ¡°Zhou Lan, are you not afraid of attracting jealousy and hatred for keeping it a secret? Nowadays, people are willing to do anything for food.¡± Her words were a blatant threat.


    Jiang Xia and Zhou Lan were infuriated and wanted to give this woman some punches.


    The others around could not stand Madam Sun¡¯s attitude too.


    Now that the famine was widespread, everyone was struggling to survive. It was hard to guarantee people like Madam Sun won¡¯t act all greedy and keep all the vegetables to themselves.


    Seeing that no one was speaking, Old Sun¡¯s wife¡¯s arrogance was rekindled. She wanted to continue speaking but was interrupted by Jiang Xia¡¯s clear voice.


    ¡°Auntie Sun, are you blatantly threatening our family? We told uncles and aunties the location because we wanted to repay their kindness. If not, we could have hidden the vegetables and not told anyone, and all this conflict won¡¯t happen today. Auntie Sun, if you did not help my family when we needed help, why should we give you things for free?¡±


    Jiang Xia had wanted to use the wild vegetables to make others remember the good of her family, but she was afraid that it was impossible now, so she had to be straightforward.


    There weren¡¯t many people like Madam Sun in the village, most of them just act coldly. She had to make sure the others united with her to make her family¡¯s life easier.


    The surrounding crowd felt warmth in their heart when they heard what Jiang Xia had to say. Even children like Jiang Xia understood the importance of gratitude. They definitely plan to spend more time with Jiang Chuan¡¯s family in the future.


    Since most of them felt grateful instead of jealous, it was impossible for Madam Sun to win the argument..


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 Chapter 47 - Chapter 47: Hearts not at the same place

    Chapter 47: Hearts not at the same place


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Old Sun¡¯s wife¡¯s face turned pale after hearing Jiang Xia¡¯s words.


    Someone next to her sneered, ¡°Yeah! Even a child knows that one should not take advantage of others. You as an adult don¡¯t understand that logic? What makes you think we will let you know the location just because you ask?¡±


    Madam Sun knew that she couldn¡¯t win the argument so she said, ¡°Just wait! 1 will make you regret it one day!¡±


    After finishing what she had to say, she left with her other followers.


    After Madam Sun left, Jiang Xia was starting to worry. She had originally wanted to keep the plot of land with the wild vegetables a secret for as long as possible, but it seemed like it was not possible now.


    Now that Madam Sun had made the matter clear, it was hard to guarantee what everyone was thinking and their secret might just get out soon.


    Beside her, Zhou Lan stroked her head and smiled. ¡°Why are you sighing? It¡¯s said that sighing will take away all your good luck.¡±


    ¡­..


    Jiang Xia and Zhou Lan were whispering to each other at the back of the group, ¡°Mom, we¡¯ll have to rethink our original plan.¡±


    Zhou Lan did not have much of an opinion. She only smiled and said, ¡°Plans don¡¯t change as fast as changes. There must be ups and downs in life to prove that you¡¯re still alive!¡±


    She continued to comfort Jiang Xia, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about everything on your own. Let dad and mom share your burden.¡±


    Jiang Xia nodded. It was useless for her to think about it now. She would figure it out when problems arise.


    After thinking it through, Jiang Xia was no longer upset and returned to the newly built house and started helping her mother with her work.


    By the time the roof of the house was sealed, it was already late in the afternoon and the neighbors started bringing out tables.


    As there was a wide variety of wild vegetables, Zhou Lan also made vegetable pancakes and a few stir fry vegetables. They were very delicious and the only flaw was that there was no meat.


    Jiang Xia¡¯s new house had two bedrooms, a living room, and a small kitchen. In this era, the bathroom was built outside the house with a small courtyard. Although it was small, it had all the essentials.


    It was impossible for Jiang Xia not to be excited when she saw the first home that belonged to them since they came to this world. However, she managed to control herself and did not run around the house like Jiang Gu.


    Because they didn¡¯t bring anything with them when they left the Jiang family¡¯s house, they could only use a thatched mat to lay the brick bed first. They will change it when they went to town.


    When everyone left after dinner, Jiang Chuan requested the village chief to stay a little longer.


    When Jiang Xia came back, she told her father about what had happened with Old Sun¡¯s wife previously. Jiang Chuan knew that it was not an easy task, and he had to ask the village chief for help.


    ¡°Did Old Sun really tell you that?¡± The village head asked with a frown after Zhou Lan told him about her encounter with Madam Sun.


    There were five people sitting in the newly built house. They were the village chief, his wife, Jiang Chuan, Zhou Lan, and Jiang Xia. Jiang Gu had gone to play with her friends. It was good that the children did not know what they were talking about.


    The village chief¡¯s wife saw her husband looking at her and nodded, ¡°Madam Sun has always been like this. She¡¯s always trying to take advantage of others. With her ruffian-like behavior, not many people can go against her.¡±


    The village chief¡¯s wife rarely spoke harshly, but she must have been angered by Old Sun¡¯s wife to have said it all.


    The village chief was helpless and did not have any good ideas. There were only two possible outcomes for this matter to develop to this point.


    One was that the people who knew the location of the wild vegetables kept quiet and the other was that Jiang Chuan family would have to compromise and reveal the location.


    In that case, those who didn¡¯t work for the Jiang family would also benefit, and it would inevitably make those who helped feel that it was unfair.


    Either of these two choices would be disadvantageous to the Jiang family.


    Jiang Xia knew the other solution was to use the water from her interspace to grow more crops when the wild vegetables were gone and bring the villagers to the new area.


    However, she did not want to use this method until she was left with no choice..


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 Chapter 48 - Chapter 48: Friendship and duty

    Chapter 48: Friendship and duty


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Jiang Chuan frowned as he couldn¡¯t think of any good ideas.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s do this! Tomorrow¡¯s arrangements will remain the same. After harvesting more wild vegetables, everyone will go to town to exchange for some food. After that, chief, you can find time to let the other villagers know the location of the harvest.¡± Zhou Lan said.


    It was obvious that people knowing the location of the harvest was the final result of this matter. After all, they shouldn¡¯t cause conflicts between the villagers over such a small matter.


    The village chief thought for a moment and nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll thank you on behalf of the villagers.¡±


    After the village chief left, the three people in the house sighed at the same time.


    These days were not easy. There would always be people who are bored and wanted to stir some trouble. It seemed that they had to be more conscious of this type of people in the future.


    Everything went according to plan the next day. Jiang Chuan¡¯s family and a dozen of villagers took three carriages to town to exchange for food in the afternoon.


    ¡­..


    Almost everyone in the village knew about what had happened with Madam Sun yesterday. A lot of them knew that they were going to town today to exchange for some food so they gathered around. Upon seeing the carriages, many of their eyes turned red.


    It would be easy to live with others when they all had a similar situation when it comes to lifestyles. If one of the families suddenly becomes rich, then some villagers¡¯ mentality would be affected.


    ¡°Madam Wang, I heard from my relative yesterday that Jiang Chuan had the intention to reveal the location of where they dug up the wild vegetables! Do you think it¡¯s true?¡± ¡°Reveal it? Where? At the village?¡± The woman replied.


    ¡°Eh? You didn¡¯t hear about it? The children that placed with Jiang Gu yesterday all knew about it!¡±


    ¡°Oh! They will really share it? My daughter didn¡¯t play with Jiang Gu yesterday as she wasn¡¯t feeling well.¡±


    Speaking of her child, Madam Wang continues, ¡°Do you think is it because of what Old Sun¡¯s wife said?¡±


    ¡°What are you thinking? Jiang Chuan¡¯s family had originally planned to tell the villagers. They just wanted to make sure those that helped them gets the information before the others.¡± Another woman interrupted the conversation.


    ¡°There¡¯s such a thing?¡± Upon hearing the woman¡¯s words, Madam Wang¡¯s eyes widened even more.


    ¡°Yup! Moreover, this place was founded by Zhou Lan. It is up to them to decide what they want to do with it.¡± The woman tutted, her face full of disdain.


    After listening to the woman¡¯s words, Madam Wang¡¯s face was a little red.


    Indeed, they didn¡¯t have the right to ask them to share the information. But if they really did, everyone would be grateful to Jiang Chuan¡¯s family.


    The woman¡¯s words seemed to have grown wings as they quickly spread throughout the entire village. Some people were pleasantly surprised, some were filled with anticipation, some were suspicious, and some even gritted their teeth.


    ¡°There is no way that family is ready to share the location! It was just because of what I said that gave them no choice!¡±


    It was Madam Sun who was cursing out loud. She had gathered a few of her followers to discuss Jiang Chuan¡¯s family.


    The three women gathered had a lot in mind. Two of them were trying to comfort Madam Sun while the other one was thinking about when she would get to enjoy wild vegetables. It had been a while since she had seen green vegetables at home.


    ¡°Sister, don¡¯t be angry. We have food to eat. Who cares what they say!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear the sneers of those people outside? Calling me thick-skinned? Are they not the same themselves?¡±


    The lackey who was consoling Madam Sun saw that her anger was not appeased, and she suddenly thought of a bad idea, ¡°Sister, don¡¯t be angry. It¡¯s not worth it to be angry. Why don¡¯t we teach Jiang Chuan¡¯s family a lesson?¡±


    Madam Sun was instantly interested in what the woman had to say, ¡°What idea do you have?¡±


    ¡°The Jiang family is still angry that Jiang Chuan left them.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think finding the Jiang family will help since they also have inner conflict currently.¡±


    The woman who came up with the idea chuckled, ¡°Jiang Chuan is the common enemy of all of the Jiang family. If they work together, then internal conflicts will be reduced.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll try..¡±


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 Chapter 49 - Chapter 49: Entering the town in exchange for food

    Chapter 49: Entering the town in exchange for food


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    On the carriage, Jiang Xia moved closer to Jiang Gu and whispered, ¡°Did you do what I asked you to do?¡±


    ¡°Yes! 1 said that you told me to say. But do you really think it will work? That woman had ruined our family¡¯s reputation.¡±


    Jiang Gu knew a lot despite being so young. She had realized a lot from hearing what the children she was playing with had been saying about her family. She felt so wronged.


    Jiang Xia had asked her sister to let spread the information about their family¡¯s willingness to share the location of the harvest but was later stopped because of what Madam Sun had said.


    Jiang Xia patted Jiang Gu¡¯s little head and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Reputation is something that can be built up over time. The villagers have long known what kind of person that woman is. She just gossips a lot because she is psychologically unbalanced and does not have much contact with our family. Everyone will come to realize what kind of a person she is.¡±


    ¡°Also, Xiao Gu, don¡¯t worry too much about what others think. People who live their entire life listening to others¡¯ opinions of them will become weak. They will eventually get killed from words.¡±


    Jiang Gu nodded while looking at her sister with admiration.


    ¡­..


    ¡°Jiang Xia, you are so smart.¡±


    Jiang Xia chuckled and did not say a word. She had once been almost killed by words, but those things were just fleeting clouds to her now.


    The two sisters were chatting behind the carriage while Xiao Wu, Jiang Chuan, and Zhou Lan were talking in front.


    ¡°Brother Jiang, Sister-inlaw, you don¡¯t have to care much about the gossip going on in the village. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. They are just jealous.¡± Xiao Wu comforted while looking at Jiang Chuan and his wife.


    Jiang Chuan smiled, ¡°Thank you for your concern brother. We are fine. They can say whatever they want, we will just pretend we heard nothing.


    brother Jiang, sister-in-law, you don¡¯t have to care about the gossip in the village. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. They¡¯re just jealous, so they gossip for no reason. Xiao Wu looked at Jiang Chuan and his wife with a comforting look.


    Jiang Chuan smiled, thank you for your concern, brother. We¡¯re fine. They can say whatever they want. We¡¯ll pretend we didn¡¯t hear anything.


    ¡°Brother Jiang, you are right to think this way! We cannot control people¡¯s mouths but we can block our ears from hearing things that are not important.¡±


    In addition to having a good mindset, they just wanted to see if reverse psychology would work. They would never let themselves be manipulated by others.


    The carriage Jiang Chuan¡¯s family was on led the way followed by two other carriages with the other neighbors. Each of the carriages had four people sitting on them with the vegetables filled up in the middle.


    Jiang Xia was afraid that the donkeys would run out of energy halfway pulling the carriage that she had secretly fed them some wild vegetables before they set off.


    It was Jiang Gu¡¯s first time in town, so she was very excited. She kept talking to Jiang Xia along the way and Jiang Xia felt sorry for her sister the more she heard what Jiang Gu was excited about.


    ¡°Sister, is the town far from our house? Was it lively? There are a lot of people, how long will it take us to get there?¡±


    Jiang Gu threw a series of questions at Jiang Xia, who couldn¡¯t bear to dampen her enthusiasm.


    ¡°You will see when you get there¡± Jiang Xia replied.


    ¡°Jiang Xia, when we were at Grandpa and Grandma¡¯s place, mom and auntie went to the town once. I wanted to go too much I was beaten up by grandma. She said that girls shouldn¡¯t travel too far. If they did, their heart would be elsewhere. She also said that girls were not worth much and I would eventually be sold for money.¡±


    Jiang Xia had no impression of Jiang Gu¡¯s words. She assumed that Jiang Gu must have pestered her when her family was not around.


    Jiang Xia patted Jiang Gu¡¯s head to comfort her, ¡°It¡¯s all in the past now that we¡¯ve moved out of the family. When we¡¯re better off, I¡¯ll take you wherever you want to go. Don¡¯t listen to that old woman¡¯s nonsense. Girls will not be easily deceived even if we were to see the world. When the tough days are over, we still have to study and go to school. Once we¡¯ve gained knowledge, there¡¯s nothing that can stop us.¡±


    Jiang Gu¡¯s eyes were filled with anticipation at the life that Jiang Xia had mentioned. Would the future really be that good?


    ¡°Jiang Xia, I-I can go to school too?¡± Jiang Gu asked hesitantly.


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    After receiving Jiang Xia¡¯s approval, Jiang Gu immediately threw herself into her arms.


    Grandma had said before that it was a waste of money to send a girl to school. They had eaten so much food from the Jiang family that they should be married off for betrothal


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 Chapter 50 - Chapter 50: Natural and man

    Chapter 50: Natural and man-made disasters


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    The man controlling the carriage behind smiled when he saw the two little girls talking and laughing in front of him.


    At first, everyone felt that using wild vegetables to exchange for grains was unrealistic. After all, food was really precious now.


    However, the village chief mentioned that they should give it a try as he heard the town was short of vegetables. Moreover, they were confident about the wild vegetables they had harvested.


    Jiang Xia and the others went to the previous acquisition station, Supply and Marketing Club. After all, they had experience exchanging items there and they were not afraid of getting cheated.


    However, they did not get as much as Jiang Xia had imagined as the wild vegetables were not as good as the ones they had exchanged previously.


    They did manage to get some corn noodles back which could be used with the wild vegetables.


    Jiang Xia did not understand it before, but after listening to the conversation between the short man and her father, she realized that the way of buying and selling things was still in the form of money notes.


    ¡­..


    A lot of the time, items are not worth a lot when it comes to this kind of store. However, since they had connections, the trading was better.


    After packing up the corn noodles, Jiang Xia told her father that she wanted to walk around town and asked the others to bring their items back first. They would follow after.


    Jiang Chuan was worried initially but he had no choice but to agree when he saw the anticipation in his daughter¡¯s eyes. Jiang Xia wanted to check out if there are other possible opportunities.


    Based on the memories Jiang Xia had and the conversations with others, Jiang Xia realise that the development of this world was similar to her previous world.


    The time period now corresponded to the 1960s of her previous world and now they were about to face the great drought year, 1961.


    Due to the drought that had started in 1959, every household¡¯s grain reserves had been decreasing. It was already a surprise that they were still surviving despite the lack of food.


    Back in her world, in 1961, the situation got so bad to the point where people were gnawing on tree bark, digging up roots, and exchanging children. It was the year the population plummet and countless people starved to death in famine.


    Although they could survive with the interspace, what about the others?


    Jiang Xia sighed and could not help but worry about the future.


    Jiang Gu was unaware of her sister¡¯s worries and looked around curiously.


    The houses in the town were much a lot better than those in the village and the citizens were also dressed much cleaner.


    Jiang Gu looked at the rows of houses in the supply and Marketing Club and was very curious about what it looked like inside. She had never come out to buy anything in her life.


    Jiang Xia paid attention to the houses that she saw. Although there were a few hairdressers and restaurants, they were all located in secluded areas.


    At this time, the country still banned free trading. If one were caught doing business privately, they would be arrested.


    In fact, they had already crossed the line, but because they were in a remote town, no one came to watch over them.


    Xiao Wu took Jiang Chuan¡¯s family for a walk in town. He had been to the town a few times and knew some places.


    When they passed a large courtyard, Jiang Xia couldn¡¯t help but stare at it with wide eyes.


    This courtyard looked very stylish, and there was two lions statue at the entrance. Logically speaking, shouldn¡¯t these things have been smashed long ago? How could there still be more?


    Xiao Wu noticed that the two young ladies, Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu, were looking at the courtyard curiously. He smiled and said, ¡°You guys don¡¯t know this, but this is the Shen family¡¯s residence. The Old Shen family is famous in this town. During the war, old Master Shen donated all his money and even brought his two 16-year-old sons to the front line. Later, both of his sons died for the country, leaving only the youngest son who was still very young at that time.¡±


    ¡°After that, their family went to the city and this house had been left like that. Every year, someone will come back to clean it.¡± Xiao Wu continued.


    Jiang Xia¡¯s heart stirred when she heard this.


    She had once lived in an era of prosperity and peace. She did not understand how hard it was for the people of this era. After the destruction of war and natural disasters, it was not easy for everyone to survive.


    After walking two more streets and listening to Xiao Wu talk about some trivial things, a few of them began to travel back to the village.


    Other than a few people, there was nothing else in their carriage. They moved rather fast and caught up with the donkey cart that had left first after about forty minutes..


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 Chapter 51 - Chapter 51: The hearts of the people can’t be scattered

    Chapter 51: The hearts of the people can¡¯t be scattered


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    When the carriages returned to the village, it was already past five o¡¯clock. The villagers who did not have any wild vegetables to trade had long gone home to start cooking.


    After everyone had distributed the corn noodles, they dispersed.


    Jiang Chuan¡¯s family also took their share and headed home. Unlike Jiang Xia, who was tired from sitting in the carriage, Jiang Gu looked very energetic. She jumped and skipped in front of them, even greeting her friends.


    As soon as they opened their door, they saw a black shadow leaning against the wall, preparing to jump out.


    Jiang Xia reacted quickly by shouting at the top of her lungs, ¡°There is a thief!¡±


    The black shadow seemed to be frightened by Jiang Xia and slid down from the wall.


    ¡°Father, let¡¯s go over there and take a look!¡±


    ¡­..


    Their house was at the end of the village, so the man chose to run in the direction with no houses.


    The family of four quickly ran, but when they arrived, they didn¡¯t see anyone.


    A few of them quickly went to see what had been lost in the house.


    Jiang Xia was so anxious that she shouted so loudly. In addition to the fact that the countryside was very quiet at night, her shout had not only attracted the neighbors but also the other households who had come running out with torches.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Who¡¯s house had a thief?¡±


    ¡°It sounded like the voice came from Jiang Chuan¡¯s family. Let¡¯s go and take a look!¡±


    With that, they raised their touch and went straight to Jiang Chuan¡¯s house.


    At Jiang Chuan¡¯s house, the four of them were dumbfounded. This was a robbery!


    Not only were the porcelain bowls and teacups that they brought back gone but even salt, oil lamps, and many other items were also taken away.


    ¡°Jiang Chuan, was it your daughter who shouted that there was a thief?¡± The neighbor shouted from outside.


    The man came in seeing the door was not closed, with a few villagers at the back.


    The light from the fire illuminated the entire room as the person approached. Everyone was stunned when they saw the messy scene in the room.


    ¡°Who in the world did this?¡±


    Jiang Chuan¡¯s neighbor had a fiery temper and couldn¡¯t help but curse at the situation.


    Jiang Chuan tried thinking of who to look for to deal with this matter, but there were no police officers at this time. But before he could figure it out, the villagers came.


    ¡°What should we do? Those are the things that my family needs to live on.¡±


    Zhou Lan had to cooperate with her husband and knelt on the ground without saying a word.


    Seeing that the two adults looked very lost, one of the neighbors pulled Jiang Xia to the side and told her, ¡°Jiang Xia, go to the village chief. You have to solve this problem as soon as possible. Otherwise, how will the other villagers live in peace knowing there is a thief out there?¡±


    Jiang Xia nodded and ran toward the village chief¡¯s house. As she ran, she did not forget to shout, ¡°There¡¯s a thief! Everyone, be careful! There¡¯s a thief in our village!¡±


    Following Jiang Xia¡¯s shout, the lights in every house were turned on.


    Jiang Xia ran and looked around and only four or five houses¡¯ lights were not lit.


    She shouted all the way to the village chief¡¯s house. The village chief heard an urgent knock on the door and quickly walked out, ¡°Jiang Xia, were you the one who shouted that there was a thief?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Jiang Xia nodded with tears in her eyes before she continued, ¡°Grandpa chief, my things have been stolen, what should 1 do? That¡¯s for my family¡¯s future!¡±


    The chief¡¯s wife¡¯s heart ached for Jiang Xia when she saw how pitiful she looked, ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Grandpa chief and 1 will definitely stand up for your family.¡±


    Almost all the villagers left their houses with torches in their hands upon hearing the news from Jiang Xia.


    ¡°Village chief, did Jiang Chuan¡¯s house get robbed?¡± A villager who lived near the village head¡¯s house asked.


    The village chief nodded with a cold face. He had heard of many fights in the village over the years, but this was the first time he had heard of theft. In this day and age, almost all families were not rich, so who would steal? He really didn¡¯t expect such a thing to happen.


    Jiang Xia went there alone, but when she returned, she was followed by a group of people. Almost every family sent a person to follow the chief. They wanted to know who did such a shameless thing.


    When the crowd saw the situation with Jiang Chuan¡¯s family, they couldn¡¯t help but fall silent.


    Putting aside the thief¡¯s act of stealing, breaking the door and window frame was more like a way to vent their anger as if they deliberately wanted to take revenge on Jiang Chuan¡¯s family.


    ¡°We have to report this to the commune. What they did was too atrocious. They must teach that person a lesson.¡±


    ¡°Yup! Report the case! With such a person in the village, we can¡¯t live in peace.¡±


    In this era, although everyone¡¯s lives were not good, most people were still simple and honest. After living in the village for a long time, some villagers did not even bother locking their doors at night.


    But now that this matter had happened, it directly caused a crisis of trust between the villagers.


    The village chief was really angry about this, and his eyes were wide open..


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 Chapter 52 - Chapter 52: Stealing

    Chapter 52: Stealing


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation


    ¡°There is no need to report the case. Even if we do, we won¡¯t know when they will arrive. Let¡¯s investigate the village first. One household at a time. I don¡¯t believe we can¡¯t find the thief!¡±


    ¡°I agree with the chief,¡± the villagers responded.


    The village chief pulled Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan who was kneeling on the ground up and continued, ¡°Jiang Chuan, your family should follow me and identify which house has your things.¡±


    Jiang Chuan nodded.


    They started from the house nearest to Jiang Chuan¡¯s house. Since all the houses were similar, they could tell if there was anything from their house just with a glance. Besides, Jiang Xia already had a suspect in mind.


    There were only two families that had a grudge against her family. One was the Jiang family, and the other was the Sun family.


    The chief has the same thoughts but in order to be fair, he had to go through all the houses to prove the innocence of the other villagers.


    ¡­..


    Nowadays, everything could be scattered, but not the hearts of the villagers. If their trust were all over the place, the village would risk facing a lot of problems.


    After walking from house to house for nearly half an hour, they finally arrived at the Sun family¡¯s house. The Sun family¡¯s house was pitch black, without a trace of light.


    After walking from house to house for nearly half an hour, they finally arrived at the Sun family¡¯s house. The Sun family¡¯s house was pitch black, without a trace of light.


    The village head knocked on the door of the Sun family¡¯s house and said, ¡°Old Sun, open the door. The village was robbed tonight. We¡¯re coming to your house to take a look.¡±


    There was no response from the house after the village chief finished speaking.


    ¡°Old Sun, if you don¡¯t open the door now, well suspect that you¡¯re the thief. We won¡¯t hold responsibility for breaking your door.¡±


    Seeing the village chief¡¯s threat, the Sun couple could no longer pretend that they didn¡¯t hear it.


    After another period of silence, Madam Sun finally opened the door, but she didn¡¯t let everyone in. She only opened the door a crack and asked, ¡°Village chief! What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    The village chief¡¯s wife sneered, ¡°Why are you pretending you don¡¯t know anything? The commotion outside has been so loud and you claim not to hear a thing?¡±


    Madam Sun put on a smile, ¡±1 went to bed early with my Old Sun, so I really didn¡¯t hear you. What happened?¡±


    The village chief¡¯s wife wanted to say something, but the village chief stopped her, ¡°There was a thief in the village tonight. For everyone¡¯s safety, we have to check every house.¡±


    ¡°Ah? Such a big thing had happened! I don¡¯t even know. Chief, look at me and my man, we¡¯ve never left the house. This shouldn¡¯t be our fault, right?¡± Madam Sun had a flattering smile.


    ¡°Well only know if it¡¯s your family after we¡¯ve finished checking. We have checked every family, what makes your family so special?¡± After the village chief finished speaking, the two young men behind him pushed open the Sun family¡¯s door.


    ¡°You guys! Why are you still barging in!¡± Madam Sun exclaimed.


    ¡°Are you feeling guilty? Is that why you¡¯ve been stopping us from entering?¡± Jiang Xia said, putting on an innocent look.


    ¡°I, what do I have to be guilty about?¡± The more the old lady spoke, the less confidence she had.


    Even though Madam Sun tried stopping them, it was no use and everyone entered the house.


    Inside the house, the man with the surname Sun was lying down. He didn¡¯t get up when everyone came.


    Madam Sun took a few steps forward and blocked everyone, ¡°Chief! My man is really not feeling well today, and his voice is hoarse, so I really can¡¯t welcome all of you.¡±


    fiang Xia whispered a few words into her sister¡¯s ear before Jiang Gu slipped out of the crowd.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to inform us. We¡¯ll leave after we¡¯re done.¡± The village chief said coldly.


    Hearing the village chief say this. Madam Sun had no choice but to turn her body to the side to let them see what was inside.


    Jiang Xia noticed that Jiang Gu had climbed onto the brick bed without anyone noticing.


    ¡°Uncle, why are you still covering yourself with the blanket on such a hot day?¡±


    A clear child¡¯s voice was heard. At the same time, the quilt on the man was pulled up by Jiang gu.


    ¡°Little brat, give me the blanket.¡±


    The man tugged at Jiang Gu¡¯s arm and almost pushed her off the bed. Fortunately, Zhou Lan was quick to react and caught her daughter in her arms.


    ¡°Ah! That¡¯s my oil lamp!¡±


    Jiang Gu¡¯s loud shout attracted everyone¡¯s attention to the item in the man¡¯s arms.


    The man panicked for a moment and then quibbled, ¡°What do you mean by your oil lamp? This is mine.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s mine! You don¡¯t have such a pretty thing in your house! ¡± Jiang Gu retorted.


    ¡°Little brat, who taught you to lie! What right do you have to say that this is yours?¡± The man said with a fierce expression.


    Seeing that the man refused to admit it, Jiang Xia¡¯s face turned livid, ¡°Xiao Gu, do you still remember the name I taught you to write a fewT days ago?¡¯1


    The crowd did not understand what Jiang Xia meant by that. They only saw Jiang Gu rushing over to snatch the oil lamp from the man¡¯s hand.


    The man refused and pushed Jiang Gu again.


    This push made Zhou Lan even angrier. She mimicked the man and pushed him.


    The man could not withstand the kind of strength Zhou Lan possessed and almost fell backward from her push.


    ¡°Xiao Gu, do you have any evidence?¡± The village chief asked..


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 Chapter 53 - Chapter 53: Finding the stolen goods

    Chapter 53: Finding the stolen goods


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    ¡°Yes, my sister taught me how to write my name a few days ago, so I wrote my name on the things in our house.¡± Jiang Gu replied loudly.


    Hearing the answer, the village chief took the oil lamp from the man¡¯s hand with a straight face and use the lit-up torch to check


    On the base of the oil lamp was the words ¡®Jiang Gu¡¯.


    The village head was furious. If the oil lamp didn¡¯t belong to the Jiang Chuan family, he would have used it to hit the man¡¯s face.


    ¡°Sun Li, our Tong Shan village has never had someone with such low morals like you all these years. How dare you do such a sneaky thing!¡±


    After the village chief spoke, the others followed suit.


    ¡°Jiang Chuan family did not have an easy life. Now that things are improving for him, you¡¯re stealing from him?¡±


    ¡­..


    ¡°You really need a beating. Out of all the things you could do, you ended up stealing.¡±


    Old Sun and his wife were scolded to the point they couldn¡¯t lift their heads and didn¡¯t dare to say a word.


    Some of them were even more unpleasant and directly started to curse the couple¡¯s ancestors.


    The kinder a person was, the more resentful they would be towards those who stole. In this era with very few things, villagers would get scared if something goes missing from their house.


    It was lucky that Jiang Gu¡¯s items had her name on them. What if there wasn¡¯t? No one could defend them.


    ¡°Sun Li, did you steal all these just so you can afford to buy your own coffins?¡± Seeing that everyone was still cursing, the village chief waved his hand to stop them and said, ¡°Sun Li, Where are the other things from Jiang Chuan¡¯s house? Bring them all out.¡±


    The man called Sun Li stood side by side with his wife, their heads lowered so that no one could see their expressions. They could only follow the village chief¡¯s orders and take them all out.


    Seeing that they were not speaking, some of the more hot-tempered villagers could not suppress their anger and picked up a small stone from the ground to throw at the two of them.


    The stone accurately hit Madam Sun¡¯s arms causing her to scream in pain.


    The others saw that this move was effective, so they followed.


    The village chief frowned slightly. Even though he did not agree with using force to solve the problem, Sun Li really made him angry.


    At this moment, a stone hit Sun Li¡¯s ankle and he screamed in pain.


    Jiang Xia¡¯s mind instantly flashed with the image of a man who was about to jump off the wall but slipped. This man¡¯s leg was injured, so how could he run faster than them? Just now, they had clearly run over to take a look, but they had not seen anyone.


    The stones continued to hit the Sun couple, causing them to cry out in pain.


    Seeing that more and more stones were being thrown at them, Madam Sun finally said, ¡°Stop hitting! Don¡¯t hit me! This is the only thing I have in my house. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can search.¡±.


    Sun Li fell on the bed with a pained expression.


    Hearing the words from the old lady, the village chief stopped the crowd from continuing to throw stones.


    The village head had confirmed that the villagers were only throwing small stones before tacitly agreeing to their actions. Otherwise, it would have been fatal.


    ¡°Jiang Chuan, you should walk around and see if there¡¯s anything else in your house.¡± The village chief said.


    ¡°Okay, thank you, chief.¡± Jiang Chuan replied and started to look around.


    Jiang Xia followed suit. When they reached the courtyard, the villagers were still discussing the matter.


    The house wasn¡¯t big, so not many people could hear the whole process of the incident. Now that the house had quieted down, the news slowly spread to the outside.


    ¡°Jiang Chuan¡¯s family is really lucky this time! If her daughter didn¡¯t learn to write and write her name on everything in the house, how could they find those things?¡±


    ¡°Yup! What a coincidence! Why do you think Sun Li would do such a thing!¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t he? Don¡¯t assume that just because he doesn¡¯t talk much means that he is a good person. How many of those that hang out with Jiang Gui are good people?¡±


    The Jiang family¡¯s eldest son, Jiang Gui, was a well-known hooligan in the village. He used to bully many people before he got married. It was only after he got married that he gradually restrained himself.


    ¡°Who are you guys calling a bad person?¡±


    Suddenly, a woman¡¯s voice interrupted their conversation.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my Jiang Gui?¡± the woman asked aggressively, ¡°What did he do that you get to assume he is a bad person?¡±


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 Chapter 54 - Chapter 54: A guilty conscience

    Chapter 54: A guilty conscience


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    The woman who asked the question was Jiang Gui¡¯s wife.


    Jiang Xia looked up and saw that her uncle¡¯s wife had rushed over in a hurry, with beads of sweat on her face.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± The woman who spoke wasn¡¯t afraid of her and directly countered, ¡°You don¡¯t know what your man is like? You belong to a family that even dogs despise.¡±


    Even though Jiang Gui was a gangster, there were still villagers who were not afraid of him. Just like the woman in front of him. Her two older brothers and one younger brother were also powerful people, Jiang Gui wouldn¡¯t dare to provoke them.


    Jiang Gui¡¯s wife was so angry that her face turned pale, and she glared at the woman as if she wanted to eat her up.


    The woman did not care at all. She did not stop talking, ¡°What are you staring at? do you think you¡¯re the only one with eyes? Are you still in the mood to watch what is happening? Pray that we won¡¯t find anything when we make it to your house later!¡±


    ¡°You! What are you saying? Why are you going to my house?¡±


    ¡­..


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know that we are trying to catch thieves?¡± the woman laughed before continuing, ¡°If you don¡¯t know, then why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! I¡¯m just here to see what you guys are up to at night.¡± It was obvious that Jiang Gui¡¯s wife did not sound confident when she spoke. Jiang Xia had witnessed the whole argument between the two.


    The woman sneered, ¡°What are you feeling guilty about? Don¡¯t tell me it was really your family who did it! That would be a big joke! Stealing things from your brother¡¯s house, you must have lost your mind!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not guilty, why are you accusing me!¡± Jiang Gui¡¯s wife spat on the ground rudely and cleared her throat to prove her innocence.


    The woman opposite her did not back down, ¡°Sun Li usually hangs out with Jiang Gui. Now that Sun Li is stealing things, who is to say that your family is not involved too?¡±


    ¡°Why are you saying that Sun Li stole something? Do you have any evidence? Don¡¯t talk nonsense if you don¡¯t have evidence!¡± Jiang Gui¡¯s wife retorted.


    Jiang Xia was listening from the side.


    ¡°Jiang Chuan¡¯s daughter wrote her name on the items. Does that sound like we don¡¯t have evidence?¡±


    ¡°What? She wrote her name?¡± Jiang Gui¡¯s wife was so shocked, she couldn¡¯t even speak clearly.


    Who wouldn¡¯t understand her expression? The woman frowned, ¡°Well, it seemed like it really was your family. Don¡¯t feel any sense of shame?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. I didn¡¯t take it. It¡¯s late. I¡¯m not going to talk to you. I¡¯m going home to sleep.¡±


    Seeing that Jiang Gui¡¯s wife was about to go home to share the news, Jiang Xia quickly shouted, ¡°Auntie! Did you also steal things from my house?¡±


    ¡°You worthless thing, what did you say!¡± Jiang Xia¡¯s auntie glared at her with her eyes wide open.


    ¡°Auntie,¡± Jiang Xia said, feigning innocence, ¡°You were feeling guilty when auntie asked if you had stolen something from my house.¡±


    Jiang Xia¡¯s clear voice attracted the attention of the people who were chatting.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel guilty. You wretched girl, why are you causing trouble!¡± Jiang Gui¡¯s wife glared at Jiang Xia, trying to shut her up.


    ¡°Grandpa Chief, Grandpa Chief! Auntie also took something from my house.¡± Jiang Xia ignored the other party¡¯s gaze and shouted.


    Seeing that many people had gathered around, Jiang Gui¡¯s wife hurriedly explained, ¡°I didn¡¯t. How could I steal from Jiang Chuan? The child is just spouting nonsense!¡±


    The crowd made way for the village chief, who walked out from the middle, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Before Jiang Gui¡¯s wife could speak, Jiang Xia took the lead and said, ¡°Grandpa Chief, I just heard auntie talking. They said that she had also taken something from my house.¡±


    Hearing Jiang Xia mentions her, the woman laughed dryly. She never thought that Jiang Xia would overhear her conversation with Jiang Gui¡¯s wife and even blurt it out.


    However, the woman did not do anything wrong, so she told the village chief what had happened.


    The village chief¡¯s brows furrowed even more when he heard what was going on. He looked at Jiang Gui¡¯s wife with suspicion and asked, ¡°Did your family really steal something from Jiang Chuan¡¯s house?¡±


    ¡°How can that be? I haven¡¯t even been to Jiang Chuan¡¯s house.¡±


    Although she said that, the sweat on her face had already betrayed her.


    Who wouldn¡¯t be suspicious of her?


    The village chief naturally knew that Jiang Gui¡¯s wife would never admit it. He had only asked this to trick her, but he didn¡¯t expect her to have such a big reaction.


    Jiang Chuan walked out and shook his head at the village chief, ¡°I didn¡¯t find anything else.¡±.


    Seeing Jiang Chuan¡¯s listless expression, the village chief frowned and said to Jiang Gui¡¯s wife, ¡°Take us to your house first.¡±..


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 Chapter 55 - Chapter 55: Searching the Jiang family’s house

    Chapter 55: Searching the Jiang family¡¯s house


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Jiang Gui¡¯s wife did not expect such a sudden turn of events.


    Jiang Gui came back with a pile of items today and told her to keep them properly.


    She saw that a lot of the items were top quality and asked Jiang Gui where he got them. After a series of questions, Jiang Gui admitted that he got it from Jiang Chuan¡¯s house. This got her scared and she quickly went to look for her father-in-law for help.


    Her father-in-law didn¡¯t have much of a reaction and just told her to keep it since Jiang Gui already brought them back. But she didn¡¯t dare to do such a thing so her mother-in-law did it while scolding her for being useless instead.


    After a while, she heard villagers shouting outside that there were thieves in the village. She was frightened and wanted to ask her husband to return the items. But what she did not expect was getting scolded by her mother-in-law again and her getting kicked out to check on the situation.


    But now¡­


    Jiang Gui¡¯s wife was so anxious that her face turned pale, but it couldn¡¯t be seen clearly in the dark night.


    ¡­..


    She was lucky she didn¡¯t say the wrong thing this time. She knew that the more she said, the easier it was to make mistakes.


    She led the way in silence, hoping that her mother-in-law had hidden the things well.


    As they were about to reach the front door, Jiang Gui¡¯s wife rushed forward and knocked on the door, shouting, ¡°Jiang Gui, open the door! There was a thief at Jiang Chuan¡¯s house and the chief wants to check our house!¡±


    Jiang Xia stared at her auntie with a hint of mockery in her eyes. Did she really think she could escape by letting her family know what was going on before they went in?


    A moment later, Jiang Gui opened the door as if he had just gotten out of bed.


    ¡°Chief, why are you looking at our house when it is Jiang Chuan¡¯s house where the robbery took place?¡± Jiang Gui said, looking very calm as if he knew nothing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll search every house.¡±


    After a few days of events, the village chief had long lost his good impression of the Jiang family, and he spoke in a business-like manner.


    ¡°Oh, oh! 1 see! Please come in, chief.¡±


    Jiang Gui let them in, and Jiang Hua, the second brother, and his wife opened the door while rubbing their eyes.


    After the departure of Jiang Chuan¡¯s family, the work of the Jiang family fell to the second brother and his wife.


    ¡°Village chief, why are you here?¡±


    The village chief didn¡¯t want to explain it again, so he let Jiang Gui do the explaining.


    ¡°Where are your parents?¡± The village chief asked.


    ¡°My parents are sleeping in the room. They¡¯re already so old, so there¡¯s no need to wake them up!¡±


    ¡°We have to search them all.¡± This family was too long-winded, and the village chief was about to lose his patience.


    After hearing Jiang Gui¡¯s words, Jiang Xia rolled his eyes. She did not believe her grandparents were sleeping.


    The two old geezers of the Jiang family had not slept so early once. They usually had naps in the afternoon when their children are out working. Her grandmother was also known to be a light sleeper and she would complain every time someone made too much noise.


    It was so loud tonight, how could they be sleeping? Moreover, her son had been the one to cause it.


    ¡°Village chief, wait a moment. I¡¯ll go get them. Jiang Gui didn¡¯t dare to go against the village chief, so he went to call for help.


    With Jiang Gui¡¯s wife looking at them, the village chief and his people entered Jiang Gui¡¯s room.


    Jiang Xia had lived in the Jiang family house for so many years, but she had never stepped into Jiang Gui¡¯s portion of the house. The things inside were of the highest quality, and the house they had lived in before was nothing compared to that.


    Jiang Chuan looked around and shook his head at Jiang Xia letting her know there was nothing. Jiang Xia wasn¡¯t disappointed. After all, no one would leave their stolen goods in their own house unless they had no time or place to store them.


    Jiang Xia had a feeling that his uncle had hidden all the items in her grandparent¡¯s part of the house.


    The two old men were already in the courtyard when Jiang Xia exited the room.


    Old lady Jiang¡¯s eyes and nose turned red the moment she saw Jiang Xia. She was furious at the sight of money flying away from her without being able to grab it.


    Perhaps it was because she had been taught gender equality since she was young, Jiang Xia had never understood those who valued men over women. It was normal for a man to think that way in this era, but why did women also value men over women? Weren¡¯t they women themselves?


    After searching in Jiang Gui¡¯s room, they went to Jiang Hua¡¯s room, and finally to the elder¡¯s room..


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 Chapter 56 - Chapter 56: The disturbance in the cellar

    Chapter 56: The disturbance in the cellar


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    However, to Jiang Xia¡¯s surprise, they couldn¡¯t find anything that was lost even after searching every corner of the house.


    ¡°Do you want to continue searching?¡± Old Lady Jiang asked arrogantly, ¡°We don¡¯t have the things you are looking for, right?¡±


    Jiang Xia frowned, unable to figure out what was going on.


    ¡°Always being suspicious. What does your house have that is worth stealing?¡± Old lady Jiang rolled her eyes in disdain.


    Just when they thought she will stop, she continued to ramble on and on with her criticism towards Jiang Chuan.


    ¡°You ungrateful wretch, your father and I have raised you for so many years. You want to split the family up and now you suspect your own family?¡±


    Jiang Chuan didn¡¯t care at all since he wasn¡¯t actually their son. Even if he was, he didn¡¯t think we would feel guilty. The real Jiang Chuan had already paid back the debt of gratitude by working like a cow and a horse for all these years.


    ¡­..


    However, Zhou Lan couldn¡¯t bear to hear others scold her husband. If Jiang Chuan hadn¡¯t stopped her, she would have kicked the old lady.


    ¡°Yup! Jiang Chuan even if we have split up, your surname is still Jiang. Father and mother have raised you for so many years, how can you doubt us? You¡¯re too unfilial!¡± Jiang Gui chimed in, drawing everyone¡¯s attention.


    Looking at the smug expression on Jiang Gui¡¯s face, Jiang Xia was wondering which part of the situation had gone wrong. From Jiang Gui¡¯s wife¡¯s behavior, it was obvious that her family had something to do with the theft. But why were they not able to find any evidence even after searching the whole area?


    ¡°Jiang Chuan, it¡¯s already so late. You have made the chief come all the way here just for a small problem of yours. You are really getting worse.¡± Jiang Gui sighed as if feeling bad for the village chief.


    The village chief was annoyed by Jiang Gui¡¯s pretentious behavior. He walked over to Jiang Chuan and asked, ¡°Did you find anything?¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t,¡± Jiang Chuan shook his head, a little puzzled.


    He knew his daughter. His daughter had always spoken only after she was confident in what she was saying. Especially when it was something that would affect one¡¯s reputation. She would never have said what she said if she wasn¡¯t sure.


    If it really wasn¡¯t stolen by the Jiang family, then she would have wrongly accused them.


    But-


    Just as Jiang Xia was trying to recall the details, Jiang Gu suddenly jogged to Just as Jiang Xia was trying to recall the details, Jiang Gu suddenly jogged to Jiang Xia¡¯s side.


    ¡°Jiang Xia, we haven¡¯t seen grandpa¡¯s basement yet!¡± Jiang Gu pulled Jiang Xia over and spoke in a childish voice.


    There¡¯s a cellar here!


    The so-called cellar was a place to store food. In order to make it easier to store vegetables and grain, the villagers would dig deep pits underground. Because it was underground, it had the effect of keeping it warm in the winter and cool in the summer, so the food would not go bad.


    Jiang Xia had no impression of this cellar because her thinking was still stuck in the modern world. Secondly, the Jiang family had never opened the cellar in front of Jiang Chuan¡¯s family. They would always take out food from the cellar behind their back. They would eat the food in secret and would not leave anything for them.


    Everyone heard Jiang Gu¡¯s words and turned to look at Old Lady Jiang, who was still jabbering about Jiang Chuan.


    The old lady noticed that everyone was looking at her, and an inexplicable ominous feeling rose in her heart. She asked, ¡°What are you looking at me for?¡± ¡°We need to check your cellar.¡± One of the villagers said.


    ¡°No!¡± Old lady Jiang¡¯s reaction was very big. She only shut her mouth after her husband glared at her.


    ¡°There is nothing to see in the cellar. In fact, we can¡¯t see much in the middle of the night.¡± Jiang Fu, the head of the Jiang family, said.


    Perhaps Jiang Gu had hit the nail on the head, as Jiang Gui also spoke with some excitement, ¡°Yup! Village chief! Why are you looking at the cellar so late at night? It¡¯s so dark.¡±


    ¡°Since we are already here, open it and we will have a look.¡±


    The village chief ignored them and insisted on opening the cellar.


    Jiang Fu had no choice but to lead the group to the entrance of the cellar and dawdled to find the key.


    ¡°Old man, there¡¯s no point in you stalling time now! We have to look at this cellar no matter what. The longer you wait, the more we will think something suspicious is going on.¡± A young man shouted..


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 57 - Chapter 57: Captured with the stolen goods

    Chapter 57: Captured with the stolen goods


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Jiang Fu glared at the man who spoke and gave his wife a look before saying, ¡°Go get the key.¡±


    The old lady, Wang Fen, instantly understood and pretended to go back to the house to get the key, but she was stopped halfway by Jiang Gu.


    ¡°All of Grandma¡¯s keys are on her waist, she doesn¡¯t have to go back to the house to get them.¡±


    After saying that, Jiang Gu reached out her small hand toward her grandma¡¯s waist.


    Wang Fen tried to catch Jiang Gu but she was small and agile. She managed to run around without getting caught.


    When Jiang Gu touched the left side of her grandma¡¯s waist, her eyes lit up. She instantly pulled out a set of keys and waved it in front of everyone.


    ¡± There¡¯s a key to the cellar here. I saw Grandma unlock it before.¡± Jiang Gu¡¯s crisp voice rang out in the crowd.


    ¡­..


    Jiang Xia nodded, feeling proud of her younger sister.


    After getting her sister¡¯s affirmation, Jiang Gu smiled happily. The hand that held the key was like it was holding a rare treasure.


    On the other end of the key rope, Old Madam Jiang glared at Jiang Gu, wishing she could eat her alive.


    The other members of the Jiang family also looked pale, including Jiang Hua. Everyone had assumed that it was the Jiang family that had stolen the items. If it was true, it would be so embarrassing for him.


    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, Old Madam Jiang had no choice but to take the key and open the cellar door.


    The village chief held a torch and led the villagers down. A chill came from the dark cellar.


    Jiang Chuan supported Zhou Lan while Jiang Xia led Jiang Gu behind the village chief.


    As soon as he went down to the cellar, Jiang Xia saw that the things that were stolen from her house were piled up together.


    Jiang Gu took the lead and ran over. She picked up something and used the light of the fire to search for the mark.


    Jiang Gu¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw her name. He shouted at the village chief, ¡°Grandpa Chief, look, my name is on it!¡±


    The village chief held the torch and saw the crooked words ¡°Jiang Gu¡± under the porcelain basin. He was mad. How could someone go so far as to steal their own son¡¯s stuff?


    ¡°Jiang Chuan, bring all your things. Let¡¯s go up.¡± The village chief¡¯s voice was filled with anger.


    This was the first time he had encountered a thief in all his years as the village chief, let alone a family!


    When everyone walked out of the cellar, Old Madam Jiang saw the items in Jiang Chuan¡¯s hand and almost fainted. She was only able to stay conscious because of her husband¡¯s support.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you give everyone an explanation? Why is Jiang Chuan¡¯s family¡¯s item with you?¡± the village chief asked coldly.


    Everyone knew that it was because the Jiang family did not like Jiang Chuan. But the chief could not accept that as the reason for the theft, he wanted to hear them explain out loud.


    Jiang Fu¡¯s face was tense and flushed under the light from the fire.


    The rest of the Jiang family had their heads lowered, so no one could see their expressions clearly.


    ¡°Jiang Chuan, are all the things you lost here?¡± The village chief pointed at the pile of things that Jiang Chuan had placed on the ground and asked.


    Jiang Chuan nodded. Not only were the pots and pans here, even the small bag of food.


    ¡°You! You guys! Who said these things are yours!¡± Old Madam Jiang made her final comment.


    Jiang Gui¡¯s wife seemed to be unable to bear hearing how her mother-in-law would try to explain anymore and turned her head away.


    ¡°Our name is on it, grandma. Why didn¡¯t you check it before stealing it?¡± Jiang Gu said sounding innocent.


    These words made Jiang Gui and his father angry. Who would have thought that someone would write their name on their own things? Moreover, Jiang Gui had stolen those items in the dark. There was no way he had time to check it.


    Old Madam Jiang glared at Jiang Gu and her breathing became heavier. It was obvious that she was furious.


    If it wasn¡¯t for Jiang Gu, she could have gone back to her room and pretended that she had lost her key. She wouldn¡¯t have been caught red-handed like now.


    What Wang Fen did not understand was that even if she had claimed to lose the key, the village chief would still insist on opening it. The outcome would have been the same.


    ¡°Alright! You¡¯ll have to wait for the criticism tomorrow!¡± The village chief said impatiently.


    Critiquing sessions were something people from this era do. They referred to making decisions on problems or dissatisfaction that other people had.


    When the majority agree, they would point out the mistake together and tfvncrrrikrnrajoHi¡¯yagiee, uiey wuuiu point out me inistaKe togeuiei ano discuss the problem.


    Unlike ordinary criticism which could be done in private, critiquing sessions must be held in a prominent place and must be known by most people..


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 58 - Chapter 58: The Jiang family’s embarrassment

    Chapter 58: The Jiang family¡¯s embarrassment


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    The Jiang family had lost their reputation tonight. They were so embarrassed that they couldn¡¯t raise their heads.


    In this era, stealing things was an extremely serious matter. Moreover, what their family stole was the things of their son who had been separated from the family. It was really despicable.


    The Jiang family did not expect things to blow up so badly. Jiang Fu still treated his youngest son as if he was the old Jiang Chuan. He thought Jiang Chuan would swallow everything and not share it with others even if he was taken advantage of.


    Jiang Fu thought that even if his son knew it was them that stole the items, Jiang Chuan would just come to their house to beg for the items and Jiang Fu would be able to use filial piety as an excuse to suppress him.


    No one had expected Jiang Chuan¡¯s daughter, Jiang Xia, to start shouting all over the village that there was a thief.


    If it was just the village chief that knew about it, things would be easier. After all, they were all members of the Jiang family. The village chief would probably let them handle it themselves. However, after what Jiang Xia did, it was no longer a small matter.


    Jiang Fu clutched his chest and wanted to pretend to faint, but Jiang Xia stopped him.


    ¡­..


    ¡°Grandpa, it¡¯s useless for you to pretend to be unconscious. When the doctor comes, not only will he collect the consultation fee, but he will also say that you¡¯re fine. You still have to attend tomorrow¡¯s critique session.¡±


    Jiang Fu only wanted to pretend but Jiang Xia¡¯s words reminded him of the medical fee and he held back.


    Jiang Xia looked at her ¡®grandfather¡¯ with ridicule. Only expect to be treated nicely if you treat others with kindness.


    Seeing that the thief had been caught, everyone was relieved, and the discussion gradually spread throughout the whole village.


    The woman who had quarreled with Jiang Gui¡¯s wife previously smiled and said, ¡°The Jiang family is really shameless. They still had the nerve to mention kindness previously. What kind of kind person would steal their family¡¯s stuff?


    I think Jiang Chuan made the right move to split up with the family!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! This is the first time I¡¯ve seen such a family. They¡¯ve already split up, but they are so greedy that they steal things from their family.¡± The woman beside her agreed.


    A man heard their conversation and spat at the Jiang family, ¡°I think we should send these people to the town police station and let them stay there for a few days.¡±


    The man¡¯s words attracted the agreement of the other men. They all felt that the village chief¡¯s punishment was too light.


    The women could understand the village chief¡¯s actions. After all, the people who stole the things were Jiang Chuan¡¯s parents. They would have to return to the village in the future. After all, Jiang Gui would not dare provoke too much mess as his daughter need to marry out of the family.¡±


    ¡°Everyone knows it was Jiang Gui that stole the items. But what if it was all instructed by his parents?¡± a woman asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible. But if that really was the case, what kind of parents are they? They¡¯re really shameless!¡± The woman beside her continued.


    A man continued, ¡°I don¡¯t think the second brother, Jiang Hua, knows about it. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s been implicated by his family. Now that Jiang Chuan has left, I heard that his family wasn¡¯t doing too well.¡±


    The villagers¡¯ discussions reached the ears of the Jiang family. Jiang Hua hurriedly went up to his father to help him as he was staggering and could not stand properly on his own feet. However, Jiang Fu pushed his son away.


    ¡°They were criticizing your parents and your brother so much, but you didn¡¯t even say anything. Aren¡¯t you usually the one who is always scheming something?¡±


    Jiang Hua seemed to have eaten a bitter pill, he couldn¡¯t say anything. He didn¡¯t know anything about the situation, yet his father used him to vent his anger.


    While the Jiang family was quarreling, Jiang Chuan¡¯s family was in a good mood. Not only did they get back their things, but they also embarrassed the Jiang family.


    Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan chatted as they took their things. Jiang Xia held Jiang Gu¡¯s hand and walked behind them.¡±Did you see what happened today? This is called karma. We have to be kind people in the future so we don¡¯t experience the same thing.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Jiang Gu nodded, ¡°We have to be kind. We can¡¯t steal like Grandpa and Grandma.¡±


    Jiang Gu¡¯s voice was not soft, causing the people who heard it to laugh out loud.


    Just as Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu were about to step out of the Jiang family house, something unexpected happened.


    Old Madam Jiang suddenly had the courage to bring a fire stick from the kitchen and was moving towards them..


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 59 - Chapter 59: Sudden change

    Chapter 59: Sudden change


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Everything happened too quickly, and the other members of the Jiang family did not have time to react.


    Jiang Xia caught a glimpse of something black flying toward Jiang Gu and shouted, ¡°Xiao Gu!¡±


    As she shouted her name, Jiang Xia pushed Jiang Gu to the side while she leaned forward due to inertia and took a solid blow.


    ¡°Jiang Xia!¡±


    Hearing the sisters¡¯ shouts, Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan hurriedly ran back to the courtyard.


    Then, the two of them saw a scene that made their eyes pop out. They saw Jiang Gu hugging Jiang Xia and getting hit from the back by a stick.


    At the critical moment, Jiang Xia endured the pain and pushed Jiang Gu. The rod missed Jiang Gu¡¯s head and hit her arm.


    ¡­..


    ¡°Damn it! Old woman, you dare to touch my daughters.¡± Zhou Lan roared and charged toward Jiang Xia.


    Jiang Chuan used his remaining rationality to stop Zhou Lan, who was about to hit Wang Fen.


    With Zhou Lan¡¯s current strength, Old Madam Jiang would basically die with one punch.


    ¡°Let¡¯s check on our daughters first.¡±


    When Jiang Chuan stopped Zhou Lan, the Jiang family also tried to stop their mother.


    The villagers who had already left returned to the house after this incident. When they saw the two children lying on the ground, they quickly asked the people present what had happened.


    ¡°Xiao Xia, Xiao Xia, how are you?¡±


    Zhou Lan wanted to pick Jiang Xia up, but she was afraid that she would touch her daughter¡¯s sore spot, so she didn¡¯t dare to do so.


    Jiang Xia endured the pain and sat up, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Where¡¯s Xiao Gu? Is she alright?¡±


    As soon as she asked, Jiang Xia heard Jiang Chuan hug Jiang Gu and shout, ¡°Xiao Gu!¡±


    At this moment, Jiang Gu had no reaction, either because she had fainted from the pain or because she had been hit somewhere else.


    The village chief rushed over. Seeing the situation, he quickly said, ¡°Hurry up and make way for Jiang Chuan to bring Jiang Gu to Doctor Li!¡±


    Jiang Chuan carried Jiang Gu and Zhou Lan carried Jiang Xia all the way to Doctor Li¡¯s residence.


    As for the old lady of the Jiang family, it was already a miracle that no one cared about her now.


    Jiang Xia didn¡¯t know how many times she had seen the doctor since she came to this world, but the doctor was familiar with her.


    Jiang Gu didn¡¯t hurt her bones. Instead, it was the sudden pain that caused her to faint.


    Jiang Xia looked at Jiang Gu¡¯s swollen arm and was still a little worried. However, since the doctor said it was alright, they had no choice but to listen to him.


    It was Jiang Xia¡¯s turn after Jiang Gu. He could clearly see that Jiang Xia¡¯s right shoulder was swollen.


    Doctor Li didn¡¯t charge them much after seeing them. He only asked for some money for the medicine and told them not to do heavy work for the next few days and to change the medicine on time.


    Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu were considered lucky that they were fine. They were just thanking the doctor when someone from the Jiang family came. They said that Old Madam Jiang had fainted and asked Doctor Li to go and take a look.


    Jiang Chuan and his wife couldn¡¯t care less about the Jiang family at the moment. They just wanted to wait for their youngest daughter to wake up and see what was going on. They had plenty of time in the future to deal with the Jiang family.


    A moment later, Jiang Gu slowly woke up, her face still pale.


    ¡°Father, Mother, what happened to me?¡± Jiang Gu said.


    When Zhou Lan saw that Jiang Gu had woken up, she finally felt relieved. She choked and said, ¡°That old woman! She took revenge on you two sisters when we weren¡¯t paying attention. I¡¯m sorry, Xiao Gu.¡±


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯m fine. Where¡¯s Jiang Xia?¡± Jiang Gu¡¯s face was pale as she gave Zhou Lan a reassuring smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine too. How¡¯s your arm, Xiao Gu?¡±


    Jiang Xia¡¯s heart ached as she looked at her sister¡¯s swollen arm. That old woman wanted to beat Jiang Gu to death. If she didn¡¯t push Jiang Gu away twice, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    Jiang Gu moved her arm and hissed, but she still replied, ¡°I feel fine.¡±


    The two sister¡¯s injuries were being treated. Seeing that it was getting late, Jiang Xia told Jiang Chuan that she wanted to go home first.


    Of course, other than wanting his family to go home and rest, Jiang Xia also wanted to take out some water from her interspace for her family to drink.


    Judging from the effects of the space water previously, drinking it could also strengthen one¡¯s body. She wanted to hurry home and let Jiang Gu drink some so that it would not hurt so much.


    Jiang Chuan nodded when he saw Jiang Xia¡¯s insistence. He went out and told the village chief that it was getting late and that he wanted to resolve the


    matter tomorrow..


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 Chapter 60 - Chapter 60: Magical Space

    Chapter 60: Magical Space


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Jiang Xia woke up in the middle of the night due to the pain of her injury. Both Xiao Gu and her injuries were wrapped with bandages. To prevent Xiao Gu from moving around, they used the method of treating fractures when bandaging her. Her arms were fixed to her chest but it still hurt so badly when she tried turning around.


    There was no way for them to get painkillers for her at this point so Xiao Gu could only try to endure it.


    Seeing that her family was still asleep, Jiang Xia carefully got out of bed and walked to the courtyard.


    There no was such thing as a street lamp or driving cars in the 1960s. Under the moonlight, Jiang Xia walked to the wooden bench in the courtyard and sat down.


    She was getting worried that they will have lesser food for the days to come. Even if they had food, they had to keep it lowkey to prevent attracting the attention of others.


    Jiang Xia looked at the starry sky and was worried. Should she be more selfish?


    Suddenly, Jiang Xia almost cried out loud as she was patted on the back.


    ¡­..


    ¡°Why are you not in bed? It is the middle of the night.¡± Jiang Chuan sat beside Jiang Xia and looked at the sky.


    ¡°Dad, have you thought about how we¡¯re going to live our lives in the future?¡±


    Jiang Chuan could hear the disappointment in his daughter¡¯s voice, ¡°Xiao Xia, are you afraid?¡±


    Jiang Xia looked into the distance and said, ¡°Dad, our current era is very similar to the Great Famine.¡±


    From Jiang Xia¡¯s memory, they should be in the second year of the famine. Last year¡¯s grain production decreased, and this year, the farmers don¡¯t have much grain in their hands.


    If this really developed the way she remembers, there will not be food this autumn harvest too. Next year, things will end up so bad, cannibalism will occur.


    Jiang Xia¡¯s voice was very low, and Jiang Chuan¡¯s heart twitched when he heard it.


    He couldn¡¯t blame his daughter for being in a bad mood since he felt the exact same way.


    ¡°In our world, after the famine broke out on a large scale, the country began to introduce policies to distribute land to farmers and let them go up the mountains to open up wasteland. Many people starved to death when they opened up wasteland.¡±


    Jiang Chuan¡¯s body trembled. He hadn¡¯t thought about those things before as he was only concerned about what was happening in front of him. But now that Jiang Xia had explained all the possible difficulties that they might encounter, he couldn¡¯t stop thinking about them.


    ¡°Xiao Xia, do you have any ideas?¡±


    Jiang Xia shook her head. They had very few things now and private transactions were prohibited. This alone had cut off the livelihood of many people.


    In addition to the inconvenience of transportation, the villagers were trapped in a small mountain village. If the situation remained like that, the villagers would be stuck here and most of them would starve to death.


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy for people to live in this world.¡± Jiang Chuan sighed as he spoke, ¡°By the way, how are the fruits you planted in the space?¡±


    Jiang Xia had never noticed the crops she planted. She only focus on getting water every time she entered the space. In fact, she had yet to see what the land really looked like.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look.¡± After saying that, Jiang Xia entered her space.


    She had always entered her space when it was daytime and she could not get used to the fact that it is dark now.


    She first went to the river to drink two mouthfuls of water and immediately felt the pain in her shoulder ease.


    She and Jiang Gu did not drink much water as It would be too strange if they got better all of a sudden.


    When Jiang Xia turned around and walked towards the land, she suddenly noticed that there was still a rabbit and three sheep that had not been dealt with. Their feet were tied up by willow branches. Not only did they not starve to death, they still manage to gain a lot of weight.


    Jiang Xia circled around the three animals in surprise. They were lying lazily around without even lifting their eyelids.


    After seeing the animals, Jiang Xia went to look at the crops. The seeds buried in the soil had already sprouted and it looked like they were growing well.


    She then remembered that she had not watered them in a long while and quickly scooped some water and watered the seeds.


    Jiang Xia was so shocked when she saw the crops growing at a very fast speed suddenly. Before she watered her crops, it seemed as if they were growing at a normal speed. However, once she poured her water, the crops grew crazily as if they had eaten fertilizers.


    Jiang Xia was stunned when she saw the vines of the watermelon and strawberry growing rapidly.


    What was going on? Sprouting and blooming in one go? What took other crops to grow in months, Jiang Xia water manage to make them grow in minutes.


    Jiang Xia was completely dumbfounded as she stood there rooted to the ground. Everything felt like a dream she didn¡¯t want to wake up from..


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 61 - Chapter 61: Jiang Xia’s Wish

    Chapter 61: Jiang Xia¡¯s Wish


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    It took Jiang Xia a while before she came back to her senses. She looked at the red strawberries and swallowed her saliva.


    The strawberries look really good. They can¡¯t just look good but not taste good, right?


    Jiang Xia squatted down and picked a strawberry. Before putting it into her mouth, she made sure to wash it with water.


    In an instant, the sweet taste spread in her mouth. It was so delicious that Jiang Xia wanted to swallow her own tongue.


    The watermelons on the other side were also so huge that it left Jiang Xia dumbfounded.


    A moment later, Jiang Xia came back to her senses, and a surge of ecstasy surged in her heart.


    Based on what she had seen just now, it would not be a problem to feed not only their family but even the entire village.


    ¡­..


    Even though that was what she was thinking, Jiang Xia did think it was a good idea to let others know about this space.


    Not to mention that her space did not work the same how a normal world would work. Even in the modern world, if anyone had such a space, they would be targeted. It was hard to predict what would happen in this world especially when everyone was in a state of famine.


    After confirming the situation in the space, Jiang Xia left it and gave her father a big smile.


    ¡°How is it?¡± Jiang Chuan asked her daughter.


    Jiang Xia chuckled and took out a few strawberries, ¡°Dad, try it.¡±


    The sky was a little dark, so he couldn¡¯t sec the strawberry in Jiang Xia¡¯s hand clearly. However, as soon as Jiang Chuan brought it close to his nose, he smelled a sweet fragrance.


    When he put it into his mouth, the sweet taste spread, and his eyes lit up.


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious. It seems to be even better than what we eat in modern times.¡±


    ¡°Dad, let me tell you. The plants in my interspace ripen very quickly. I just entered the interspace and the seeds sprouted. After I watered them, they started to grow in front of me. I have a lot of watermelons and strawberries in my interspace now!¡± Jiang Xia said happily.


    ¡°Docs that mean we won¡¯t have to worry about food in the future?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Jiang Xia nodded, ¡°I feel that with the speed at which the plants grow and bear fruit, it won¡¯t be a problem to feed an entire village.¡±


    Jiang Chuan frowned at Jiang Xia¡¯s words.


    ¡°Xiao Xia, 1 know you don¡¯t want anyone to starve to death, but I have to tell you that the situation with your space cannot be made public. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help others, but I am your father. No matter what decision 1 make, I have to consider your safety first.¡±


    Jiang Xia understood what Jiang Chuan meant and nodded repeatedly, feeling touched. She had been grateful that the heavens allowed her family to be here with her and not let her be alone.


    ¡°When the situation with our family stabilizes, we¡¯ll think of a way together to sec if we can help the villagers tide over this crisis.¡± Jiang Chuan continued.


    They could tell that most of the villagers here in Tong Shan village were very kind. Especially after what had happened when their family separated, they were really grateful to receive all the help. Therefore, Jiang Chuan wanted to help the villagers as much as possible but with the condition that her daughter remained safe.


    The night breeze blew, and the air was very hot. The cicadas chirped in the quiet night. Jiang Xia looked at the stars in the sky. This was a rare scene in the noisy city. The era they lived in was really different.


    Jiang Xia and his father chatted for a long time, discussing topics from from modern times to the theft of the Jiang family. They only went back to their rooms to sleep when they could no longer keep their eyes open.


    That night, Jiang Xia had a fulfilling dream. She dreamed that she had offered starving villagers food from her interspace. However, instead of getting greedy and targeting her, they were all contented and even went on to help others in need too.


    The people in the dream were kind and beautiful, easily satisfied, and knew how to share.


    They survived the famine together until the day the new policy was announced. People took hoes to the back of the mountain to open up wasteland, and everyone had smiles on their faces¡­


    ¡°No! Sis! Run!¡± Suddenly, Jiang Gu¡¯s cries woke Zhou Lan up.


    Zhou Lan rubbed her eyes and looked at the sky outside. The sky had just turned bright, and a slightly cool breeze blew against her face, cooling Zhou Lan down.


    On the other side, Jiang Gu was still crying non-stop as she muttered, ¡°Let go of Jiang Xia! Don¡¯t hit my sister! Bad guys! You¡¯re not my grandparents!¡±


    Zhou Lan¡¯s expression turned cold as she instantly recalled what happened last night. It was late at night and she didn¡¯t have the time to deal with the two elders.


    She could only spend the time worrying about her daughter¡¯s injuries.. Today, she must seek justice for her two daughters!


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 62 - Chapter 62: Revenge for My Daughter

    Chapter 62: Revenge for My Daughter


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Zhou Lan gently stroked Jiang Gu¡¯s little head and hummed a lullaby. When Jiang Xia was young, she often coaxed her to sleep like this. As expected, Jiang Gu fell quiet again after a while.


    Looking at Jiang Gu, Zhou Lan¡¯s heart ached. She was still thinking about her sister in her dream. She must have been really scared yesterday.


    After coaxing her daughter to sleep, Zhou Lan cracked her knuckles.


    Jiang Chuan and Jiang Xia opened their eyes one after another, probably because they felt the unusual atmosphere in the room. It was really hot these days, and they felt sticky even though they only slept for a few hours.


    Jiang Chuan half-opened his eyes and looked at Zhou Lan. He was instantly frightened by Zhou Lan¡¯s murderous aura.


    ¡°Darli-¡±


    Before Jiang Chuan could finish his sentence, Zhou Lan stopped him and gestured for him to speak outside the door.


    ¡­..


    Jiang Chuan followed Zhou Lan all the way to the courtyard before she said, ¡°Honey, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°What else? You¡¯re just going to ignore the fact that your daughters were beaten up like that?¡±


    Jiang Chuan frowned. Of course, he wanted to beat up those two elders. However, in this world, they are in fact his parents. Beating those two up would cause their family to be seen as unfilial.


    Zhou Lan glanced at Jiang Chuan. She knew what he was worried about and said, ¡°If I don¡¯t beat them up, I¡¯ll go destroy their house. Didn¡¯t they destroy our house too? We still have to make those two old fogeys pay for our daughter¡¯s medical expenses. They are such stingy people. Stealing from them would cause them more problems than beating them up.¡±


    Seeing that his wife had made up her mind, Jiang Chuan chuckled. ¡°Sure, I won¡¯t stop you if you can avenge your daughters.¡±


    Seeing how understanding her husband was, Zhou Lan hugged Jiang Chuan and kissed him on the cheek. Jiang Xia, who had followed them out, saw the scene and was once again showered with affection early in the morning.


    Just as Zhou Lan was about to leave, she was stopped by Jiang Chuan again. The two of them had agreed that Jiang Chuan would not be involved. This way, they could give the excuse that a mother couldn¡¯t help but be angry when she saw how her daughters had been treated and Jiang Chuan was unaware of the situation.


    Jiang Chuan frowned and said, ¡°I¡¯m still worried that you are going alone. What if the Jiang family goes crazy and you get hurt?¡±


    ¡°How is that possible?¡± Zhou Lan smiled. I¡¯ve trained in martial arts before, and I have gained so much strength after coming here. There is no way they could lay a hand on me. Don¡¯t worry!¡±


    Seeing that Jiang Chuan was still worried, Zhou Lan planted another kiss on his cheek.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just stick with our plan. But don¡¯t come too early! Make sure it is after I am done destroying their house!¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After sending Zhou Lan off, Jiang Chuan turned around and saw Jiang Xia smiling evilly.


    Jiang Chuan¡¯s face turned red and he pulled a long face. ¡°How dare you eavesdrop on your parent¡¯s conversation?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t eavesdrop. I was listening openly.¡± Jiang Xia said argued.


    Jiang Chuan really couldn¡¯t put on a serious front in front of Jiang Xia. His daughter had been smart since young and she knew how to win her parents in a conversation. As a result, his thoughts of establishing his authority as a parent disappeared in the face of Jiang Xia¡¯s sweet smile.


    ¡°Father, do you think Mother will tear down Old Jiang¡¯s family when she goes?¡± Jiang Xia said as she washed her face.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible. You know your mother¡¯s temper. If I hadn¡¯t stopped her last night, your mother would have sent that old lady to the heavens with a punch.¡±


    It was so chaotic last night and Jiang Xia was in so much pain that she didn¡¯t see her mother¡¯s condition clearly.


    ¡°To be honest, Mother has suffered so much ever since she came here. Probably more than she ever did in the modern world.¡±


    Hearing Jiang Xia¡¯s words, Jiang Chuan sighed.


    Isn¡¯t that so? Zhou Lan was born into a martial arts family and was treated as the apple of her family¡¯s eye since she was young. Other than the hardships she suffered when practicing martial arts, everyone else in the family doted on her.


    Later on, she married Jiang Chuan and was doted on by him.


    When Zhou Lan gave birth to Jiang Xia, Jiang Chuan was so scared that he had to stay outside the delivery room for the whole night. The next day, when he saw that the mother and daughter were safe, he fainted. According to the doctor, his nerves were too tense, which led to him fainting after he relaxed.


    After the difficult labor, Zhou Lan¡¯s body was weak and Jiang Chuan wished he could stay by her side 24/7.


    Zhou Lan, who was pampered by everyone, had never complained about being tired since she arrived here. She was scolded by the Jiang family and ridiculed by the Old Sun¡¯s wife. She had to swallow her anger in order not to cause trouble for Jiang Chuan and Jiang Xia.


    It seemed that she could really vent all her anger today..


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 63 - Chapter 63: Punishing the Jiang Family

    Chapter 63: Punishing the Jiang Family


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Tong Shan village was in chaos early in the morning. A man rubbed his messy hair and asked his wife, who had just returned from fetching water, what had happened outside.


    ¡°Hurry up and get up! There is going to be a good show! Jiang Chuan¡¯s wife went to the Jiang family house to cause trouble!¡± The woman said to her man.


    ¡°Jiang Chuan¡¯s wife went to cause trouble?¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes widened when he heard that. Wasn¡¯t Jiang Chuan¡¯s wife the one who looked weak and was always really quiet?


    ¡°Yes! I heard that she kicked Old Jiang¡¯s door open!¡±


    The woman couldn¡¯t believe it when she said it herself. Who would have thought that Zhou Lan would have such strength?


    ¡°What about Old Jiang¡¯s house now?¡± The man put on his shoes, washed his face, and walked towards the door.


    ¡­..


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± the woman quickly said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go and see what¡¯s going on.¡±


    So many things happened in the Jiang family last night, and they caused a ruckus this morning. It was obvious everyone would be curious.


    ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    ¡°The child hasn¡¯t woken up yet. Stay at home and look after him. I¡¯ll be back soon. I¡¯ll tell you when I¡¯m back.¡± the man said quickly.


    ¡°Alright! You can go!¡±


    Many other families were also curious when they heard that Zhou Lan had gone to Old Jiang¡¯s house to cause trouble. They all rushed to Old Jiang¡¯s house.


    As the person involved, Zhou Lan was currently happily smashing things.


    She kicked the door open. Didn¡¯t the old woman hit her daughter with a stick yesterday? Then she would also smash Old Jiang¡¯s house with a stick today.


    Early in the morning, Old Jiang¡¯s family was still asleep. Zhou Lan rushed in and went straight to the elder¡¯s room.


    A stick hit the window of the main room, and the loud sound woke the old couple up.


    The two of them were still half-asleep and didn¡¯t know what had happened. Immediately, Zhou Lan¡¯s second strike hit another window.


    Old Man Jiang almost had a heart attack. He held his chest and panted heavily. He quickly supported Old Madam Jiang and walked out.


    When the door opened, Old Jiang looked out of the window and saw that it was Jiang Chuan¡¯s wife and immediately shouted, ¡°Zhou Lan! What do you think you are doing?¡±


    Zhou Lan glanced at him coldly and continued to smash the window.


    Seeing that the window was about to be smashed, Old Jiang quickly went forward to stop it.


    Zhou Lan couldn¡¯t hurt the old man but it was her goal to destroy his house. Therefore, before he managed to stop her, she smashed the window completely.


    At this moment, the people from the same household seemed to have heard the commotion and shouted.


    ¡°Dad, what¡¯s going on outside? Why is it so loud?¡± Jiang Chen shouted from inside.


    Zhou Lan ignored Old Jiang¡¯s trembling hand and walked straight to Jiang Gui¡¯s room.


    With a clang, the stick smashed through the window.


    ¡±Motherf*cker, who dares to come to my house and cause trouble?¡±


    The door to Jiang Gui¡¯s room was pushed open from the inside and a man walked out with a vicious aura. Jiang Gui was stunned but it didn¡¯t take long before he reacted, ¡°Sister-in-law, what are you doing?¡±


    What is she doing? She is trying to destroy the house!


    ¡°Jiang Gui! Hurry up and stop her. She smashed our windows.¡± Old Madam Jiang also recovered from her shock and began to shout.


    Seeing that the Jiang family members had spoken, Zhou Lan glanced at the people gathered at the entrance of the Old Jiang family¡¯s courtyard and said loudly, ¡°You went to my house to steal things yesterday, smashed my window, and even injured my child. You have to pay me back.¡±


    After saying that, Zhou Lan continued her previous actions.


    Old Jiang thought that Zhou Lan was going to stop, but who knew that she was going to criticize their family¡¯s crimes?


    Old Jiang¡¯s face turned red. He took a few steps forward and tried to grab Zhou Lan but of course, he failed.


    She would dodge when Jiang Gui tried to chase her while casually destroying more items.


    Not only was Jiang Gui infuriated by her teasing, but even the two elders of the Jiang family were also shouting for Zhou Lan to be captured..


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 Chapter 64 - Chapter 64: Endless Storm

    Chapter 64: Endless Storm


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    There was a series of urgent knocks on Jiang Chuan¡¯s door half an hour after Zhou Lan left.


    Jiang Chuan and Jiang Xia made eye contact before opening the door.


    ¡°Xiao Wu? Why are you here?¡± Jiang Chuan said, pretending he had just woken up.


    ¡°Jiang Chuan brother! Why are you still sleeping? Your wife went to your parent¡¯s place to make a scene!¡± Xiao Wu said anxiously.


    ¡°What?¡± Jiang Chuan acted shocked. Jiang Xia who was eavesdropping on the conversation silently praised her father¡¯s acting skills.


    ¡°Oh gosh! Jiang Chuan let¡¯s not discuss this any further. Hurry up and follow me!¡± Xiao Wu said as he gestured for Jiang Chuan to leave quickly.


    Glancing at Jiang Xia, Jiang Chuan said, ¡°Take good care of Xiao Gu. I¡¯ll go with Uncle Wu to take a look.¡±


    ¡­..


    Jiang Xia nodded obediently and quickly returned to the house after her father left.


    At this moment, Jiang Gu had also woken up and was looking at Jiang Xia with a confused expression.


    Jiang Xia took out a singlet from her bags filled with clothes and put it on. The singlet managed to reveal a bruise from her shoulder to her back.


    The bruise was not obvious yesterday. However, after a night, it looked really swollen and slightly scary.


    Jiang Gu¡¯s eyes reddened when she saw Jiang Xia¡¯s injury.


    ¡°Jiang Xia, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Jiang Xia was stunned as she didn¡¯t understand why Jiang Gu had such a reaction. But she was able to understand when she noticed Jiang Gu gazing at her shoulder.


    Jiang Xia¡¯s intention was to show the other villagers her injuries to let them know that her mother had a valid reason to destroy the Jiang family house. She did not expect Jiang Gu to be so affected.


    Jiang Xia caressed Jiang Gu¡¯s head, ¡°Don¡¯t cry. It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore. Our mother has gone to avenge us. I have to show this wound so that others can see why our mother is so angry.¡±


    Jiang Xia wasn¡¯t lying for the sake of comforting Jiang Gu. In fact, it really didn¡¯t hurt anymore. Perhaps it was because she drank more water from her interspace last night.


    ¡°Mother will avenge us?¡± Jiang Gu tilted her head and looked at Jiang Xia in confusion.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll bring you to see how our mother teaches those people a lesson.¡±


    Jiang Gu was curious when she saw how confident Jiang Xia was.


    Although her mother had changed, she still did not look like she enjoyed speaking in front of others. Will her mother be able to teach them a lesson?


    When Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu arrived, they saw the two sides confronting each other.


    Old Jiang glared at Jiang Chuan with red eyes. Old Madam Jiang and Jiang Gui¡¯s wife glared at Zhou Lan.


    When everyone saw the two girls of the Jiang family, they all made way for them.


    As soon as they walked in, Jiang Xia heard the old man shout, ¡°Jiang Chuan, you unfilial son, you actually let your wife destroy your father¡¯s place?¡±


    Jiang Chuan shielded Zhou Lan behind him and didn¡¯t answer.


    When Old Jiang saw that the village chief had arrived, he immediately went up to him and cried, ¡°Village chief! You have to stand up for my family! Jiang Chuan, that unfilial son, actually asked his wife to come to my house, and destroy it! I really can¡¯t acknowledge this son anymore.¡±


    The village chief glanced around and frowned slightly. He looked displeased, but he didn¡¯t scold Jiang Chuan.


    ¡°Jiang Gui also went to Jiang Chuan¡¯s house to destroy it. You guys are even now. Jiang Chuan has already been separated from your family. It¡¯s up to you whether you want to acknowledge him or not.¡±


    The village chief had long hated the Jiang family to the bone. When the Jiang family let Jiang Chuan leave with nothing, they didn¡¯t give him and the elders any face.


    Old Jiang felt suffocated by the village chief. His mouth opened and closed, but he could not say anything in the end.


    Old Jiang had some dignity after being scolded by the village chief, but Madam Jiang was shameless. She shouted at the top of her lungs, ¡°Village chief, you can¡¯t say that. Jiang Chuan grew up in this family after all. He has been eating my family¡¯s rice for decades. I¡¯m already kind enough not to ask him for the expenses of raising him for so many years.¡±


    Jiang Xia rolled her eyes at Madam Jiang. In the past, Jiang Chuan had been able to stay with the Jiang family for so many years because he had exchanged his life for it. Otherwise, he would not have died in vain on the mountain.


    If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that their family had come over, she would have felt terrified just thinking about what would happen next.


    Jiang Chuan¡¯s family died in the mountains, and Jiang Gu was left alone in this wolf den. Even though Jiang Gu was still young, judging from Madam Jiang¡¯s attitude, she was afraid that Jiang Gu would be sold to be a child bride before she grew up..


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 65 - Chapter 65: Guiding Public Opposition

    Chapter 65: Guiding Public Opposition


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    The village chief looked at Madam Jiang expressionlessly and said, ¡°You know very well what kind of life Jiang Chuan had been living in your Jiang family. In all the years that I¡¯ve been the village chief, this is the first time I¡¯ve heard of stealing in our village. If everyone else learns from your family, then does this village still have any rules? If you¡¯re not happy with the decision, you can let others judge.¡±


    Jiang Chuan¡¯s family was surprised to hear the village chief defend them like that.


    Madam Jiang met the village chief¡¯s angry eyes and shrank her neck, not daring to say anything.


    Although the village chief didn¡¯t say that Jiang Chuan was at fault, he still had to clarify the matter, so he continued, ¡°Jiang Chuan, tell me your reason for destroying the Jiang family.¡±


    Jiang Chuan glanced at Zhou Lan and took a deep breath, ¡°Chief, Zhou Lan came to the Jiang family because she couldn¡¯t take it anymore. You saw Xiao Xia and Xiao Gu¡¯s injuries last night. Zhou Lan took care of the two children last night. She couldn¡¯t help but hear the children cry out in pain in their sleep, so¡­¡±


    Jiang Xia gave his father a thumbs up in her heart. Her father¡¯s ability to make up stories was very good.


    Last night, when her family went back, she gave Jiang Gu from the interspace. She didn¡¯t know if it was because Jiang Gu was young and weak and needed sleep to repair her body, but she fell asleep not long after drinking the water.


    ¡­..


    Seeing that the two of them were fine, her dear mother also slept with them.


    Jiang Xia cooperated with the story and brought Jiang Gu to her father¡¯s side.


    Many people did not believe Jiang Chuan¡¯s words. Not everyone had seen Madam Jiang beating up Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu last night, but when the two children stood up, everyone had no choice but to believe it.


    Looking at the purplish-black wound on Jiang Xia¡¯s shoulder, how ruthless must she have been to cause such a wound? And Jiang Gu, was her arm broken by Madam Jiang?


    Everyone sucked in a breath of cold air. Madam Jiang probably wanted to beat Jiang Chuan and his children to death! No wonder Jiang Chuan¡¯s wife would come to Jiang¡¯s house early in the morning to cause trouble.


    The village chief was also shocked to see the two children¡¯s condition. Last night, the lights in Doctor Li¡¯s house were dim. He only saw a swollen wound on Jiang Xia¡¯s shoulder and did not expect it to be so serious.


    Hearing the whispers, Jiang Xia knew that the villager¡¯s opinion would lean toward her family.


    In fact, in the modern world, Jiang Xia wouldn¡¯t care too much about other people¡¯s comments. After all, what doesn¡¯t kill you makes you stronger.


    However, this theory did not apply to the countryside in the 1960s. A person¡¯s reputation played a vital role in whether he could survive here.


    Jiang Xia walked to Zhou Lan¡¯s side, held her hand, and said obediently, ¡°Mom, it doesn¡¯t hurt anymore. Let¡¯s go! Grandpa Chief said that he would punish them. We will listen to Grandpa Chief. In a few days, we will bring everyone up the mountain! We need to rest well. Since they¡¯re targeting us, we won¡¯t bring them along.¡±


    Jiang Xia said this out loud so the chief and the other villagers could hear. It is to make sure the village chief knew their stance in obeying his words as well as to let the other villagers know that those who treat them well will benefit from it. They had already broken off relations with the Jiang family, it is up to the rest of the villagers which side they are willing to take.


    Of course, no one would expect someone at Jiang Xia¡¯s age to think so far. They simply assume she was scared and trying to convince her parents to leave.


    The village chief smiled when he heard Jiang Xia¡¯s words.


    Both Jiang Xia and her father looked at each other feeling proud. Jiang Chuan used the complaint card while his daughter used the sympathy card. The father and daughter sang the same tune and pulled public opinion to their side.


    Old Jiang¡¯s face turned red from embarrassment and it was the same for Jiang Gui.


    Madam Jiang however, did not look ashamed at all. She kept staring at Jiang Chuan¡¯s family with a vicious gaze. If not for the fact that there were so many people, she would probably have attacked again.


    Jiang Xia did not want to be outdone. She glared at Madam Jiang from a direction where no one could see.


    Madam Jiang saw Jiang Xia¡¯s gaze, and her eyes widened. She probably didn¡¯t expect Jiang Xia to be so bold as to glare at her..


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 Chapter 66 - Chapter 66: Paining Up

    Chapter 66: Paining Up


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Zhou Lan glanced at Jiang Xia before saying, ¡°They have to pay for Xiao Xia and Xiao Gu¡¯s treatment.¡±


    ¡°What is it? You want us to pay for their treatment? Why?¡± The moment she heard Zhou Lan¡¯s words, Madam Jiang exploded again.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already destroyed my house, and you still want us to pay? Zhou Lan, you can continue daydreaming! I should have killed them back then! Money? No way! These two good-for-nothings are worthless even if I beat them to death!¡±


    Madam Jiang¡¯s words were immoral. This time, not only the Jiang Chuan and his wife but others were also dissatisfied, especially those who had girls at home.


    According to Madam Jiang, she would beat the girls she didn¡¯t like to death.


    ¡°Madam Jiang you shouldn¡¯t be saying that. Worthless to the point of beating up? Are you still living in a feudal society? Now that the new Z Nation has been established, are you still following the rules of a feudal society?¡± A woman who was watching mocked.


    She had two daughters and a son. All three children were treated equally. She hated families that looked down on their daughters the most.


    ¡­..


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that so? Madam Jiang, you can¡¯t kill me just like that. There are laws now! I¡¯ll send you straight to jail!¡± Another woman echoed.


    The other villagers were also angered by Madam Jiang¡¯s attitude. ¡°Village chief, look at how stubborn Madam Jiang is. Why don¡¯t we send her directly to the police station in town?¡±


    The woman who spoke at the beginning was very smart. She did not point the finger at the Jiang family but at Madam Jiang instead.


    Didn¡¯t Madam Jiang look down on women? Wasn¡¯t she targeting girls? Then let her experience the feeling of being targeted.


    Hearing the villagers say this, Madam Jiang was a little afraid and hid behind her husband.


    Jiang Fuand Jiang Gui didn¡¯t dare to say much now. If it was just Jiang Chuan¡¯s family, they could still quarrel a little. However, with so many people talking, Jiang Fu wouldn¡¯t dare to say anything even if he had ten more mouths. They still had to live in the village!


    ¡°Madam Jiang, this is theft and intentional murder. In that case, I¡¯ll contact the town to resolve it.¡±


    The village chief didn¡¯t want to waste his breath on the old woman. He turned around and was about to go back to write a letter when he was stopped by Jiang Fu.


    ¡°Chief, Chief, my old woman was just too quick with her words. She doesn¡¯t actually think that way.¡± Jiang Fu wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and quickly tried to salvage the situation.


    Madam Jiang¡¯s legs turned to jelly from the village chief¡¯s words.


    Seeing that the situation wasn¡¯t right, Jiang Gui quickly said, ¡°Yes! Chief, you know my mother. Sometimes, she doesn¡¯t mean what she says. She doesn¡¯t actually think that way.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think so? How badly had the child been beaten? If Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan didn¡¯t see it last night, they would have been beaten to death!¡±


    The person who spoke had seen the entire process of Madam Jiang¡¯s actions last night and could not stand it anymore.


    Jiang Gui glared at the man, who cowered behind the person beside him.


    In this era where everyone could not eat enough, only Jiang Gui was bigger in size. It was difficult for people not to be afraid of the difference in physique.


    ¡°There are witnesses to this. Your old lady wanted to kill the two girls. If we don¡¯t report for attempted murder this time, who knows what will happen in the future?¡±


    The village chief did not give the Jiang family a chance to continue explaining. He was really tired of their excuses.


    ¡°Don¡¯t! Chief, how can we bring the news of what happened in our village to the town? How about this, we will kneel to Jiang Chuan to admit our mistake. Does that work?¡±


    Jiang Xia glared at the old man who had just spoken. The old man wanted to make her family look bad again. A father kneeling to a son would only label her father as unfilial.


    Jiang Fu was about to pull Madam Jiang to kneel down when Jiang Chuan¡¯s family quickly hid at the side.


    The village chief was so angry by this family¡¯s behavior that his hand trembled while pointing his index finger at Jiang Fu.


    ¡°Jiang Fu, your family will be locked up in this cell!¡±


    As soon as the village chief said that, Old Jiang clutched his heart and fell back..


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 Chapter 67 - Chapter 67: Finally Got a Results

    Chapter 67: Finally Got a Results


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Jiang Xia raised her eyebrows doubting if the old man had really fainted. After all, he had pretended to faint before.


    However, Jiang Xia was wrong this time. The old man had really fainted from fear.


    The old man fainting had caused the village chief to stay. The village chief took two deep breaths but the anger on his face hadn¡¯t subsided. The old lady sat on the brick bed and cried as if her husband was about to die.


    Doctor Li had been tormented by the Jiang family these past few days, traveling back and forth from this place to Jiang¡¯s place.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. Just make sure not to get too emotional.¡± Doctor Li said.


    Madam Jiang stepped forward and pulled Doctor Li back.¡± Why would he faint if he¡¯s fine? Doctor Li, take a look again. Did he faint because Zhou Lan had agitated him? If he is really sick, they have to be responsible!¡±


    Madam Jiang¡¯s words were clearly scheming, and everyone knew. She wanted to extort Jiang Chuan¡¯s family in this situation.


    ¡­..


    Madam Jiang could have no bottom line, but Doctor Li had medical ethics. He said calmly, ¡°He is not sick. He just fainted from shock.¡±


    Seeing that Doctor Li was not cooperating, Madam Jiang pulled a long face and looked at Jiang Chuan.¡±Jiang Chuan, you unfilial son, did you think we will let you go after you have angered your father to the point of fainting?¡±


    Without waiting for Jiang Chuan to speak, the village chief spoke first. ¡°Wang Fen, you have to have a bottom line. Arc you planning to move away from Tong Shan Village? I won¡¯t stop you.¡±


    Jiang Fu had just woken up when he heard the village chief¡¯s words and raised his hand weakly. Jiang Gui had sharp eyes and saw his father¡¯s movement before trying to help him.


    ¡± Chief, Chief, don¡¯t say that. I¡¯ve lived in the village for so many years. How can I leave? Wang Fen, go and give them the money for the two daughters to see the doctor. Chief, let¡¯s leave this matter at that! Let¡¯s not bring the matter to town, we¡¯ll accept the punishment or criticism.¡±


    Old Jiang¡¯s mind seemed to have cleared up a lot after fainting.


    The village chief took a puff of his cigarette, glanced at Jiang Fu, and then looked at Wang Fen.


    Although Wang Fen was unwilling to let things go, she had no choice when she saw Jiang Fu frown at her, she had no choice but to go to the inner room to withdraw the money.


    The village chief shifted his gaze to Jiang Chuan, wanting to see what he had to say about this matter.


    Jiang Chuan knew that the situation should end here. If it developed any further, it will only force the Jiang family into desperation. He knew the principle of stopping.


    ¡°Our family will listen to the village chief.¡± Jiang Chuan said respectfully.


    The village chief nodded when he saw Jiang Chuan¡¯s attitude. ¡°That¡¯s all for this matter. There will be a discussion in the village tonight. It¡¯s mainly about your family¡¯s theft and disregard for human lives.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright.¡± This time, Jiang Fu was obedient and no longer played tricks. He nodded in agreement.


    Jiang Chuan took the money from the Jiang family and left with the village chief. After leaving the Jiang family¡¯s courtyard, Jiang Chuan thanked the village chief. The village chief waved his hand and told him to bring the two children home to rest.


    When Jiang Xia returned home, she could still hear the villagers talking about them. They were not only discussing how bad the Jiang family was, but they were also discussing how tough her mother, Zhou Lan, was.


    Jiang Xia didn¡¯t sec what happened in the beginning but she manage to hear from the villagers that her mother was really powerful. Not only did she kick the door open, but even Jiang Gui could not catch her.


    Jiang Xia saw the smugness in her mother¡¯s eyes and turned to smile at Jiang Gu.


    Who would have thought that instead of looking at her, Jiang Gu look at her mother with sparkling eyes filled with admiration?


    ¡°Mother! You¡¯re so amazing!¡±


    Even if Jiang Gu didn¡¯t see it, it didn¡¯t stop her from worshipping her mother after hearing about her mother¡¯s deeds from others.


    Zhou Lan was in a good mood when she saw her daughter¡¯s bright eyes. She picked her daughter up and said, ¡°Has Xiao Gu vented her anger? Does it still hurt?¡±


    Jiang Gu shook her head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore, it doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± Even if her body still hurt, her heart didn¡¯t hurt anymore. She wouldn¡¯t be bullied anymore. If she was bullied, her mother would take revenge for her. Moreover, her father and sister would no longer tolerate the Jiang family. They could no longer be oppressed by the Jiang family. As long as they left the Jiang family, she would be good everywhere..


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 Chapter 68 - Chapter 68: Criticising Meeting

    Chapter 68: Criticising Meeting


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Zhou Lan patted Jiang Gu¡¯s head while she rested her head on Zhou Lan¡¯s shoulder, her face filled with happiness.


    Jiang Chuan looked at Jiang Xia and saw her staring at Zhou Lan and Jiang Gu who were walking in front of her. Jiang Chuan said, ¡°Are you envious of Xiao Xia?¡±


    Jiang Xia turned to look at his frivolous father and rolled her eyes.


    ¡°What is there to be envious of? Father, don¡¯t you remember how old I am? Am I at the age where this kind of thing still bothers me?¡±


    Jiang Chuan agreed. After all, if they were still in their modern world, Jiang Xia was about to attend university already.


    ¡°Father, I was just thinking when Xiao Gu recovers she should learn self-defense from Mother. She is still so young, it is not good if she doesn¡¯t have the ability to fight back when she meets people with ill intentions.¡±


    After hearing Jiang Xia¡¯s suggestion, Jiang Chuan thought for a moment and felt that it was feasible. He prepared to go home and have a chat with Zhou Lan.


    ¡­..


    ?


    The criticism meeting started before the sky turned dark. Jiang Gui¡¯s family, Sun Li, and his wife stood in a row in front of the village committee square.


    The village chief first recounted the matter, mainly explaining the reasons why they were having this meeting for them. Then, the people who made mistakes came forward to reflect on themselves and receive criticism and education.


    Jiang Xia didn¡¯t care about the others. She only paid attention to Madam Jiang, who was the last to come forward to reflect on herself.


    The others all looked ashamed, but Madam Jiang¡¯s stiff neck did not look like she was reflecting on herself. Instead, it looked like she was forced.


    After the review, the village chief would use a few of them as examples to tell the villagers to be ashamed of them and not to make similar mistakes again.


    However, the main point of the criticism meeting was not to preach, but to criticize. In the end, they would stand in the center and accept the public¡¯s disdain. Only by letting everyone know how they would be scolded and humiliated if they made a mistake could they learn a lesson.


    ¡°Madam Jiang, you¡¯re so old. Why don¡¯t you stay at home? Why must you always cause trouble for Jiang Chuan and his family?¡±


    Jiang Xia was curious about the answer too. She did not understand why Madam Jiang constantly seeks trouble with her father. If he was really not her biological son, then why did she adopt him back then? If he was her biological son, she had never treated Jiang Gui like this!


    This made Jiang Xia confused.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know what kind of person this old lady is. It¡¯s useless to ask her.¡± someone else replied.


    Then, Jiang Xia heard the man whispering to someone else, ¡°Let me tell you secretly, Madam Jiang is jealous of Jiang Chuan and his wife. Although Jiang Chuan and his wife have been living a hard life, the couple has always been very close. I heard that Jiang Fu didn¡¯t like Wang Fen when she was young. Jiang Fu did not want these children. Moreover, the other brother¡¯s wives were all chosen by Jiang Fu, only Jiang Chuan got to choose his own wife.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s such a saying?¡± The people who heard it were also very surprised.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! That¡¯s right! That¡¯s why I never liked that family. Their family members are psychologically abnormal.¡±


    Jiang Xia raised her eyebrows. This old lady was really sick! Jealous of her son and daughter-in-law!


    The criticism continued, and the curses against the Jiang family became more and more unpleasant. Jiang Chuan saw that something was wrong and quickly covered his daughter¡¯s ears. However, some unbearable curses still reached Jiang Xia¡¯s ears one after another.


    Seeing that it was about time, the village chief spoke up to stop the villagers who continued to curse. There had to be a limit to things. If they really went too far, it would not be easy to end it.


    lianp Fu¡¯s face turned nale from the scoldinp. hut he tried his best not to faint. Jiang Fu¡¯s face turned pale from the scolding, but he tried his best not to faint.


    During this time, Jiang Xia also heard a lot of gossip about the Jiang family.


    For example, how Jiang Gui bullied people in the past, and which woman Jiang Fu liked before marrying Jiang Fu. These villagers almost dug up the Jiang family¡¯s background, but the authenticity of the news was unknown.


    Just as the meeting was about to end, Jiang Xia finally saw Madam Jiang¡¯s face turn red.


    Jiang Xia sighed in her heart. It was not easy to see Madam Jiang who was usually so thick-skinned to be ashamed.


    After this meeting, Old Jiang¡¯s family would be able to rest for a while. Why only a while?


    Jiang Xia sneered. The Jiang family could see the hatred in their eyes.. It was still too early for them to really calm down!


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 Chapter 69 - Chapter 69: A Dead Horse Is Going To Try

    Chapter 69: A Dead Horse Is Going To Try


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Using Jiang Gu and Jiang Xia¡¯s injuries as an excuse, Jiang Chuan and his wife delayed bringing the villagers up the mountain for a few days.


    The villagers who had already gone up the mountain and knew the location of the wild vegetables were naturally happy, while the villagers who had not been able to go up the mountain could only vent their anger on Old Jiang¡¯s family. In the past two days, Jiang Xia had inadvertently heard many villagers cursing Old Jiang¡¯s family behind their backs.


    Zhou Lan told her daughters about the miserable state of the Old Jiang family over the past two days, making the two of them laugh out loud.


    ¡°Mom, someone really said that about Grandma and the others?¡± Jiang Gu asked with her big round eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Your grandmother! No one would believe her no matter what she said. She even said that you were deliberately angering her, but now! She doesn¡¯t even dare to say a word against you.¡±


    In fact, Zhou Lan had not only heard the villagers scolding Madam Jiang¡¯s family but also how Madam Jiang had slandered her family in the past.


    She said that she and Jiang Chuan were unfilial and that Jiang Gu and Jiang Xia were not good enough at a young age. They only knew how to eat and did nothing. At that time, someone refuted Madam Jiang and she said that Jiang Chuan¡¯s family was just pretending in front of others.


    ¡­..


    After all, she was the mother. If she slandered Jiang Chuan¡¯s family in front of outsiders, people who had never interacted with his family would really believe it.


    Now, it could be considered that misfortune and fortune were intertwined, and they could lead a stable life.


    ¡°Xiao Gu, don¡¯t listen to your mother¡¯s nonsense. Come, I¡¯ll continue teaching you how to write.¡±


    In this era, pen and paper were scarce items, especially in the countryside. Jiang Xia picked up a wooden stick and taught Jiang Gu how to write on the ground in the courtyard.


    Before grain production decreased, Jiang Chuan¡¯s eldest daughter, Jiang Qing, and their second daughter, Jiang Xia, went to school for a few days. At that time, all the children of Old Jiang¡¯s family went to school. Jiang Chuan had painstakingly begged for the opportunity.


    However, he never got the chance when it came to Jiang Gu.


    Jiang Xia believed that no matter what era it was, knowledge was the most reliable thing.


    Seeing her two daughters getting along harmoniously, Zhou Lan smiled in relief.


    The husband and wife were grinding the grain into powder, which could be used to make some dough soup or noodles. They could eat it for a longer time.


    Although their daughter¡¯s interspace was useful, if they ate too well at this time, they would be suspected.


    Zhou Lan chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m so energetic just thinking about the strawberries later!¡±


    When Jiang Gu heard Zhou Lan mention strawberries, she instantly perked up. Her sister said that if she learned today¡¯s lesson, she would be rewarded with two more strawberries.


    At this moment, the village chief came to the Jiang family¡¯s house.


    The door rang and Jiang Chuan and his family looked at each other. Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu entered the house quickly while Zhou Lan went to open the door.


    Jiang Chuan welcomed the village chief into the house with a smile and asked, ¡°Did anything happen chief?¡±


    Compared to Jiang Chuan¡¯s relaxed expression, the village chief¡¯s face was solemn.


    ¡°Jiang Chuan, let¡¯s go in and have a chat.¡±


    Seeing that the village chief¡¯s expression was not right, Jiang Chuan brought the village chief into the house.


    When the two of them walked into the house, the village chief said,¡± Jiang Chuan! I talked to the elders in the clan today. The food this year might not be good. We might have to rely on wild vegetables for a long time in the future.¡±


    Jiang Chuan listened attentively with a solemn expression.


    The village chief paused for a moment before speaking with a hint of guilt.


    ¡°Jiang Chuan! Did your wife really only find a place to dig wild vegetables?¡±


    Hearing this, Jiang Chuan finally knew why the village chief was there. Due to the bad weather this year, the village chief was worried that the villagers would not have any food to eat, so he came to ask if they knew more locations.


    The village chief felt embarrassed. After asking this question, he let out a long sigh and did not say anything else.


    Jiang Chuan thought for a moment and said, ¡°Chief, this is the only place my family can find. Why don¡¯t I talk to Zhou Lan? When the children are better, our family can go up the mountain a few more times.¡±


    Probably because they had the experience of digging wild vegetables, the villagers were no longer afraid of going up the mountain these days. Instead, they were eager to try, hoping to bring back something from the mountain.


    The village chief was also trying his best. Ever since Jiang Chuan¡¯s family came down from the mountain, the village chief felt that he could see some hope..


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 70 - Chapter 70: Barter

    Chapter 70: Barter


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation


    Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Hearing Jiang Chuan¡¯s words, the village chief was slightly comforted. Although Jiang Chuan did not guarantee it, he was willing to give it a try, right?


    ¡°Jiang Chuan! I thank you on behalf of the villagers.¡±


    ¡°Chief, you¡¯re being too polite,¡± Jiang Chuan said. ¡°The villagers have helped my family so much. It¡¯s only right for them to repay us.¡±


    ¡°However, Chief, you also know that wild vegetables do not grow in a fixed place. Our family will try our best to find them, but whether we can find them or not depends on heaven¡¯s will.¡±


    Jiang Chuan didn¡¯t dare to make any promises. If he did, the village chief would find it strange.


    The village chief nodded. ¡°I know about this, I¡¯m just grateful you are willing to look for it. If you can find it, you¡¯ll be a great hero in our village. If you can¡¯t find it, you don¡¯t have to feel too guilty.¡±


    ¡­..


    How could the village chief not know that it was lucky to encounter wild vegetables? However, since Jiang Chuan¡¯s family had found them before, the village chief wanted them to try again.


    After that, Jiang Chuan chatted with the village chief for quite a while, mostly about what to do if there really wasn¡¯t any grain in autumn.


    The village chief¡¯s intention was to let everyone try their best to save food before the autumn harvest. If the autumn harvest was not good this year, the food in the city and town would also decrease. It was uncertain whether they could exchange for food again.


    Jiang Chuan agreed with the village chief. If they really couldn¡¯t exchange for food, the villagers would have to store the wild vegetables and other food in the cellar. They would have to wait for a year to eat them every day.


    After sending off the village chief, Jiang Chuan sat in the courtyard and sighed. Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu stuck their heads out to look.


    ¡°Father, the village chief left?¡± Jiang Xia asked.


    ¡°Yeah, he left.¡± Jiang Chuan waved at the two girls.


    Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu ran over to Jiang Chuan and sat down.


    ¡°Father, why is Grandpa Chief looking for you?¡± Jiang Gu asked.


    Jiang Chuan patted Jiang Gu¡¯s head. Jiang Gu was young and had never eaten anything good, causing her hair to be yellow and brittle. Jiang Chuan felt heartache when he saw her.


    ¡°The village chief said that it hasn¡¯t rained for a long time. It¡¯ll be very difficult to harvest this autumn!¡± Jiang Chuan said solemnly.


    He didn¡¯t know if it was because the village chief had specially come to find him, but he suddenly felt a strange sense of integration with this era.


    When he heard about the famine from Jiang Xia that day, he was still a bystander.


    Because they didn¡¯t have to worry about starving to death, they imagined the scene that their daughter had described. It was mostly sympathy, but now it was a little different.


    ¡°Then why did the village chief come to look for you?¡± Jiang Xia asked tentatively.


    Jiang Chuan sighed. ¡°The village chief was hoping that we can bring the villagers to find more wild vegetables and exchange them for as much food as we can. If the harvest is really bad, some food can still last for a while.¡±


    Jiang Xia nodded. That was all the village chief could do. However, she could ¡®find¡¯ the location of the wild vegetables once, twice, or even thrice, but any more would arouse suspicion.


    Therefore, other than wild vegetables, she had to think of other ways to ensure the lives of the villagers.


    After pondering for a moment, Jiang Xia said, ¡°Father, why don¡¯t we go a step further?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Jiang Chuan couldn¡¯t keep up with Jiang Xia¡¯s train of thought.


    ¡°Father, digging wild vegetables isn¡¯t a long-term solution. Sooner or later, the wild vegetables will be dug up. When that time comes, we really won¡¯t have any other methods.¡±


    Hearing Jiang Xia¡¯s words, Jiang Chuan reacted.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, but we don¡¯t have any foundation or connections now. If we really exchange our items, won¡¯t we be reported?¡±


    Jiang Chuan¡¯s worries were not without reason. Bartering was also a form of trading. In this era, it was a big deal to be caught doing private trading.


    Jiang Xia smiled. ¡°Father, have you forgotten about that little guy?¡±


    From the food they exchanged these few times, it could be seen that the little guy was interested in interacting with them. They could try to talk to him.


    Now, the items on the table were wild vegetables, and they could take out wild animals whenever they wanted. Moreover, apart from these, they still had many good things brought from the modern era. There would definitely be people who would be tempted to cooperate with them, right?


    Jiang Chuan slapped his thigh. If they could make a foundation in town, it would be much more convenient to trade in the future.


    When they were completely familiar with the rules of this era, they could think of other ways to help the villagers tide over the difficulties..


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 Chapter 71 - Chapter 71: Shameless

    Chapter 71: Shameless


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Jiang Chuan¡¯s family was not one to procrastinate. With a plan in mind, the family of four led everyone up the mountain in less than two days under the village chief¡¯s organization.


    This time, almost all the villagers were present. Jiang Xia even saw her aunties in the crowd. It was likely that Jiang Gui and Jiang Hua were too embarrassed to come.


    Jiang Xia glanced at the disgusted expressions of the people standing beside Old Jiang¡¯s two daughters-in-law, as well as the village chief¡¯s frown, and she had a rough idea.


    Presumably, Old Jiang¡¯s family had secretly followed them. It would be difficult for Old Jiang¡¯s family not to know about such a big commotion. However, Jiang Xia was surprised that Old Sun¡¯s wife did not follow them.


    At this moment, Jiang Xia¡¯s eyes met with a woman. The woman was famous for being a quiet person in the village. She had been living alone since she arrived in the village.


    Although the woman didn¡¯t speak and usually had a cold face, she was pretty. A lot of the males in the village tried to hit on her, but it did not work. After being harassed a few times, the woman started raising two big dogs.


    However, the woman actually smiled at Jiang Xia when she looked at her.


    ¡­..


    Jiang Xia blinked twice to make sure that she wasn¡¯t looking delusional. Somehow, it improved Jiang Xia¡¯s mood.


    Overall, the development of digging wild vegetables was considered satisfactory.


    The villagers who helped their family had already changed the wild vegetables twice and received better food.


    Those who didn¡¯t help her family will also manage to get food later, but the amount they got was smaller. It was good as it wouldn¡¯t make those who helped her family feel unfair.


    The village chief¡¯s wife walked to Zhou Lan¡¯s side and said, ¡°Zhou Lan, when I went back the other day, I heard from my old man that your family is willing to help us find more places with wild vegetables. Thank you so much!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too polite!¡± Zhou Lan said with a smile, ¡°We just happened to encounter this wild vegetable. We¡¯ll have to see if we can find it in the future.¡±


    Hearing Zhou Lan¡¯s words, the village chief¡¯s wife nodded and then shifted her gaze to the two women from Old Jiang¡¯s family. She sighed and said, ¡°Zhou Lan, my husband didn¡¯t send them here.¡±


    Because of the theft and beating incident, the village chief knew that Jiang Chuan¡¯s family and Old Jiang¡¯s family were like fire and water. Therefore, the village chief informed each villager one by one. However, Old Jiang¡¯s family still found out in the end.


    Zhou Lan smiled magnanimously, indicating that she was fine.


    Not only was Zhou Lan happy, but Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu were also secretly watching the show. They pricked up their ears to hear how the two from the Jiang family were being scolded.


    ¡°You guys are really thick-skinned. You stole other people¡¯s things, hit other people¡¯s children, and you¡¯re even shameless enough to dig vegetables that they found. Your old woman is shameless, and you guys are even more shameless.¡±


    Jiang Hua¡¯s wife didn¡¯t want to come at first but she was forced by her mother-in-law when she said she will sell off her daughter. Therefore, she didn¡¯t get a choice and could only come here to be mocked.


    As soon as the blind woman spoke, someone immediately followed, not giving Jiang Gui¡¯s wife a chance to retort.


    ¡°How shameless! Asking you two to come. Where is the old lady? Why isn¡¯t she here? If you manage to harvest more crops maybe you can even burn it for her when she is gone.¡±


    Jiang Xia snickered at the side. If words really had powers, the woman would have cursed Madam Jiang to death with just one sentence.


    Along the way, the two daughters-in-law of the Jiang family walked at the back.


    At first, Jiang Gui¡¯s wife was still a little talkative, but as soon as she opened her mouth, she attracted more abuse. Later on, she learned from Jiang Hua¡¯s wife and kept quiet.


    This time, Jiang Xia realized that there was a small patch of wild vegetables missing. Although there were still a lot of them, the remaining wild vegetables would not last the villagers for a month.


    It seemed that after this, she would have to let her father and the village chief plan carefully about digging wild vegetables..


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 Chapter 72 - Chapter 72: The Crown Prince of the Shen Family

    Chapter 72: The Crown Prince of the Shen Family


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Because Jiang Chuan was the one that started the exchange of wild vegetables, every time his family went to town, the others would all greet him.


    As usual, they pulled four carriages. This time, in addition to exchanging wild vegetables, they also wanted to exchange some prey that they had caught.


    They were lucky that they were pretty close to town. If they stayed far away, exchanging items would be really difficult.


    Jiang Chuan and the others had just arrived at the entrance of the town when they realized that it was different from before. The town seemed to be much livelier today.


    Jiang Xia looked around and was surprised to find that most of the people walking on the street today were women. They were young, about sixteen or seventeen.


    Xiao Wu controlled the carriages to the entrance of the Supply and Marketing Club and noticed a short man biting on a popsicle while looking at something else.


    ¡°Brother Li, why is it so lively today?¡± Xiao Wu asked curiously as soon as he got out of the carriage.


    ¡­..


    Jiang Xia followed the short man¡¯s line of sight and saw a pretty girl that had captivated the man walking toward him.


    ¡°Uncle Li? Are you looking at the beauty?¡± Jiang Xia called out to the little guy and continued, ¡°Aunty isn¡¯t home?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The short man asked in a hurry as he thought his wife was around. He then realized Jiang Xia was only joking.


    ¡°What nonsense are you spouting!¡± The short man reprimanded her angrily.


    ¡°Uncle Li, is there anything new today?¡± Jiang Xia waved her hand indifferently, ¡°Why are there so many people?¡±


    ¡°Today, the Crown Prince of the Shen family returned to town. The young ladies all went to see him.¡± The short man¡¯s tone was full of admiration.


    Crown Prince? What was he? The heir to the throne? Jiang Xia complained silently to herself.


    ¡°Uncle Li, is this the same Shen family that is very powerful in war?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s their family. They¡¯re really loyal! I heard that this Crown Prince has joined the army as well.¡±


    In Country Z, soldiers were always highly respected, not to mention the Shen family, which had been in the military for two consecutive generations.


    Jiang Xia couldn¡¯t help but have a good impression of the crown prince when she heard what the man said.


    In Jiang Xia¡¯s mind, men who chose to join the army were all heroes.


    ¡°So Uncle Li, all these girls are on their way to see the Crown Prince of the Shen family?¡± Jiang Xia asked.


    The man nodded. After being disturbed by Jiang Xia, he was no longer in the mood to look at the beautiful girls. He followed Xiao Wu to the carriages filled with all the items Jiang Xia and the others had brought.


    This time, they brought not only wild vegetables but also two pheasants and three rabbits caught by the villagers.


    Seeing these things, the man couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly disappointed. He was still thinking about the roe deer that Jiang Xia had brought for the first time.


    He had earned a lot from the roe deer at that time. Other than the fur, he had kept a lot of processed meat for himself.


    Seeing the expression on the man¡¯s face, Jiang Xia had to ask, ¡°Uncle Li, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    The short man glanced at the people who were moving the items, then looked at Jiang Xia. He walked to the side and asked, ¡°Little girl, hasn¡¯t your family hunted anything good recently?¡±


    Jiang Xia shook her head, ¡°Uncle Li, the situation is getting very bad and it is not easy for the villagers to get these things.¡±


    The short man thought about Jiang Xia¡¯s words and sighed.


    Seeing the expression on the man¡¯s face, Jiang Xia pulled him aside and said, ¡°Uncle Li, when we came here today, my father said that he had something to talk to you about. I¡¯ll call my father over. You guys can talk inside.¡±


    The man did not know what to expect but he still nodded his head.


    After getting the little guy¡¯s confirmation, Jiang Xia ran to her father¡¯s side and whispered, ¡°Dad, tell Uncle Li about the collaboration.¡±.


    This was something Jiang Xia had discussed with her father before coming here.


    They could provide most of the rare items such as dears, wild vegetables, and strawberries to the man, but it was only possible if the man agreed to do it in private.


    Jiang Xia realized that the man was very popular in town. She had observed whether there was a purchasing station similar to the one in the town, but unfortunately, she did not find a second one..


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 Chapter 73 - Chapter 73: For the first time

    Chapter 73: For the first time


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Jiang Chuan nodded and followed the man into the house.


    Although Jiang Xia was smart, she was still young and it was best if she was not involved in the conversation they are going to have.


    Hence, while everyone was busy, she brought Jiang Gu to the supply and marketing club to walk around.


    Previously, she had been in a hurry and did not take a good look at the goods inside. However, they had some extra time today.


    Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu entered from the door on the extreme left and saw a dazzling array of daily necessities such as candles, soap, mirrors, scissors, and so on.


    The items are all organized nicely. Apart from daily necessities, there were also cloth, grain, salt, oil, pastries, and other commodities.


    There were not many people there in the supply and marketing cooperative there at the time. It did not take long for the two of them to finish exploring the place.


    ¡­..


    Before they left, Jiang Xia stopped in her tracks as Jiang Gu pulled her hand. Jiang Xia realized then that her sister was still a child. Jiang Gu was staring at the candy in a container with a longing expression.


    Ever since the biscuits they had, Jiang Xia had not asked her father to take out anything else from the car. Not to mention that those items were modern days products. If Jiang Gu were to try that food, it was not going to be easy to live knowing she will not be having it anymore.


    ¡°Wait until these two years arc over,¡± Jiang Xia consoled. ¡°When everything gets better, I¡¯ll buy you lots of sweets.¡±


    Jiang Gu nodded obediently and did not say anything else. The two of them left the supply and marketing club.


    Jiang Xia was about to bring Jiang Gu around the town when she saw her carriage being surrounded.


    As the sisters approached, they heard a girl in the crowd exclaim, ¡°Young Master Shen is really handsome!¡±


    Young Master Shen?


    Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu took advantage of their small size and slipped into the crowd.


    ¡°Shen Mo! This is the dish I like! You¡¯re not allowed to snatch it from me!¡± the girl said angrily.


    The man called Shen Mo had his back facing the crowd. Jiang Xia couldn¡¯t see his face, but his voice was already very pleasant.


    ¡°Jiang Qing, stop making a fuss.¡±


    The two men beside Shen Mo saw that the matter had blown up and whispered something in his ear. Shen Mo turned around and gave the surround a good look. Only then did Jiang Xia see Shen Mo¡¯s appearance.


    The man¡¯s facial features were well-defined and handsome. He was wearing a white shirt and dark green military pants. He stood straight and exuded the dignified aura of a soldier.


    This face? Jiang Xia felt that it looked familiar.


    Jiang Xia brought Jiang Gu to Jiang Chuan¡¯s side. At this time, Jiang Chuan had already finished talking to the short man, and the short man was stuck between the man and the woman.


    When Jiang Chuan saw Jiang Xia, he gave her an ¡®OK¡¯ sign that no one could see.


    Jiang Xia¡¯s eyes lit up. It seemed that the situation will get better as they could start doing small business in private.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. Shen Mo, this thing is mine. Pack it up for me.¡±


    The girl called Jiang Qing pointed at the wild vegetables on the ground and said rudely.


    Shen Mo took a deep look at Jiang Qing and turned to leave. When Jiang Qing followed him, she made sure to ask the short man to send the items to the house on the west side of the town.


    ¡°Dad, what¡¯s going on?¡± Jiang Xia asked after the crowd had dispersed.


    Jiang Chuan was about to answer when Zhou Lan interrupted him. ¡°What else can it be? This little girl wants to attract that boy¡¯s attention!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Jiang Xia widened her eyes in surprise.


    Zhou Lan continued to add, ¡°That little girl was chasing after the boy. When she saw that the boy liked our wild vegetables, she said that she wanted to buy them for him. In the end, it turned out like what you saw!¡±


    Jiang Gu opened her mouth wide, and Jiang Xia clicked her tongue in wonder.


    ¡°Can, can she do this?¡± Jiang Gu asked with her eyes wide open.


    Zhou Lan saw the confused look on Xiao Gu¡¯s face and instantly smiled.


    Jiang Xia knew that this was not good. Her mother¡¯s expression seemed like she was going to tell Jiang Gu about the story she read in the novel. Xiao Gu should not be misled by her mother and become someone that is obsessed with the happy ending kind of love.


    ¡°Mother, Xiao Gu is still young. Don¡¯t tell her that you¡¯ve seen those books and movies. If she becomes a person with bad morals, what will happen in the future?¡±


    ¡°No, no, I won¡¯t. Hurry up and talk to your father.. He¡¯s still waiting for you!¡±


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 Chapter 74 - Chapter 74: View on Love

    Chapter 74: View on Love


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Pulling Jiang Gu over, Jiang Xia said seriously, ¡°If Mother talks to you about love, just ignore her. Just listen and forget about it. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    Jiang Gu nodded at Jiang Xia.


    Zhou Lan pretended to hit Jiang Xia, but Jiang Xia easily dodged her.


    ¡°Jiang Xia! Do you really think your mother will lead your sister down the wrong road?¡±Zhou Lan shouted at Jiang Xia¡¯s back in exasperation.


    When she ran to Jiang Chuan¡¯s side, Jiang Xia turned around and made a funny face at her mother.


    Jiang Chuan led Jiang Xia away from the crowd and said, ¡°Your Uncle Li agreed to let us sell things in the town, but the premise is that the prey and high-quality wild vegetables we hunt must be chosen by him first. We can deal with the rest ourselves.¡±


    Jiang Xia frowned slightly and asked, ¡°He only mentioned prey and wild vegetables. What about the rest?¡±


    ¡­..


    Jiang Chuan knew what his daughter was planning and shook his head.


    ¡°Your Uncle Li wants to take a look at the other stuff first.¡±


    It was not possible to sign a legally binding contract now but there were often loopholes in verbal agreements that could be exploited. But at the same time, they had no choice but to go with the current arrangement now.


    Jiang Xia sighed. Although the plan she had envisioned would not work, it was still beneficial for them to be able to do business privately in town.


    Jiang Chuan patted Jiang Xia¡¯s head and continued, ¡°We have to take things slowly. We still have time. As long as we think of a way before the new year, the village will definitely survive.¡±


    Hearing her father¡¯s words, Jiang Xia nodded her head.


    ¡°Father, I¡¯ll take Xiao Gu around the town to see if there¡¯s anything.¡±


    ¡°Alright, go ahead! I¡¯ll also chat with your Uncle Wu and the others.¡±


    Jiang Chuan had always trusted Jiang Xia. In the modern era, because their family was well-off, they would often take Jiang Xia out to play during the holidays. When Jiang Xia grew up, she would make plans to go out with her classmates and she never once caused any trouble.


    As soon as Jiang Xia returned to the crowd, she saw her mother talking to Xiao Gu. Xiao Gu¡¯s eyes were shining with admiration.


    Jiang Xia only heard what her mother was saying when she approached her quietly.


    ¡°Xiao Gu! In the future, you will learn from Mother. You have to find a husband who treats you well, knows how to wash clothes, is good at cooking, and dotes on you like a child.¡± Zhou Lan said seriously.


    ¡°Mother! I will!¡± Xiao Gu answered confidently.


    Jiang Xia¡¯s face darkened when she heard their conversation. She covered her mother¡¯s mouth from behind.


    ¡°Wuwuwu.¡± Zhou Lan struggled and almost threw Jiang Xia over her shoulder.


    ¡°Mother, I already told you not to say so much to Xiao Gu. What if Xiao Gu really can¡¯t find a husband after you set such high expectations?¡± Jiang Xia looked helpless.


    Zhou Lan pulled down the hand covering her mouth. ¡°My daughter will marry the best. If Jiang Gu can¡¯t find someone, she won¡¯t marry. Your father and I will raise her for the rest of her life!¡±


    Jiang Xia let out a long sigh, rubbed her eyebrows, and pulled Jiang Gu away.


    ¡°Xiao Xia, why are you taking Xiao Gu away from me?¡± Zhou Lan shouted from behind.


    ¡°We are going for a walk. We¡¯ll be back in a while.¡± Jiang Xia answered without turning his head.


    Jiang Gu followed Jiang Xia and looked around with her big eyes.


    ¡°Jiang Xia, are we going to that big house?¡±


    Jiang Gu was also very smart. She was able to guess where they were going just from the direction they were walking in.


    Jiang Xia patted Jiang Gu¡¯s head. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re going there.¡±


    ¡°What? Do you also want to see Young Master Shen? No way! Mother said that it will be very difficult for people with different family backgrounds to fall in love!¡±


    Jiang Gu stopped in her tracks and pulled Jiang Xia along.


    Jiang Xia turned around and met the little girl¡¯s conflicted gaze.


    ¡°Sister, let¡¯s go back! Mother said that a rich young master would not fall in love with a commoner girl.¡±


    Jiang Xia took a deep breath and held back her strong desire to complain. She patiently said to Jiang Gu, ¡°Xiao Gu, I¡¯m telling you, although our mother is right about some things, don¡¯t think of everything as a romantic relationship. That Young Master Shen doesn¡¯t like your sister and your sister has never thought of climbing up the social ladder. I just need to discuss some business.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Jiang Gu nodded her head in a half-understanding manner.. ¡°Jiang Xia, what did Mother say that is wrong?¡±


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 Chapter 75 - Chapter 75: Strawberries Out of Season

    Chapter 75: Strawberries Out of Season


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Jiang Xia was impressed by her little sister¡¯s ability to grasp the main point.


    She thought Jiang Gu would be curious about the deal she wanted to make with young Master Shen.


    Jiang Xia tapped Jiang Gu¡¯s forehead and laughed, ¡°You think about love at such a young age.¡±


    ¡°Jiang Xia, tell me!¡± Jiang Gu didn¡¯t stop Jiang Xia from walking anymore. She just hugged Jiang Xia¡¯s arm and begged for an answer as they walked.


    ¡°Mother said to find someone who dotes on you, but it¡¯s hard to find someone as good as Father. You can say that he¡¯s one in a million.¡± Jiang Xia said sadly.


    Jiang Xia¡¯s father was indeed good to her mother. She once heard from her eldest uncle that when her father was pursuing her mother, her mother¡¯s family was against it. They thought that her mother, a young lady from a martial arts family, could not marry a weak young man who was still starting his own business.


    However, it was her father to climbed the 999 steps of Tan Shui Temple on foot just to obtain a marriage talisman.


    ¡­..


    Her father stood under the sun for two hours during the hottest time of the day in order to pass the test her uncle gave. This lasted for three months.


    Her aunt had once told her a joke, saying that her father had destroyed three pots in their house in order to cook for her mother.


    As the saying went, love that is too passionate can never last long. Her parent¡¯s love did, however. It had not changed for years and even decades.


    She had once been envious and told her friends that she also wanted this kind of love. However, as she grew older up, she understood that her parents were a rare case. If she really looked for someone according to that standard, she might never meet someone she could spend her entire life with.


    Jiang Xia gave Jiang Gu a gentle smile. ¡°Compared to a destined love, I prefer a love that is equal in strength. Complementing each other¡¯s shortcomings. There is no one who gives more to the other. There are only two people fighting for their own goals, improving together, and being outstanding together.¡±


    ¡°Xiao Gu, if you want to find someone who loves you, you have to be outstanding first, understand?¡± Jiang Xia stroked Jiang Gu¡¯s head and said.


    Jiang Gu nodded blankly. ¡°Jiang Xia, you are so smart!¡±


    Jiang Xia looked at Jiang Gu and burst out laughing. ¡°Look! You distracted me and made me talk too much about love. Don¡¯t think too much first! You have to take care of yourself first. How can you meet a good guy when all you think about every day is how hungry you will be without food.¡±


    At the mention of food, Jiang Gu¡¯s small face fell. It was true. They do not have enough food. She did not have the time to think about guys.


    When they arrived at the entrance of the Shen family¡¯s house, the sisters were not in a hurry to enter. Instead, they found an empty space across the street and sat down.


    Jiang Gu rested her elbows on her knees and propped up her small face with her hands as she looked at the beautiful girls passing by in boredom.


    ¡°Jiang Xia, you want to discuss a deal. Are you not going to knock on the door?¡±


    Jiang Xia didn¡¯t answer. She just put down the small basket and took out a strawberry from it and handed it to Jiang Gu.


    Jiang Gu carefully took the strawberries and tilted her head, her eyes filled with confusion.


    She did not do anything special today to be rewarded with strawberries.


    ¡°Eat! Today is an exception.¡± Jiang Xia said as she took out a strawberry and put it into her mouth.


    A sweet taste spread in her mouth, instantly relieving the irritability brought by the heat.


    Seeing Jiang Xia eat, Jiang Gu also started to eat in small bites.


    Speaking of which, Jiang Gu and Jiang Xia really did not fit in with the atmosphere at the entrance of the Shen residence. The girls who came to the entrance of the Shen residence to wait for a chance encounter were all dressed up in bright and beautiful clothes. At the very least, they were simple and clean. It was the first time they saw patched clothes like theirs.


    The girls passing by couldn¡¯t help but notice them. But what they cared more about than the two sisters was what the two sisters ate.


    Strawberry seasons were in April and it was already May now. Everyone was curious as to where they got their strawberries.


    One of the girls walked to the two sisters and asked curiously, ¡°Are you eating strawberries?¡±


    Jiang Xia nodded.¡± Yes! What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    The girl looked at the red fruits in their hands and asked curiously, ¡°Where did you get these strawberries? It¡¯s already May. Are there still strawberries to pick?¡±


    Jiang Xia smiled sweetly at the girl. ¡°We found this when we entered the forest. There are very few of them..Do you want to try it?¡±


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 76 - Chapter 76: Human Lives Are More Important Than Rules

    Chapter 76: Human Lives Are More Important Than Rules


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    The girl didn¡¯t expect Jiang Xia to be so generous. She looked at the red strawberries in Jiang Xia¡¯s hand and was a little embarrassed to take them.


    Jiang Xia held her hand higher, leaving the girl no choice but to take it. The girl couldn¡¯t reject so she squatted down and ate while talking to the two of them.


    As soon as the strawberry entered her mouth, the girl said in surprise, ¡°Why are these strawberries so delicious? It¡¯s tastier than all the strawberries I¡¯ve ever eaten!¡±


    Jiang Xia chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s right! This is the first time my sister and I have eaten such delicious strawberries.¡±


    Jiang Xia said as she handed another strawberry to Jiang Gu. Jiang Gu ate very seriously and did not interrupt her sister¡¯s conversation with others.


    ¡°It¡¯s really strange. How can there be strawberries in this season, let alone such delicious strawberries?¡± The girl sighed after eating a strawberry.


    Jiang Xia saw that she kept looking at Jiang Gu¡¯s hand and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. She handed her another strawberry.


    Since she had already eaten one already, she was not embarrassed to accept another one and continued chatting with Jiang Xia.


    ¡°Are you here for something?¡±


    It was just because the two Jiang sisters were dressed in shabby clothes. Even if they were good-looking, people would not think of them as wives of rich husbands.


    ¡°I heard about the Shen family and I wanted to see if I can meet the Young Master Shen. This year¡¯s drought has caused a poor harvest. If I managed to meet the Young Master, I want to ask him if he can report to the higher-ups to see if they can come up with any policies to help our country.¡± Jiang Xia said truthfully.


    The girl shook her head vigorously. ¡°That won¡¯t work. If, and I¡¯m just saying, you¡¯re really lucky enough to meet Young Master Shen and he agrees to your request, you¡¯ll be considered as skipping levels and reporting to the higher authorities. You¡¯ll be criticized by your village or town!¡±


    Jiang Xia sighed. ¡°It¡¯s better to be criticized than starved to death.¡±


    Upon hearing Jiang Xia¡¯s words, the girl thought of the bleak scenery in the town and her expression darkened.


    The bad year did not just refer to one place, but the entire area. Although life in the town was decent now, it was supported by the grain harvested last year.


    In order to look good on their political achievements, many village officials lied about their grain production and handed over all the grain to the higher-ups. It was not a problem for them to live in the towns, but the farmers were the ones who suffered. Not only did they not have enough to eat, but they also had to work hungry every day.


    The girl asked curiously, ¡°Are you the daughter of a village official?¡±


    ¡°No¡± Jiang Xia shook her head and didn¡¯t understand why the girl asked this.


    The girl continued, ¡°If not, why are you worrying about this? Since you can pick strawberries, you can enter the mountain at will. Although the harvest is not good, you won¡¯t be hungry if you enter the mountain to hunt. Why bother yourself?¡±


    Jiang Xia pondered for a moment. ¡°Everyone is responsible for the rise and fall of the world, not to mention the current situation now. Now that everyone has a way out, we don¡¯t have to fight for food from the wild beasts.¡±


    ¡°But if the harvest this year is still bad, then everyone will face death. At that time, it doesn¡¯t matter if there are wild beasts on the mountain. As long as there¡¯s something to eat, whether it¡¯s grass or tree roots, they will be eaten clean.¡±


    Jiang Xia was not exaggerating. In her modern-day textbooks, she had described the horrors of the famine back then. People exchanged their children for food, and the land was filled with hungry people. People who starved to death and died of illness could be seen everywhere. Countless people died and the country was a living hell.


    Jiang Xia¡¯s words washed away the girl¡¯s knowledge, and she looked at Jiang Xia in shock.


    Firstly, she didn¡¯t expect that the villagers would live such a life. Secondly, she couldn¡¯t believe that these words came from a child who looked to be twelve or thirteen years old.


    ¡°You, you have so much knowledge.¡± the girl stuttered.


    Jiang Xia smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not that I know a lot, but I¡¯ve seen too much. I¡¯ve heard that the village chief was reprimanded by the leaders for leaving food behind, and I¡¯ve also seen a few families arguing endlessly over a mouthful of food.¡±


    While the girl and Jiang Xia were talking, a few people unknowingly surrounded them. As Jiang Xia had been writing and drawing on the ground with her head lowered, Jiang Gu and the girl were either watching or deep in thought, so they did not notice.


    ¡°Famine is a natural disaster. Human strength cannot stop it. Even if you want to save people, you can¡¯t..¡±


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 Chapter 77 - Chapter 77: Jiang Xia’s Plan

    Chapter 77: Jiang Xia¡¯s Plan


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    A man¡¯s voice could be heard all of a sudden and it stunned Jiang Xia. When Jiang Xia looked up, she saw a man with combed hair and neat clothes standing in front of her.


    Meeting Jiang Xia¡¯s gaze, the man squatted down and repeated the question with a gentle expression.


    ¡°The drought has led to a decrease in food production and famine. This is a natural disaster. Even if the higher-ups are willing to manage it, they are powerless.¡±


    Jiang Xia studied the man for a moment and revealed a child-like smile. ¡°Although natural disasters cannot be avoided, man-made disasters can.¡±


    Jiang Xia was trying to act like an innocent child while saying this.


    She was now going to talk about the drawbacks of society and how the higher-up arrangements can help. She had to pretend to be a naive young girl or she would be arrested and criticized. That is not the life she wanted!


    ¡°Man-made disaster?¡± The man frowned and asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! In order to put on the good side in front of the leaders, some village chiefs falsely reported their grain production. For their reputation, they are willing to hand over grains that could end up saving other villager¡¯s life. Some people in our neighboring villages have starved to death!¡±


    Seeing the man¡¯s shocked face, Jiang Xia continued, ¡°Our village chief was reprimanded the last time just because he wanted to leave some food for the villagers. The higher-up told them that he had given too little food compared to the other villagers and told us to make up for it.¡±


    The expression on the man¡¯s face changed from shock to anger, and the people around him frowned slightly.


    Most of the girls who were waiting in front of the Shen family house started to sympathize with Jiang Xia when they heard about her encounter.


    ¡°The higher-up working with your village chief is so bad! If the villagers really starved to death, who will be doing the rest of the plantation?¡± A well-dressed girl spoke first.


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Another girl echoed and the discussion started to spread gradually.


    The man who spoke just now became quiet as if he was thinking about something.


    Jiang Xia stood up and patted the dust off her body. She pulled Jiang Gu to her side and smiled sweetly at the crowd before saying, ¡°Brothers and sisters, my sister and I will leave first. Goodbye.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± The girl who spoke to Jiang Xia first was stunned for a moment before she replied.


    Then, the group of people watched as the Jiang Xia sisters walked away.


    Just as she was about to leave the crowd, Jiang Xia heard a voice coming from behind her. ¡°Little girl, which village are you from?¡±


    Jiang Xia pretended not to hear him and quickly left with Jiang Gu.


    In the eyes of the crowd, Jiang Xia had left, but in reality, Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu had quickly circled around and returned to an alley near the Shen residence.


    This alley was hidden and Jiang Xia had discovered it when she was strolling around previously.


    ¡°Jiang Xia, are we not going home? Why are we back here?¡± Jiang Gu asked in confusion.


    Jiang Xia made a shushing gesture to Jiang Gu and focused on the Shen Residence door.


    As expected, the man who had asked her questions earlier appeared in front of the door and knocked on it.


    Jiang Gu tried to tilt her head to look in the direction Jiang Xia was looking at.


    ¡°Eh? Did that uncle go to the Shen family?¡± Jiang Gu said as she looked at Jiang Xia with widened eyes.


    ¡°Sister, do you know something?¡±


    Jiang Xia raised her eyebrows. She had her suspicion before. She assumed that under today¡¯s circumstances, about 80% of the people who could stay around this area had something to do with the Shen family. Although the man previously did not show any signs of being close to the Shen family, his eyes would occasionally glance at the Shen residence, especially when she mention the leader.


    ¡°I¡¯m just suspecting.¡± Jiang Xia said as she rubbed Jiang Gu¡¯s head. When their life gets better, Jiang Xia would definitely want to provide Jiang Gu with a lot better treatments.


    Just as the two of them were talking, the door of the Shen Residence opened and the man was welcomed in.


    Jiang Xia was finally relieved. She assumed that if the young master liked to eat wild vegetables, he would enjoy strawberries too, which was why Jiang Xia ate the strawberries right outside the house.


    However, Young Master Shen did not come. Instead, she met someone who had some dealings with the Shen family.


    Jiang Xia was happy with this situation too as she did not need to face Young Master Shen personally and could still bring the message in.


    Even if the man was not a good person and did not convey those words or thought that she was criticizing the system, she did not expose her identity and address, and the man could not find her..


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 Chapter 78 - Chapter 78: Prelude to the Investigation

    Chapter 78: Prelude to the Investigation


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Jiang Gu did not understand what was in her sister¡¯s mind. She was just happy she got to eat a few strawberries today.


    When the two of them returned to the group, Jiang Gu was taken to her mother¡¯s side for questioning, while Jiang Xia walked to her father¡¯s side to share about what had just happened.


    Upon hearing what his daughter did, Jiang Chuan asked in shock, ¡°Did the man day anything?¡±


    Compared to his daughter, Jiang Chuan had a deeper understanding of the political system.


    Due to the war, the people of the country see their leader as a god. As long as it was a policy that was implemented, everyone would strictly abide by what he said.


    Although her daughter only mentioned the problem with one leader, if they really wanted to capture her, it is going to be easy.


    Jiang Xia waved her hand. ¡°They will not be able to find me. I did not give them my name or address. If they really want to capture me, they would have a very hard time. However, if they are good people, the higher-ups will know about our situation and try to improve our lives as soon as possible.¡±.


    The autumn harvest was coming soon. If what she said was effective, everyone would be able to have some food this year.


    With coarse grains and wild vegetables, they could barely survive the winter. When spring came the next year, the mountains, forests, and fields would produce fruits. Then, they could catch some animals. They should be able to survive until the policy of land reclamation was implemented.


    Jiang Chuan was still frowning. He knew that his daughter had good intentions, but they were just ordinary villagers now. It is not going to be easy to help the other villagers, especially in this time period. The moment they say something wrong, they would get punished.


    Jiang Chuan¡¯s speculation was not without reason. At this very moment, the Shen family was discussing what Jiang Xia said.


    ¡°Did that little girl say those words?¡± Shen Mo asked, putting down his bowl and chopsticks while looking at the man with interest.


    ¡°Yes. I didn¡¯t expect a little girl from the countryside to be so insightful!¡± The man praised Jiang Xia as he picked up a mouthful of food.


    Shen Mo was not considered old, but he looked a little mature in his military uniform.


    ¡°Uncle Wang, help me find out where that girl is from. I¡¯ll report this to the higher-ups. It will be best if the girl can lead the way when someone does go to the countryside to investigate.¡± Shen Mo put down his chopsticks and stood up.


    The man ignored him and continued to eat his food but he quickly remembered something and called out before Shen Mo could leave.


    ¡°Xiao Mo, why did the young lady from the Jiang family come back with you?¡± The man turned around and asked silently.


    Shen Mo frowned deeply and said coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Shen Mo always came back at this time every year to clean up the ancestral house. He really did not know when Jiang Qing had climbed into one of the carriages he came back with.


    The man listening rolled his eyes and smiled.


    Seeing the man¡¯s expression, Shen Mo¡¯s brows furrowed even deeper. He did not like Jiang Qing and had already made it clear to her multiple time. It was Jiang Qing that insisted on pestering him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like her.¡± Shen Mo emphasized again.


    The man sighed.¡±So nice to be young!¡±


    Shen Mo looked at the man coldly, and then his lips curled into a malicious smile.


    ¡°Uncle Wang, since you¡¯re so free, why don¡¯t you help me go back to the team and take care of those new recruits?¡±


    The man who was still eating suddenly froze and revealed a smile to Shen Mo, ¡°No. Did you not ask me to investigate that little girl? I do not have time to take care of the recruits.¡±


    The man escaped right after saying that.


    Shen Mo watched the man run away and fell silent. After a moment, he frowned and asked the soldier beside him, ¡°Is life in the countryside really that difficult now?¡±


    The soldier was stunned at first, but then he nodded silently.


    In the 1960s, there was a big difference between towns and villages. People who could live in towns basically had an iron rice bowl in their hands. For example, in the town here, many people worked in the supply and marketing cooperative, as well as drivers, postmen, announcers, etc. In short, the work was much easier and they earned a lot more than farming.


    The current policy was that after the farmers handed in the grain, it would be distributed by the state. The people in the towns only needed to buy it with food stamps and coins.


    How could such a convenient and relaxed lifestyle not make rural girls yearn for the city?


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 Chapter 79 - Chapter 79: Saving Lives

    Chapter 79: Saving Lives


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Transportation was inconvenient at this time and people rarely traveled around. It is as if there was a line between the town and the countryside that is difficult to cross. This made many girls hope that they could marry into town.


    The soldiers heard the entire conversation between the Young Master Shen and Officer Wang previously and he could not help but agree. The situation in the countryside was indeed the way the little girl had described.


    The soldier¡¯s family always lived in a village. His mother wrote a letter to him two days ago asking if he could mail back some food stamps so that she could purchase food at the grains station.


    It was ridiculous how as farmers, they still had to go out to purchase grains.


    Seeing that the soldier was silent, Shen Mo left without saying anything.


    ?


    Putting Shen Mo aside, Jiang Xia felt a little uneasy after chatting with his father.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Jiang Xia?¡± Jiang Gu asked Jiang Xia, ¡°Are you unhappy?¡±


    Jiang Xia smiled, ¡°No, I¡¯m just thinking about how much food we can get from the autumn harvest this year.¡±


    At this time, the group of people had already set foot on the road back to the village. Jiang Xia was already familiar with this road after walking it several times. Every time she saw the slightly desolate scenery by the roadside, she could not help but feel heavy.


    Since the spring planting, it had only rained three times during the autumn harvest.


    Jiang Xia was worried, and so was Jiang Gu. Although she knew that her parents and sister were very capable, what about her friend¡¯s families? Without food, people would starve to death.


    ¡°Jiang Xia, let¡¯s go back to the village and tell Grandpa Chief to let everyone start stockpiling food now! Only eat the food that cannot be kept for long.¡±


    Jiang Gu¡¯s serious tone made Jiang Xia laugh.


    In fact, the village chief had already mentioned this when they were exchanging food, but her sister¡¯s brain was indeed fast.


    Jiang Xia thought for a moment and moved to the carriage, sitting beside Jiang Chuan.


    ¡°Dad, other than wild vegetables and hunting, we have to think of other ways. I remember that there are many crops that can be planted after the autumn harvest. Although they have to be harvested next year, it is also a way to increase food. Also, during these two trips up the mountain, I found that there are many seeds of herbs in the mountains. We can try to cultivate them in my space. If it works, we can give them to the villagers and let them grow them themselves. It can also be a source of income.¡±


    Zhou Lan frowned and said, ¡°Xiao Xia, you are worrying too much. This is not something we should worry about.¡±


    Zhou Lan said this not because she was cold-blooded, but because she had experienced being backstabbed despite being a good person.


    In the modern world, when Jiang Chuan¡¯s company was thriving, Zhou Lan saw a child who was about the same age as Jiang Xia at an event that could not afford to attend school. She felt sorry for the child and provided him with assistance.


    Who would have thought that as the child grew up, not only did he not feel grateful towards Zhou Lan, but he hated her instead?


    It was all because of a pair of branded shoes. After the child successfully entered high school like Jiang Xia, a lot of students started comparing him to others. He contacted Zhou Lan and asked for a pair of branded shoes but Zhou Lan rejected him. Zhou Lan thought that as high school students, their main focus should be on studies and not who wore the most expensive shoes.


    That child felt humiliated and started insulting Zhou Lan on the internet.


    After being married for so many years, Jiang Chuan could tell at a glance what Zhou Lan was worried about. He smiled and said, ¡°It won¡¯t happen like before. There are still many good people in this world. You can¡¯t stop trusting people just because you fell once, right?¡±


    ¡°Mother, you should still remember the three years of famine written in the books, right?¡± Jiang Xia said. ¡°When I was learning this, I went to check the information. The records were far more tragic than the textbooks. Now that we are in this era, how can we not want to do something to save it? Mother, think about those uncles and aunts who helped us.. Do you really have the heart to watch them die in front of us?¡±


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 80 - Chapter 80: Zhou Lan’s Thoughts

    Chapter 80: Zhou Lan¡¯s Thoughts


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Zhou Lan couldn¡¯t say anything more after hearing what her husband and daughter said. However, her tightly furrowed brows didn¡¯t relax.


    Every time they returned to Tong Shan Village after exchanging things, it was the most popular time for them. The villagers waited at the door for them to return and distribute the food.


    This time, two women from the Old Jiang family were among the people who distributed the grain. They stared at the basket on the carriages like hungry wolves.


    The village chief asked the villagers to line up to receive the grain. Jiang Gui¡¯s wife even quarreled with the others because she cut the queue.


    Each person was given about three to four catties of coarse grain. Although the grain was small, it was better than nothing. Everyone went home after the food was distributed.


    Jiang Chuan stopped the village chief to express that he had something to say. The village chief understood and led the family back to his house.


    On the way, Jiang Xia heard the village chief constantly praising her family. The village chief¡¯s wife also laughed and chatted with Zhou Lan.


    Zhou Lan sighed when she heard the village chief¡¯s wife talk about how much her family had helped the village since they moved out of Old Jiang¡¯s house. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The village chief¡¯s wife was puzzled.


    Zhou Lan looked at Jiang Chuan, who was talking to the village chief. ¡°Although it¡¯s a good thing that we can help the villagers, I¡¯m a little worried.¡±


    Zhou Lan only finished half of her sentence, which made the village chief¡¯s wife even more curious.


    ¡°Zhou Lan, let¡¯s talk. Old Dan and I are grateful that you can share the place where we found wild vegetables with the villagers. If you encounter any difficulties, just tell us. We¡¯ll solve them for you.¡± The village chief¡¯s wife smiled at Zhou Lan.


    Zhou Lan hesitated for a moment before she said, ¡°To be honest with you, I want to talk to the village chief to see if there¡¯s a way to help the villagers survive the winter.¡±


    The village chief¡¯s wife¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°If the villagers were as willing to think of everyone as Jiang Chuan and you, Old Dan wouldn¡¯t have to worry all day long.¡±


    Everyone knew that this year¡¯s harvest was probably going to be finished, but the villagers knew and placed their hopes on the village officials. They waited for the organization to make arrangements. Few people would take the initiative to think of a solution.


    Zhou Lan sighed again. ¡°You¡¯re right. But I really don¡¯t want Jiang Chuan to be in the limelight. You know what happened to my family in the past and what the Old Sun family said. I¡¯m really afraid that Jiang Chuan will be hated again if he gets in the limelight.¡±


    When Zhou Lan finished speaking, the village chief¡¯s wife understood what she meant. She recalled the gossip of the women in the village and her face darkened.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about Zhou Lan. Old Dan and I know that you and Jiang Chuan are thinking about this for the good of our village. If anyone dares to speak like that woman from the Sun family in the future, just look for me and the village chief. We¡¯ll help you.¡±


    Zhou Lan felt a lot more relieved after receiving the village chief¡¯s wife¡¯s reply. Jiang Xia glanced at her mother and secretly gave her a thumbs up.


    On the other hand, Jiang Chuan told the village chief about what happened in town.


    ¡°Chief, I¡¯ve talked to the person who collected the vegetables this time. All the vegetables and wild animals in our village can be exchanged for food from him. After the autumn harvest, when the villagers are free, they can organize more people to enter the mountain. If they can hunt more, they can exchange it for something or save it to fill their stomachs.¡±


    The village chief nodded and took a puff of his cigarette. ¡°You¡¯re right. Jiang Chuan, it¡¯s all thanks to you for the wild vegetables this time.¡±


    Not to mention how much food they could exchange for, just this path alone was giving the villagers an extra way to live.


    ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Chief,¡± Jiang Chuan said with a smile. ¡°Actually, I still have some ideas that I want to share with you.¡±


    Seeing that Jiang Chuan had other thoughts, the village chief put down his pipe and said solemnly, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    The village chief didn¡¯t know if it was his imagination, but ever since he moved out, he felt that the Jiang Chuan¡¯s family seemed to have some luck. They hunted prey, found wild vegetables, and even got to know the people in town. They were also very different from before, and they were much more lively..


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 Chapter 81 - Chapter 81: Execution of the Plan

    Chapter 81: Execution of the Plan


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    ¡°It¡¯s like this, Chief. During this period of time, my family traded wild vegetables and prey for a lot of things. My family has enough support for now, so I want to bring my family to the mountains more often to see if there¡¯s anything in the mountains that can help the village.¡± Jiang Chuan said carefully.


    Unexpectedly, the village chief frowned when he heard that. ¡°Jiang Chuan, I know you want to do something for the village, but you can¡¯t go up the mountain. You were lucky to come down from the mountain before, you can¡¯t go up again.¡±


    After listening to the village chief¡¯s words, Jiang Chuan respected the village chief a lot more.


    Not only did Jiang Chuan¡¯s decision to go up the mountain not affect the village chief, but if it was really as Jiang Chuan said, it might even bring benefits to the village. However, the village chief objected immediately. In this era of famine, the village chief really put people first.


    Although he knew that the village chief was being kind, Jiang Chuan still had to say it out loud. ¡°Chief, you said it yourself. We might not be able to count on the autumn harvest this year, so we have to take risks. Compared to the autumn harvest, we might as well explore the way ahead of time. Besides, our family has been to the mountains many times during this period of time. Nothing will happen.¡±


    The village chief frowned. How could he not understand this principle? However, entering the mountain¡­


    ¡°When you went up the mountain before, you always walked around the foot of the mountain. If you want to explore deeper, we will go together. It¡¯s too dangerous for your family to move alone.¡±


    Seeing that the village chief insisted, Jiang Chuan had no choice but to give up. At the same time, he brought up another matter that his daughter had told him before, which was to teach the children to read.


    Although studying might not be of much use now, in a few years, the country would start to recruit talent in large quantities. Some jobs would require employees to be literate. Even if they were not of use now, they might be of use in the future.


    Jiang Chuan told the village chief about his thoughts and he agreed with them.


    There were only a few officials in their village who were literate, but since the drought, they had been busy running to the town or finding ways to save food. The rest of the people in the countryside did not care about these things.


    After Jiang Chuan left, he told Jiang Xia what had happened, and Jiang Xia also shared the conversation her mother had with the village chief¡¯s wife.


    Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu were the only ones left outside. However, Jiang Gu was asleep in the carriage as she had not been sleeping well for the past few days.


    Zhou Lan saw what was happening and carried Jiang Gu out of the carriage to put her to bed first. Before leaving, Zhou Lan told Jiang Xia to stay put and wait for her father.


    ¡°Father, Mother is really thoughtful. Now that Village Chief¡¯s wife has spoken, if anyone wants to slander us in the future, we will have someone to support us.¡±


    Jiang Chuan nodded.


    Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan began to plan for the mountain while Jiang Xia prepared how to teach the children.


    Their plan was probably to live on the mountain for the time being, dig up more seeds and cultivate them in the Jiang Xia space to see what plants there were.


    When winter came, they would get more firewood at home. If there were children who wanted to learn to read, they would come to their house directly. Jiang Xia would start by teaching the letters and help the children in the village learn more knowledge bit by bit.


    Before they went up the mountain, they had to make another trip to the town to exchange more things.


    Time gradually passed, and in the blink of an eye, seven days had passed.


    Not only was Jiang Xia¡¯s family busy, but the town was also busy.


    The town received news that someone of a very high rank came down to inspect the town. The man from town quickly closed his shop door and asked everyone to go to the other grains station to buy and sell grains.


    However, Jiang Chuan¡¯s family managed to arrive before the man close the door. It was only Jiang Chuan and his family there. Although they had borrowed the carriage from the village, they told the village chief that they had things to discuss and that the other villagers did not need to go along.


    After everything that happened, the village chief trusted Jiang Chuan¡¯s family quite a bit and agreed that Jiang Chuan¡¯s family could visit town alone.


    Although Jiang Chuan was not very familiar with driving the carriage at first, he got used to it after awhile..


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 Chapter 82 - Chapter 82: Earning a Large Money

    Chapter 82: Earning a Large Money


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Jiang Chuan¡¯s family managed to exchange quite a bit of things this time around. One roe deer, two pheasants, two hares, wild vegetables, and all kinds of mushrooms.


    When Jiang Xia lifted the blanket covering the carriage, the man was so stunned that he was left speechless.


    A moment later, he gasped and said, ¡°This! Brother Jiang, are there really a lot of things in the mountain?¡±


    Jiang Chuan smiled and replied, ¡°It¡¯s alright! Maybe we¡¯re lucky. We always encounter good things when we go up the mountain.¡±


    The short man did some calculations. It had been almost a month since Jiang Chuan first came to this place. He had to admit that Jiang Chuan¡¯s family was really lucky and he made up his mind to be on good terms with them.


    The short man looked through the items and said, ¡°This time, I¡¯ll take your roe deer, one pheasant, one rabbit, and half of the wild vegetables and mushrooms. You can sell the rest in the town. But let me warn you in advance! There are people who have come to inspect recently. Don¡¯t sell it on a large scale. Also, I advise you to not come to town for the next few days. If you are really caught, it will be difficult to deal with.¡±


    Jiang Chuan nodded after listening to the short man¡¯s heartfelt words. Jiang Xia, on the other hand, was not sure if the inspection was a good or bad thing.


    This time, Jiang Chuan and the others didn¡¯t exchange for food. Instead, they exchanged for money and a few food and material coupons.


    Nowadays, buying things through official channels required tickets. For example, food required food tickets, cloth required cloth tickets, and pots and pans required industrial tickets. Without tickets, you couldn¡¯t buy anything.


    Now that they had all these in their hands, Jiang Chuan and his family were a bit more confident. Moreover, tickets and money were a lot easier to carry around.


    Not only did the man accept a lot of things this time, but he also helped Jiang Chuan¡¯s family deal with the pheasant and rabbits. The rabbit skins that Jiang Chuan got were all intact. Although they were not big, they could make two pairs of shoes for Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu when winter came.


    Jiang Chuan thanked the man and got on the carriage to sell things on other streets with his family.


    Regardless of whether it was items or money, as long as it was worth it, Jiang Chuan would cut off a portion of the meat according to the buyer¡¯s request.


    Jiang Chuan didn¡¯t need a ticket, but he could still win the hearts of the people by bartering. After walking down a street, the chicken and rabbit were almost evenly split, and there was only a small portion of wild vegetables left.


    Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu looked at the remaining wild vegetables and grinned. Although the price given by the short man was reasonable, it was not as good as this kind of direct sale.


    For example, when selling small things, the man first had to consider the losses he would incur if he sold them to the food processing area. He also had to earn some money himself. Even though he had bought and sold them directly, after a few links, he still gave less to the Jiang Chuan family.


    Seeing that it was already afternoon, Jiang Gu¡¯s stomach was the first to rumble. With Jiang Gu¡¯s start, Jiang Chuan and the others also felt hungry.


    ¡°Father, shall we go to the restaurant today to try something new?¡± Jiang Xia pointed at a restaurant nearby and suggested tentatively.


    At this time, all the restaurants, big or small, were operated by the state. There were also state-owned restaurants in this small town.


    Jiang Chuan looked in the direction Jiang Xia was pointing at and thought about the things in his arms. They had money and food stamps now, so it was not a bad idea to go and eat something.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I haven¡¯t been to a restaurant yet. Let¡¯s go and broaden our horizons.¡± Jiang Chuan looked at Zhou Lan as he spoke.


    Zhou Lan also nodded. Although they were still very poor now, they would not be like this in the future. They still had to see the world that they should see. They could not afford to be petty.


    Jiang Gu listened to the conversation between his sister and father, and her eyes slowly widened as if she had heard something strange.


    Although she had never been to a restaurant, she heard from the people who came back from school that going to a restaurant was a very high-class and prestigious thing. Just having money was not enough.


    To Jiang Gu, being able to eat at a restaurant was like a dream. Now that her sister said she wanted to go, her parents were prepared to bring them there. Was she really not dreaming?


    ¡°Father, Father, are we really going?¡± Seeing her father driving the carriage in the direction of the restaurant, Jiang Gu quickly asked.


    Jiang Xia chuckled and hugged Jiang Gu. ¡°Of course! We earned quite a bit today. Let Father treat us to a meal..¡±


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 83 - Chapter 83: Restaurant

    Chapter 83: Restaurant


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    The family drove the carriage to the entrance of the restaurant. The waiter was chatting with someone in the lobby and did not greet the guests at the entrance. Jiang Chuan¡¯s family did not mind and unloaded their basket tying their carriage to a pillar at the side and prepared to enter the restaurant.


    The waitress was a middle-aged woman. She heard the noise and walked out of the entrance.


    ¡°Do you all plan to rest here?¡± The woman asked impolitely. Without waiting for Jiang Chuan¡¯s family to answer, she continued, ¡°Go straight from this road and turn left. There¡¯s a pier that has dried up. If you want to rest, go there. We have businesses to do here.¡±


    The waiter¡¯s attitude reminded Jiang Xia of a passage she had read in a book. It was said that in the 1960s because restaurants belonged to the country, it was a very respectable job to be able to work in a restaurant. At that time, the status of the waiter was higher than that of the customer. The customer would give a tip after the meal to commend the excellent waiter.


    Although she knew the history, Jiang Xia was still uncomfortable with the attitude the waitress was giving. They were obviously the ones that will be spending the money, yet they have to be treated like that.


    Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan also frowned in discomfort. Jiang Gu explained excitedly, ¡°Auntie, we¡¯re here to eat.¡±


    ¡°Eat?¡± The middle-aged woman looked at Jiang Chuan¡¯s family with disdain and then pouted. ¡°Not only do you need money to eat in our restaurant, but you also need food stamps. You guys must be from the village! There is no way you can afford food here. Don¡¯t let your life be ruined after this meal.¡±


    The middle-aged woman¡¯s words were not pleasant to hear, but it was also the truth. In this day and age, whether it was tickets or money, it was not easy to earn. It was already a large number for the villagers to save up more than 20 yuan a year. How could they squander one yuan for a meal?


    Jiang Xia said expressionlessly, ¡°Auntie, we have money and tickets. Can we go in?¡±


    As soon as Jiang Xia opened her mouth, Jiang Chuan cooperated and took out the food stamps and money. The middle-aged woman could not say anything else and could only let them in.


    However, just as Jiang Xia stepped through the door, the middle-aged woman spoke again, ¡°Hey! Country bumpkin, what are you carrying in your basket?


    This is a restaurant. I have to take a look at the things you bring in. What if you ruin our restaurant¡¯s reputation by bringing all kinds of dirty things in?¡±


    Jiang Xia was annoyed by the woman¡¯s repeated attempts to make things difficult for him. He suppressed his anger and said, ¡°It¡¯s just the wild vegetables we brought. Nothing else.¡±


    This time, without waiting for the woman to speak, Jiang Xia lifted the cloth covering the basket and showed it to the woman.


    The woman saw that she really had nothing against the family so she let them in with a dissatisfied expression.


    Jiang Chuan and his family had just sat down when they heard another voice coming from the door.


    The middle-aged woman glanced at the door, and her eyes lit up instantly. She handed the menu to Jiang Chuan¡¯s family and went to greet them.


    Jiang Xia looked over as well. The person was dressed in a dark green military uniform and had a slender and straight figure. Who else could it be but the young master of the Shen family?


    There were four people in their group. Young Master Shen and a middle-aged man walked side by side, and two men in military uniforms followed behind them.


    Jiang Xia thought about it for a long time after meeting Young Master Shen last time. She remembered that Young Master Shen looked a little like a popular male celebrity in the future.


    Perhaps it was because Young Master Shen had joined the army, but he looked more masculine and handsome than that male celebrity.


    Jiang Xia looked at the group of people again. She felt that the man beside Young Master Shen looked familiar.


    As if sensing Jiang Xia¡¯s burning gaze, the man also looked at Jiang Xia¡¯s table.


    Jiang Xia then remembered that this was the man who had listened to him talking at the entrance of the Shen family¡¯s house a few days ago.


    Jiang Xia¡¯s face darkened. She had previously promised her father that her words had not revealed any information. Who would have thought that she would be caught red-handed?


    He wouldn¡¯t really come looking for trouble with her, would he? She was just talking about the current situation in the countryside. She wouldn¡¯t be labeled as anti-system just because of a few words, right?


    Jiang Xia muttered in her heart. She wished she could bury her face in the menu so that no one could see it..


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 84 - Chapter 84: Caught Peeking

    Chapter 84: Caught Peeking


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    ¡°Have you all not decided yet?¡± The middle-aged woman asked impatiently. However, her attitude changed when she saw a delicate girl walking out of the house and said to her, ¡°Xiao Shu! Go greet the guests.¡±


    Hearing the woman¡¯s command, the girl took the menu and walked to the table where the four men were sitting.


    ¡°One serving of braised pork, one serving of stir-fried vegetables, and one serving of dumplings.¡±


    Jiang Xia was extremely disgusted by the waitress who was standing beside her. She quickly ordered three things so that the woman would leave.


    The menu was originally in Jiang Chuan¡¯s hands. However, Jiang Chuan wanted Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu to eat what they wanted so he allowed them the chance to order. Jiang Gu was dazzled by the menu the whole time and wanted to eat everything. As a last resort, the task of ordering fell on Jiang Xia.


    After hearing Jiang Xia¡¯s order, the middle-aged woman looked at them for a few more seconds before asking the kitchen staff to cook.


    Compared to the middle-aged waitress at Jiang Xia¡¯s table, the young girl at the table of four men introduced the dishes in much more detail. She even specifically mentioned which dishes had just arrived that morning and were still fresh.


    Shen Mo didn¡¯t say anything. The middle-aged man beside him was ordering. He ordered whatever the girl said was good without asking if Shen Mo wanted to eat.


    After the girl was sent away, the middle-aged man said to Shen Mo, ¡°Look, that¡¯s the girl who told me those things.¡±


    Shen Mo looked in the direction the middle-aged man was looking and unexpectedly met Jiang Xia¡¯s eyes, which were secretly peeping at him.


    It wasn¡¯t that Jiang Xia had any feelings for Young Master Shen, but she suddenly remembered that the man from the town said that there would be a high rank coming down to inspect. Could it be that Young Master Shen had really contacted the higher-ups?


    After being caught peeking, Jiang Xia awkwardly averted her gaze and turned around to chat with Jiang Gu as if she had not seen anything.


    The middle-aged man, who was about to greet Jiang Xia, saw Jiang Xia turn his face away and looked at Shen Mo. He sighed and said, ¡°Young Master, if you keep staring at the girl like that, you might scare her away!¡±


    Hearing the man¡¯s words, Shen Mo frowned and asked, ¡°What look?¡±


    The middle-aged man stared at her silently for a while before he finally found the right words to say, ¡°It¡¯s like you are looking at a criminal.¡±


    Shen Mo¡¯s brows furrowed as he denied, ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Let your subordinate take a look.¡±


    As the man spoke, he turned his attention to the two men who were watching silently. The two soldiers under Shen Mo did not look old, at most in their early twenties. When they heard Officer Wang bring the topic to them, they quickly lowered their heads and pretended not to see it.


    Shen Mo took a deep breath and resisted the urge to kick his two subordinates out.


    ¡°Since we happen to see her, let¡¯s ask her to bring us to the countryside to take a look.¡±


    The middle-aged man was a little surprised. ¡°You¡¯re going to take a look now? What are you going to look at? How to collect food? Aren¡¯t you going to wait for the people your father sent?¡±


    ¡°Uncle Wang, you talk too much.¡±


    The man¡¯s series of questions made Shen Mo¡¯s veins pop out. He didn¡¯t think too much about it initially. He just wanted to make a quick inspection when he saw that he had found the person. Who knew that Uncle Wang would throw him a bunch of questions.


    Officer Wang saw the look on Shen Mo¡¯s face and understood that the young master was just saying it casually and did not think much about the situation. ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll go say hello first and get to know the little girl. After we get to know each other, we¡¯ll arrange a time for the little girl to bring us to take a look.¡± The man told him his thoughts.


    Shen Mo nodded. If they rashly let them take them to the village, they would be misunderstood as bad people and the villagers would probably avoid them if they saw them.


    Shen Mo was right. Jiang Xia wanted to run away now. She was sure that the middle-aged man had recognized her. Otherwise, why would he keep looking at her?


    She really did not want to be in the limelight.


    Both Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan noticed their daughter¡¯s unusual behavior. Jiang Chuan frowned and asked, ¡°Xiao Xia, what¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    ¡°Jiang Xia, if you¡¯re not feeling well, let us know. We can go to the hospital in town to get it checked.¡± Xiao Gu said with concern..


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 Chapter 85 - Chapter 85: A Secret Visit

    Chapter 85: A Secret Visit


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Jiang Xia was embarrassed when she saw her family¡¯s concerned eyes and quickly tried to change the topic.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay. I just thought of us going up the mountain and felt a little nervous.¡± Jiang Xia tried to find a random excuse.


    ¡°We will still have to plan more about going up the mountain.¡± Zhou Lan replied after hearing what Jiang Xia had to say.


    Although they had not encountered any wild beasts previously, it was true that there are wild beasts. Zhou Lan was also worried if she could protect her family well.


    With a new topic to talk about, Jiang Xia¡¯s family was no longer concerned about how she was acting previously. She could not help but feel relief.


    Jiang Xia wanted to cover up the matter but some people did not agree with it.


    When the middle-aged man saw that Jiang Xia was no longer looking at him, he gave Shen Mo a look and stood up to walk toward Jiang Xia¡¯s table.


    It was only when the man stopped at Jiang Xia¡¯s table that they noticed him. ¡°Sorry¡­ You are?¡± Jiang Chuan asked in confusion.


    The man gave Jiang Chuan a friendly smile and replied, ¡°My name is Wang Wen. Two days ago I heard this lady outside the Shen residence talking about the drought this year. I was looking for her but I did not expect to meet her here.¡±


    Everyone turned their gazes to Jiang Xia upon hearing Wang Wen¡¯s words.


    Jiang Chuan looked at Wang Wen and then at Jiang Xia, who looked like was desperately trying to escape. He had a rough idea of what was this about so he tried to help Jiang Xia out. ¡°Brother, my child is still young. She probably said some things she did not mean. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Even though Jiang Chuan had expressed his intention to refuse, Wang Wen continued as if he did not understand. ¡°Actually, I think what your daughter said made a lot of sense, so I came here to today to ask you something.¡±


    As Wang Wen spoke, he also told them about Jiang Xia¡¯s previous actions. Wang Wen knew his limits and did not mention anything about the political issues that Jiang Xia had mentioned. That kind of thing would easily be caught by others. Wang Wen knew this very well.


    At this point, Jiang Xia could no longer pretend to be confused. Jiang Chuan had no choice but to get someone to add a stool. Wang Wen sat beside Jiang Xia and started talking about what happened that day.


    ¡°Young lady, my name is Wang Wen. I¡¯m working in the army now. I want to ask which village you are from and if what you said previously is true.¡±


    Wang Wen¡¯s smile was kind, but it gave Jiang Xia a chill.


    Jiang Xia thought momentarily and answered truthfully, ¡°Yes, I live in Tong Shan Village. Our village chief is a good person, but if you want to know more about the situation I mentioned before, you can visit a few more villages. There¡¯s still a month before the grain collection. Uncle, you can make an unannounced visit first. When the grain is collected, you can compare the actual amount with the amount submitted by some village officials to know if what I said is true.¡±


    Jiang Xia¡¯s heart was finally relieved after she finished speaking in one breath. She didn¡¯t know if what she did was right or wrong, but she had to fight for it if she could.


    Wang Wen pondered Jiang Xia¡¯s words and nodded. Then, Wang Wen looked at Jiang Xia again and asked curiously, ¡°Young lady, are you in school? Where did you study?¡±


    ¡°I studied in town two years ago. After the drought, my family ran out of food, so I stopped studying.¡±


    Jiang Xia answered Wang Wen¡¯s questions. Regardless of whether it was Wang Wen¡¯s clothes, speech, or the fact that he was walking with the Shen family¡¯s Young Master, Jiang Xia felt that Wang Wen might be a turning point that could help them get through the drought.


    Wang Wen estimated Jiang Xia¡¯s age and calculated the amount of time Jiang Xia had spent studying. He couldn¡¯t help but be amazed.


    She had not been educated for a long time, but she could say so many things about people¡¯s livelihoods and current affairs. This little girl was not simple! It was probably because her family had taught him well. Thinking of this, Wang Wen inevitably paid more attention to Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan.


    When they were almost done chatting, the dishes Jiang Xia¡¯s family ordered were served. The tradition of sharing tables was not popular. Wang Wen also tactfully expressed that they could chat after their meal. Jiang Xia nodded in agreement.


    As soon as Wang Wen left, Zhou Lan nudged Jiang Xia with her elbow and asked, ¡°Xiao Xia, did you really go to the Shen family¡¯s house and say those things? You¡¯re really bold!¡±


    Without waiting for Jiang Xia to speak, Jiang Gu answered on her behalf, ¡°Jiang Xia said a lot that day..¡±


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 Chapter 86 - Chapter 86: Education Must Start From a Young Age

    Chapter 86: Education Must Start From a Young Age


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Under Jiang Xia¡¯s despairing gaze, Jiang Gu repeated her words in detail. Jiang Gu¡¯s memory was indeed good, and Jiang Xia was still stunned when she heard it.


    However, Zhou Lan¡¯s expression did not look good as she was frowning


    Jiang Xia put a piece of braised pork in Jiang Gu¡¯s bowl and signaled for her to stop talking. However, Jiang Gu kept eating the meat and sighed, ¡°Jiang Xia, the dishes in the restaurant are really delicious!¡±


    Jiang Xia covered her face and let out a long sigh. She peeked at her mother¡¯s expression through her fingers.


    ¡°Xiao Xia, have you considered the consequences of saying these words?¡± Zhou Lan asked seriously.


    Jiang Xia put down her hand and nodded with a bitter face.


    Zhou Lan glanced at Jiang Gu and turned to Jiang Xia. ¡°We have no power and no money. If your words are heard by someone with ill intentions and spread with others, do you know what the outcome will be?¡±


    Zhou Lan couldn¡¯t be blamed for being angry. Other than what Jiang Chuan and Jiang Xia were worried about, there was also the possibility that someone might take revenge on their family.


    There was a saying that cutting off a person¡¯s source of income was like killing their parents. Although this was meant to describe how powerful it was to cut off a person¡¯s source of income, it was also subtly applicable now. After all, Jiang Xia¡¯s words had torn down the ladder that many people had climbed up.


    Jiang Xia was scolded by Zhou Lan. She lowered her head and secretly gave her father a look for help, but she received an answer from her father that he could not help.


    Zhou Lan didn¡¯t manage things often. Jiang Chuan and Jiang Xia usually made the decisions in the family, but this was a serious matter.


    In Zhou Lan¡¯s heart, her family was the most important thing. She could put everything else aside, especially since they were in such a turbulent and unfamiliar era. Every decision made by Jiang Chuan and Jiang Xia made Zhou Lan nervous.


    ¡°Jiang Xia, if you want to do a good deed, you must ensure your own safety. Have you ever thought about how you¡¯re going to stir up other troubles before you settle those people in the village? If something really happens, what will your father and I do?¡±


    The people in the village that Zhou Lan was talking about were naturally the Old Jiang family. Old Jiang¡¯s family had suffered a lot at their hands and was now ready to cause trouble for them. They had to be on guard at all times.


    Jiang Xia¡¯s heart skipped a beat when her mother called her by her full name. Her mother was really angry this time! She knew she was not acting like usual this time but she was just afraid of missing this opportunity.


    Seeing that her mother was angry, Jiang Gu put down her chopsticks and listened to the lecture. When her mother finally stopped, she said softly, ¡°Mother, did sister do something wrong?¡±


    Jiang Gu¡¯s words were filled with doubt. Although she still did not understand many things, she knew that her sister¡¯s actions and words were for the good of the village. Why did her mother blame her sister?


    Zhou Lan was stunned by Jiang Gu¡¯s straightforward question. Then, she looked into Jiang Gu¡¯s big, confused eyes. She couldn¡¯t say anything that she wanted to blame Jiang Xia for.


    ¡°I do not think your sister did anything wrong. But she made us worry about her safety.¡±


    After a moment of silence, Jiang Chuan spoke up.


    ¡°Xiao Gu, think about what your mother said just now. Did she say that your sister shouldn¡¯t speak up for the village?¡±


    Jiang Chuan guided Jiang Gu to recall Zhou Lan¡¯s words and Jiang Gu shook her head.


    ¡°That¡¯s it. Your mother doesn¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad thing to help the village, but she¡¯s worried about your sister and our safety. Xiao Gu, you can¡¯t act impulsively when you want to do something. You have to consider what the result will be after you do it, whether the result is what you want, or whether you have the ability to solve any accidents in the middle.¡±


    Jiang Chuan patiently explained the situation to Jiang Gu.


    Education should start when the child is young. If Jiang Chuan didn¡¯t explain the situation now, it might leave Jiang Gu with the impression that helping others is not right.


    After hearing her father¡¯s words, Jiang Gu nodded in a half-understanding manner.


    Seeing that the topic was no longer about her, Jiang Xia nodded in agreement with her father¡¯s education, but her mother glared at her..


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 Chapter 87 - Chapter 87: A Girl’s Dream Lover

    Chapter 87: A Girl¡¯s Dream Lover


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    On the other side, Wang Wen returned to her seat and told Shen Mo about the news he had heard.


    ¡°Tong Shan Village? Are there any other villages nearby?¡± Shen Mo asked.


    ¡°According to my understanding, Tong Shan Village is the closest village to this town. There are four or five more villages to the north, and some of the others are even further away.¡±


    Since there was news that someone would be sent down to investigate, Wang Wen had already figured out the situation in the vicinity these few days.


    Shen Mo nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s find a good location first. When the people from above arrive, we¡¯ll go to the countryside to check on the situation. If the disaster is serious and needs to be reported, well immediately request a lower-level policy. When the autumn harvest is over, we¡¯ll deal with some pests directly.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Wang Wen replied.


    Shen Mo and Wang Wen were both swift and decisive. As soldiers, they had to obey the orders of their superiors no matter what happened, so they needed to bring forward the investigation time to solve the problem as soon as possible. ¡°Uncle Wang, what do you think of that family?¡± Shen Mo asked.


    ¡°They are very strange.¡± Wang Wen recalled his conversation with Jiang Xia and came to this conclusion.


    Shen Mo was surprised by Wang Wen¡¯s answer and turned to look at him.


    Wang Wen deliberated over his words and replied, ¡°That little girl said that she didn¡¯t study for two years, but I do not think that is the case. Her parents don¡¯t look like ordinary farmers either.¡±


    Shen Mo silently agreed with Wang Wen¡¯s words. When he passed by just now, he noticed that although this family was dressed in shabby clothes, they did not look timid. They were different from many people who came from the countryside.


    ¡°Maybe he went to stay in the countryside because his family was in trouble.¡± Shen Mo voiced his opinion.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Wang Wen replied and didn¡¯t continue the topic.


    While the two of them were talking, the waiter came with the dishes they had ordered. It was still the same little girl. She would glance at Shen Mo from time to time when she was serving the dishes.


    It was not a surprise to see all the girls acting crazy when they heard Young Master Shen had returned. It was not like the modern days, here it was not easy to climb the ladder up the social rank.


    At this time, if a girl wanted to live a better life, the easiest way was to marry. Not only was Young Master Shen¡¯s family background good, but his personal conditions were also good. Moreover, it was rumored that the Shen family was also an influential family in the city.


    It was normal for the Young Master of the Shen family to become the dream lover of many girls.


    Just as Jiang Xia was thinking about this, a sudden scream broke her imagination.


    Jiang Xia looked up and saw that the girl who was carrying the dishes was about to fall down, and the plate in her hand was also knocked in the direction of Shen Mo.


    In a flash, Shen Mo stood up and quickly retreated with the plate in one hand, avoiding the girl.


    Without anything in her hands, the girl took two unsteady steps forward but did not fall.


    ¡°S-Sorry, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I tripped over something just now.¡± As the girl spoke, she looked at the place where she had almost fallen. There was a protruding wooden board there.


    Shen Mo followed the girl¡¯s gaze and said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Be careful next time.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright.¡± The girl blushed as she spoke. She hurriedly ran back to the kitchen to get the other dishes.


    Wang Wen looked in the direction the girl ran off and smiled. ¡°Young Master has a lot of luck in love.¡±


    Shen Mo frowned and did not answer, but Wang Wen continued happily.


    ¡°You rejected Miss Jiang¡¯s invitation to your residence. Now, you¡¯ve rejected another one. Young Master really doesn¡¯t like women!¡±


    Shen Mo glanced at him. ¡°Uncle Wang, go back and ask my dad to help you look into the matchmaking.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Wen noticed the two soldiers sitting opposite him wanted to laugh but didn¡¯t.


    Just as Wang Wen was about to retort, the sound of tables and chairs moving could be heard at Jiang Xia¡¯s table.


    Although Jiang Xia was quietly watching the show, she did not delay her meal because there were still vegetables that had not been sold out. If they wanted to return to the village before dark, they had to hurry up.


    ¡°Dad, are we going to the street on the east side?¡± Jiang Gu asked Jiang Chuan expectantly.


    Jiang Chuan didn¡¯t know why his daughter was suddenly so excited, so he nodded.


    ¡°Xiao Gu, why are you so happy?¡± Jiang Xia asked in confusion..


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 88 - Chapter 88: Intersection

    Chapter 88: Intersection


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Jiang Gu¡¯s eyes curved into crescents as she said, ¡°Uncle Li said that there is a market on the east street occasionally. Everyone will go there to buy things! Uncle Li said that there are more things in the market than in the supply and marketing club!¡±


    Jiang Xia¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard that. Didn¡¯t they say that private transactions were speculation? Why was there a market to go to? She was quite curious.


    However, before Jiang Xia could be happy her father said something, ¡°The market does not open all the time. It only appears during major festivals, such as Christmas, which is celebrated by everyone.¡±


    ¡°Is there a fixed date?¡± When Jiang Gu asked.


    Zhou Lan patted Jiang Gu¡¯s head and said, ¡°When the market opens, Father and Mother will bring you and your sister to play.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Jiang Gu looked at Zhou Lan eagerly.


    Jiang Gu was a sensible child and would rarely ask her parents for anything. However, due to the changes in her parents during this period of time, she would occasionally voice her thoughts.


    ¡°Of course, Xiao Gu is Father and Mother¡¯s little treasure. Father and Mother will try their best to help fulfill Xiao Gu¡¯s wish.¡±


    Jiang Gu¡¯s eyes reddened when she heard Zhou Lan¡¯s words. She lowered her head and nodded with great effort.


    Jiang Xia saw everything and felt a little comforted. The Zhou Lan from this world did not treat Jiang Gu the way her mother treated her now. She still cared for her but she did want a son for her third child.


    In this era, even though the country had already opened up, the idea of favoring men over women in many places still could not be changed.


    When they were almost done eating, Jiang Chuan went to pay the bill. There was a silent group of people eating next to him. The waiter didn¡¯t say anything to make things difficult this time.


    Zhou Lan wiped Jiang Gu¡¯s mouth with a handkerchief and asked, ¡°Xiao Gu, is this meal delicious?¡±


    Jiang Gu nodded her head. ¡°Delicious! In the future, I will work harder and earn a lot of food stamps and money to bring you all here to eat.¡±


    The smile on Jiang Xia¡¯s face froze. She suddenly remembered that her elder sister was still in the ravine. She had been too busy at home recently and did not have time to think about that situation. However, it was not possible to bring her sister home just yet.


    Firstly, although they knew the general location where their sister was sold, they did not know the specific route and village.


    Secondly, they had not settled down yet. Even if they fought with Old Jiang¡¯s family to get the position of her elder sister, they would still have to suffer trying to bring her back from the mountains.


    Moreover, although their mother was strong, no one dared to say that there would not be any accidents.


    Jiang Xia could not help but sigh. At the same time, she also heard her mother¡¯s sigh. It seemed that the two of them were thinking the same thing.


    At this moment, Wang Wen suddenly walked over and smiled at Jiang Xia. ¡°Girls, are you ready to leave?¡±


    Jiang Xia nodded not knowing why he asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s like this. We want someone to lead us to the countryside in the future. Is there any way to contact you?¡± Wang Wen asked.


    The traffic was inconvenient at this time, and there were very few ways to send messages. Jiang Xia couldn¡¯t think of a good idea at the moment.


    Suddenly, Jiang Xia glanced at the basket from the corner of his eye and his eyes lit up. ¡°Uncle, my father is in contact with Uncle Li¡¯s family who lives in the west of the town. If you want to find us, you can tell Uncle Li!¡±


    Wang Wen thought for a moment before realizing who Uncle Li was.


    Wang Wen was once again impressed by Jiang Xia. She said they were friends but Wang Wen knew that the man had been doing business in private.


    Wang Wen nodded showing his agreement.


    Previously, he could tell that the little girl did not want to have any contact with them. As long as there was a channel to find them, it was fine. It did not matter what method they used..


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 Chapter 89 - Chapter 89: Vegetables and Candies

    Chapter 89: Vegetables and Candies


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Jiang Chuan and his family managed to leave the place smoothly. As they walked, they sold the remaining wild vegetables and mushrooms from door to door.


    Jiang Xia was surprised to see a familiar face. The girl who had sat with her the other day while chatting about the strawberries was here.


    ¡°Eh? It¡¯s you?¡± The girl was pleasantly surprised.


    ¡°Yes, hello.¡± Jiang Xia replied politely.


    The lady extended her hand generously. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Zhou Juan. Nice to meet you.¡±


    After saying that, Zhou Juan looked at the people behind Jiang Xia and asked curiously, ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±


    Jiang Xia opened the cloth covering the basket and showed her the things inside.


    ¡°We want to see if anyone needs these vegetables.¡±


    Jiang Xia avoided using the word buy by using need.


    Zhou Juan nodded in understanding. She reached out to touch the vegetables and sighed.¡±Your vegetables are really good. The supply and marketing club got some vegetables a few days ago. The quality and appearance are similar to yours. They were snatched up as soon as they were taken out. I didn¡¯t even get to buy them.¡±


    Jiang Xia understood immediately. It was probably the vegetables that they had brought to sell.


    Then, she thought of the street they had walked before. There were many people on that street who were quite interested in vegetables. However, when they heard that there was meat for sale, they put down their vegetables and exchanged things for meat.


    ¡°Are you going to buy it this time?¡± Jiang Xia asked with a smile.


    ¡°Of course! However, my parents have to pay for it.¡± Zhou Juan chuckled and took two steps forward to knock on the door beside Jiang Xia.


    The person who opened the door was a middle-aged man with a serious face. He didn¡¯t look like an easy person to get along with, but when he saw Zhou Juan, he still smiled. When he saw Jiang Xia¡¯s family, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Who are these people?¡±


    ¡°Father, this is the girl I mentioned to you. Her name is ¡­¡± Zhou Juan looked at Jiang Xia.


    ¡°Jiang Xia.¡± Jiang Xia added.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Zhou Juan¡¯s father.¡±


    Since the daughters of the two families knew each other, the adults could not help but exchange pleasantries. After a while, they learned about the situation of the two families. It was a surprise Zhou Juan¡¯s father did not look at their family with disgust.


    Many of the families that Jiang Chuan¡¯s family passed by today would look at them with contempt.


    In this era, there was a huge difference between people living in different places. The people with the best life was usually located in cities, followed by towns, and then village.


    Just as Zhou Juan¡¯s father wanted them to stay longer, Jiang Chuan declined.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be dark soon. We still have to rush back to the village, so I won¡¯t be staying any longer. Thank you for your kindness, Brother Zhou.¡± Jiang Chuan said.


    Zhou Juan¡¯s father also looked at the sky and nodded. ¡°Alright then, we won¡¯t talk much today.¡±


    He looked at Jiang Xia¡¯s basket and continued, ¡°We¡¯ve been chatting for so long that we¡¯ve delayed you from selling things. How about this? I¡¯ll take all your vegetables. I¡¯ll buy them at the price of the supply and marketing club.¡± ¡°Brother Zhou, you¡¯re treating me like an outsider. We¡¯ve just met and don¡¯t have anything good to give give you. If you don¡¯t mind, keep these vegetables and treat them as a greeting gift.¡±


    In the past, this kind of greeting gift would indeed be shabby. However, due to the drought, many people¡¯s vegetables had withered and tasted bad.


    Zhou Juan¡¯s father wanted to decline, but seeing that he couldn¡¯t refuse, he let Zhou Juan enter the house to get some things.


    Not long after, Zhou Juan came out with a small cloth bag. As soon as the cloth bag was opened, Jiang Gu¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Inside the small cloth bag was a small bag of candy wrapped in orange candy paper.


    Zhou Juan¡¯s father handed the entire bag of candies to Jiang Xia. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything else at home. I just have some candies for the children.¡±


    Jiang Chuan didn¡¯t expect Zhou Juan¡¯s father to give Jiang Xia an entire bag of sweets. Nowadays, sweets were rare. Children in the countryside only got one or two pieces during the Chinese New Year. It was really precious.


    With that thought in mind, Jiang Chuan rejected him. ¡°This won¡¯t do. It is too expensive.. Brother Zhou, you should take it back!¡±


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 Chapter 90 - Chapter 90: Fate of Strawberries

    Chapter 90: Fate of Strawberries


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Jiang Xia nodded and wanted to put the candy back into Zhou Juan¡¯s hand. However, Zhou Juan held her hand and said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t reject me! My father gave you these because he likes your family. Besides, my father works in a sugar factory. He can always get more!¡±


    Jiang Xia could not reject the offer and took the candies.


    Thinking of the sugar factory that Zhou Juan mentioned, Jiang Xia couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°A sugar factory? Is it out of town?¡±


    Zhou Juan nodded. ¡°It¡¯s in the county town. It¡¯ll take five to six hours by carriage from here to the county town. It¡¯s a long distance, but the county town is much better than here. Oh right, if there¡¯s a chance in the future, I¡¯ll bring you there to take a look.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Jiang Xia didn¡¯t reject this. She would only be able to think of more ways to prevent everyone from starving if she saw more of them.


    The sky was covered with a layer of orange gauze. The family sat on the carriage with relaxed expressions. Jiang Xia peeled a candy and placed it in Jiang Gu¡¯s mouth.


    Jiang Gu was so happy that she got to eat some sweets she felt like she was floating on clouds. Her body that was leaning against Jiang Xia went soft.


    Jiang Xia poked Jiang Gu¡¯s forehead and laughed. ¡°Jiang Gu, look at your face.¡±


    Jiang Gu continued to hug Jiang Xia¡¯s arm, ¡°Jiang Xia, candies are really delicious! Uncle Zhou is so generous to give us so much sugar.¡±


    In fact, this was a pleasant surprise for Jiang Xia. She didn¡¯t expect to be able to talk about the daughter of a sugar factory worker.


    However, it did make sense to meet someone like her as people near the Shen Residence should be well off.


    Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan were driving the carriage in front. They turned around and looked at their two daughters who were snuggling together. There was helplessness in their eyes, but more so, they doted on them.


    Xiao Xia was really not afraid of anything. No one was sure if this was a good or bad trait.


    Jiang Xia actually went to the Shen residence to get people to talk about the current situation. She was still surprised by what the short man in town had said about higher-ups coming to inspect the situation.


    After all that, she still manages to meet someone whose father works in a sugar factory and she had asked so many questions.


    Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan looked at each other and saw the helplessness in each other¡¯s eyes. It was their fault as parents for making their daughter worry so much every day.


    Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu had fallen asleep on the bumpy ride home. Perhaps they were used to this road, or perhaps they were really tired.


    On the other side, after Jiang Chuan¡¯s family left, Zhou Juan and her father ate the stir-fried vegetables and could not help but sigh, ¡°This is almost as good as meat!¡±


    Zhou Juan¡¯s father had the same feeling. After picking up some vegetables with his chopsticks, he said, ¡°Xiao Juan, if Jiang Xia comes to town again in the future, you should get closer to her.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Zhou Juan didn¡¯t understand why her father would suddenly say this, but she was still quite willing to chat with Jiang Xia. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have invited her over today.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Jiang Chuan¡¯s family is an ordinary farmer. Their mannerisms are very good, especially Jiang Xia¡¯s. She¡¯s a good girl. You can learn a lot from her.¡±


    Zhou Juan nodded and recalled what Jiang Xia said the other day. ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s a twelve-year-old child.¡±


    As she recalled, she remembered the sweet taste of the strawberries that day. When she had the chance, she would go to Jiang Xia and see if she could pick such sweet strawberries.


    She still remembered the day she chatted with Jiang Xia. That night, she dreamed that she was eating strawberries!


    Jiang Chuan returned to the village and told the village chief that the higher-ups might send people to visit the village but the village chief sat on the brick bed for a long time without answering.


    Jiang Xia raised her head and looked at the village chief in confusion. The village chief¡¯s expression was normal but the hand holding the pipe was trembling..


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 Chapter 91 - Chapter 91: Before Entering the Mountain

    Chapter 91: Before Entering the Mountain


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    ¡°Chief?¡± Jiang Chuan called out uncertainly.


    The village chief seemed to have just come back to his senses and sighed, ¡°Finally, someone has to take care of it.¡±


    Since the establishment of the country and the implementation of the system of giving food to the higher-up, they had adhered to the attitude of eating and working together. No one took more and no one took less. Thus, the income of each family in the countryside was equal.


    This kind of system was quite practical at the beginning, but over time, some people would have crooked ideas. For example, some officials would lie about grain production, only keeping their own rations and then handing over the villagers ¡®food. When the higher-ups heard the good news of so much grain, they would praise them.


    Those who were praised were the officials, those who did not have to worry about food and clothing were the officials, and all the benefits were given to them. Those who were hungry were the villagers who worked hard.


    ¡°The villagers finally have food for the winter.¡±


    This was the village chief¡¯s second exclamation.


    Although the village chief had been under pressure to leave food for the villagers for the winter, in order to catch up with the production that other villages gave, he could only leave food that barely manages to feed the villagers.


    Jiang Xia saw that the village chief¡¯s eyes were filled with hope and could not bear to pour cold water on him. Even if he left behind food, Jiang Xia was afraid that he would not be able to harvest much grain this year.


    Jiang Chuan understood the village chief¡¯s hard work in the past few years. He smiled and agreed, ¡°Yes! There will be food in the village this year.¡±


    In Jiang Chuan¡¯s memory, the village chief would be depressed for a few days every year when he came back from a meeting in another city as if he had been severely reprimanded.


    After a while, the village chief finally smiled and said to Jiang Chuan, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you that we were able to bring this news back to the village so quickly.¡±


    ¡°Village chief, you¡¯re too polite. We just happened to hear it today. If it were anyone else, they would have heard the news too.¡±


    Jiang Chuan paused for a moment before continuing. ¡°But Chief, I think we should let the leaders know the real situation of each village, right?¡±


    As soon as Jiang Chuan finished speaking, the village chief understood what he meant. He looked at Jiang Chuan meaningfully and nodded.


    Time passed day by day. Jiang Chuan and the others were almost done preparing the things they needed to enter the mountain. Although they had a car and an interspace, they still had to put on a show.


    A lot of people started asking around what Jiang Chuan¡¯s family was doing as they got curious. Seeing that there were too many curious villagers, the village chief had no choice but to share what Jiang Chuan was thinking about.


    ¡°Jiang Chuan¡¯s family is going into the mountains for us?¡± A man exclaimed after hearing the village chief¡¯s words.


    The other people who heard the what village chief had to say were also in disbelief.


    At this time, it was enough for his family to eat their fill, so why bother about other people¡¯s families? Who would have so much kindness?


    ¡°For us? What an arrogant tone! Just say that their family can¡¯t afford to live and wants to go up the mountain. They even said it so nicely. If they want to do it for us, they should see if they have the ability!¡±


    The one who spoke was none other than the Old Sun¡¯s wife.


    Ever since she was criticized that day, not only did this Old Sun¡¯s wife not reflect on herself, but she also bore a grudge against Jiang Chuan¡¯s family and the village chief.


    Normal people would have to show the village chief or officials a good side even if they do not intend to flatter them. However, it seemed like Old Sun¡¯s wife did not care.


    The village chief was a good person and did not say much about her. If this were to happen in another village, there is no way she would dare to say these things.


    Hearing the woman¡¯s voice, the village chief frowned. His usually gentle expression turned serious at this moment.


    Regardless of whether Jiang Chuan would be able to find anything in the mountains, just the fact that he had the spirit to think for the sake of the group and contribute to the group was worthy of everyone¡¯s recognition. However, this woman still had to say something nonsensical.


    With Jiang Chuan¡¯s family¡¯s current conditions, they didn¡¯t even need to venture into the mountains.. Why did they do this? Does she not use her brain?


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 Chapter 92 - Chapter 92: Speak Out

    Chapter 92: Speak Out


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you don¡¯t have to listen to me. You can also reject the items if Jiang Chuan and family manage to find stuff in the mountains.¡±


    The village chief spoke rudely, not giving the woman any chance to talk back.


    ¡°Chief, what are you saying? What makes you so sure they will be able to bring things back? I will burn incense and pray to Buddha if they don¡¯t get stuck in the mountain like the last time again. I don¡¯t have high hopes they will be able to bring anything back.¡±


    Mrs. Sun¡¯s words instantly reminded everyone of the situation when the entire village went up the mountain to look for Jiang Chuan¡¯s family. Their expressions became subtle. Looking for someone was a physical task. They did not want to travel so far for three or four people again.


    The village chief¡¯s face was livid with anger, but he had to admit that it was possible they might get stuck up there again.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to worry. My family has prepared many things to enter the mountains. If there are no accidents, we will return safely. If there really is an accident, there will be no way anyone can find us, so there is no need to trouble anyone.¡±


    Suddenly, a voice interrupted, causing everyone¡¯s expression to change. The person who spoke was Jiang Xia.


    ¡°Jiang Chuan, you¡¯re here.¡± The village chief¡¯s expression relaxed when he say Jiang Chuan and Jiang Xia.


    ¡°Where are Zhou Lan and Xiao Gu?¡± The village chief looked behind the two of them and continued to ask.


    Jiang Chuan maintained his smile and said, ¡°Zhou Lan took Xiao Gu with her to pack our stuff. We are going up the mountain early tomorrow morning.¡±


    Jiang Chuan had been in the modern business world for many years, he did not care that people were talking behind his back. However, Jiang Xia was the opposite.


    She wanted to use her ability to help others as she did not want things to end up the way they did in the history books. Perhaps she would change for mind for a while people of people like Madam Sun, but if she did not help the others, she would regret it for the rest of her life.


    ¡°Jiang Chuan, you have to consider this matter more!¡± the village chief said, really concerned about their safety.


    Jiang Xia did not want to promise anything. After all, it was uncertain if they would bring anything back. The good news is that the higher-ups will be inspecting the countryside and that would make the village chief happy.


    ¡°Uncles and Aunties, although I¡¯m young, I¡¯ve heard a saying that people who don¡¯t think far ahead will have immediate worries. You all work in the fields every day. Everyone knew what the situation was like this year. When you all saw the autumn harvest, did you all not calculate how much food we could get? We¡¯re not in the city where you can get food once you have a job. Our food needs to be handed over, did anyone calculate how much we would have left?¡±.


    Jiang Xia¡¯s words instantly silenced the muttering crowd.


    It wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t calculate it, it was that they did not dare. They were just ordinary farmers who didn¡¯t know anything other than farming. Even if they knew that there was no food left, what could they do?


    Their only hope was the country¡¯s policies. They were hoping that after the autumn harvest, the higher-ups would see their situation and issue new policies. However, now that this layer of self-deception had been exposed by Jiang Xia, many people became afraid.


    ¡°You! If we can¡¯t get food, there¡¯s still the country¡¯s relief food. We can apply for relief food, but we won¡¯t starve to death.¡± Madam Sun shouted fiercely.


    Jiang Xia sneered. ¡°Auntie, are you suffering from selective amnesia? How did the two families from our neighboring village die last year?¡±


    Then, Jiang Xia¡¯s eyes looked like they were mocking Madam Sun, ¡°Why do you think you can still be so arrogant now? Isn¡¯t it because of the village chief¡¯s kindness?¡±


    ¡°Little brat, what are you talking about? The two families in the neighboring village deserve their death. They are the ones who did not store enough food. No one will believe what you said.¡± Madam Sun continued.


    Jiang Xia was extremely annoyed with this woman. ¡°Storing up grain? The village head of the neighboring village had handed over three-quarters of their village¡¯s grain for the sake of his good reputation. If they didn¡¯t store up grain, what could they do? How do you think your family got all that food? Grandpa Chief was under pressure from the higher-ups and was criticized every time there was a meeting held..¡±


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 Chapter 93 - Chapter 93: Ungrateful Wolf

    Chapter 93: Ungrateful Wolf


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    ¡°And now you¡¯re going against the village chief all day long. Is this considered cursing your mother after drinking milk?¡± Jiang Xia attacked without stopping. Jiang Chuan wanted to give his daughter a round of applause for inheriting her mother¡¯s sharp tongue.


    Back when Jiang Chuan was just starting up, many people stayed far away from him because they were afraid that he would borrow money. As Jiang Chuan¡¯s business became more and more prosperous, a lot of the aunties would start to visit him for no reason.


    In the beginning, Jiang Chuan was still thinking having more connections would help him. But those people were like bloodsuckers. Once they stuck to him, he could not get rid of them. Their appetite grew bigger and bigger, causing Jiang Chuan to be restless all day.


    Later, Jiang Chuan wanted to cut ties with these people. While Jiang Chuan was worried that they will attack him for being heartless, Zhou Lan scolded them. The situation got so big that everyone in the neighborhood knew about their family¡¯s mess.


    In the company, when Jiang Chuan fired people who caused trouble, Zhou Lan would step up to make sure they did not say anything bad about him.


    Jiang Chuan nodded when he saw his daughter with her hands on her hips, confident that she will not be bullied in the future.


    The village chief had a complicated expression on his face hearing these conversations. Jiang Xia had a grateful heart and tried to protect him, but why did she add the last sentence?¡±


    This little girl had a grateful heart and protected him. He was very pleased, but why did she add the last sentence?


    ¡°You guys! You are all nothing compared to this little girl.¡± The village chief sighed.


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed risky for Jiang Chuan¡¯s family to enter the mountains. It is not a problem for them to survive the winter even if they enter the mountains. But Jiang Chuan told me if he managed to find any food he will bring it back to share with the villagers. Can any of you do the same?¡± the village chief asked. After hearing the village chief¡¯s words, some of the villagers started to look ashamed.


    It was true. Despite the situation being so bad, so many of them were waiting for things to fall from the sky, and no one took the initiative to figure a way out.


    Jiang Chuan¡¯s family was going to enter the mountains to find food for the villagers, yet they were all brainwashed by Madam Sun¡¯s words.


    ¡°Village chief, you can¡¯t just listen to their side of the story! If they wanted to find food, they could do so! Why did he insist on helping the villagers find food? Why? Do they want the villagers to be grateful to them?¡±


    Even though she knew that what the village chief said made sense, Madam Sun was still stubborn.


    ¡°Enough!¡± The village chief scolded sternly. He was really angry this time.


    ¡°Jiang Chuan and the others didn¡¯t plan to tell you about this in the first place. It was you who came to look for me today. They didn¡¯t ask you to give them anything, and they didn¡¯t ask you to be grateful. They planned it in silent. You were to ones who were curious. As the chief of Tong Shan Village, I feel ashamed to have villagers like you!¡±


    After the village chief finished speaking, the entire place was silent and Madam Sun was left speechless.


    After the village chief mentioned it, the others soon realise that they were indeed the ones who were curious.


    Jiang Chuan¡¯s family had been preparing these items for some time. A lot of the villagers approached him to ask about it but he only smiled and told them he was preparing to go out. He never once said the reason.


    The men who had come to listen to the commotion all blushed. A few women also hid behind their men with flushed faces.


    ¡°And Madam Sun, you said that they only entered the mountain because they needed food, then let me tell you, even if they didn¡¯t enter the mountain, they wouldn¡¯t be hungry! Putting aside the fact that he was lucky enough to find wild vegetables and animals, just the fact that he knew people in town was a way out! Why do you think we get a lot of food every time we exchange things? That¡¯s because they know each other!¡±


    The village chief finished what he wanted to say in one breath. It was not that he wanted to side with Jiang Chuan, but they had indeed benefited from them.. One could not be an ingrate like the Sun family, right?


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 Chapter 94 - Chapter 94: Rectification

    Chapter 94: Rectification


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Jiang Xia and her father looked at each other. Although they had some dealings with the man from town, it wasn¡¯t to the point of saying that it was a way out. However, it was true that her family would not stave to death, so there is no need to correct the village chief¡¯s words.


    As for why the village chief thought so, he had to talk about Xiao Wu, who often went to town with Jiang Chuan¡¯s family.


    Because every time he or the villagers hunted prey, the man would give them a pound or two in exchange for food, Xiao Wu felt that Jiang Chuan¡¯s family had a good relationship with the man, so he came back and shared with the village chief.


    When the matter was almost finished, the villagers left one after another. The first to leave was Madam Sun.


    Jiang Xia was not someone to be trifled with. Before Madam Sun left, she even specially asked, ¡°Auntie, is there anything you¡¯re not satisfied with? We¡¯re all from the same village. If you have any questions, just ask us.¡±


    Although Madam Sun was thick-skinned, she still couldn¡¯t bear to listen to people whispering to her face. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, she left dejectedly.


    After the villagers left, only Jiang Chuan, his daughter, and the village chief were left.


    ¡°Thank you, Chief.¡± Jiang Chuan smiled at the village chief. ¡°Otherwise, the villagers would be gossiping behind our backs.¡±


    The village chief waved his hand and sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect them to have so many thoughts. This can be considered as clearing your family¡¯s name.¡±


    In fact, the whole thing was not because the villagers were black-hearted, but because someone with ulterior motives had led the way. The village chief treated his family well, and his family repeatedly hunted prey and brought back food, which made some people jealous. Therefore, there were speculations behind their backs.


    After the village chief said that, he shifted his gaze to Jiang Xia and sighed. ¡°Xiao Xia is a good girl!¡±


    Jiang Xia¡¯s face turned red from the village chief¡¯s praise.


    Jiang Xia had always been smart. But due to her personality in the past, she did not dare to voice out her opinions. This was probably the biggest difference between Jiang Xia from this world and Jiang Xia from the modern world.


    The village wasn¡¯t big, so the news that Jiang Chuan¡¯s family was preparing to enter the mountain quickly spread. At the same time, the reason why Jiang Chuan was going into the mountain also spreaded.


    Although no one thought or expected Jiang Chuan¡¯s family to really bring anything back, they were still touched after hearing the village chief¡¯s words, and their impression of Jiang Chuan¡¯s family increased.


    While there are people who were happy, there were also people who were worried. Those who were worried are naturally those who instigated Madam Sun to cause trouble.


    Hearing Jiang Gui¡¯s wife reenacts the situation with Jiang Chuan¡¯s family just now, Madam Jiang smashed a water jar.


    Sun Li was a man who did not dare say anything while his wife was someone who could not keep her mouth shut.


    Madam Jiang was well aware of this, so she asked Jiang Gui¡¯s wife to urge Madam Sun to go around and tell everyone that Jiang Chuan had bought a lot of things from town. It was the reason why so many villagers went to ask the village chief what was happening.¡±


    ¡°Mother, what should we do this time? Not only did we not get any benefits, but we also succeeded in improving Jiang Chuan¡¯s reputation.¡± Jiang Gui¡¯s wife asks gloomily.


    Madam Jiang¡¯s eyes were also filled with hatred. Ever since the family split with Jiang Chuan, the family had never stopped arguing. At first, she thought that her second daughter-in-law was stable and easy to control. Who would have thought that she would be so difficult to deal with? Just by asking her to do more work, she could cause chaos in the family.


    After that, Jiang Chuan found wild vegetables and caught roe deer. Madam Jiang was so jealous that she was filled with anger.


    Madam Jiang did not expect that Jiang Chuan¡¯s family had only taken a few tattered clothes and a small tattered bag when they left. Jiang Gui¡¯s wife was still watching them, trying to make she they will not take anything.


    However, people who were fundamentally bad would naturally only think in their own direction. The truth was not worth mentioning in front of them.


    ¡°Humph! I think they won¡¯t be able to live to hear it anymore.¡± Madam Jiang did not hide the malice in her words at all..


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 Chapter 95 - Chapter 95: Neighbours Kindness

    Chapter 95: Neighbours Kindness


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    ¡°Mother, you said that Jiang Chuan and his family¡¯s life got better as soon as they went up the mountain. Why don¡¯t we go up the mountain to take a look too?¡± Jiang Gui¡¯s wife asked.


    Old Madam Jiang frowned deeply. ¡°Are you tired of living? Did you not see how those people who went up the mountain were beaten by wild beasts two years ago?¡±


    Hearing Madam Jiang¡¯s words, Jiang Gui¡¯s wife instantly trembled. Those people had even lost their limbs!


    However, when she thought about the things that the Jiang Chuan family had gained, she refused to give up so quickly and said, ¡°Mother, look, even Jiang Chuan can go into the mountains to look for things. There¡¯s no reason that only they can find it and we can¡¯t!¡±


    Madam Jiang sneered. ¡°You only walked the foot of the mountain every time you go up. From what the village chief said, they want to enter the mountain. They do not want to live, do you feel the same way?¡±


    When Jiang Gui¡¯s wife heard this, she stopped arguing with her mother-in-law. It was true they had quite a bit of food left. There was no need to gamble their lives.


    The news about Jiang Chuan¡¯s family had spread, and those who were close to the Jiang family naturally knew about it.


    As soon as Jiang Chuan and Jiang Xia returned home, they saw Xiao Wu and the man next door sitting in the living room.


    Jiang Chuan¡¯s house wasn¡¯t big, and the space was a little cramped with two men sitting in it.


    Jiang Xia was a sweet talker. As soon as she saw the two of them, she called out, ¡°Uncle Wu, Uncle Li.¡±


    Jiang Chuan¡¯s neighbor¡¯s surname was Li. Like Xiao Wu, he was also single.


    The man surnamed Li was called Li Jian. He was named by a knowledgeable teacher in the village. From his name, one could tell that the teacher had high expectations for him.


    He was the only one in his family. In this day and age, it was better to have a large family so one could take care of the other. It was also because of this that he had not been able to marry a wife in his twenties.


    In fact, there was another reason other than being alone. Unlike Jiang Gui, Li Jian did not like to talk. Instead, he was independent and good at his work. He helped a lot when they were building Jiang Chuan¡¯s family house.


    Jiang Chuan didn¡¯t know why the two of them were at his house. He asked, ¡°Xiao Wu, Xiao Li, what brings you here today?¡±


    ¡°Brother Jiang, I heard that you¡¯re going up the mountain!¡± Xiao Wu said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that it¡¯s not safe for you to go up the mountain alone so we want to follow you!¡±


    Jiang Xia was dumbfounded when she heard this. If they really brought them along, they wouldn¡¯t be able to take out a single item from their car. Wouldn¡¯t it really become survival in the jungle?


    Jiang Chuan also understood this point, so he tactfully refused, ¡°The autumn harvest is coming soon. You guys are still busy with your work. We can go up the mountain ourselves.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Brother Jiang. I don¡¯t think we need so many people for this autumn harvest. It won¡¯t delay anything if we don¡¯t go.¡± Xiao Wu continued.


    Jiang Chuan was helpless, but the two of them were telling the truth. With the grain production this year, even if a few people didn¡¯t go to the field, it wouldn¡¯t affect the speed of collecting grain.


    However, even if they really wanted to help, Jiang Chuan could not agree. He could only continue to refuse. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! Xiao Wu and Xiao Li, I know you want to help, but as you can see, we only prepared the things for the four of us. It¡¯s really¡­¡±


    Since Jiang Chuan had already said so much, Xiao Wu and Xiao Li were not people who could not read his eyes. They took the opportunity to say, ¡°Brother Jiang, you have to be careful when you go up the mountain. The few people who were bitten to death a few years ago are a good example!¡±


    The few people who were bitten to death? Jiang Xia thought of something and quickly asked, ¡°Uncle Wu, what do you mean bitten to death? Arc there any ferocious beasts in the mountains?¡±


    Xiao Wu was stunned by Jiang Xia¡¯s question and looked at Jiang Chuan. Wasn¡¯t this matter a big deal a few years ago? Why did Xiao Xia look like she didn¡¯t know?


    Jiang Chuan recalled that there was indeed such a thing. However, Jiang Chuan had been tortured by Old Jiang¡¯s family at that time, so he didn¡¯t hear many gossips. He didn¡¯t know much about the matter.


    ¡°At that time, Xiao Xia was sick and Xiao Gu was not in good health. They didn¡¯t give us money to see the doctor. We were all busy taking care of the family and didn¡¯t pay much attention to it.¡± Jiang Chuan said..


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 Chapter 96 - Chapter 96: Dangerous Mountain

    Chapter 96: Dangerous Mountain


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Xiao Wu understood what was going on when he heard Jiang Chuan¡¯s words. Ever since Brother Jiang split up with his family, he had heard a lot about how the Jiang family had abused Brother Jiang. At that time, he was still wondering how one could be so biased.


    ¡°It¡¯s like this. There were always a lot of good things in Mountain Tong but it was rare that people brought them down. Occasionally, people would bring ginseng down and sell it for a lot of money. Some people got jealous and tried bringing their relatives up into the mountains but they end up losing their lives.¡± Xiao Wu sighed as he spoke and continued to tell him what happened next.


    ¡°At that time, it was the village chief who brought us up the mountain to look for people. We only found a few corpses. Their faces and limbs were missing. Their families were able to identify them by their clothes.¡±


    Xiao Wu couldn¡¯t help but shiver when he recalled the scene. He didn¡¯t tell them that they found the bodies by following the stench. It wasn¡¯t just one person who died, but five people. Many people vomited when they saw that scene.


    This was also the reason why the villagers thought that Jiang Chuan and the others had died in the mountains when they first arrived.


    After listening to the story, Jiang Xia¡¯s expression changed slightly. If such a ferocious beast really existed in the mountains, she wondered if her mother could deal with it.


    However, even if her mother could not defeat the beasts, she had water from her interspace. She could take it out and lure the wild beasts away from them.


    ¡°Thank you for informing me! We¡¯ll be careful when we go up the mountain.¡± Jiang Chuan said.


    Xiao Wu¡¯s original intention was to get Jiang Chuan to give up the idea of entering the mountain, but it was useless.


    Seeing that they couldn¡¯t persuade Jiang Chuan, Xiao Wu, and Xiao Li didn¡¯t stay any longer. They were about to leave when Jiang Xia stopped them.


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Wu and Uncle Li, for telling us so much. It¡¯s already dinner time. Why don¡¯t you two uncles have dinner here?¡±


    Their journey into the mountain could be as short as a few days, or as long as half a month. It could be considered as completely cutting off contact with the village. Since these two people were willing to be on good terms with her family, they might as well be nice to them. It would also help them catch up on information when they do come down from the mountain.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t good!¡± Xiao Wu looked a little embarrassed.


    He was not good at cooking and often ate what other people cook. But with the current situation of the lack of food, he could not be too thick-skinned.


    Hearing Xiao Wu¡¯s words, Xiao Li also stood up.


    Jiang Chuan smiled and stopped the two of them. ¡°You two are too formal. You came to persuade me because you are worried about our family¡¯s safety. I understand what you mean. Since you see me as a brother, why arc you being so polite now?¡±


    ¡°Let your mother cook two more dishes,¡± Jiang Chuan said to Jiang Xia. ¡°Let¡¯s have a good meal tonight.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Jiang Xia answered happily and ran to the kitchen.


    When Zhou Lan saw Jiang Xia running over, she thought that they had run out of water and she needed her to refill it.


    ¡°No, Mom, Dad said that Uncle Wu and Uncle Li are eating at our house today and asked you to make more dishes.¡±


    After saying that, Jiang Xia added firewood to the stove and told her mother what she had heard just now. She thought that she would see her mother¡¯s afraid look, but Zhou Lan added water to the pot and said with a smile, ¡°There really arc large wild beasts in this mountain! Could it be a tiger or something? If it¡¯s really a tiger, I¡¯ll show you the modern version of Wu Song beating the tiger.¡±


    Jiang Xia¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Mother, can you be more reserved and maintain your ladylike image? Don¡¯t always show off your strange strength. Also, Xiao Gu has been learning bad things from you recently.¡±


    Jiang Xia pouted in dissatisfaction. She and her father wanted to train Xiao Gu into a well-educated and well-mannered lady, while her mother wanted to train Xiao Gu into a tough woman. The most infuriating thing was that Xiao Gu was really swayed by her mother.


    She and her father had been so worried, but her mother was actually clapping and saying that Xiao Gu had the potential to learn martial arts. Xiao Gu really took after her mother.


    ¡°What do you mean by bad? I was teaching Xiao Gu to protect herself. Some time ago, the two of you were beaten up.. If you had learned how to protect yourselves, you wouldn¡¯t have been beaten up by that old fellow!¡±


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 Chapter 97 - Chapter 97: The Night Before Going Up the Mountain

    Chapter 97: The Night Before Going Up the Mountain


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    As expected of her biological mother. Zhou Lan instantly hit Jiang Xia¡¯s sore spot. Jiang Xia could not say a word and could only help Zhou Lan with the fire.


    The dishes were sumptuous. Zhou Lan fried some green beans, stir-fried cabbage with meat, and braised chicken with potatoes.


    As soon as the dishes were out of the pot, the fragrance of the meat filled the air. Fortunately, they lived at the end of the village. Otherwise, the fragrance would attract a lot of people.


    Xiao Wu and Xiao Li were both young men in their twenties. As soon as they were hit with the fragrance of meat, they began to swallow their saliva. When they saw the meat, their eyes lit up.


    They had only expected normal stirfry vegetable dishes and they did not expect to receive such good food. This made them feel really uneasy.


    ¡°Brother Jiang, I think we should go home and eat! There is a lack of food now, we feel so bad that you are serving us all these.¡± Xiao Wu said.


    Xiao Li had always followed Xiao Wu¡¯s lead, so he nodded in agreement.


    Jiang Chuan could tell that the two of them were uncomfortable. He smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. We caught these when we went up the mountain. Seeing that we were about to enter the mountain, we wanted to eat a good meal to replenish our strength. Xiao Wu, Xiao Li, just join us.¡±


    After hearing Jiang Chuan¡¯s words, the two of them couldn¡¯t reject him again. They could only nod and agree. Their expressions relaxed a little, but they knew that Jiang Chuan had said that on purpose to take care of them.


    Zhou Lan served the dishes one by one and called for everyone to eat. Xiao Gu also smelled the fragrance of the food and ran in from outside.


    Seeing Jiang Gu¡¯s look, Jiang Xia teased, ¡°If only you could learn things as fast as you eat.¡±


    Jiang Gu pouted unhappily. ¡°Jiang Xia! I saw you stealing chicken in the kitchen just now!¡±


    After Jiang Chuan¡¯s family came, Jiang Gu became much more cheerful and could even bicker with his sister.


    ¡°Alright! Go wipe your hands and eat.¡±


    As Zhou Lan spoke, she took out the wild vegetables that were from Jiang Xia¡¯s interspace. The vegetables were fresh and tender and they looked really appetizing.


    Looking at the table full of vegetables, Zhou Lan felt that something was missing. It was only when her gaze fell on the wild vegetables that she realized that she had not bought any sauce at home.


    ¡°Mother, what¡¯s wrong? Why aren¡¯t you sitting down and eating?¡± Jiang Xia asked Zhou Lan, who was standing by the table.


    Although Xiao Li didn¡¯t talk much, he knew how to read what was going on in people¡¯s minds. When he saw Zhou Lan¡¯s gaze on the wild vegetables, he understood what was going on.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, I still have some sauce at home. I¡¯ll go home and get it.¡±


    Xiao Li¡¯s house was only a wall away from theirs. In less than five minutes, Xiao Li returned with a small jar of sauce.


    The meal was very lively. Xiao Wu talked about a lot of things that happened in the village, from the small things like how many eggs Aunt Wang¡¯s hen laid at the most to the big changes in the village in the past few years.


    The main change was brought about by the village chief. Ever since the village chief arrived, no one had starved to death in the village.


    Jiang Chuan agreed. Although he couldn¡¯t remember many of the major events that Xiao Wu mentioned, he had some impression of them. The reason why he couldn¡¯t remember them was very clear. At that time, his memories of the outside world had been replaced by the memories of Jiang¡¯s family had squeezed out.


    Just as Jiang Chuan thought of this, Xiao Wu started talking about Old Jiang¡¯s family.


    ¡°Brother Jiang! If you hadn¡¯t moved out, we wouldn¡¯t have known that you had such a hard time in Old Jiang¡¯s family!¡± Xiao Wu sighed.


    Xiao Wu was a very capable young man. He knew how to hunt and learned a lot of words. He was good at both going up and down the mountain. He was very valued by the village chief. Many girls liked him, but he did not get married because he was not interested in them.


    Jiang Chuan paused for a moment and asked, ¡°What did you think of Old Jiang¡¯s family before?¡±


    Xiao Wu thought for a moment and said, ¡°In the past! I thought that they were quite ordinary. Old Jiang and Madam Jiang¡¯s personality of bullying the weak and fearing the strong was obvious to anyone with discerning eyes. Then there¡¯s Jiang Gui. He¡¯s just a hooligan. No one is willing to fight him because he has a few more pounds on him. Jiang Chuan, you and Zhou Lan don¡¯t talk much, so everyone was quite surprised when you exposed the matter..¡±


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 Chapter 98 - Chapter 98: Finally Up the Mountain

    Chapter 98: Finally Up the Mountain


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    ¡°Surprised?¡± Jiang Chuan asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! After that, there were many rumors that your family was exploited and abused by them. I think it was spread by Old Jiang¡¯s neighbors. I think they were afraid that your life in the Jiang family would be more difficult if they gossiped, so they didn¡¯t spread it. Now that you¡¯re gone, there¡¯s no need to hide so much!¡±


    Xiao Wu¡¯s words surprised Jiang Xia. However, after thinking about it, after their family moved out, there were very few people who gossiped about their family. Instead, more villagers were privately saying how vicious the Jiang family was.


    Some details that she had not noticed before flashed through Jiang Xia¡¯s mind. Jiang Xia could not help but be happy that there were still many people in the village who were kind to her family. It seemed that her idea of helping the village was not wrong.


    The sky was getting dark, and the food on the table was almost gone.


    After sending off Xiao Wu and Xiao Li, Jiang Chuan, and Jiang Xia sat beside the big basin to wash the dishes while Zhou Lan taught Jiang Gu boxing in the courtyard.


    The injury on Jiang Gu¡¯s arm had long healed under the feeding of Jiang Xia¡¯s spatial water. However, in order not to let the villagers notice anything unusual, she still tied the cloth up for two more days.


    Jiang Xia raised her head and looked at the mother and daughter who were sweating profusely from practicing.


    ¡°Father, are you just going to watch and not do anything?¡± Jiang Xia was still thinking about the plan to train Xiao Gu into a young lady, so he urged her father to go against her mother.


    ¡°What can I do? It is up to your mother.¡± Jiang Chuan said.


    Jiang Xia had a look of disdain on her face. ¡°Father, why do you look so proud when you can¡¯t control it? If you don¡¯t do anything about it, you¡¯ll regret it if she really turns Xiao Gu into a woman who speaks with her fists!¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, Jiang Xia saw her father glance at her and sneer. ¡°If you want to be dragged by your mother to run five kilometers, go by yourself. Don¡¯t bring me along.¡±


    After saying that, her father took a bowl of water and walked toward Zhou Lan without looking back.


    Jiang Xia looked through the window and could vaguely hear her father asking, ¡°Docs my wife want to drink water?¡±


    Since Xiao Wu had said that he would send them off the next morning, they had left quietly with their luggage.


    They knew that if they let Xiao Wu send them off, there would be lots of nagging. Although the young man had good intentions, they did not want to dawdle until noon.


    They left early and the sun only rise after they walked for about an hour or two. The trees in the mountain were lush, and the branches and leaves would block the sun.


    When they left, the villagers were still sleeping. The entire village was quiet, so they didn¡¯t have to take a detour because they wouldn¡¯t attract anyone¡¯s attention.


    They left the village smoothly. When they reached a small hill, Jiang Xia turned around to take a look.


    Houses were arranged in order, and small roads intersected with each other. The fog rising in the morning enveloped the village like a painting.


    At this time, there were not as many facilities as in modern times. Although it was inconvenient to travel, it was because of this that allowed for such fresh air.


    ¡°Xiao Xia, what are you looking at?¡± Jiang Chuan turned around and asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Jiang Xia replied and followed her family.


    They woke up early today and without waking Jiang Gu up, Zhou Lan carried her and set off.


    Ever since she had her power, her mother had been fighting to do all kinds of heavy work. Even though she knew that this kind of work was nothing to her mother, her father felt that his wife was tired and had to fight over it repeatedly.


    The sun gradually rose, and smoke slowly rose from the village that they passed by when they entered the mountain. Jiang Xia looked at the village and then turned to look at the approaching mountain. She sighed, ¡°We¡¯re finally going to enter the mountain.¡±


    Xiao Wu and Xiao Li arrived at the Jiang family¡¯s house early in the morning, but they did not see Jiang Chuan¡¯s family. All they saw was a locked wooden door..


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 Chapter 99 - Chapter 99: Doing Something Big

    Chapter 99: Doing Something Big


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    ¡°Mother?¡±


    Jiang Gu rubbed her eyes and woke up from her sleep.


    ¡°Xiao Gu is awake! Still sleepy? If you¡¯re still sleepy, sleep for a while more.¡±


    Hearing her mother¡¯s voice, Jiang Gu arched her back and was about to sleep again. However, she realized that something was wrong the next second. She suddenly opened her eyes and called out for her mother.


    ¡°Yes, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhou Lan asked.


    Jiang Gu blinked and looked at the green patch of land around her with a puzzled expression.


    ¡°Mother, where are we?¡±


    ¡°The baby pig is awake!¡±


    Before her mother could answer, Jiang Gu heard her sister¡¯s teasing voice from behind.


    ¡°Stupid girl, how can you say that about your sister!¡±


    ¡°Dad, just say what you want to say. Can you not flick my head? What if I turn stupid?¡±


    ¡°It is just a flick, you will not turn stupid!¡±


    ¡°Is he really my biological father.¡±


    As she listened to her sister and father bicker, Jiang Gu rubbed her little head against Zhou Lan¡¯s back. She liked her current life very much. She and her sister didn¡¯t have to worry about being sold every day, and her parents didn¡¯t have to be forced to work by their grandparents every day.


    She often wondered if her life was just a dream. When she woke up from the dream, she would still be in the house where her grandparents beat and scolded them every day.


    She wondered why her parents and sister had become so powerful that she no longer had to starve and even had meat to eat.


    However, Jiang Gu, who had little knowledge, would probably never understand the concept of transmigration, let alone think that her parents had already changed.


    If she knew, she would have asked where her parents had gone.


    ¡°Mother, I can walk by myself. You don¡¯t have to carry me anymore. You will get tired.¡± Jiang Gu spoke to Zhou Lan like a little adult.


    A soft voice came from behind her, and Zhou Lan¡¯s heart softened. She smiled and said, ¡°Xiao Gu is very light. I am not tired. Xiao Gu is so light. I must feed you more after we leave the mountain.¡±


    Even though Zhou Lan said so, Jiang Gu still couldn¡¯t sit still. She twisted and turned on Zhou Lan¡¯s back to stop her from carrying her. Zhou Lan had no choice but to put her down.


    After being placed on the ground by Zhou Lan, Jiang Gu started looking around.


    She had come to this forest twice with her mother and sister. It was where they picked wild vegetables.


    Jiang Gu lowered her head shyly and said, ¡°Mother, we left so early! Why didn¡¯t you wake me up? I can walk on my own.¡±


    Jiang Xia walked to Jiang Gu¡¯s side and rubbed her head. ¡°You¡¯re a child. Why would you wake up so early Sleeping is good for your body.¡±


    Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan nodded in agreement. It was normal for children to sleep more!


    Jiang Gu saw that she couldn¡¯t persuade her family and could only change the topic, ¡°Father, Mother, are we going up the mountain to stay for a long time? Why do you want to stay on the mountain for a long time?¡±


    When she was at home, she had heard her parents say that they wanted to live on the mountain for a long time, but she didn¡¯t quite understand what her parents wanted to do.


    Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan looked at each other. They didn¡¯t know how to explain this to their younger daughter, but Jiang Xia helped them out.


    Jiang Xia smiled mysteriously at Jiang Gu and said, ¡°Father and Mother are preparing to do something big. If they succeed, they can help the village survive the famine! So don¡¯t be surprised by what you see after entering the mountain. We¡¯ll leave the mountain after we find the things. It won¡¯t take too long, at most half a month or a month.¡±


    Jiang Gu nodded. Her sister had always been mysterious. She just had to listen to her sister.


    Because they were not in a hurry to climb the mountain this time, they walked slowly for two more hours and their stomach started growling.


    After Xiao Wu and Xiao Li left yesterday, Zhou Lan made a lot of pancakes and cornbread that were easy to store.


    After all, their family¡¯s grain reserves were basically coarse grain, so they couldn¡¯t make refined food. As for the things in Jiang Chuan¡¯s car and Jiang Xia¡¯s space, they could only take them out when they entered the deep mountains and were sure that they wouldn¡¯t be discovered. At the same time, this would give Jiang Gu time to slowly accept it.


    Jiang Gu took out some dry rations from her bag, as well as wild vegetables and sauce. They of them found a relatively flat rock and sat on it to eat..


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 Chapter 100 - Chapter 1oo: Building a House

    Chapter 1oo: Building a House


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    The sauce was the one that Xiao Li brought over yesterday. It was mixed with minced meat. Although there was not much meat, the fragrance of the meat was very strong.


    ¡°I wonder how Xiao Li made this sauce. It¡¯s spicy, fragrant, and meaty.¡± Jiang Chuan swallowed the food in his mouth.


    Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu also nodded their heads vigorously. Uncle Li¡¯s sauce was really delicious.


    Zhou Lan dipped some wild vegetables into the sauce and put them into her mouth. ¡°They¡¯re not allowed to sell it now. Otherwise, Xiao Li¡¯s sauce would definitely sell.¡±


    They continued to walk into the mountains after dinner. Jiang Xia estimated that it was already past ten o¡¯clock, but the trees on the mountain were lush and the scorching sun couldn¡¯t reach them.


    Because they had to take out something that did not exist in this era, they needed to settle down in the mountains.


    In order to prevent any possibility of being discovered, they had to build a wooden house as a temporary residence.


    The further they went, the fewer traces of humans they could see. Instead, there were more traces of animals.


    The mountain was different from the outside world. Even in the dry stream, one could still see small streams of water.


    Jiang Chuan brought his family into the mountains and did not encounter any wild beasts along the way. Instead, there were only rabbits and pheasants jumping around.


    After walking for a long time, Jiang Chuan and Jiang Xia found an open space in the forest.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we build a shed here first? Put everything down first.¡± Jiang Chuan said.


    Jiang Xia looked around. It was not far from the river, and there were no signs of humans or beasts stepping on the grass. It should be safe.


    Xiao Gu was still young so she felt really tired. But in order not to make her mother carry her, she did not utter a world. She only sat down when her father said that they will be building a shed there.


    Jiang Xia walked to Jiang Gu¡¯s side and teased her. ¡°Xiao Gu, are you trying to show off? You don¡¯t want Mother to carry you. Are you not tired?¡±


    Jiang Gu thought that she had pretended well and did not let her family find out that she was tired. However, it was really obvious in Jiang Xia¡¯s eyes and she had to tease her about it.


    Jiang Gu pouted, ¡°I¡¯m not tired. I¡¯m not tired.¡±


    Seeing her parents and sister in high spirits, Jiang Gu refused to admit it.


    Jiang Xia smiled and handed over a porcelain jar filled with water, ¡°Don¡¯t be so brazen. Drink some water and relax.¡±


    Jiang Xia was not teasing Jiang Gu on purpose, instead, it was her mother who wanted Jiang Gu to climb up the mountain alone to train her stamina.


    In modern times, Zhou Lan also wanted to train Jiang Chuan and Jiang Xia. However, these two were too disappointing. They were tired after climbing the mountain for less than 20 minutes. No matter what she tried to tempt them with, it was useless. Zhou Lan had no choice but to give up on her plan.


    Jiang Gu looked at the water in the jar and did not want it. However, she smelled something sweet and took a sip. She instantly felt a lot stronger and asked Jiang Xia, ¡°Jiang Xia, this is water?¡±


    Jiang Xia chuckled, ¡°You¡¯re not tired anymore, are you? You will see even more amazing things in the future! Don¡¯t be too surprised!¡±


    Although Jiang Gu had drunk a lot of space water before, it was different this time. Previously, Zhou Lan would either put it in when she was cooking or feed it to Jiang Gu when she was weak.


    Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan sighed at the same time when they saw their daughter teasing their youngest daughter. They then looked at each other and smiled. To others, entering the mountains was no different from entering a tiger¡¯s den, but to them, it was a holiday.


    Zhou Lan took out the things she had prepared at the foot of the mountain. Other than some food, there were also many tools, such as saws, axes, ropes, and so on. As they might stay here for quite a while, they made sure to prepare a lot of things.


    Zhou Lan and Jiang Chuan were planning where to start building the wooden house. They were confident because they had experience with living in the wild in the modern days. They had participated in a TV show that invited three groups of families.


    They had to live for half a month so the three families worked together to build temporary wooden houses in the wild. It helped a lot with the situation now..


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 Chapter 101 - Chapter 101: Keeping a Secret

    Chapter 101: Keeping a Secret


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    While the two of them were discussing, Jiang Chuan remembered a lot of information from his previous Jiang Chuan memories. It seemed that he had also thought of taking his family out alone before, but he did not do so for various reasons.


    Since it would take at least a few days to build the wooden house, Jiang Chuan found the tent in the car and placed it on the ground.


    Previously, when the family of three was preparing to camp, they chose a larger tent for the sake of comfort. Therefore, even if there was an additional tent, it would not be too crowded.


    ¡°Xiao Xia, I¡¯ll go with your mother to cut down the trees. Can you set up the tent?¡± Jiang Chuan said to Jiang Xia, who was still chatting with Jiang Gu and Jiang Xia replied with an OK gesture.


    After Jiang Chuan handed the task of setting up the tent to Jiang Xia, he took Zhou Lan and the tools to cut down trees elsewhere.


    Jiang Gu followed behind Jiang Xia and walked to Jiang Chuan¡¯s pile of things and her eyes widened curiously, ¡°Jiang Xia, what is this?¡±


    Jiang Xia explained as she unwrapped the package. ¡°This is called a tent. It¡¯s where we¡¯ll be staying for the next few days.¡±


    ¡°Tent?¡±


    Jiang Gu imitated Jiang Xia¡¯s actions and helped Jiang Xia take out the things in the big bag one by one. She felt the touch in her hand that she had never felt before and exclaimed, ¡°Jiang Xia, why is this cloth so smooth?¡±


    Hearing Jiang Gu¡¯s words, Jiang Xia¡¯s heart ached again. At the same time, she was also doubting whether they were doing the right thing.


    It would probably take another 30 to 40 years for such a thing to appear. If Jiang Gu saw it so early, it might affect her future.


    Jiang Xia thought for a moment and explained patiently, ¡°Xiao Gu, these things were exchanged for by our parents when we went up the mountain. We can¡¯t let others know.¡±


    Although the truth was different from what Jiang Xia said, it was basically the same. Jiang Chuan¡¯s family had indeed sacrificed their lives to come to this world.


    Seeing the confusion in Jiang Gu¡¯s eyes, Jiang Xia continued, ¡°Although we didn¡¯t encounter any wild beasts when we went up the mountain, we fainted from hunger without food. Just when I thought that our parents and I were about to starve to death, a lot of magical things suddenly appeared in my mind, just like my father¡¯s ability to take out something.¡±


    As Jiang Xia narrated the story that he had made up, Jiang Gu¡¯s expression changed from worry to fear, then to surprise, and finally to worship.


    ¡°Daddy can take something out of thin air?¡± Jiang Gu blinked her big eyes and asked.


    ¡°Yes, he can!¡± Jiang Xia nodded and added, ¡°Not only Daddy, but I can also take out some! I can still keep some!¡±


    After saying that, Jiang Xia showed Jiang Gu the ability to make an item disappear and reappear.


    ¡°You are so awesome!¡± Jiang Gu¡¯s attention was gradually diverted by Jiang Xia, and the admiration in her eyes seemed to be overflowing.


    Jiang Xia¡¯s lips curled up as she continued to brainwash Jiang Gu. ¡°I¡¯ll say it again. Xiao Gu, you have to keep this a secret!¡±


    ¡°If Xiao Gu spreads our abilities, everyone will be on our tail. They will study why Father and I have such abilities. If they can¡¯t find the reason, they might cut our bodies open to study the difference between us and others.¡±


    Jiang Gu¡¯s eyes widened in horror, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Of course! Xiao Gu, think about it! Everyone wants this ability of ours, but they can¡¯t get it. What should we do? They can only push us into the research institute.¡±


    Jiang Xia deliberately said these words to scare Jiang Gu. Although if their abilities were really known by the outside world, they might be directly sent to the capital and protected, if people with ulterior motives knew about it, their future would probably be very miserable.


    ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone! Definitely not! Even if they beat me to death, I won¡¯t tell anyone about my sister and father¡¯s abilities.¡±


    Jiang Gu promised Jiang Xia loudly and then made a zipping gesture with her mouth.


    Jiang Xia chuckled and patted Jiang Gu¡¯s head.


    She knew that Jiang Gu was smart, but Jiang Gu was still a child after all. She had to think of a way to make Jiang Gu afraid so that she could completely keep the family¡¯s secret. When Jiang Gu grew up and understood everything, she would not have to worry anymore..


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 Chapter 102 - Chapter 102: Family

    Chapter 102: Family


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Jiang Xia was teaching Jiang Gu to set up the tent, and things were going quite well. Jiang Gu was a fast learner, she quickly picked up what Jiang Xia did after seeing it once.


    They started by connecting the tent poles, sorting the inner tent, and then fixing the tent pegs. Both of them performed these tasks skillfully. When they came to fix the pegs into the ground, they only hammered them in a bit, intending to drive them in deeper when their mother returned.


    Next, the two of them covered the outer tent. The last thing left was to secure the wind ropes to the outer tent and ground, which they decided to wait for their mother to do.


    As soon as the tent was up, Jiang Xia couldn¡¯t wait to crawl inside with Jiang Gu. Jiang Gu¡¯s round eyes scanned the surroundings of the tent. As only the two kids had entered, the tent felt quite spacious. Jiang Xia started dragging the items Jiang Chuan had earlier placed down into the tent.


    These items included a waterproof cloth, sleeping bags, a first-aid kit, and a box full of various objects. Jiang Xia arranged each item neatly before unrolling the sleeping bags.


    They had brought four sleeping bags for the camping trip, one was for backup, which was unexpectedly coming in handy now. Jiang Xia gestured for Jiang Gu to crawl inside and try it, but Jiang Gu looked at the long, worm-like thing in front of her with a troubled expression.


    ¡°Sister, what is this? It looks a bit uncomfortable,¡± she questioned.


    Jiang Gu¡¯s reaction amused Jiang Xia, who laughed and directly unzipped and crawled into the sleeping bag.


    ¡°This is a sleeping bag. We can sleep inside it at night.¡±


    Their sleeping bags were specifically chosen to be thicker than regular ones. Sleeping on them was much softer, but it was a bit too hot in the current weather.


    Jiang Xia wriggled out of the sleeping bag, flattened both layers under her, and laid down on the soft and comfortable bag, feeling sleepy. Jiang Gu followed Jiang Xia¡¯s example, crawling in. As soon as she got in, she was surprised at how warm the sleeping bag was. It was so warm that she started sweating immediately and quickly rolled out, just like Jiang Xia, pressing the whole sleeping bag under her.


    ¡°Sister, this thing is so warm. If we sleep in it during winter, we wouldn¡¯t feel cold, right?¡± Jiang Gu excitedly shared her thoughts with Jiang Xia.


    While Jiang Xia agreed, the reality of their situation didn¡¯t permit such luxury. The sleeping bags were filled with down or synthetic fibers, and given the current industrial standards, it was impossible to make something similar. They wouldn¡¯t be able to take these items back after they descended the mountain.


    Not wanting to dampen Jiang Gu¡¯s spirits, Jiang Xia didn¡¯t continue the topic. She lay on the soft sleeping bag, picking up the various items from the box. These included mosquito repellent, power banks, small lamps, and more ¨C all modern items.


    Their previous life, where they enjoyed air conditioning while playing on their phones and watching videos, felt very distant¡­


    In a daze, Jiang Xia felt as if she was back in their modern home, in their two-story villa. Their family of three was watching TV, and she seemed to hear their mother, who was sitting in front of the TV, ask, ¡°I wonder how Xiao Qing and Xiao Gu are doing now¡­¡±


    When Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan returned, they saw the tent had been set up, but they didn¡¯t see their daughters. Zhou Lan instinctively wanted to call out to them, but Jiang Chuan gestured for her not to.


    Jiang Chuan brought Zhou Lan to the blue-gray tent and opened the curtain. They saw their two daughters sleeping soundly in their sleeping bags.


    Zhou Lan retrieved a thin blanket from a cloth bag nearby, gently draping it over the girls. She then tiptoed out of the tent.


    The orange glow of sunset filtered through the gaps in the foliage, marking the arrival of evening.


    Jiang Chuan fetched a pot and some seasonings from the car. Zhou Lan stoked a fire and began preparing a pot of chicken and wild vegetable soup. Their main meal was bread and soup, just the right balance.


    Jiang Chuan took out a handkerchief and wiped the beads of sweat from Zhou Lan¡¯s forehead as she cooked. Observing his wife¡¯s flushed face from the heat, he couldn¡¯t help but express his concern, ¡°You¡¯re working too hard.¡±


    Zhou Lan had evidently done more woodcutting work that day. Even though their daughters contributed, Jiang Chuan couldn¡¯t help but feel sympathy for his hardworking wife.


    It pained him to see his wife work so hard when both he and their daughters had the ability to do more.


    Zhou Lan paused her stirring to grasp Jiang Chuan¡¯s hand, ¡°This isn¡¯t hard work.. If I didn¡¯t have something to do, I¡¯d feel restless with all this energy!¡±


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 Chapter 103 - Chapter 103: Collecting Seeds

    Chapter 103: Collecting Seeds


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    For the next two days, the primary tasks for Jiang Chuan¡¯s family¡¯s was to build a wooden house and collect a large number of leaves to cover the roof.


    Country Z had a traditional technique for building wooden houses without nails or cement, known as tenon-mortise technology. This method uses the interlocking parts of the wood blocks to create various structures or furniture, whether using logs or square timber.


    While Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu were joining pieces of wood together, they could hear their mother striking with a hammer. The noise was so loud that it made Jiang Xia¡¯s heart flutter. Her mother¡¯s strength was incredible. Jiang Xia thought anyone who dared upset her mother would probably be flapped away with a single slap.


    ¡°Sister, what are you thinking about?¡± Jiang Gu¡¯s voice brought Jiang Xia back to reality, realizing she had unconsciously stopped working.


    ¡°Nothing much, I was just admiring our mother¡¯s strength!¡± Jiang Xia exclaimed.


    Jiang Gu looked at their mother, then strongly nodded, ¡°She really is strong.¡±


    While chatting, Jiang Gu and Jiang Xia joined their efforts to press two pieces of wood together tightly. Exhausted, they stood in place, gasping for air. It became clear that this task wasn¡¯t meant for children.


    Initially, Jiang Xia suggested taking Jiang Gu for a walk nearby to collect seeds while their parents were building the house. But their mother was worried about the dangers they might encounter alone and did not agree with Jiang Xia¡¯s idea.


    On the fourth day of their family¡¯s mountain journey, they finally built a simple wooden house. Even though the house was bare, they all felt a deep sense of pride.


    Afterward, they began to distribute the work. Zhou Lan, with either Jiang Xia or Jiang Gu, went to collect various seeds from the mountain, while Jiang Chuan stayed behind with one daughter to make some furniture.


    Collecting seeds was not difficult, thanks to Zhou Lan¡¯s previous memories. However, they only had one bag for the seeds. It started to get confusing as the variety of seeds increased, even for Zhou Lan who initially remembered what she had picked.


    In the evening, Jiang Xia was cooking soup with Jiang Chuan when they saw Zhou Lan and Jiang Gu approaching from a distance. The setting sun¡¯s glow highlighted the youthful cuteness of the girls¡¯ faces.


    Jiang Xia quickly invited them to join for dinner, dumping everything into her interspace.


    ¡°Mom, Xiao Gu, come taste my cooking. I made dinner today, let¡¯s see how it taste.¡±


    Jiang Xia had only heard from her aunt that her dad was a ¡®kitchen disaster.¡¯ After witnessing her dad and Xiao Gu cook together, she understood. She didn¡¯t understand how her dad could turn rice into soup, leaving Xiao Gu staring at him with big watery eyes.


    Jiang Xia served two bowls of soup to Zhou Lan and Jiang Gu. Zhou Lan was doubtful of her daughter¡¯s culinary skills, while Xiao Gu was just hungry and started drinking the soup immediately.


    ¡°Wow! Sister, your soup is really good!¡± Jiang Gu was surprised. She had assumed her sister¡¯s soup would be as lethal as their dad¡¯s, but it was surprisingly tasty.


    Hearing Jiang Gu¡¯s comment, Zhou Lan also took a curious sip from her bowl. After tasting, she gave a thumbs up.


    ¡°Not bad, you didn¡¯t inherit your father¡¯s ¡®kitchen disaster¡¯ trait.¡±


    Jiang Chuan made a face. ¡°Dear, if you want to praise our daughter, just do it. Don¡¯t involve me.¡±


    He then leaned closer to his wife and whispered, ¡°Leave me some dignity in front of our daughter.¡±


    Zhou Lan chuckled and stopped teasing Jiang Chuan.


    After having dinner with her family, Jiang Xia went straight into her interspace. Through several experiments, she discovered that the land and water sources within this interspace could significantly shorten the growth and maturity period of plants.


    To distinguish what each seed would grow into, Jiang Xia had to sort the seeds, planting those that looked alike in the same area.


    As she watered the seeds in this interspace, she noticed different reactions among them. Some seeds sprouted and grew as soon as they were watered, while others remained still as if they were dead.


    She tried watering the seeds that didn¡¯t sprout a second time, but the result remained the same.


    Just as Jiang Xia was deep in thought, trying to figure out the reason, a wave of noise seemed to come from outside her interspace.


    With a thought, Jiang Xia exited her interspace, returning to the wooden house where her family resided.


    ¡°Mom, what¡¯s going on?¡± Jiang Xia asked, her brow furrowed.


    The moment she returned, she could sense the tense atmosphere inside the house.


    Jiang Gu, holding onto Zhou Lan¡¯s hand, swallowed nervously before speaking up, ¡°Sister, I think I just heard a wolf¡¯s howl..¡±


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 Chapter 104 - Chapter 104: New Discoveries in Interspace

    Chapter 104: New Discoveries in Interspace


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    A wolf¡¯s howl? Jiang Xia was shocked. She carefully moved to the window to peer outside and, unsurprisingly, saw several pairs of luminescent green eyes in the forest.


    ¡°Looks like a wolf pack,¡± Jiang Xia whispered to her parents.


    Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan nodded solemnly. Although they had prepared themselves mentally beforehand, they had only expected to encounter individual beasts.


    Facing a wolf pack like this, even Jiang Xia couldn¡¯t think of a good solution right away.


    Zhou Lan frowned and said, ¡°If these wolves really charge at us, I can probably take down three or four at most. Can we fight our way out?¡±


    Jiang Chuan looked around and shook his head, ¡°No way. Given the speed and number of the wolves, even if we could make a path, we would eventually be overpowered.¡±


    ¡°What about the car? We could drive out,¡± Jiang Xia suggested, her eyes lighting up.


    Again, Jiang Chuan shook his head. Before Jiang Xia had left her interspace, Zhou Lan had asked him the same question. But based on their observations over the past few days, even though there was a small road near their house that a car could pass through, the farther roads were covered with dense trees, making it impossible for a car to proceed.


    Although hiding in the car was an option, if the wolves kept attacking, he feared that the car wouldn¡¯t withstand it. Therefore, the car could only be considered as a last resort.


    The howling of the wolves outside the window grew closer. Jiang Xia took a quick peek and saw that the pack of wolves had come into view, surrounding their wooden house.


    ¡°Dear, you need to get the car from outside. We need to decide quickly whether we¡¯re going to get into the car or fight our way out.¡±


    Just as Jiang Chuan was about to rush out to get the car, he suddenly felt a blur in his vision, and the next second, a bright blue sky appeared before him.


    For a moment, Jiang Chuan was speechless with shock, his eyes glazed over. How had it suddenly become daylight? Where were they? Weren¡¯t they supposed to be in their wooden house?


    Zhou Lan and Jiang Gu were also left dumbfounded, unsure of what had happened.


    Jiang Xia, though familiar with the place, was just as surprised. How had she brought her family into her interspace?


    Just as her father was about to go out and get the car, with her mother holding onto Jiang Gu, worrying whether the car could withstand a pack of wolves and if they would end up in the wolves¡¯ bellies, her necklace suddenly heated up, and then they were here.


    Zhou Lan rubbed her eyes and asked incredulously, ¡°Where are we?¡±


    Realizing they were in her territory, Jiang Xia laughed and said, ¡°Mom, this is my interspace.¡±


    ¡°Interspace?¡± Zhou Lan repeated subconsciously, her face still filled with bewilderment.


    Perhaps due to her young age, Jiang Gu accepted the situation quickly. After hearing from her sister that this was her interspace, she was even more curious.


    She had heard her parents say before that her sister had a interspace and that she went into it when she disappeared. At that time, she didn¡¯t understand what interspace meant, but now seeing it, she had even more questions.


    Jiang Gu stood up and looked around. The place was like a fairyland, with grasslands, rivers, and an endless blue sky. The wind blowing here was not hot but pleasantly cool. Being in such a beautiful place felt like a purification of the soul.


    ¡°Sister, is this your interspace?¡± Jiang Gu asked, her big eyes full of curiosity as she looked at Jiang Xia.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Jiang Xia stood up, patting off some nonexistent dust, and replied to Jiang Gu.


    ¡°Sister, how did you get here? Is there some sort of passage? How did we suddenly get here?¡±


    Jiang Xia was bombarded with a flurry of questions. She was still contemplating the first question when Jiang Gu rapidly fired off a series of others.


    Seeing her older daughter¡¯s overwhelmed expression, Zhou Lan stepped in to help. Her method of distraction, of course, was to start telling Jiang Gu his favorite stories.


    Finally escaping from her little sister¡¯s relentless questioning, Jiang Xia hastily made her way over to her father.


    ¡°Dad, what do you think about all this?¡± she asked, sitting down next to him.


    Jiang Chuan knew what his daughter was asking. Not long after Jiang Xia had discovered the interspace, she had tried to bring him in. But despite their attempts, using all methods Zhou Lan could think of, it was no use. They had assumed that only Jiang Xia could enter her interspace, but now¡­.


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 Chapter 105 - Chapter 105: Crisis Solved

    Chapter 105: Crisis Solved


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Setting aside issues she couldn¡¯t figure out in the short term was Jiang Xia¡¯s way of doing things.


    With this matter temporarily shelved, Jiang Xia and her father began to investigate why some seeds weren¡¯t sprouting.


    After a glance, Jiang Chuan asked, ¡°Are you sure all these seeds are alive?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Jiang Xia nodded.


    Her confidence stemmed from a whimsical experiment where she had buried a shriveled, seemingly dead seed in the soil, only to find it sprouting the next day.


    While she wasn¡¯t sure if the revival was due to the interspace¡¯s water or the soil, the miraculous revival surprised her.


    Jiang Chuan looked at Jiang Xia suspiciously, only to see Jiang Xia¡¯s dissatisfied expression.


    Since his daughter had asked him, he couldn¡¯t outright admit his ignorance. He offered vaguely, ¡°Perhaps the varieties are different. Some bloom in a month, others don¡¯t for half a year.¡±


    This offhand remark gave Jiang Xia some new ideas.


    She checked the various categorized vegetables she¡¯d planted: bok choy, lettuce, tomatoes, spinach, and some fruits like apples and pears. These two fruit trees bore fruit only after she watered them more than usual.


    After inspecting all the ripe fruits, it seemed like her dad was right. The fast-growing ones were indeed early maturing fruits.


    Looking at the two land she had watered for two days, Jiang Xia¡¯s eyes sparkled. Perhaps her mother had discovered something valuable.


    Just as she was about to share this good news with her father, something unexpected happened. A sudden feeling of dizziness overcame her, making the world seem to spin.


    When she opened her eyes, Jiang Xia found herself back in the wooden house.


    Jiang Xia was fine, but Jiang Chuan, Jiang Gu, and Zhou Lan looked as if they had been dropped from the sky, sitting dazedly on the floor.


    Jiang Gu was the first to recover, looking around bewilderedly and asking, ¡°Mom, how did we get back?¡±


    She had just been enjoying the sweet water and listening to her mother¡¯s stories. How did they suddenly return?


    Zhou Lan was equally confused. Shouldn¡¯t Xiao Xia have warned them before bringing them back?


    Zhou Lan and Jiang Gu both turned their wide eyes to Jiang Xia, who quickly waved her hands, denying, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me, I didn¡¯t do it, don¡¯t jump to conclusions.¡±


    After this round trip, Jiang Xia had a feeling that her interspace seemed to have its own consciousness.


    ¡°The wolf pack has left,¡± Jiang Chuan¡¯s words instantly drew everyone¡¯s attention.


    Jiang Xia quickly ran to the window and saw silence in the woods. It was as if their previous life-threatening situation had never existed.


    Cautiously, Jiang Xia pushed the door open. Zhou Lan tried to stop her but couldn¡¯t match Jiang Xia¡¯s speed.


    Birdsong echoed from afar, strikingly loud in the silent night.


    Jiang Xia surveyed the surroundings, and when her gaze fell on a wooden wall, she broke out in a cold sweat. The wall was covered in scratches from claws, and some parts even appeared to have been bitten.


    Although Jiang Xia wasn¡¯t sure why they had retreated, just thinking about the earlier scene sent a chill down her spine.


    Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan followed her outside and upon seeing the same scene, they fell silent. They had disappeared when the pack of wolves were attacking. If they had been in the car, and had been spotted by the pack, it was uncertain if they would have survived.


    Jiang Gu hid behind the door, watching her parents and sister with solemn faces, not daring to speak. She suddenly remembered the previous times her parents had gone into the mountains. She felt a sense of relief that they hadn¡¯t encountered a pack of wolves then, otherwise she might have lost them.


    After a moment of silence, Jiang Chuan spoke, ¡°We need to speed up.¡±


    They couldn¡¯t stay on the mountain for long. If it wasn¡¯t for their daughter¡¯s interspace transporting them in the nick of time, the consequences were unthinkable. But, judging from her expressions when she moved in and out, the spatial shifts weren¡¯t under her control. So, who controlled this interspace?


    Jiang Chuan expressed this to Jiang Xia. At first, she was stunned by her father¡¯s question, but then her expression turned serious, and the joy from their narrow escape quickly faded away.


    ¡°Mom, have the wolves all left?¡± Jiang Gu asked cautiously.


    Zhou Lan turned to Jiang Gu and showed a reassuring smile, ¡°Yes, they¡¯re all gone. Come out now!¡±


    Seeing his wife and youngest daughter approach, Jiang Chuan gave his daughter a significant look. Jiang Xia understood and didn¡¯t bring up the subject again..


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 Chapter 106 - Chapter 106: Hotpot and Plan

    Chapter 106: Hotpot and Plan


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    After the incident, Jiang Xia told Zhou Lan that she could let her father and Xiao Gu pick up the seeds together. She had the interspace and the ability to protect herself, so she didn¡¯t have to worry.


    Despite her continued doubts about the interspace, it was undeniably a perfect cheating tool for Jiang Xia. She couldn¡¯t avoid using it. After planting the seeds, she planned to spend more time exploring other areas of the interspace.


    However, her explorations revealed just how vast the interspace truly was. Beyond the expansive grassland, there was nothing but grass and rivers.


    As for living creatures, apart from her and a chicken and a rabbit she had found, there were none others.


    While in her interspace, she could faintly hear conversations from the outside, so when she heard them return home, she could promptly appear.


    ¡°Xiao Xia, have you discovered any new crops to plant recently?¡± The family was gathered around a hot pot, and Jiang Chuan was the first to ask.


    This was Jiang Xia¡¯s first time eating hotpot since she came here, mainly because chili peppers had grown in her field. Her mother, Zhou Lan, decided on a whim that they would have hot pot that day.


    Due to limited ingredients, and their stock of condiments running low, the hot pot base was made simple. Clear water, spring onions, ginger, garlic, minced chili peppers, chicken essence, a bit of salt and sugar ¨C a simple hot pot base was made.


    Normally, hot pot would include pork, beef or mutton, but they didn¡¯t have these luxuries. So Zhou Lan prepared some chicken on the side. There wasn¡¯t much meat, but there were plenty of vegetables and mushrooms. Paired with her mother¡¯s special dipping sauce, it was absolutely delicious


    Jiang Xia watched eagerly as her mother handed the first bowl of dipping sauce to Jiang Gu.


    ¡°Here, Xiao Gu, have a taste of your mom¡¯s cooking,¡± Zhou Lan said with a smile.


    Jiang Gu took the dipping sauce but didn¡¯t make a move. It was only when she saw Jiang Xia pick up a piece of meat and swish it in the pot that she started to mimic her actions.


    At first, she needed Jiang Xia¡¯s help, but she quickly got the hang of it and began grabbing vegetables and meat like a pro.


    Jiang Xia, seizing a free moment, teased Jiang Gu, ¡°Slow down, careful it¡¯s hot. No one is going to steal your food.¡±


    Jiang Gu ignored Jiang Xia and just kept praising Zhou Lan, ¡°Mom, this is so delicious.¡±


    Eating hot pot in summer, with steam rising from the pot and hitting their face, the moment the cooked meat enters their mouth, sweat begins to trickle down their forehead. The aroma of the meat and the flavor of the dipping sauce make it hard to stop eating.


    Jiang Chuan, with a smile, picked up a piece of meat for Jiang Gu, then continued speaking to Jiang Xia, ¡°Speaking of Xiao Gu, look at you being so distracted that you forgot the question I asked you.¡±


    Upon Jiang Chuan¡¯s reminder, Jiang Xia recalled the question her father had asked her earlier.


    After swallowing a crunchy piece of cabbage, Jiang Xia, tongue burning, answered, ¡°There are plenty of crops, but I don¡¯t know if they can survive.¡±


    Her land had a special water source that could even revive dead plants, so her frame of reference was quite different.


    ¡°In our area, we should plant crops that can withstand the cold, like the cabbages and sweet potatoes that the villagers have been cultivating,¡± Jiang Chuan proposed, laying out what he knew. ¡°Right now, they lack not just crops but also seeds and land. Based on the current situation, seeds are distributed according to the number of households in each village. To improve the villagers¡¯ lives, we should find crops that yield high output and are suitable for this land.¡±


    Jiang Xia slowly nodded as she chewed her food, deep in thought. She had seen plenty of crops that could be planted before winter, but the most significant obstacle now was the drought. Without water, even the fastest maturing crops couldn¡¯t survive.


    ¡°Dad, I have seeds for crops like spinach, beans, and crown daisies, but with the current drought, I¡¯m afraid we might not be able to do much,¡± she admitted.


    At Jiang Xia¡¯s words, Jiang Chuan fell silent. Indeed, they could help the villagers find seeds and identify which crops have a higher yield, but they could do nothing about the weather.


    Noticing the somber mood, Zhou Lan hastily intervened, ¡°Oh, come on! Just enjoy your meal, don¡¯t think too much.¡±


    ¡°For now, let¡¯s gather the seeds. We¡¯ll test your seeds outside, and if they grow, we can distribute them to the villagers,¡± Jiang Chuan concluded.


    Jiang Xia nodded her agreement, though she had other plans in mind to implement the next day..


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 Chapter 107 - Chapter 107: A Trip Down the Mountain

    Chapter 107: A Trip Down the Mountain


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Counting the days, Jiang Xia realized they had been up in the mountains for over a week.


    Her interspace storage was nearly filled with bag of seeds, all carefully sorted and stored. The slow-growing ones were left for gradual cultivation.


    Before, Jiang Xia was concerned if the crops she grew using her interspace land and water could survive in the outside world. She shared this thought with Jiang Chuan, who created a plot of land outside their cabin for her to experiment on.


    They wanted to determine whether it was the land or water that held the power to resurrect plants.


    Just as Jiang Xia had expected, her interspace had a strong effect on the growth of plants. Once it was moved outside, the growth of the seeds that were originally growing in her interspace slowed down.


    Regarding the vegetables, they were probably just lacking water and nutrients, causing them not to sprout in their season.


    After spending so many days on the mountain, the food reserves of Jiang Xia¡¯s family were running low, prompting the group to plan a trip down the mountain to restock before returning.


    As they descended, Jiang Xia did not forget to distribute some water from her interspace in a slightly distant place. She also caught some wild animal and stored it in her interspace realm. All they carried with them were two rabbits and two wild chickens, but they had selected the fattest ones.


    Returning to the village after many days, Jiang Xia felt as if she had stepped into another era.


    Jiang Chuan asked Zhou Lan and Jiang Gu to check their house first while he and Jiang Xia paid a visit to the village chief.


    The village chief greeted them with joy, exclaiming how good it was to see them.


    Seeing the chief¡¯s unusually jovial demeanor, Jiang Xia couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Grandpa Chief, is there something going on? You seem really happy.¡±


    The chief sighed heavily, ¡°Ah! It¡¯s seeing you that makes me happy! That gossipy wife from the old Sun¡¯s family. I don¡¯t know how, but she went up the mountain to pick wild vegetables and came down saying you two were dead, eaten by a pack of wolves, not even bones or clothes left.¡±


    ¡°We were eaten by wolves?¡± Jiang Chuan was also surprised.


    The chief nodded, ¡°After that, I went with a few young men from the village to look for you twice, but we couldn¡¯t find you.¡±


    He then went on to relay everything that had happened in the village since they went to the mountains.


    As autumn harvest was near, the villagers didn¡¯t have much work and found time for idle chat. The old Jiang family, seeing no one to stop them, began stirring up trouble and spreading bad words about Jiang Chuan¡¯s family.


    Even though the villagers knew about the character of the old Jiang family due to the theft incident, gossip tends to amplify with each retelling. Untrue stories seemed to become true, causing the once favorable reputation of the Jiang family to become divided.


    In fact, the rumors were not a big deal to Jiang Chuan and his daughter. It was just that the old lady¡¯s words from the Sun family about them being eaten by wolves caught their attention.


    After being attacked by wolves that day, the family had gathered and discussed it.


    Wolves are intelligent creatures. They view humans much like how people view unknown fruits on a mountain; they might seem delicious and edible, but unless desperate with hunger, they wouldn¡¯t initiate an attack.


    For animals, hunting humans is a high-risk endeavor, so they would opt for easier targets that they can capture with certainty.


    Given these conditions, the attack by the pack of wolves that day was particularly strange.


    Could this incident have something to do with the old lady from the old Sun family? Jiang Chuan and his daughter exchanged a glance, both pondering the same thought.


    Before they could put the pieces together, the village chief continued, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that you¡¯re back. From now on, don¡¯t go up the mountain. It¡¯s too dangerous. What would we do if something happened?¡±


    From the moment Jiang Chuan and his daughter entered the house, the village chief had not asked if they had brought anything back. He was solely concerned with their safety. Honestly, this touched Jiang Xia¡¯s heart.


    Smiling sweetly at the village chief, Jiang Xia asked, ¡°Village Chief, we went to the mountain to find food. Aren¡¯t you going to ask if we brought back anything?¡±


    The village chief waved his hand dismissively, ¡°What you brought back doesn¡¯t matter. The fact that you¡¯re back is enough to set my mind at ease. If we¡¯re short of food, we can figure out a solution together. You don¡¯t need to risk your lives for this..¡±


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 Chapter 108 - Chapter 108: Rumors Everywhere

    Chapter 108: Rumors Everywhere


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Jiang Xia, touched by these words, unloaded her small backpack. From within, she took out spinach, broccoli, and other vegetables from the interspace. There were also some items not yet produced but available on their car. She knew these were suitable to be planted after autumn.


    At this time of year, families who are wealthy would plant radishes and cabbage in their yard as winter reserves. Of course, they had to buy their seeds, while the less fortunate families would have to rely on the distributed food to survive the winter.


    When everyone was eating from a common pot, the disparities between different households were not apparent. But now that each family fends for itself, the gap between those who plan ahead and those who don¡¯t was becoming increasingly clear.


    ¡°Grandpa Chief, these are some of the vegetables we found on the mountain. We also found a lot of seeds. We tried planting some on the mountain, and they grew quite quickly. They¡¯ve even sprouted recently. Once our trial planting is done, we can distribute the seeds to everyone.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve really worked hard. I wish I could help more as the village chief,¡± the chief said with a wistful smile.


    Jiang Chuan quickly replied, ¡°That¡¯s not right, Chief. If it weren¡¯t for you, we might not be here today. Everyone has helped us so much; it¡¯s only right that we repay the favor.¡±


    The chief sighed, ¡°If only everyone thought like you, our village could thrive.¡±


    In the end, one couldn¡¯t blame the villagers for not thinking ahead. Their understanding was limited, and when it was a struggle to fill their bellies, they could only haggle over the smallest gains.


    Noticing the chief¡¯s low spirits, Jiang Chuan swiftly changed the subject.


    ¡°Chief, we plan to go to the town to trade some goods. Is there anything you¡¯d like us to get for you?¡±


    The chief looked around. He had recently traded all his harvested vegetables and had no need for anything more.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. But if you¡¯re taking a lot of goods, you should bring Xiao Wu with you for help.¡±


    After chatting with the village chief, Jiang Chuan and Jiang Xia hurried home. The incidents involving the old Jiang and Sun families were still fresh in everyone¡¯s minds. Even after their prolonged absence, no one dared to intrude into their home.


    When Jiang Chuan and Jiang Xia arrived, Zhou Lan and Jiang Gu were cleaning the courtyard.


    All the furniture inside the house had been wiped down. Given their long absence, a significant layer of dust had settled. It took mother and daughter a good while to restore the cleanliness.


    Looking at the sky, Jiang Chuan decided to borrow a donkey cart from the production team. They initially didn¡¯t want to bother Xiao Wu, but they bumped into him on the way.


    Upon seeing them, Xiao Wu was overjoyed. He walked briskly towards Jiang Chuan and said, ¡°Brother Jiang, I knew you couldn¡¯t be in any danger. You and your family are so kind-hearted and lucky. I knew you couldn¡¯t just disappear after going up the mountain.¡±


    ¡°Oh, where are you heading?¡± Xiao Wu asked, noticing the goods in Jiang Chuan¡¯s hand.


    Pleased by Xiao Wu¡¯s words, Jiang Chuan smiled, ¡°We¡¯ve been up the mountain for quite a few days. We¡¯ve almost run out of food and came down to trade for some grain. We were about to borrow a donkey cart from the production team to go to town.¡±


    Xiao Wu nodded, ¡°I see! In that case, I¡¯ll come with you. You must be tired from coming down the mountain. Driving is a tough job too. I¡¯ll drive while you rest.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too much trouble for you. I can drive just fine. We can handle it ourselves,¡± Jiang Chuan said, still not used to their enthusiastic help, so he gently declined.


    However, Xiao Wu thought differently. He believed that since they were familiar with each other, there was no need for formalities. ¡°Brother, you, your wife, and nieces just wait here. I¡¯ll go get the cart.¡±


    Without giving Jiang Chuan a chance to refuse, Xiao Wu turned around and went to fetch the cart.


    On the way to the town, they passed through a wheat field. The wheat had ripened, presenting a golden hue. From afar, it looked like waves of golden sea swaying with the wind.


    ¡°If only these weren¡¯t empty husks, if only they were full,¡± Jiang Xia couldn¡¯t help but sigh inwardly.


    Xiao Wu had also noticed this scene and commented on it.


    ¡°Ah! The harvest isn¡¯t good this year! A few days ago, I specifically went into the fields to pick a few stalks of wheat and give them a shake. They felt so light; it seems like we won¡¯t get much grain out of this..¡±


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 Chapter 109 - Chapter 109: Cause of Crisis

    Chapter 109: Cause of Crisis


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    ¡°If all of this is taken away by the higher-ups, people will survive,¡± said Xiao Wu.


    The words Jiang Xia spoke before the Jiang family went up the mountain were etched deep in the villagers¡¯ hearts. Earlier, they didn¡¯t pay much attention, hoping for a miracle. But reality is reality, and no amount of prayers could change that. As the autumn harvest approached, the villagers grew more fearful.


    Hearing Xiao Wu¡¯s sigh, Jiang Chuan wasn¡¯t sure how to comfort him. He didn¡¯t dare to bring up the matter of growing vegetables now. After all, there were too many uncertainties in farming. He was afraid to disappoint those, like Xiao Wu, who genuinely cared for them.


    Jiang Chuan momentarily forgot, but Jiang Xia remembered that the higher-ups were going to send someone for an inspection.


    ¡°Uncle Wu, don¡¯t be too disheartened. Maybe there will be good news after the autumn harvest!¡± Jiang Xia said with a giggle.


    After pondering for a while, Xiao Wu replied, ¡°You¡¯re talking about relief grain, right? Even if we apply for relief grain, we have to submit our crops first, and then it is reported up the chain. If the audit passes, the central court will issue instructions. It can take at least a month or even longer for the orders to reach us. By then, who knows how many people might not make it.¡±


    Listening to Xiao Wu¡¯s words, Jiang Xia was a bit surprised. She hadn¡¯t expected him to know so much. It seemed that the village chief really trusted Uncle Wu!


    Seeing Xiao Wu¡¯s low spirits, Jiang Xia told him what she knew. Of course, she couldn¡¯t possibly say that it was because of her, and she couldn¡¯t provide details either. She simply mentioned that she had heard in town that some big shots were coming for an inspection. If they found the autumn harvest to be bad, there might be some new policies.


    Although Jiang Xia only mentioned it as a rumor, Xiao Wu¡¯s eyes lit up. If what she said was true, they could indeed be saved.


    Feeling a bit relieved, Xiao Wu stopped dwelling on the harvest issue. He began to chat about other things with the Jiang family. The main topic came from Jiang Xia¡¯s question about the rumor that their family had been killed by wolves.


    ¡°Uncle Wu, what did you mean earlier when you said we wouldn¡¯t make it back?¡± Jiang Xia asked.


    Xiao Wu was stunned at first, then repeatedly said ¡°No, no, It was just a slip of the tongue.¡±


    His reaction made Jiang Xia chuckle, and she asked further, ¡°Uncle Wu, I heard from the village chief about the rumor in the village. Do you know the specifics?¡±


    Jiang Xia asked casually, not expecting Xiao Wu to give her some information that the village chief hadn¡¯t mentioned.


    ¡°That rumor started with Sun Li¡¯s wife,¡± Xiao Wu said, following with a click of his tongue. ¡°I don¡¯t know why she¡¯s always stirring things up.¡±


    After saying this, Xiao Wu continued to relay what he knew.


    ¡°A few days ago, when we went up the mountain, I was there too. I was following behind Sun Li and his wife, along with some other people. Sun Li and his wife disappeared soon after they started the climb. When they reappeared, they were covered in blood. They said they found your clothes, which looked like they had been eaten by wolves.¡±


    Xiao Wu vividly described the situation, which made Jiang Xia frown.


    It was Jiang Chuan who voiced Jiang Xia¡¯s doubt: ¡°Is this just hearsay? Did anyone actually see it?¡±


    Xiao Wu nodded and continued, ¡°Some people got scared and returned to the village first. I, along with a few other brave ones, went back with Sun Li and his wife. Then, in a forest, we saw your clothes torn to shreds, covered with quite a lot of blood.¡±


    The scene described by Xiao Wu was unknown to the Jiang family. If the blood wasn¡¯t theirs, whose could it be?


    Jiang Xia¡¯s thoughts drifted back to the day when they encountered danger, the wolves¡¯ reckless attack. A sudden thought occurred to her.


    Could that blood be from the wolves?


    This conjecture startled Jiang Xia. Given Sun Li and his wife¡¯s cowardly nature, they surely wouldn¡¯t dare to provoke a pack of wolves. What kind of wolf had they harmed?


    The answer could only be one: a wolf cub. They might have placed their clothes near the cub, letting the pack familiarize with their scent. The scent of humans and the death of the cub, it was easy to imagine what would happen next. No wonder the wolf pack attacked them so fiercely. There was this reason behind it.


    However, these were all Jiang Xia¡¯s guesses. Without solid evidence, she couldn¡¯t place blame on the two..


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 Chapter 110 - Chapter 11o: Their Purpose?

    Chapter 11o: Their Purpose?


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Even though she was aware of the general situation, Jiang Xia couldn¡¯t understand the purpose of their actions. If they left their scent to attract the wolf pack to attack, then what was the benefit of spreading the news of their death when they hadn¡¯t seen them?


    ¡°Xiao Wu, apart from what you¡¯ve said, was there anything else unusual?¡± Jiang Chuan asked.


    After pondering for a while, Xiaowu responded, ¡°I do feel they acted a bit differently before going up the mountain, but I can¡¯t quite recall.¡±


    Jiangchuan nodded. It was natural for Xiaowu not to remember since a considerable amount of time had passed.


    ¡°Third brother, I don¡¯t understand what Sun Li and his wife are trying to do. They always cause trouble for you, as if they gain something when you guys are having difficulties,¡± Xiao Wu sighed.


    This time it was Zhou Lan who responded, ¡°Some people can¡¯t stand seeing others succeed when they themselves arc not capable. Perhaps they were upset when they failed to take advantage of our family.¡±


    Reminded by Zhou Lan, Xiao Wu recalled the incident when Jiang family hunted down a roe deer and old Sun¡¯s wife made a fuss about it, and Jiang Xia didn¡¯t indulge her. He showed a face of understanding.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. There are always those who can¡¯t bear to see others do well.¡±


    Throughout the journey, whether it was life with hopes or mundane events, Xiao Wu was never short of words. Other than the rumor about their death caused by a wolf attack, the talk was about the autumn harvest. When Xiao Wu mentioned that the old Jiang family were out and about again, he looked puzzled as he couldn¡¯t understand why after doing such a thing, they could still strut around. This amused Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu, causing them to burst into laughter.


    The donkey cart walked along the familiar mountain road, making the two little girls sleepy.


    ¡°Xiao Xia, wake up.¡±


    Zhou Lan¡¯s call brought Jiang Xia out of her sleep, followed by Jiang Gu waking up as well.


    ¡°Mother, where are we?¡± Jiang Gu asked.


    Jiang Xia also looked around, the surroundings seeming unfamiliar.


    ¡°This is the backyard of your Uncle Li¡¯s house. He invited us over for a visit.¡±


    Zhou Lan lifted Jiang Gu down from the donkey cart while Jiang Xia hopped off by herself.


    Upon entering the front yard, Jiang Xia saw the short man and his friends weighing the goods her father and Xiao Wu had brought.


    Seeing Jiang Xia¡¯s arrival, the short man face bloomed into a wide smile. He asked Zhou Lan and Jiang Xia to sit inside the house while his mother fetched them some water.


    Having collaborated many times before, the Jiang family had no need to negotiate the price of the goods with the short man. In less than half an hour, everything was traded.


    The short man asked Zhou Lan and Xiao Wu to wait in the front hall while he invited Jiang Chuan and Jiang Xia into the house for a discussion.


    The short man was not a dawdler. After they settled down, he got straight to business.


    ¡°A few days ago, Officer Wang came to my house and asked about Brother Jiang and Niece Xiao Xia.¡±


    With this formal address, it instantly brought the two families closer. Jiang Xia subtly observed the short man, realizing he truly had a talent in business.


    In the past, despite appearing quite close, the difference in wealth between them always gave the short man a slight air of superiority. But today, there was no such demeanor. All he showed was a genuine intention to maintain a good relationship with their family.


    ¡°Officer Wang?¡± Jiang Chuan recalled the name Wang Wen.


    ¡°Yes, he is the middle-aged man who is often by Young Master Shen¡¯s side. His name is Wang Wen, Officer Wang.¡±


    After explaining, the short man continued, ¡°A few days ago, Officer Wang came to my house asking about you. At first, I didn¡¯t know what it was all about, so I didn¡¯t say much. Later, Officer Wang mentioned niece Xiao Xia, and said that Xiao Xia had asked them to contact you through me.¡±


    As he got to this point, he gave Jiang Xia a thankful look before continuing, ¡°I sent someone to Tong Shan Village to find you but couldn¡¯t. I was just about to go there myself when you guys showed up.¡±


    The short man first explained the general situation of the matter, then talked about why Officer Wang was looking for them.


    It was probably because they wanted to visit various villages, hoping that Jiang Xia could guide them, and also learn about the situation from her..


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 Chapter 111 - Chapter111: Changes

    Chapter111: Changes


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s convenient for you today. If it¡¯s convenient, I¡¯ll get someone to go to the Shen residence to inform them. Officer Wang said that they¡¯ll be in town these few days and asked me to contact them whenever possible.¡±


    The short man¡¯s eyes gleaming with opportunity, much like a wolf spying a juicy piece of meat. It seemed their absence in the mountain these days had frustrated the short man. Unable to find Jiang Xia¡¯s family to bridge relations with the Shens family, and lacking an excuse to approach such influential people, he had to patiently wait until today.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing inconvenient about it.¡± Jiang Chuan laughed.


    He knew that this matter might be related to the autumn harvest policy, so even if it was inconvenient, it would be made convenient.


    Hearing Jiang Chuan¡¯s response, the short man repeatedly expressed his agreement. After a moment¡¯s consideration, Jiang Chuan decided to accompany the short man to the Shen residence. After all, the inspection was meant to benefit the farmers. The willingness to conduct an inspection was a sign of understanding the people¡¯s livelihood and serving them. It wasn¡¯t as if they had to go out of their way to meet them.


    Although Jiang Chuan didn¡¯t say anything, Jiang Xia naturally followed him.


    When they knocked on the Shen¡¯s front door, a young soldier around his twenties opened the door. Upon hearing they were from Tong Shan village, the Jiang Chuan family was allowed to enter.


    The Shen family¡¯s residence had an ancient charm, reminiscent of an aristocratic courtyard from the past. It would have been hard to maintain such a residence if it weren¡¯t for the two generations of the Shen family who had contributed greatly to the nation¡¯s construction through their military service.


    Once seated in the front hall, the young soldier served them tea. As it happened, Jiang Xia was thirsty, so she took a sip. The tea was so fragrant it immediately filled her mouth.


    At first, Jiang Xia hadn¡¯t noticed, but now, with a twitch of her nose, she realized that no matter the era, life had its highs and lows.


    They didn¡¯t wait long before Young Master Shen walked in, looking dashing in his military uniform, with Wang Wen, the officer following behind.


    Without waiting for Young Master Shen¡¯s family to speak, Officer Wang greeted Jiang Xia with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s been a while, little miss. I heard you¡¯ve been in the mountains recently, what have you been busy with?¡±


    ¡°I wonder if you¡¯re free today. If so, I can inform the Shen residence. Chief of Staff Wang mentioned that they¡¯ve been in town these days and asked me to contact them whenever possible,¡± Xiaoge said, his eyes gleaming with opportunity, much like a wolf spying a juicy piece of meat. This sight twitched Jiang Xia¡¯s lips. It seemed their absence in the mountain these days had frustrated Xiaoge. Unable to find Jiang Xia¡¯s family to bridge relations with the Shens, and lacking an excuse to approach such influential people, he had to patiently wait until today.


    ¡°There¡¯s no inconvenience,¡± Jiangchuan said, grinning. He was aware that this issue could be tied to the harvest policy, hence, even if it was inconvenient, it would be made convenient.


    Hearing Jiangchuan¡¯s response, Xiaoge repeatedly expressed his agreement. After a moment¡¯s consideration, Jiangchuan decided to accompany Xiaoge to the Shen residence. After all, the inspection was meant to benefit the farmers. The willingness to conduct an inspection was a sign of understanding the people¡¯s livelihood and serving them. It wasn¡¯t as if they had to go out of their way to meet them.


    Despite Jiangchuan¡¯s silence, Jiang Xia naturally followed.


    When they knocked on the Shen¡¯s front door, a young soldier around his twenties opened it. Upon hearing they were from Tongshan village, the Jiangchuan family was allowed to enter.


    The Shen residence had an ancient charm, reminiscent of an aristocratic courtyard from the past. It would have been hard to maintain such a residence if it weren¡¯t for the two generations of the Shen family who had contributed greatly to the nation¡¯s construction through their military service.


    Once seated in the front hall, the young soldier served them tea. As it happened, Jiang Xia was thirsty, so she took a sip. The tea was so fragrant it immediately filled her mouth.


    At first, Jiang Xia hadn¡¯t noticed, but now, with a twitch of her nose, she realized that no matter the era, life had its highs and lows.


    They didn¡¯t wait long before Shen¡¯s young master walked in, looking dashing in his military uniform, with Wang Wen, the chief of staff, following.


    Without waiting for the young master of Shen¡¯s family to speak, Chief of Staff Wang greeted Jiang Xia with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s been a while, little miss. I heard you¡¯ve been in the mountains recently, what have you been busy with?¡±


    Jiang Xia returned his smile, ¡°Uncle Wang, as you know, harvest season is approaching. My parents feared we wouldn¡¯t have enough food for the winter, so they took my sister and me up the mountain to gather more food for storage.¡±


    As Wang Wen¡¯s attention had been attracted by Jiang Xia¡¯s words from the beginning, Jiang Chuan and the short man didn¡¯t find anything amiss with their conversation.


    On the other side, as Officer Wang was speaking with Jiang Xia, Young Master Shen was observing her. The little girl had changed quite a bit since he last saw her, most noticeably her appearance.


    The last time he saw her in a restaurant, she was thin and small, yet bright-eyed and full of spirit. But she now seemed to have blossomed into a healthier, more vibrant version of herself.


    Having not seen her in about half a month, her previously thin face had filled out, her yellow hair had mostly turned black, and her skin had become much fairer. Perhaps due to less sunlight in the mountains. All these changes made her look much more pleasing to the eye.


    It wasn¡¯t that Shen Mo valued appearance above all else, but it¡¯s undeniable that a person¡¯s first impression often comes from their looks. Isn¡¯t that why cosmetic surgery has become so popular in modern times? Everyone appreciates beauty, and Shen Mo was no exception.


    Shen Mo maintained a cold and aloof demeanor the entire time, and let let Officer Wang do the talking.


    ¡°Since you both are available, lead the way. Let¡¯s first visit the fields in each village,¡± Wang Wen proposed.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Jiang Chuan nodded in agreement.


    Once the itinerary was finalized, Wang Wen instructed his men to prepare the horse carriage. Although they could have taken a car, they chose the less conspicuous option to blend in and avoid attracting unnecessary attention.


    As Wang Wen and his team were making preparations, Jiang Xia couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was off. Her gaze constantly moved between the men, studying them.


    Jiang Xia was paying attention to Wang Wen and the others, while Shen Mo was observing Jiang Xia.


    He was a little curious as to what exactly was in Mt. Tong Shan that could raise a skinny little girl so well in half a month. Just as he was lost in his thoughts, Jiang Xia suddenly stood up and startled him, but he remained calm on the surface..


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 Chapter 112 - Chapter 112: Different Classes

    Chapter 112: Different Classes


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    ¡°Uncle Wang, if you don¡¯t want to draw attention, shouldn¡¯t we change into older clothes?¡± Jiang Xia suggested.


    At her words, Wang Wen noticed the stark difference between all their attire.


    He was wearing a Chinese tunic suit, Shen Mo was wearing a military uniform, and the short man was wearing a black civilian uniform. As for Jiang Chuan and Jiang Xia, they looked very shabby.


    Jiang Chuan wore a blue short-sleeved shirt and black pants with patches. Jiang Xia wore a flowery shirt and a long dress with patches.


    For a moment, the air stilled as the five of them appeared to represent three different social classes.


    After a while, Wang Wen broke the silence, ¡°Shen Mo and I will go change into something less conspicuous. We¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    By the time everyone was ready, it was already noon. Jiang Chuan initially thought of heading back to the short man¡¯s place for lunch as they had brought some dry food with them, not knowing when they¡¯d be back.


    However, while they were preparing, Wang Wen had already sent someone to bring Zhou Lan and Jiang Gu over.


    Jiang Chuan¡¯s family and the short man ended up having lunch at Shen¡¯s place. Without even looking at anything else, one could tell from the quality of the meal that the Shen family was genuinely wealthy.


    Since they were all eating together, Wang Wen had instructed his staff to prepare a few more dishes.


    Out of the five dishes, three were meat dishes, prepared so deliciously that their aroma filled the air. As soon as the food was served, the short man couldn¡¯t keep his eyes off it, but he knew he was at Shen¡¯s place and didn¡¯t want to look uncouth. On the other hand, the behavior of Jiang Chuan¡¯s family seemed to puzzle Shen Mo. Not only did Shen Mo notice it, but Wang Wen also saw the difference.


    Wang Wen glanced at Shen Mo, only to find Shen Mo¡¯s gaze wandering towards Jiang Xia from time to time. This made him raise his eyebrows slightly.


    After lunch, Jiang Chuan¡¯s family went back to the short man¡¯s home first. Today, Xiao Wu had lunch with the short man¡¯s family and was quite satisfied.


    Xiao Wu was invited by the short man¡¯s mother. At first, he was excitedly telling Jiang Xia and the others what they had for lunch, but he stopped talking when he noticed the people following Jiang Chuan¡¯s family.


    Shen Mo¡¯s group consisted of four people. Besides Shen Mo and Wang Wen, there was an ordinary-looking man carrying a backpack, and the soldier who had opened the door for them.


    They all changed into typical farmer¡¯s attire, but no matter how Jiang Xia looked at them, it felt off, especially seeing Shen Mo dressed like that, it felt oddly mismatched.


    Jiang Xia couldn¡¯t help but give Shen Mo a few more glances, but was caught by him.


    Jiang Xia was startled at first, then quickly averted her gaze. Shen Mo was undeniably handsome, with sharp eyebrows, starry eyes, a prominent nose, and beautifully colored lips. His military demeanor only added to his attractiveness, making it hard for anyone not to be moved by his looks.


    Shen Mo always felt that this little girl was different from the other girls he usually encountered, prompting him to pay more attention to her. Thus, when Jiang Xia kept looking his way, he looked back, catching her off guard. As a result, she quickly averted her eyes, and he noticed her face turning red ¡°Sister, are you feeling hot? Why is your face so red?¡±


    Jiang Gu, who didn¡¯t know the reason, saw Jiang Xia suddenly turn away. She leaned over to his sister, instantly noticing Jiang Xia fanning her flushed face and curiously questioned her.


    ¡°Red? My face is not red ! Jiang Gu, you¡¯re mistaken, let¡¯s quickly get on the cart.¡±


    Jiang Gu, urged to get on the cart by Jiang Xia, reluctantly complied, murmuring under her breath, ¡°It¡¯s really hot anyway! What¡¯s wrong with having a red face?¡±


    The interaction between the Jiang sisters caught Shen Mo¡¯s eye, and he couldn¡¯t help but reveal a trace of amusement, his expression softening.


    ¡°Shen Mo, what are you looking at? Get in the cart,¡± called Wang Wen, who hadn¡¯t noticed the interaction on the side.


    With Shen Mo present, the short man also joined them, but he took the Jiang Chuan¡¯s family¡¯s donkey cart.


    Counting up, there were four people in Jiang Chuan¡¯s family, plus Xiao Wu and Xiao the short man made six. Although Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu were children, their combined weight was roughly that of an adult. Fearing that the donkey might get tired halfway, Jiang Xia fed it extra wild vegetables soaked with interspace water.


    Over their many trips to town, they always used the same donkey-pulled cart, and Jiang Xia had grown somewhat fond of this donkey.


    It¡¯s as if the donkey recognized them too. Every time they borrowed the donkey cart from the production team, the donkey would make a sound. As Jiang Xia approached it, it would lower its large head and nudge her affectionately..

 Chapter 113 - Chapter 113: Likes Shen Mo?

    Chapter 113: Likes Shen Mo?


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Jiang Xia fed the vegetables soaked in interspace water to the donkey. She had often fed it when she was in the village, which resulted in it being healthier than most other donkeys.


    ¡°My young master, why are you spacing out again? What are you looking at?¡± Jiang Xia heard Wang Wen¡¯s voice and turned her head to look at him.


    ¡°Nothing much. Let¡¯s get going.¡±


    The moment Jiang Xia looked over, Shen Mo quickly turned around and jumped onto the carriage.


    His smooth movements earned him an appreciative whistle from Wang Wen.


    The donkey cart driven by Xiao Wu led the way, followed by the horse-drawn carriage occupied by Shen Mo and his companions.


    Not until the carts started moving did Xiao Wu finally seem to relax and took a long, relieved breath.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong ? Uncle Xiao Wu?¡± Jiang Xia asked.


    Xiao Wu looked at Jiang Xia and asked,¡± Why is this Young Master Shen with you? He¡¯s even planning to return to the village with us?¡±¡±


    Xiao Wu had been silent since he met Shen Mo, and only now did he voice his confusion.


    Jiang Xia laughed and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell Uncle Xiao Wu when you arrived? There might be officials coming for an inspection, to understand our situation.¡±


    Xiao Wu¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, ¡°The person coming for inspection is Young Master Shen?¡±


    He had always heard that Young Master Shen was in the army. How could he care about these matters?


    ¡°Well, it seems so! When we went to the Shen family¡¯s house just now, Officer Wang asked if we were free today to go to the fields to take a look. My father wanted to report the situation as soon as possible, so he brought them here.¡±


    Xiao Wu felt as if he was listening to a book from heaven. He had thought that Jiang Chuan and the others were already very impressive to be able to interact with the people in town. He did not expect them to actually talk to the Shen family.


    ¡°Uncle Xiao Wu, why are you so quiet? You¡¯re not scared of them, are you?¡± Jiang Xia asked suspiciously.


    Although Jiang Xia asked this question, she felt that it was impossible. Shen Mo came to help them report the situation. He was doing good deeds, so what was there to be afraid of? But Xiao Wu¡¯s reaction was completely different from what she had anticipated.


    ¡°How could I not be afraid?! He¡¯s a soldier! I¡¯ve heard that Young Master Shen joined the army at a young age. Many people rumored that he only became famous due to his family¡¯s connections. But after a few battles, no one said that anymore. Young Master Shen earned all his merit in real fight.¡±


    Jiang Xia didn¡¯t know much about Shen Mo. It was only after hearing Xiao Wu¡¯s words that she had a rough impression of him.


    Turning her head, she saw Shen Mo talking to a man carrying a bag by his side. The man had a serious expression on his face, occasionally frowning as if he heard something unpleasant.


    ¡°Sister, you¡¯re watching him again,¡± Jiang Gu suddenly blurted, startling Jiang Xia.


    ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± Jiang Xia hastily denied.


    ¡°Sister, you¡¯re lying. I clearly saw you looking at him many times today, and you still won¡¯t admit it. Mother says lying is not good, Sister is a bad girl!¡± An annoyed Jiang Gu insisted when Jiang Xia continued to deny.


    Hearing Jiang Gu¡¯s words, both Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan turned their heads to looked over. Even the short man turned his head.


    Jiang Xia wished she could hide in a crack in the ground, ideally taking Jiang Gu with her.


    Gently knocking on Jiang Gu¡¯s forehead, Jiang Xia issued a veiled warning, ¡°Xiao Gu, you must be mistaken. I was just looking at Uncle Wang. Don¡¯t say things carelessly, okay?¡±


    Upon hearing her sister¡¯s words, Jiang Gu huffed and turned her head away.


    Although Jiang Gu stopped talking, her previous words had already been heard by the others.


    At this moment, Zhou Lan was looking at Jiang Xia, her eyes full of gossip. Jiang Chuan furrowed his brow, looking in the direction of Shen Mo, while the short man seemed to understand everything.


    He had seen too many girls infatuated with Young Master Shen, so he didn¡¯t find it surprising that Jiang Xia might like Shen Mo.


    Jiang Xia clenched her teeth in frustration. Indeed, she had looked at Shen Mo a few more times, but it was just an admiration for his beauty, mixed with curiosity about him as a person. Nothing like they assumed that she was interested in him.


    Sighing, Jiang Xia pulled Jiang Gu into her arms and began to pinch her cheeks.


    It was all this little girl¡¯s fault. If she hadn¡¯t said those things, none of these things would have happened.


    Jiang Xia took out her displeasure on her hands, pinching Jiang Gu¡¯s little face into various expressions.


    The more she pinched, the more reluctant she was to let go. Jiang Gu had gained quite a bit of weight under Zhou Lan¡¯s care recently, and her skin had improved a lot, making it feel so good to touch..

 Chapter 114 - Chapter 114: Doesn’t Look Like a Village Girl

    Chapter 114: Doesn¡¯t Look Like a Village Girl


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Perhaps it¡¯s because children are easier to nurture, but even though they all eat the same food and drink the same water, Jiang Gu¡¯s health is far better than Jiang Xia¡¯s.


    Jiang Gu, tired of being pinched by Jiang Xia, complained to Zhou Lan, ¡°Mother, sister is bullying me.¡±


    Seeing her little girl being picked on, Zhou Lan promptly took Jiang Gu from Jiang Xia¡¯s arms and then¡­ continued pinching Jiang Gu¡¯s face.


    Zhou Lan¡¯s actions stunned Jiang Xia. Then, she burst into laughter, attracting the attention of the others.


    With a frustrated look on her face, Jiang Gu wondered, couldn¡¯t her sister be more ladylike? After all, she always tells her not to learn martial arts and to be knowledgeable, gentle, and obedient, and this is the result?


    During their time in the mountains, Jiang Gu learned many new words from her parents and sister. Jiang Xia would also teach her to read in her spare time. Now, Jiang Gu could write quite a few characters and recite ancient poems. However, she preferred farming and studying seeds over learning from her sister, but she just wouldn¡¯t voice it out.


    Jiang Gu looked at Jiang Xia again. Did her sister really not look at Shen Mo just now? She also saw Shen Mo looking at her sister, but since her sister wouldn¡¯t admit it, she decided not to tell her.


    On Jiang Xia¡¯s side, there was constant laughter as she played with Jiang Gu, while the atmosphere at Shen Mo¡¯s side was much more gloomy.


    Suddenly, Jiang Xia¡¯s laughter interrupted their conversation.


    All eyes turned to Jiang Xia, and the man with the satchel, putting down his pen, asked, ¡°Is this the village girl who reports on the situation?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Wang Wen replied with a smile.


    This young girl had a kind of magic that would draw attention to her unknowingly. Listening to her hearty laughter, he felt like he was being infected too.


    ¡°This little girl doesn¡¯t quite seem like a village girl, she¡¯s more like a pampered city girl.¡± The man with the satchel looked at Jiang Xia again, and sensing his words were somewhat inappropriate, he added, ¡°I mean, in terms of her manners and demeanor.¡±


    In the countryside, regardless of gender or age, everyone must engage in farm work, and they rarely have time to groom themselves, so their manners are not very refined. However, from the moment he first saw this young girl, she carried herself with a straight posture, and spoke with grace and ease, exhibiting the demeanor of a well-bred young lady.


    ¡°You feel the same way, don¡¯t you!¡± Wang Wen said with a chuckle.


    ¡°The first time I saw this girl, I was also drawn in this way. She was sitting on the platform opposite the Shen family, chatting with another girl, with a few people gathered around them. I got curious and wanted to hear the lively conversation. Unexpectedly, I heard so much, and here we are because she brought me here.¡±


    Shen Mo listened to their conversation and fixed his gaze on Jiang Xia. When Wang Wen visited his home that day, he told him about the situation, sharing much more than he was now, including his high praise for Jiang Xia. Apart from the women in the capital city who were either in the military or engaged in scientific research, Wang Wen seldom praised anyone so highly. This made him curious about this country girl.


    He had to admit that when he first met Jiang Xia at the restaurant, he was a little disappointed. This girl would avoid his gaze like everyone else, so he doubted whether Wang Wen¡¯s words had been embellished.


    After a period of time, because Wang Wen was interested in the girl, he often sought out the people she had mentioned could contact her to inquire about her. The more Wang Wen found out, the more he knew.


    From the girl leading the villagers to discover the wild vegetables and sharing the location with everyone, to building a good relationship with the private purchasing station and helping the villagers to exchange goods for grain storage, and wanting to expose those who falsely reported grain production for political gains, every event amazed Shen Mo. He couldn¡¯t understand how Jiang Xia, who seemed so young, could think of so much.


    ¡°This young girl is a promising talent. Given the right conditions, she has the potential to serve the country in the future,¡± Wang Wen concluded.


    The man with the satchel nodded slightly after some thought, and commented that the young girl is impressive.


    As for why Wang Wen was so interested in Jiang Xia, it had a lot to do with his temper. He was more angered than most when he found out about corruption in government agencies.


    In Wang Wen¡¯s eyes, whether it was the state or the leadership class, the interests of the people should be given top priority. They shouldn¡¯t use their official positions to wield power for personal gains and oppress the people. Jiang Xia¡¯s words earned his respect, which was why he spoke so highly of her..

 Chapter 115 - Chapter 115: Rumors

    Chapter 115: Rumors


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    The donkey cart moved at a slow pace, with the bumpy ride seeming to last quite a while before they could see the farmland cultivated by the villagers of Tong Shan. There were still some villagers in the fields checking the wheat, their faces filled with inevitable worry.


    Xiao Wu was the first to jump off the cart. With a sharp eye, he spotted the village chief sitting by the farmland, puffing on a dry tobacco pipe. He called out and waved to the village chief.


    When the Jiang family looked over, the village chief stood up, dusted off his clothes, and walked towards them.


    One by one, the family members alighted from the cart, with the the short man being the last. Despite his size, he didn¡¯t seem very agile. He stumbled while getting off the cart and almost fell.


    Jiang Xia and the rest walked over to the village chief while Xiao Wu went to tether the donkey cart. After securing it, he went over to help Shen Mo and his party.


    When explaining the origin of Shen Mo¡¯s party, Jiang Chuan only told the village chief that the town¡¯s purchasing station wanted to inspect the village¡¯s wheat crop. Just then, Shen Mo¡¯s party also came over to shake hands with the village chief.


    This time, Shen Mo wasn¡¯t leading the group. Wang Wen was at the forefront, accompanied by the man with the satchel, followed by Shen Mo and a soldier.


    In a corner where no one else could see, Jiang Xia signaled to the village chief to exaggerate their village¡¯s situation. She didn¡¯t mind if he painted a bleaker picture. Only when the officials understood their real circumstances would policies be issued, providing the villagers with a chance of survival.


    After exchanging pleasantries, the village chief started showing them around the fields. As they passed by villagers, many greeted them but none seemed very enthusiastic.


    The village chief discussed the village¡¯s situation with Wang Wen. The impromptu meeting left the chief uncertain of what to discuss. Going too deep might seem like complaining, while skimming the surface wouldn¡¯t reflect the real situation. It was a dilemma for the chief, but luckily, Wang Wen was a good conversationalist. He effortlessly prompted the village chief to share quite a lot.


    ¡°Big brother, you¡¯re right. The past two years have been dry with little rain. Just the other day, my mom sent a telegram asking me to buy more grain from the town,¡± Wang Wen said with a sigh that seemed quite genuine.


    The village chief nodded. ¡°The past two years have been tough. It¡¯s wise of your mother to ask you to buy more. Stockpiling grain before winter never goes wrong.¡±


    Seeing Wang Wen holding a grain stalk, the village chief continued: ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled by how good it looks in the field. When harvested, it¡¯s mostly empty grain!¡±


    ¡°My mom didn¡¯t really tell me much about that. Is it like this everywhere here now?¡± Wang Wen asked.


    ¡°It should be pretty much the same. In our meeting a few days ago, we were wondering why there¡¯s been no rain!¡±


    The village chief and Wang Wen walked in front, followed by the man with the satchel.


    It wasn¡¯t until the man pulled something out of his satchel that Jiang Xia noticed he¡¯d been carrying a camera all this time ¨C it looked quite pricey.


    The man with the satchel was either taking pictures of the fields or the villagers, but he kept his distance, only capturing them from afar.


    Jiang Xia was lost in thought looking at the camera. Though cameras were common in modern times, it was a novelty in this era. Many villagers would give a second look upon seeing someone handling a camera.


    ¡°Xiao Xia, are you watching that Young Master Shen again?¡±


    The sudden sound of Zhou Lan¡¯s voice beside Jiang Xia startled her.


    ¡°Mother, you see, I was right! Sister is watching him but she won¡¯t admit it. Sister is shy.¡±


    Jiang Gu was in Zhou Lan¡¯s arms, pulling faces at Jiang Xia, which annoyed her enough to want to swat his bottom.


    ¡°Mother, don¡¯t listen to Jiang Gu¡¯s nonsense. I wasn¡¯t watching that man. I was just looking at the camera.¡±


    Zhou Lan gave her a skeptical look. Her Xia had seen so much; why would she stare at a camera, unless she was interested in the man and too shy to admit it?


    ¡°Xiao Xia, listen to your mother. It¡¯s okay to admit if you like him. I think he¡¯s more attractive than the local boys. He¡¯s manly. If you like him, I can teach you some tricks to win a man¡¯s heart, and you¡¯ll surely succeed.¡±


    Jiang Xia was speechless. Didn¡¯t she know whether she liked him or not? Her mother even offered to teach her how to court someone. If her mother did so, she might scare the man away before she could even start wooing him.


    Jiang Gu nodded in agreement. ¡°Sister, mom¡¯s right. If you like someone, just tell mom, and she¡¯ll come up with a plan. Mom¡¯s really good at this. She told me a lot about it when we were in the mountains!¡±


    Jiang Xia sighed. She could already guess that her mother wouldn¡¯t teach Jiang Gu anything useful. So, she asked her mother to put down Jiang Gu and holding her hand, she said, ¡°Xiao Gu, see what that uncle is holding? That¡¯s a camera. Once our family¡¯s life gets back on track, and we bring big sister back home, we¡¯ll all go to the photo studio and have a family portrait taken with a camera..¡±

 Chapter 116 - Chapter 116: Experiment

    Chapter 116: Experiment


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    As expected, a child¡¯s attention is easily diverted. Upon hearing about something new, Jiang Gu stared at the item in the man¡¯s hand without blinking.


    ¡°Sister, what¡¯s a photo? What¡¯s a family portrait?¡± Jiang Gu asked curiously.


    Jiang Xia furrowed her brow, pondering for a moment before she began to explain, ¡°Taking a photo is a way to preserve our current appearance, so even when we grow up, we can still see how we looked as kids. As for a family portrait, it¡¯s a picture that captures all of us together. This way, no matter where we are in the future, it feels like we¡¯re still connected as a family.¡±


    Jiang Gu nodded, partially grasping the concept. Her sister sure knew a lot.


    The group spent two to three hours exploring several areas of land, all appearing in a similar state of desolation. Some wheat ears were so lightweight, practically void of grain.


    Initially, the village chief was a bit reserved, but he loosened up as time passed. When people start speaking without restraint, they usually start pouring out their troubles, especially in such challenging times. When mere survival is in question, who wouldn¡¯t harbor a measure of bitterness in their hearts?


    Wang Wen didn¡¯t shy away from the village chief¡¯s complaint. He merely listened attentively. Occasionally, the man with the bag trailing behind them would jot something down in his notebook.


    The sky was getting dark. If Wang Wen and the others didn¡¯t return to the mountain road soon, it would be difficult to walk.


    Therefore, the few of them bid farewell to the village chief and prepared to leave. However, before they left, Jiang Xia and Shen Mo met eyes for some reason. His eyes seemed to carry a deeper meaning, but she couldn¡¯t quite understand it.


    After seeing them off, the village chief, Jiang Chuan, and Xiao Wu walked ahead. Zhou Lan, along with Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu, followed behind with some distance. They could faintly hear the front group still discussing the previous matters.


    Jiang Xia knew that after this, Shen Mo and Wang Wen would definitely visit other villages for investigations, though she had no idea what methods they would employ.


    The field was filled with the chirping of insects, which echoed in their ears. Led by Zhou Lan, Jiang Gu was hopping along, with no trace of worry on her face. She was much more cheerful compared to when they first arrived.


    The house was relatively clean since Zhou Lan and Jiang Gu had cleaned it when they returned. After a quick wash, they all went to bed.


    Perhaps due to exhaustion, Jiang Xia slept soundly through the night without any dreams, enjoying a good night¡¯s rest.


    The next day, Jiang Chuan¡¯s family was still planning to rise early and hit the road. Their objective was to collect a batch of viable seeds before the harvest season, so they couldn¡¯t afford to waste any time.


    However, this time Jiang Chuan¡¯s family couldn¡¯t sneak away as they had done before; the village chief and Little Wu were already waiting for them at the village entrance.


    Jiang Chuan took the lead and greeted them, ¡°Why are you here so early in the morning, Village Chief?¡±


    The village chief started with a hearty laugh, ¡°Last time you slipped away without us noticing, this time we thought we¡¯d see you off.¡±


    Having been through several experiences together, the village chief had come to believe that Jiang Chuan¡¯s family indeed carried a streak of good luck. Although he was still worried, his apprehension had significantly reduced from before.


    The village chief firmly believed that good deeds are rewarded, and Jiang Chuan¡¯s family, constantly striving to do good for everyone, seemed to turn adversity into fortune each time.


    Hearing the village chief speak in such a manner, Xiao Wu also approached them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Third Brother. I won¡¯t let anyone spread gossip about you guys. I¡¯ll keep an eye on everything for you, whether it¡¯s the village affairs or the previous rumors,¡± he said.


    Having been asked so many questions by Jiang Chuan earlier, Xiao Wu naturally realized that Jiang Chuan was quite concerned about these matters, so he decided to address them upfront.


    Jiang Chuan gave Xiao Wu a friendly pat on the shoulder, expressing his gratitude with a simple ¡°Thanks, bro.¡± Thus, under the watchful eyes of the village chief and Xiao Wu, Jiang Chuan¡¯s family left the Tong Shan Village.


    Their pace was much quicker this time as they headed up the mountain, with Jiang Xia particularly eager to check on her experimental field.


    To prevent their experimental field from being ravaged by hungry herbivores, Jiang Xia had intentionally sprinkled a considerable amount of ¡®interspace water¡¯ at a distance from their dwelling before leaving. With these more attractive offerings around, the animals would naturally lose interest in their crops.


    When they returned to the wooden house, everything was as usual. Just as Jiang Xia had thought, their farmland hadn¡¯t been damaged.


    After a day, Jiang Xia realized that none of the seeds had sprouted, whether they were from the interspace or ordinary seeds. She even sifted through the soil to make sure, indeed, they were all the same.


    Following this, Jiang Xia began watering the seeds with the interspace water. She applied the same amount of water to each type of seed, including the ones that she had confirmed to be dead..

 Chapter 117 - Chapter 117: In The Future

    Chapter 117: In The Future


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Ten minutes later, all the seeds began to sprout, except for those confirmed to be dead, which remained inert. It seemed that the soil could revive the seeds, not the water.


    Jiang Xia observed the other seeds. The ones produced from her interspace grew faster than the ordinary seeds.


    In order to make the seeds mature as soon as possible, Jiang Xia watered the reclaimed land in front of the wooden house twice. This attracted some small herbivorous animals, but many were deterred by traps.


    Jiang Gu sat beside Jiang Xia and observed the changes of the seeds with her.


    ¡°Sister, why do the seeds from your interspace grow so fast? Does the water from the space also have the magical effect of restoring physical strength?¡± Jiang Gu asked with a curious face.


    Jiang Xia shifted her gaze from the seeds to her sister and sighed. Jiang Gu always asked questions that she couldn¡¯t answer.


    Jiang Xia thought for a moment before responding, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not just the interspace water that has this effect. Our country will slowly develop and develop something with similar effects in the future.¡±


    ¡°In the future?¡± Jiang Gu asked in confusion.


    Jiang Xia nodded with a smile, ¡°Yes, in the future! During our adventure, mom, dad, and I saw many things about the future. In the future world, everyone will be able to eat well and dress warmly, consuming fine food and living in tall buildings.¡±


    The more Jiang Xia spoke, the brighter Jiang Gu¡¯s eyes shone. Although she couldn¡¯t imagine the world her sister described, she looked forward to the arrival of that time.


    ¡°Sister, if the future world is so good, does everyone have a interspace like you?¡± Jiang Gu couldn¡¯t understand why the future life would be so good, so she associated her sister¡¯s description of the future with her sister¡¯s magical space.


    Jiang Xia smiled and shook her head, ¡°Of course not. The future is good because generation after generation of unheralded scientists and researchers tirelessly research and develop new weapons, methods to increase food production, and so on.¡±


    Jiang Gu widened her eyes in surprise and asked, ¡°Can food production be increased?¡±


    The expression on young Jiang Gu¡¯s face amused Jiang Xia. Jiang Xia smiled and replied, ¡°Of course it can! Just like before the invention of the airplane, no one believed that humans could fly. The same applies to food production. As long as someone finds a way, food production can also be improved.¡±


    Jiang Gu nodded solemnly. Even though she hadn¡¯t seen one, she had heard of airplanes.


    As they were talking, the seeds Jiang Xia had watered three times with interspace water gradually matured and bore fruit.


    Jiang Xia compared the vegetables grown from the interspace seeds with those grown from ordinary seeds.


    Firstly, the vegetables grown from interspace seeds were larger and of better quality than those grown from ordinary seeds. If the plant bore multiple fruits, the ones from the interspace produced more. From this, it seemed that if the villagers planted short-season crops from the interspace, even if they didn¡¯t plant much, it would have a significant impact.


    Jiang Gu looked at the attractive large white radish, her mouth watering. This radish looked so juicy and delicious.


    Seeing Jiang Gu¡¯s eager expression, Jiang Xia couldn¡¯t help but laugh. She picked up the radish in front of Jiang Gu, washed it clean with the water in the bucket, and handed it to her.


    ¡°Try it and see how it tastes?¡±


    Hearing her sister¡¯s words, Jiang Gu took the white radish and took a bite.


    Eating raw white radish can carry a hint of spice and bitterness. Jiang Xia wasn¡¯t a fan of this in her modern life, but in these times, having food to eat was already a luxury. Moreover, the white radish from Jiang Xia¡¯s special space, despite its initial spiciness and bitterness, left a gentle sweetness on the palate, and was satisfyingly crisp and juicy upon chewing.


    After finishing one bite, Jiang Gu couldn¡¯t wait to take another.


    After a few big bites, a third of the large white radish had been devoured by Jiang Gu. Seeing that Jiang Gu was about to eat more, Jiang Xia hurriedly stopped her.


    The white radish is rich in vitamin C and dietary fiber, which are indeed beneficial to the body.


    Eating raw white radish occasionally can promote metabolism and intestinal peristalsis, helping to quickly expel toxins and waste from the body.


    However, everything should be consumed in moderation. Eating too much white radish at once could possibly cause uncomfortable reactions, such as abdominal pain or diarrhea..

 Chapter 118 - Chapter 118: Autumn Harvest

    Chapter 118: Autumn Harvest


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Seeing her sister stopping her, Jiang Gu was unhappy and pouted at her sister. Jiang Xia tapped her forehead with a smile and said, ¡°You little foodie, let¡¯s have mom prepare some radish dishes when she cooks later.¡±


    Upon hearing her sister say this, Jiang Gu whooped with joy and ran into the house to find her mother.


    Four days passed quickly, and during this time, the family was busy collecting and categorizing seeds.


    While the family was bustling around on the mountain, the villagers at the foot of the mountain were also preparing. In two more days, it would be time for the autumn harvest. Every household had their tools ready, waiting for the village chief¡¯s order to begin their work.


    Even though they were worried about the situation, as long as they hadn¡¯t run out of grain for the day, they held onto hope.


    As for the grain harvesting tools for the Jiang family, they were prepared by Xiao Wu and Xiao Li, as Jiang Chuan said he would return before the harvest.


    The day before they descended the mountain, Zhou Lan and her family caught a few more small animals, bound their limbs, and put them in Jiang Xia¡¯s interspace.


    They were not worried about these small animals starving, as Jiang Xia had noticed over time that the grass in one spot in the space would regrow after being eaten, so even with their limbs bound, the small animals would not starve.


    After thinking with her family, Jiang Xia planned to build a fence in the space to corral all the small animals, giving them free range to move around.


    When their family had a stable life in the village and they could keep some small animals in their own home, they would then release these animals from the interspace.


    Building the fence was something Jiang Xia had to do herself. After the dangerous incident that night, Jiang Xia tried several times to bring her family into the interspace but was unsuccessful, so anything in the space had to be handled by her.


    At this point, Jiang Xia¡¯s space was filled with a lot of fruits, vegetables, and grain. They wouldn¡¯t have to worry about food for the winter.


    Once they had tidied up any traces in the house that didn¡¯t belong to this era, the family picked up their bundles and descended the mountain.


    With the experience from their previous mountain trips, everyone walked with ease. Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu would occasionally play and joke around, while Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan followed behind, occasionally whispering to each other.


    Halfway down the moutain, Zhou Lan suddenly frowned and pulled Jiang Chuan, who was beside her.


    ¡°Xiao Xia, Xiao Gu.¡± Zhou Lan called out in a low voice.


    Jiang Xia turned around and saw Zhou Lan¡¯s serious expression. She quickly pulled Jiang Gu, who was still running and jumping, back to Zhou Lan¡¯s side.


    ¡°Mom, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Jiang Xia asked.


    ¡°Shh! There¡¯s noise,¡± Zhou Lan signaled for everyone to lower their voices and follow her footsteps.


    Jiang Chuan protectively moved with Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu, following Zhou Lan¡¯s pace.


    Not until they arrived at a bush did Zhou Lan motion for everyone to crouch down.


    Zhou Lan gently pushed aside the bush, and Jiang Xia also moved to her mother¡¯s side, peering through a small gap.


    The sight nearly made Jiang Xia¡¯s heart jump out of her throat.


    ¡°Sister, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Jiang Gu had somehow moved to Jiang Xia¡¯s side and asked in a low voice.


    Jiang Xia made a shushing gesture, and his breathing was a little hurried.


    What she saw was none other than the wolf pack that attacked them before.


    At this moment, they were attacking another group of people. Due to the angle, Jiang Xia could not see the face of the person being attacked. He only felt that the back of the person was somewhat familiar.


    Seeing that Jiang Xia did not answer her, Jiang Gu leaned forward to peek through a small gap.


    Just a second before Jiang Gu was about to shout out, Jiang Xia covered her mouth.


    Jiang Gu was not about to scream because she saw the wolf pack, but because she saw the four people being attacked by the wolves, who were now covered in blood.


    ¡°Xiao Xia, look at that person.¡± Zhou Lan said to Jiang Xia in a low voice.


    Jiang Xia looked in the direction her mother was pointing. The person was still facing away from her, but the more she looked at him, the more familiar he looked.


    ¡°Is he¡­?¡± Jiang Xia hesitated.


    ¡°That¡¯s the young Shen fellow you were interested in before!¡± Zhou Lan spoke to her daughter somewhat speechlessly. She had been staring at him before, but now she didn¡¯t recognize him.


    Jiang Xia didn¡¯t know how her mother could joke at such a time, but after another careful look, it did seem to be the young master of the Shen family, Shen Mo.


    Jiang Xia furrowed her brows, looking at the wolf pack that was glaring fiercely at Shen Mo. If it were someone else at a severe disadvantage, she might consider not intervening. But this was Shen Mo, a man capable of conveying the situation of the village to those higher up.. She simply couldn¡¯t stand by and not save him!

 Chapter 119 - Chapter 119: Rescue

    Chapter 119: Rescue


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Jiang Xia looked at Zhou Lan with a helpless expression. She couldn¡¯t reveal her special ability at this critical moment, so she had no choice but to depend on her mother¡¯s strength. Jiang Chuan, thinking along the same lines, also turned his gaze towards Zhou Lan.


    Feeling their intent gazes, Zhou Lan shivered. In a hushed voice, she questioned, ¡°Why are you two staring at me?¡±


    Jiang Xia leaned closer to Zhou Lan, whispering, ¡°Mother, our survival this winter depends on these peoples. We can¡¯t afford to let them die.¡±


    Hearing Jiang Xia¡¯s words, Zhou Lan looked seriously at the pack of wolves, then shook her head at Jiang Xia. It wasn¡¯t that Zhou Lan didn¡¯t believe in her own skills, but she truly couldn¡¯t handle so many wolves. Charging at them would be suicidal, wouldn¡¯t it?


    Jiang Xia naturally didn¡¯t think this way. She had observed the state of Shen Mo and the others along with the wolf pack when persuading her mother to act. The pack was large, and if they were to attack like they did last time, no one would escape.


    But now, the wolves and Shen Mo and his group were in a standoff, not attacking immediately. They must be afraid of something.


    According to Jiang Xia¡¯s observation, the wolves were probably afraid of the pistols. Firstly, other than pistol, there were no other easily carried weapons with such lethal power. Secondly, the bloodstain on Shen Mo and the others looked more like blood splattered on them than blood flowing out of their clothes.


    The current situation of Shen Mo and his group was likely that they were running low on bullets. Thus, they didn¡¯t dare to use them recklessly. But this standoff was not a solution either; they would eventually be devoured by the wolves.


    So, what method should she use to contact Shen Mo and his group so that they could cooperate and escape together?


    Jiang Xia leaned closer to Zhou Lan¡¯s ear and said, ¡°Mother, Shen Mo and the others should be armed. If we cooperate well, we should be able to rescue them without getting hurt.¡±


    ¡°How should we do that?¡±


    Although Zhou Lan was often unreliable and liked to think about random things, she was a good listener and would heed Jiang Chuan and Jiang Xia¡¯s advice when it came to serious matters.


    ¡°We need to find a way to approach Shen Mo and his group now,¡± she said.


    Jiang Xia surveyed the area and frowned. She couldn¡¯t think of a solution yet.


    Just when Jiang Xia was looking distressed, Jiang Chuan suddenly made a sign with his mouth ¨C water.


    That¡¯s right! The water from her interspace could attract herbivores when poured on the ground. When the herbivores came to eat, they could use the opportunity to mask their movements and get closer to Shen Mo and his group.


    But wouldn¡¯t it arouse suspicion if a large number of animals suddenly descended the mountain?


    Despite her concerns, Jiang Xia didn¡¯t have time to hesitate. The standoff between Shen Mo¡¯s group and the wolf pack was increasingly unfavorable. She had to give it a shot.


    As soon as she poured the water from her interspace on the ground, Zhou Lan could hear the sound of animals running in the distance.


    Zhou Lan gave Jiang Xia a look, and Jiang Xia immediately grabbed Jiang Gu and followed behind her mother, with her father at the rear.


    Zhou Lan wasn¡¯t the only one who heard this sound. The wolves were the first to sense it. The alpha wolf in the lead howled as a warning. Through the gaps in the grass, Jiang Xia saw four wolves turn their eyes toward the direction of the running animals, while five others were still confronting Shen Mo.


    Normally, the herbivores would flee at the sound of wolf¡¯s howl, but it was different now. The animals were lured by the interspace water and could not care about anything else.


    The sound of the herd of animals running got closer, and the alpha wolf attention was diverted away from Shen Mo¡¯s group. Just then, Zhou Lan had already led Jiang Xia and others close to Shen Mo.


    Seizing the opportunity, Shen Mo shot the Alpha wolf.


    The alpha wolf was injured, with blood continuously pouring out from its wound. Its agonized howl instantly echoed far and wide. Upon seeing their leader injured, the rest of the wolf pack disregarded any other sounds and pounced on Shen Mo.


    Three wolves lunged at Shen Mo together. In a flash, Shen Mo shot two wolves in the head with his gun. However, another wolf that was initially targeting Wang Wen suddenly shifted its focus to Shen Mo.


    The wolf was incredibly fast, and Shen Mo¡¯s gun had run out of bullets. Just when he thought his life would end there, out of nowhere, a figure burst from the bushes. In the blink of an eye, a tree trunk as thick as two human arms knocked over the two lunging wolves.


    The figure didn¡¯t pause in front of him but immediately knocked away the grey wolf that was pinning down the others in the next moment..

 Chapter 120 - Chapter 120: Thank You

    Chapter 120: Thank You


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    In the blink of an eye, only four of the nine wolves were left, two of which were injured, including the alpha wolf.


    Seeing that the situation was not in its favor, the alpha wolf issued a signal and turned to run towards the depths of the forest.


    Shen Mo had thought Zhou Lan looked familiar when he first saw her but couldn¡¯t remember who she was. It wasn¡¯t until he saw Jiang Xia that he remembered this woman was Jiang Xia¡¯s mother.


    This wasn¡¯t because Shen Mo had forgotten Zhou Lan; it was just that her presence in front of others was always low, making people unconsciously overlook her.


    Jiang Xia was the first to approach Wang Wen and ask, ¡°Uncle Wang, how are you all doing?¡±


    Wang Wen first looked towards Shen Mo. Seeing that Shen Mo was fine, he let out a sigh of relief and said, ¡°We¡¯re okay, thanks to you guys. Otherwise, who knows what would have happened today.¡±


    There were four of them in total: Wang Wen, Shen Mo, and two soldiers under Shen Mo¡¯s command.


    They were fortunate that Shen Mo had brought soldiers with him today. If he had been accompanied by that man with the camera like last time, they would have had to protect him as well, and it was uncertain whether they could have held on until now.


    Even though Jiang Xia and her group had medicine, they couldn¡¯t take it out. All they could do was tear some strips of cloth to bandage Shen Mo and the others temporarily.


    Among them, Shen Mo¡¯s injuries were the most severe. In addition to wounds on his arm and leg, there were also several wounds on his abdomen. He was unsure whether they were inflicted when the two wolves lunged at him, but they were bleeding at the moment..


    Shen Mo¡¯s face was pale when they were bandaging him, but he bit his lip and didn¡¯t make a sound. Jiang Xia felt pain just looking at his wounds.


    As for why Jiang Xia was bandaging Shen Mo¡¯s wounds, it had to do with her unreliable mother. As soon as the crisis was resolved, her mother¡¯s whimsical thoughts resurfaced.


    She was initially helping Wang Wen with his bandages, but her mother assigned that task to her father and took it upon herself to bandage the two soldiers who didn¡¯t look very old.


    Left with no choice, she had to take the cloth and come over to Shen Mo.


    The heavy smell of blood on Shen Mo¡¯s body reached Jiang Xia¡¯s nose, making her feel dizzy. This man must have fought with other wolves besides the two just now and had even managed to kill one.


    Thinking this, Jiang Xia curiously looked up at Shen Mo, only to meet his dark eyes.


    Although he looked ragged, there was a steady and firm look in his eyes, as if his presence alone could provide reassurance.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Shen Mo said.


    Since Jiang Xia was bandaging him, they were very close. When Shen Mo spoke, his warm breath hit Jiang Xia¡¯s ear. She felt her heart tighten, and her hand unintentionally pressed a bit harder on the bandage, causing Shen Mo to gasp in pain.


    Jiang Xia paused her movement. When she resumed, she used her previous pressure.


    While Jiang Xia continued to work with her hands, her mind was wandering. She might now understand why the girls pursuing Shen Mo were so crazy. Besides his appearance, this man was quite attractive.


    Just his saying ¡°thank you¡± was enough to make her heart flutter. Listening to his voice up close could be addicting.


    After bandaging Shen Mo, Jiang Xia planned to move away from him. Soldiers really were machines that exuded hormones. When she was bandaging him earlier and accidentally touched his waist, the amazing sensation made her dare not recall it for a second time.


    Jiang Gu slipped over to Jiang Xia at some point and witnessed the scene. After Jiang Xia finished bandaging, Jiang Gu whispered, ¡°Sister, your face is red again!¡±


    In an instant, the words reached both Jiang Xia and Shen Mo¡¯s ears. Their eyes met abruptly, then both involuntarily looked away.


    Jiang Xia¡¯s gaze fell on the culprit, her look became even less friendly as she laughed ominously.


    ¡°Xiao Gu, are you itching for a beating?¡±


    As Jiang Xia said this and reached to pinch Jiang Gu¡¯s cheeks, Jiang Gu saw what was coming and turned to run. Jiang Xia followed, which also helped avoid the awkward situation they were in.


    Because in modern times, the family often went out and got bumped and bruised, so they were all proficient in bandaging. It didn¡¯t take long to bandage all four of Shen Mo¡¯s party.


    Jiang Xia handed over the water she had prepared to everyone. She had added a bit of interspace water to ensure they had the strength to descend the mountain..

 Chapter 121 - Chapter 121: Escape

    Chapter 121: Escape


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    This was no place to linger. The strong smell of blood might attract other predators, so after a brief tidy up, everyone prepared to descend the mountain Wang Wen was supported by Jiang Chuan, while Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu helped a soldier with a leg injury. Another soldier, whose injuries were lighter, had to make his own way down the mountain. As for Shen Mo¡­


    Jiang Xia sneaked a glance at the boy with a pallid face riding on Zhou Lan¡¯s back. It couldn¡¯t be helped, Shen Mo was more severely injured, not just his waist and abdomen, but his legs as well, which were clawed by the wolves. The sight was heartbreaking.


    Shen Mo initially refused to be carried, but his face turned pale from pain with any movement. Eventually, they decided that the strongest, Zhou Lan, would carry him.


    With everyone¡¯s persuasion, Shen Mo finally agreed to ride on Zhou Lan¡¯s back.


    Because Shen Mo¡¯s pale face was amusing, Jiang Xia couldn¡¯t help but sneak a few more glances at him. Shen Mo didn¡¯t need to feel embarrassed, he was, after all, just eighteen, the same age as Jiang Xia in modern times, still a big boy. There was nothing shameful about being carried.


    As the sound of distant wolf howls reached them, everyone quickened their pace. It was only when they descended the mountain that they let out a sigh of relief. It was like they had walked right out of hell¡¯s gates.


    As soon as they reached the foot of the mountain, Jiang Xia saw a man waiting by with a shoulder bag. Seeing the injuries on Shen Mo and the others, he rushed over in surprise, taking over the person Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu were supporting.


    ¡°What happened?¡± the man asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk over there,¡± Shen Mo replied, his voice sounding weak.


    However, once everyone sat down, the man with the shoulder bag didn¡¯t get a chance to get near Shen Mo again, as Zhou Lan was treating his wounds.


    Seeing this, the soldier being supported by Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu led the man with the shoulder bag to sit down, and started to recount what had happened on the mountain.


    Jiang Chuan was also asking about this matter.


    ¡°Brother Wang, why did you guys go up the mountain?¡± Jiang Chuan asked after taking a sip of water from Jiang Xia.


    In casual conversation earlier, it was mentioned that Wang Wen was two years older than Jiang Chuan, so he addressed him as ¡®Brother Wang¡¯.


    Wang Wen sighed and looked towards Shen Mo, who was sitting with Jiang Xia and Zhou Lan not far away.


    ¡°Our young master heard your family was going into the mountains and wanted to come too,¡± he said.


    On hearing this, Jiang Chuan was surprised, ¡°Brother Wang, you came up without any preparation?¡±


    Wang Wen smiled bitterly. They did have some preparation, they brought guns, thinking there wouldn¡¯t be any issues. But they ran into a pack of wolves as soon as they entered the mountain, and for some reason, the wolves pounced as soon as they saw them.


    ¡°We had weapons, but there were too many wolves. We were outnumbered.¡±


    Listening to this, Jiang Chuan thought it made sense. Wang Wen and his group were different from them, who went up the mountain casually like villagers picking vegetables and came back down. Being attacked by a pack of wolves was an accident.


    An accident¡­


    Jiang Chuan suddenly remembered the wolf attack they had experienced some time ago and frowned deeply.


    ¡°Not to keep anything from you, Brother Wang,¡± Jiang Chuan continued, ¡°we also experienced a wolf attack before. Luckily, we were inside our wooden house, which was sturdy enough to save us.¡±


    Jiang Chuan slightly altered the details of the incident. He figured that the wolves probably gave up attacking the house after a while because they couldn¡¯t smell them. Given the wolves¡¯ fearlessness today, they might have met with misfortune that day as well.


    ¡°You guys were attacked by wolves too?¡± Wang Wen asked in surprise.


    ¡°Yes, our situation was similar to yours today,¡± Jiang Chuan replied. ¡°We were sleeping when the child¡¯s mother heard the wolves howling and woke us up. We saw the wolves through the crack in the door.¡±


    Wang Wen frowned.¡± Although the drought outside is severe, 1 can see that there are still some small animals in the mountains. These wolves shouldn¡¯t be hungry enough to attack humans.¡±


    Seeing Wang Wen touch upon the crucial point, Jiang Chuan followed up, ¡°The child¡¯s mother and I thought the same, so we took the children down the mountain the next day. Back in the village, we learned a few things. It seems like someone intentionally caused the wolves to attack us.¡±


    Wang Wen looked serious, understanding the implications of Jiang Chuan¡¯s unsaid words. He wondered if someone was also trying to harm them, causing this incident. But Wang Wen felt this was unlikely. Not for any other reason, but because Shen Mo¡¯s spontaneous suggestion to go up the mountain today was not pre-planned.


    Thinking about it, Wang Wen shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s probably just a coincidence.¡±


    Just then, Jiang Chuan raised another question, ¡°Brother Wang, did you guys encounter anyone or anything unusual while you were going up the mountain?¡±


    Hearing Jiang Chuan¡¯s question, Wang Wen suddenly remembered that they had met a couple at the foot of the mountain. The pair acted suspiciously, and if they hadn¡¯t needed directions, they wouldn¡¯t have talked to such people..

 Chapter 122 - Chapter 122: Intentional Murder

    Chapter 122: Intentional Murder


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Wang Wen wasn¡¯t sure if their encounter had anything to do with the attack. Regardless, he felt it was important to share everything with Jiang Chuan.


    Jiang Chuan frowned, deep in thought. After a moment, he asked, ¡°Brother Wang, can you recall what those two looked like?¡±


    Wang Wen was blessed with a good memory. As soon as the question left Jiang Chuan¡¯s lips, he found himself describing the couple¡¯s appearances in detail.


    A cold smile formed on Jiang Chuan¡¯s face. Sun Li and his wife were involved yet again. He wondered, ¡®What are they planning this time?¡¯


    Wang Wen noticed Jiang Chuan¡¯s expression change. Driven by curiosity, he probed further. Jiang Chuan didn¡¯t hold anything back, sharing what he had heard after their descent from the mountain.


    A wave of shock washed over Wang Wen. His face turned ashen. Could it be that their encounter with the wolves was because of the scent they picked up from that couple? The thought of such an undeserved calamity nearly made him dizzy.


    He made a mental note to discuss this matter with Shen Mo. Although that couple might not have intended any harm, the damage they had caused was undeniable. Furthermore, if Jiang Chuan was right, and the couple had schemed to harm Jiang Chuan¡¯s family, this serious violation of law needed to be investigated thoroughly.


    Meanwhile, Shen Mo, who was in Wang Wen¡¯s thoughts, was dealing with his own problems. His abdominal wound was bleeding significantly due to the rough journey. Zhou Lan was present, so Jiang Xia decided not to get involved in dressing his wound. She ignored her mother¡¯s constant hints to help.


    Jiang Xia couldn¡¯t deny her feelings for Shen Mo. He was attractive, came from a good family, and was personally remarkable. It would be a lie to say she was indifferent. But she also knew the truth ¨C she and Shen Mo belonged to different worlds.


    She was clear about herself. Unlike her mother, she didn¡¯t judge the era with modern thinking. She understood that many girls were chasing Shen Mo, including some exceptional ones. Why would she believe Shen Mo would be interested in her?


    With these thoughts, Jiang Xia distanced herself even more from Shen Mo. She ignored her mother¡¯s constant attempts to get her attention and walked over to the man carrying the satchel.


    She had initially thought he wouldn¡¯t have come today. To her surprise, he did, but he had stayed at the foot of the mountain. His decision had spared him from the calamity.


    ¡°Uncle, can 1 take a look at the camera?¡± Jiang Xia asked.


    Cameras were a rare item in this era, scarcely seen even in towns.


    The man carrying the satchel looked up at Jiang Xia and, after a moment of hesitation, handed her the camera.


    Upon receiving the camera, Jiang Xia thanked him, then settled down to tinker with it.


    When Jiang Gu saw her sister fiddling with the camera, she ran to sit beside Jiang Xia. Her position completely blocked their mother¡¯s view of Jiang Xia, giving her a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Sister, did glasses uncle lend you his camera?¡± Jiang Gu asked curiously.


    While silently cheering for Jiang Gu¡¯s strategic positioning in her mind, Jiang Xia replied with a smile, ¡°Yes! glasses uncle lent it to me.¡±


    Unlike modern cameras, this vintage model was quite hefty, loaded with film. After taking pictures, you needed to process the film to get photos.


    Having never handled such a camera before, Jiang Xia was cautious not to damage it. Both the camera and film were quite expensive, and she couldn¡¯t afford to pay for any damages.


    Recalling how she had asked the satchel carrying uncle to borrow his camera, his moment of hesitation probably indicated his reluctance. Yet, out of gratitude for saving his life, he had still lent it to Jiang Xia. Even now, he was anxiously watching her handle the camera.


    Due to Jiang Gu¡¯s obstruction, Shen Mo also withdrew his gaze from Jiang Xia.


    Shen Mo found this family to be quite unique. Initially, he was drawn by Jiang Xia¡¯s distinctive charm. Now, he noticed the skillful woman who was treating him also possessed remarkable abilities.


    Although the woman seemed to be rely on brute force when she attacked, his understanding of martial arts allowed him to see a pattern. Both her strikes and evasive movements hinted at prior martial arts training. This differed from his previous impressions of Jiang Chuan¡¯s family.


    In the midst of Shen Mo¡¯s deep thought, Zhou Lan¡¯s voice abruptly broke in, ¡°The bandage is secured. We¡¯re safe here for now. Rest up. 1¡¯11 make a quick trip back to the village to borrow a donkey cart to take you back.¡±


    Zhou Lan made quite a show of getting up. As she did so, she specifically called out to Jiang Xia to come and look after Shen Mo. Her gaze carried an unspoken but clear intent, causing Jiang Xia¡¯s face to fall into an expression of helplessness..

 Chapter 123 - Chapter 123: Solution

    Chapter 123: Solution


    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Zhou Lan didn¡¯t give Jiang Xia a chance to refuse, saying this and then quickly walking to Jiang Chuan to repeat her words.


    Jiang Chuan originally planned to accompany Zhou Lan, but he was concerned that he might slow her down, so he allowed Zhou Lan to go alone.


    After Zhou Lan left, Jiang Xia returned the camera to the glasses uncle, who seemed so nervous that it amused her.


    It wasn¡¯t that the glasses uncle was stingy, but rather the photographs inside the camera were quite important.


    Jiang Xia returned to Shen Mo¡¯s side and they exchanged glances, falling into a moment of silence.


    Finally, Jiang Xia broke the silence. She didn¡¯t want any misunderstandings. ¡°Don¡¯t mind my mother¡¯s earlier words. Her personality is a bit¡­¡± She searched for the right words before continuing, ¡°eccentric. If she said anything, just ignore it.¡±


    Shen Mo looked at Jiang Xia, his expression somewhat softened. He could feel that this girl had no intentional desire to get close to him.


    ¡°Your mother just told me to rest well during this time, not to exercise vigorously, and provided some methods for wound care. She didn¡¯t say anything else,¡± Shen Mo replied.


    Jiang Xia nodded.¡± That¡¯s good.¡±


    The conversation fell into a stalemate again, but this time, it was Shen Mo who found a topic.


    ¡°The village chief mentioned that you all went up the mountain in search of food for the villagers, did you find it?¡±


    Bringing up this topic, Jiang Xia showed a bright smile.


    ¡°We found it. Although the villagers have to try planting them themselves, 1 think it¡¯s worth a shot.¡±


    Shen Mo looked at Jiang Xia¡¯s sparkling eyes full of hope, and for a moment he was lost in thought. Snapping back to reality, he simply nodded his head.


    Unexpectedly, the more Jiang Xia thought about it, the happier she got. She directly took out the seeds from the bag and began explaining them to Shen Mo.


    Initially, Shen Mo didn¡¯t pay much attention, but as he listened, he grew more serious. According to Jiang Xia, these seeds have a much higher yield than regular ones. If the villagers really could grow them, they would have more food stored for winter, which would help them last longer.


    Perhaps because she was thinking about how it could help the villagers, Jiang Xia was too absorbed in her own joy to notice the change in Shen Mo¡¯s expression.


    Shen Mo noticed that when Jiang Xia talked about being able to do something for the villagers, there was a twinkle in her eyes. This surprised Shen Mo.¡±


    Life was bearable a few years ago, but ever since the famine spread, people have become more focused on their own survival. Instances of people fighting over a single bite to eat were not uncommon, so who would have the capacity to consider others?


    In response to Jiang Xia¡¯s explanation, Shen Mo inquired, ¡°What do you think is the solution to the famine?¡±


    Shen Mo¡¯s question left Jiang Xia startled. Not that she didn¡¯t know how to respond, but she suddenly realized that she had shared too much with Shen Mo. The ancient warning of ¡®loose lips sink ships¡¯ came to mind.


    Seeing that Jiang Xia didn¡¯t respond right away, Shen Mo couldn¡¯t help but smile to himself, thinking it was odd to ask such a question to a young girl. Just as he was about to say that his question was merely casual, he heard Jiang Xia speak up.


    ¡°To solve the famine, the country has to come up with a policy. We ordinary people just have to comply.¡±After saying that, Jiang Xia revealed her signature smile.


    Shen Mo knew from her response that she did have some ideas, but was probably too afraid to voice them.


    ¡°You don¡¯t dare to say?¡± Shen Mo asked, looking directly into Jiang Xia¡¯s eyes.


    Jiang Xia simply smiled and remained silent, while Shen Mo continued, ¡°If you have thoughts, speak them out. We are not living in a feudal dynasty without freedom of speech. A country can only develop better if it listens to its people.¡± ¡°Will they listen if I speak?¡± Jiang Xia asked with a smile.


    ¡°They will. Just like you said before, the government will send people to investigate.¡±


    Jiang Xia raised his eyebrows. It seemed like he had to hear something from her.


    Jiang Xia arched an eyebrow, noting his insistence on hearing her thoughts. ¡°The current famine is due to two factors,¡± she began. ¡°Firstly, there¡¯s the drought, which is a natural disaster and out of our control. Secondly, there¡¯s the communal dining system. In our village, for example, because we saw people starving to death last year, the village chief distributed grain to everyone. If everyone eats together, regardless of whether there¡¯s enough food, people will strive to eat, even if they are already full. Doesn¡¯t the old saying go, ¡®Better to burst from eating than to die of starvation¡¯? However, if the grain is distributed to each household, everyone will conserve food, maybe eat less per meal, but they won¡¯t starve to death. Hence, other villages could also implement this approach, following our village¡¯s lead.¡±


    After explaining the situation to Shen Mo, Jiang Xia felt that if all areas distributed grain, the village chief would no longer have to worry so much..

 Chapter 124 - Chapter 124: The Country Became the Landlord

    chapter 124: the country became the landlord


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    after hearing jiang xia¡¯s explanation, shen mo couldn¡¯t help but frown. the communal dining system aimed to distribute grain equally, fostering fairness and justice, but according to jiang xia, this approach seemed to create not only unfairness but also waste of food.


    regardless of shen mo¡¯s reaction, jiang xia continued, ¡°moreover, in the village, everyone collectively farms the land. the grains they harvest don¡¯t belong to them, and it¡¯s unclear whether everyone is genuinely working hard or just doing the bare minimum for their work points.¡±


    ¡°you mean the land should be evenly distributed to the farmers?¡± shen mo asked, knitting his eyebrows.


    although he phrased it as a question, shen mo knew this was improbable. if all the land were given to the farmers, what would happen to the country?


    jiang xia chuckled lightly, ¡°not at all. i was suggesting that the land could be leased to the farmers.¡±


    shen mo didn¡¯t quite understand jiang xia¡¯s meaning and looked at her, puzzled.


    jiang xia thought for a moment, then suddenly remembered a word. she hesitated, worried that it might cause a misunderstanding. seeing her struggle, shen mo could tell she was in a dilemma.


    ¡°speak your mind. only i will hear it, so don¡¯t worry about saying something wrong.¡± shen mo¡¯s tone was as calm as always, but he was indeed trying to reassure jiang xia.


    encouraged by shen mo¡¯s assurance, jiang xia decided to share her idea. ¡°actually, what i¡¯m suggesting is a bit like the old landlords, except in this case, the ¡®landlord¡¯ would be the country.


    immediately after the word ¡®landlord¡¯ escaped her lips, jiang xia could feel a distinct drop in temperature around her. the campaigns against landlords hadn¡¯t entirely faded, and yet here she was, daring to suggest the country could act as a landlord. it seemed as if she was asking for trouble.


    sneaking a glance at shen mo, jiang xia found him looking at her coldly. her heart jolted, and she contemplated fleeing. he had reassured her that it was safe to express her thoughts, but she doubted if she could trust him!


    fortunately, shen mo was quick to react and grabbed jiang xia before she could dart off.


    ¡°where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± he asked in a stern voice.


    caught off guard, jiang xia quickly came up with an excuse. she turned around, forcing a smile, ¡°oh, nothing. i just wanted to see why my mother hasn¡¯t come back yet. she¡¯s running a bit late.¡±


    as she finished speaking, she attempted to free her arm, but shen mo¡¯s grip remained firm.


    ¡°finish your thought.¡± shen mo¡¯s gaze fixed on jiang xia, his voice stern.


    jiang xia tried to retract her arm but failed, giving shen mo a placating smile, ¡°big brother, i¡¯ve said all i have to. there¡¯s nothing else.


    shen mo silently stared at jiang xia, neither speaking nor retracting his hand.


    sighing, jiang xia started again, ¡°at the end of the day, although the methods may seem similar, there¡¯s a fundamental difference between the country and landlords. by giving land to farmers and collecting a fixed amount of grain, leaving the surplus to the farmers, those working the land will think about how to increase output, how to grow more grain on limited land. when 1 say that the country and landlords are different, i mean that landlords exploit workers for their own wealth, while the country is ensuring that the people of the nation survive. collecting and allocating grain so that it can serve its maximum purpose, isn¡¯t that exactly what the country wants?¡±


    frowning, shen mo asked, ¡°wouldn¡¯t this lead to people hoarding large amounts of land and reverting back to being landlords?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s where country regulation comes in! limit the amount of land that a person can own, and even if they do become landlords, it would take some time. at present, no household is wealthy enough to hoard land. they need money for that, and where would they get the money? they have to farm the land well. during this period, the country can perfect the system, not giving them the opportunity to grow stronger. this can delay the ¡®birth¡¯ of landlords. besides, isn¡¯t the primary concern now to solve the famine?¡± jiang xia countered shen mo.


    shen mo lifted his head to look at jiang xia. he suddenly felt that her smile was somewhat dazzling. from what he understood, jiang xia couldn¡¯t possibly know so much, so why¡­


    ¡°why are you zoning out?¡± jiang xia¡¯s hand waved in front of shen mo¡¯s eyes.


    shen mo came back to his senses abruptly, turning his face away in embarrassment, his hand also releasing its grip.


    ¡°what you suggested is worth trying. i will appropriately relay this to the higher-ups. even if it¡¯s successful, it can only be implemented next year. but what about the coming winter?¡±


    during this time, shen mo and wang wen had been secretly visiting many villages. the grain yields were all poor. he had also investigated the amount of grain these villages handed over in the past and compared it with the known grain production. the results were shocking..

 Chapter 125 - Chapter 125: The Famine Problem

    chapter 125: the famine problem


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    even with his knowledge of the situation, he couldn¡¯t directly report it, as he lacked concrete evidence.


    he only knew the actual production from the villagers. only the grain that was handed in was recorded. if those who exaggerated the production did not admit it, then he would have no way to punish the person who lied about the grain production.


    jiang xia sighed, ¡°this year, our only hope lies with the country. whether it¡¯s land distribution or opening up new fields, all of it takes time. autumn harvest is almost here, so any strategy now would be futile. we can only hope for a larger portion of grain to be left after handing it over, or depend on the village head to apply for relief grain. otherwise, this winter will be tough.¡±


    shen mo pondered for a moment before continuing to ask, ¡°what do you mean by ¡®opening up new fields¡¯?¡±


    ¡°you¡¯ve been travelling around recently, so you must have seen the barren hills around our village. if there¡¯s a chance, we could consider developing these barren hills. regardless of how much grain we could eventually grow, if the land area for cultivation is expanded by developing these barren hills, it would present an opportunity to increase the yield no matter what we plant.¡±


    having already said so much, jiang xia didn¡¯t hold back. she answered whatever shen mo asked.


    just as shen mo was about to ask about seeds, they heard the sound of a donkey cart in the distance.


    jiang xia also heard it, turned to look, and saw xiao wu driving a donkey cart with the village chief and zhou lan. there was another donkey cart following them, although she couldn¡¯t clearly see the driver, it looked like uncle li from next door.


    in no time, the two carts arrived before them. shen mo swallowed the words he was about to say.


    the injured were helped onto the donkey cart. seeing the severity of their wounds, the village chief couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°how did you get such severe injuries?¡±


    since jiang chuan already knew the situation, he didn¡¯t let wang wen repeat it, and he recounted the events to the village chief.


    ¡°all! i told you it¡¯s dangerous in the mountains, but no one listened. now look, you¡¯ve got such severe injuries.¡±


    the village chief was truly worried as he sighed and talked. there was an unintentional note of blame in his voice. shen mo looked up at the worried village chief, and in the end, he didn¡¯t say a word.


    ¡°you¡¯ve suffered such severe injuries. rest in the village for two days first and go back when your injuries are almost healed.¡± the village chief said.


    considering what jiang xia had told him, shen mo wanted to refuse. after all, solving the famine crisis was urgent, and they needed to report the situation as soon as possible. but the village chief seemed to understand what shen mo was going to say and continued.


    ¡°if you go back now, the journey may worsen your injuries. if it gets infected, there¡¯s no need to rush to work. you might fall ill first,¡± the village chief reasoned.


    the village chief took a deep puff of his cigarette and asked xiao wu to drive straight to his house.


    the village chief¡¯s house was considered one of the better ones in the village, with three brick rooms. now that his children were away studying, an empty room served as an excellent place for shen mo and his group to rest and recuperate.


    the village doctor had been informed when the village chief went to fetch shen mo and the others, so he was already waiting at the chief¡¯s house, ready to start treatment as soon as they arrived.


    with the doctor around, there was no need for jiang xia¡¯s family. they initially planned to go home, but jiang chuan decided to hand over the seeds directly to the village chief for distribution.


    when jiang xia brought the village chief outside, he seemed a bit confused, wondering what they were up to. jiang chuan passed him the seeds, ¡°chief, these are the seeds we¡¯ve collected from the mountains over this period. we¡¯ve already categorized them. please distribute them to the villagers as a small contribution from our family to the village.¡±


    the village chief was a bit stunned, holding the bag of seeds in his hand. he hadn¡¯t expected the jiang family to find so many seeds and offer them to him without condition.


    ¡°you¡¯re giving all these seeds to the villagers?¡± the village chief¡¯s voice trembled. for them, who depended on agriculture, seeds were treasures. if sold at the supply and marketing cooperative, these seeds could fetch a good sum of money, yet the jiang family was giving them all away.


    seeing the village chief¡¯s emotional reaction, jiang chuan smiled, ¡°chief, this was our goal when we went up the mountain. now that we¡¯ve accomplished it, it¡¯s only natural that we fulfill our promise.¡±


    tears welled up in the village chief¡¯s eyes, and his aged hand trembled as it gripped jiang chuan¡¯s, ¡°jiang chuan, i, on behalf of the villagers, thank you all..¡±

 Chapter 126 - Chapter 126: The Authority To Decide

    chapter 126: the authority to decide


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang chuan explained to the village chief how he had categorized the seeds, making the chief more and more excited. he quickly found a pen and paper and noted down everything jiang chuan said.


    as for how jiang chuan knew so much, he just said he had learned it while farming before and experimenting on the mountain, which made him familiar with some characteristics of the seeds.


    although the village chief had some doubts, he couldn¡¯t think of any other reason and followed what jiang chuan said.


    once the chief had recorded everything, he asked, ¡°jiang chuan, does your family have any thoughts on how the seeds should be distributed?¡±


    knowing that the village chief was referring to the old jiang and old sun families, jiang chuan turned his gaze towards his family.


    zhou lan¡¯s opinion was clear ¨C why would they share seeds with those two families? she would consider herself kind not to storm their houses and give them a piece of her mind.


    after a moment of contemplation, jiang xia responded, ¡°grandpa village chief, if you¡¯re asking whether we¡¯re willing to distribute the seeds we worked hard to produce to them, naturally, we¡¯re not. but since we¡¯ve handed the seeds over to you, how they¡¯re distributed is up to you, right, dad?¡±


    jiang xia turned to jiang chuan for approval after her statement, and he nodded in agreement.


    his daughter was right. they initially went to the mountain to find seeds for the villagers, and now that they had handed over the seeds to the village chief, it wouldn¡¯t be right for them to interfere further.


    hearing jiang xia¡¯s words, the village chief heaved a sigh, ¡°jiang chuan, your family is truly remarkable! how the old jiang family treated you¡­ it¡¯s their loss!¡±


    wasn¡¯t it a loss for the old jiang family? even if jiang xia¡¯s family didn¡¯t come, jiang chuan¡¯s family were all hardworking. driving them away would be a huge loss to the village.


    seeing that everything was almost settled, jiang xia¡¯s family prepared to bid farewell and leave, but the village chief stopped them, insisting they stay for dinner.


    jiang chuan declined the offer, explaining they needed to return home to tidy up and prepare to leave the next day.


    hearing this, the village chief expressed surprise, ¡°leaving? the autumn harvest is just around the corner, and you still plan to leave?¡±


    jiang chuan smiled and replied,¡± we¡¯re going to the town to get some supplies first, and we¡¯ll leave after the autumn harvest.¡±


    the village chief continued to ask jiang chuan where they were going.


    ¡°we¡¯ve discussed it as a family, and we¡¯re thinking about heading to the county town,¡± replied jiang chuan.


    ¡°the county town?¡±


    the village chief was even more surprised. unlike the town, reachable within two or three hours by donkey cart, the county town would take at least eight or nine hours to get to. it was not possible to make the round trip in one day; they would have to stay overnight, and lodging fees were no small amount.


    ¡°why the sudden decision to go to the county town? it¡¯s not an easy journey!¡± the village chief questioned, his eyebrows furrowing.


    understanding the village chief¡¯s concern, jiang chuan explained, ¡°chief, as farmers, we¡¯re at the mercy of the heavens. like this year¡¯s drought, we can do nothing but wait for our doom. our family wants to explore further afield; perhaps there are other opportunities.¡±


    after a brief pause, the village chief got a handle on the tricky situation of jiang chuan¡¯s family. when jiang chuan and his family had moved out from the old jiang¡¯s house, they were given nothing. even though they could work to earn work points, that was nowhere near enough for two adults and two children to live on. it was not unreasonable for them to seek additional opportunities. thinking this, the village chief sighed and nodded.


    after leaving the village chief¡¯s house, jiang xia¡¯s family went straight to their house that had been empty for a long time. for some reason, jiang xia suddenly felt a sense of belonging to this extremely simple house. she put down her backpack and began to clean.


    zhou lan and jiang gu were wiping the tables in the house while jiang xia followed jiang chuan to clean the yard.


    ¡± xiao xia,¡± jiang chuan started, ¡°are you sure about reaching out to your father¡¯s friend from the sugar factory?¡±


    even though it was jiang xia¡¯s suggestion, jiang chuan was still somewhat uneasy.


    to be honest, jiang xia wasn¡¯t entirely sure either whether they could join zhou lane in going to the county town. however, having someone familiar with the county town was undoubtedly better than going in blind. if they knew someone, they had to at least give it a try, right?


    ¡°let¡¯s give it a shot! we¡¯re just asking. if they¡¯re unwilling, we can¡¯t do much about it,¡± jiang xia replied, piling up the trash in the yard.


    just as the family was busy cleaning, there was a knock on the door..

 Chapter 127 - Chapter 127: Giving the Seeds

    chapter 127: giving the seeds


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    ¡°xiao wu? you¡¯re here?¡±


    upon hearing jiang chuan¡¯s words, jiang xia also put down her work and scurried to the entrance, craning her neck to get a better look.


    ¡°uncle wu, you came at the perfect time. we have something for you!¡±


    jiang xia reminded jiang chuan that they had brought something for xiao wu and their neighbor, xiao li.


    ¡°right, right, come in quickly. we brought something for you.¡±


    while speaking, jiang chuan gestured for xiao wu to come in. before xiao wu could even say a word, he was cut off by the pair and simply followed them in.


    xiao wu¡¯s visit this time was quite casual. he saw them descend from the mountain and came to check on them. he even brought some food along.


    the mother and daughter, who were tidying the house, were swift and efficient. in a short while, they had already cleaned the house nearly spotless and promptly invited xiao wu to sit down.


    ¡°third brother, i came today because¡­¡±


    before xiao wu could finish his sentence, jiang xia, bubbling with excitement, brought out a small package from the house and handed it to xiao wu.


    ¡°uncle wu, these are special seeds we saved for you and uncle li. these seeds are quite rare, and you can try planting them. even if they don¡¯t grow, it won¡¯t affect anything.¡±


    xiao wu was momentarily stunned, holding the package and uncertain of how to react.


    seeing xiao wu stunned, jiang xia waved her hand in front of his face and called out curiously, ¡°uncle wu?¡±


    only then did xiao wu snap out of his daze, his eyes glistening with moisture.


    previously, he had always been tagging along with jiang chuan¡¯s family, which displeased his own family. they claimed that jiang chuan, being driven out by the old jiang family and had no future. they told him to not interact with them anymore.


    despite telling them about exchanging rabbit meat for grain, and jiang chuan¡¯s family inviting him for meals, his family remained skeptical. they felt that without the support of relatives, it would be hard to get by in these times.


    although xiao wu disagreed, he couldn¡¯t argue against his family, so he resorted to secrets visits to jiang chuan¡¯s house.


    no matter what others said, he thought jiang chuan was practical and capable, and he was willing to stick with them. he didn¡¯t expect anything in return. now, he can¡¯t wait to see his family¡¯s reaction when he brings these gifts home.


    ¡°third brother, this gift is too valuable. i¡­ i heard the village chief saying that you guys were going to share the seeds you found with everyone. i can just take those.¡±


    tears filled xiao wu¡¯s eyes, which made jiang chuan burst into laughter. he patted xiao wu on the shoulder and said, ¡°what¡¯s with the tears, big guy? a man¡¯s tears should not be shed lightly!¡±


    hearing this, both jiang xia and jiang gu, the young girls, stifled their laughter, while xiao wu turned his face aside, sniffing his nose.


    ¡°third brother, i don¡¯t even know how to thank you for all these. i¡¯ve heard from the supply and marketing cooperative that vegetable seeds are expensive due to the difficulty of harvesting them. you guys gave me so many all at once. i¡­¡±


    xiao wu spoke with a nasal voice, making jiang chuan family to not know whether to laugh or cry.


    in fact, xiao wu was right. if it weren¡¯t for jiang xia¡¯s interspace, they might not have been able to collect so many seeds.


    jiang chuan gave xiao wu a pat on the shoulder. ¡°don¡¯t overthink it. if we start counting these things among brothers, it becomes too formal. didn¡¯t you help us without expecting anything in return?¡±


    as they were chatting inside the house, a call came from outside.


    ¡°has third brother jiang returned?¡±


    it was the voice of their neighbour, xiao li.


    jiang chuan asked his family to entertain xiao wu as he went to open the door. meanwhile, jiang xia plopped down next to xiao wu, starting to explain the characteristics of each type of seed to him.


    although xiao wu wasn¡¯t very educated, he had a good memory. he was able to remember everything after jiang xia explained it once. by the time she was explaining the second type, jiang chuan had brought xiao li in.


    the same process happened again, but xiao li was even more excited than xiao wu. xiao li not a man of many words, could only express his gratitude repeatedly, his eyes red-rimmed.


    jiang xia explained the details about the seeds to both of them, and they listened attentively, nodding in agreement. in the end, it seemed as if they were looking at jiang xia with a hint of admiration.


    perhaps it might not be appropriate to say that two adults were admiring a child, but that was how jiang xia felt.


    ¡°third brother, xiao xia is really smart. she can distinguish and remember so many all these things. if it weren¡¯t for our poor conditions now, a smart child like xiao xia would have to send her to school even if our families pooled the money!¡±


    xiao wu who often followed the village chief around and had seen more of the world than most villagers. he knew the importance of education..

 Chapter 128 - Chapter 128: The Culprits

    chapter 128: the culprits


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang chuan was taken aback when he heard xiao wu¡¯s words. he then looked at jiang xia, who was also shocked by what xiao wu had suggested. to have her redo elementary school?


    the father and daughter were speechless, while xiao wu continued to talk about the benefits of going to school.


    ¡°third brother, after these two years of drought pass, we should save up some money to send xiao xia and xiao gu to school. i¡¯m not exaggerating when i say that learning can be very useful.¡±


    jiang xia noticed the expectant and eager look in jiang gu¡¯s eyes as she watched xiao wu.


    that¡¯s right! she had already gone to university in the modern era, but jiang gu was still young, she had never read a book or attended school, let alone know what a school looked like. even with jiang xia¡¯s private tutoring, it couldn¡¯t compare to what she¡¯d learn in an actual classroom setting. if she never got to experience that kind of learning environment, it would be a regret for life.


    seeing xiao wu talking until his mouth went dry, zhou lan kindly poured him a cup of water and smiled, ¡°xiao wu, what you¡¯re saying makes sense. we¡¯ll discuss it and see if we can find a way to send the kids to school.¡±


    ¡°okay, sister-in-law, you guys discuss. if it¡¯s a matter of money¡­¡± xiao wu hesitated, then gritted his teeth, ¡°third brother, 1 have saved some money. it can be used for xiao xia¡¯s schooling.¡±


    xiao wu¡¯s sincerity touched jiang chuan and zhou lan. they shared a glance, filled with emotion. it was said that the people in this era were simple and honest. other than some weirdos, there were still many good people around.


    jiang chuan shook his head with a smile, ¡°xiao wu, keep your money. isn¡¯t that what you saved for your future wife so you wouldn¡¯t have to rely too much on your family? why are you bringing it out now?¡±


    before xiao wu could say anything else, jiang chuan interrupted him, ¡°young brother, i understand your good intentions. if we really need it, 1 will ask you for help. but at this moment, even if xiao xia and the others wanted to go to school, there¡¯s nowhere to go.¡±


    jiang chuan was right. right now, it would be a struggle for jiang xia and jiang gu to go to school even if they wanted to.


    there used to be an elementary school in town, but since last year¡¯s food shortage, every family in town and the countryside started to struggle. especially last winter, when people starved to death, many families had to bring their children back home. this led to the closure of the town¡¯s elementary school due to a lack of support.


    as for those who had not been brought home, their families had sent their children to elementary school in other places because they had some connections. only then could their children continue their studies.


    xiao wu also thought about this situation and couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    seeing the gloomy atmosphere, jiang xia changed the topic and said, ¡°uncle xiao wu, did you come to our house for something today?¡±


    only then did xiao wu remember the reason he had rushed over to jiang chuan¡¯s house.


    ¡°third brother, 1 got distracted by the other topics and forgot. i came over today because 1 have something to discuss. you asked me to keep an eye on old sun¡¯s family for any movements, right? i¡¯ve been observing them these past days. the two couple from old sun¡¯s family seem to be working as usual, earning work points. they¡¯ve just been visiting old jiang¡¯s family more frequently.¡±


    after jiang chuan and his family separated from old jiang¡¯s family, the villagers usually referred to jiang chuan as ¡°third brother,¡± while the old man jiang and his wife were referred to as ¡°old jiang¡¯s family.¡±


    ¡°them? what does this have to do with them?¡±


    jiang chuan frowned deeply. although he knew that old sun¡¯s family had always been close to boss jiang, could it be that old jiang¡¯s family was also involved in their encounter with the wild wolves?


    ¡°i¡¯m not too sure about that, but i saw jiang gui, sun li, and his wife looking quite happy for a few days. the neighbors said that jiang gui had apparently made some small money from somewhere, and his family has been celebrating for the last two days.¡±


    jiang xia gritted her teeth. where did this money come from? if her previous guess was correct, then the money must have come from selling the meat and fur of the wolf cubs. although the cubs were small, their fur was very soft. if they could sell it to wealthy families to sew inside their children¡¯s shoes, it would be more than ideal.


    she just didn¡¯t expect that old jiang¡¯s family was also involved in this. it was clearly the old sun¡¯s family who did it, so why would she associate it with old jiang¡¯s family?


    if old sun¡¯s couple had done it themselves, could they have thought about jiang gui? and what about the tattered clothes uncle xiao wu mentioned? where did those come from? they took them from old jiang¡¯s house, didn¡¯t they?

 Chapter 129 - Chapter 129: School

    chapter 129: school


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    those two old coots from old jiang¡¯s family really won¡¯t let go of their grudge against them.


    thinking about it, both jiang chuan and zhou lan also felt the complexity of the situation, frowning together. however, with this matter, they didn¡¯t have any solid evidence and could only swallow this bitter pill.


    jiang xia held back her anger. very well! the previous grudge against old jiang¡¯s family for mistreating the third branch hadn¡¯t been settled yet, and now there was another one. they would take their time to deal with them when they had the opportunity.


    ¡°i¡¯ve got the idea, thanks for telling us about this, xiao wu,¡± jiang chuan said.


    xiao wu waved his hand, ¡°it¡¯s all minor stuff. but, third brother, you should be careful in case someone tries to do something harmful again.¡±


    jiang chuan nodded. but what he didn¡¯t say was that apart from old jiang¡¯s family and old sun¡¯s family, they hadn¡¯t had any feuds with other families.


    while xiao wu was talking, xiao li from the neighboring house hadn¡¯t said anything. it was not until xiao wu finished speaking that xiao li asked about what had happened. after listening to it once, xiao li frowned and said,¡± brother wu, did you say that jiang gui made some money?¡±


    xiao wu nodded, not understanding why xiao li was asking this.


    xiao li continued, ¡°i saw jiang gui in the black market a few days ago. he was carrying a black bundle, but i couldn¡¯t see what was inside.¡±


    ¡± black market? ¡± jiang xia asked curiously.


    xiao li nodded and explained the situation of the black market to jiang xia. in this era, apart from the supply and marketing cooperatives, private trading was not allowed. it was okay for households to occasionally exchange items, but when it involved monetary transactions, speculation would have to be brought up.


    speculation referred to illegal commercial activities where one took advantage of opportunities to make huge profits through means like short selling.


    and the black market xiao li was talking about was a place where private trading could occur. some things could be bought directly with money without the need for vouchers. even everyday items like food vouchers could be bought there, but that would depend on luck.


    ¡°uncle xiao li, where can one find these black markets?¡± jiang xia asked.


    xiao li¡¯s explanation piqued jiang xia¡¯s curiosity about the black market. if such a place existed, she could sell the items in the interspace.


    however, jiang xia was disappointed. xiao li said that this black market was in the town, and he occasionally encountered it, but it was always very early and had no fixed location. he also didn¡¯t know who organized it.


    even though she didn¡¯t gather any more information, knowing there was a black market was enough.


    jiang chuan asked both of them to stay for dinner. after dinner, they helped jiang chuan¡¯s family clean up before leaving.


    as soon as the they left, jiang gu hopped over to jiang xia and asked, ¡°sister, what¡¯s a school like?¡±


    when xiao wu had mentioned school earlier, jiang gu had listened intently, her eyes wide open. but jiang xia didn¡¯t expect jiang gu to be so keen.


    ¡°a school, huh? schools have many classrooms, with a teacher¡¯s podium at the front. during class, the teacher will stand behind the podium to teach you, and you¡¯ll have classmates sitting around you studying together.¡±


    jiang xia gave jiang gu a rough idea of what a school was like, and jiang gu listened very carefully. to jiang gu, who had never attended school before, everything jiang xia said was new.


    seeing how much jiang gu yearned for school, jiang xia couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°when our family settles down, i¡¯ll talk to dad about sending you to school.¡±


    coming from modern times, jiang xia naturally knew the importance of learning, so whenever she had free time, she would teach jiang gu.


    from the most basic calculations to some simple formulas, jiang gu learned very quickly. after jiang xia taught her twice, she could almost remember everything. other than mathematics, jiang xia also taught her how to read and write ancient poems.


    jiang xia thought that when jiang gu would be able to go to school, she would definitely surprise her teacher and classmates.


    jiang xia thought that jiang gu would be happy to hear this, but to her surprise, jiang gu¡¯s adorable face was full of hesitation.


    ¡°sister, wouldn¡¯t going to school be expensive? and then i wouldn¡¯t be able to help mom and dad with the work. that won¡¯t work. grandma said that girls who can¡¯t work shouldn¡¯t have been born. it¡¯s better to sell them.¡±


    upon hearing this, jiang xia gritted her teeth in irritation.. what kind of ideas had old lady jiang been instilling in jiang gu when they weren¡¯t around?

 Chapter 130 - Chapter 130: Getting Information

    chapter 130: getting information


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, the harvest was drawing near. as they had exchanged a lot of things, apart from jiang chuan and zhou lan going to work daily to keep up appearances, jiang xia and jiang gu stayed at home. jiang xia used this time to teach jiang gu some knowledge.


    some of jiang gu¡¯s friends came to play with her. when they heard that jiang xia was teaching jiang gu, they looked at jiang xia eagerly and asked if they could listen.


    jiang xia had no reason not to teach the children who were close to jiang gu.


    to their surprise, these children found joy in learning. they relayed the experience to their families, and subsequently, other children came to learn as well.


    word about jiang xia teaching the children to read started to circulate within a small circle.


    since there wasn¡¯t much work at this time, the families who heard about this sent their children to jiang xia¡¯s home to learn. they hoped their children could learn to read which might come in handy one day.


    jiang xia counted the children who came to her class. including jiang gu, there were a total of n children. with no teaching equipment available, jiang xia had the children form a circle while she slowly wrote characters for them to observe. then, they would practice writing these characters on the ground using tree branches.


    the sudden influx of children left jiang xia a bit flustered. however, luckily, jiang gu knew more than the other children and could help jiang xia with teaching, which also reinforced her own learning.


    jiang xia looked at the children diligently practicing their writing on the ground with a contented smile. however, upon catching sight of the man lounging under the eaves as though he were a lord, her smile instantly disappeared, and she walked over to him with her hands on her hips.


    ¡°young master shen, how come you¡¯re here again?¡±


    shen mo, sitting on the rocking chair, slowly opened his eyes, and the fan in his hand started to swing back and forth again.


    ¡°finished teaching? come and sit for a while.¡± saying this, shen mo tapped the other rocking chair next to him with his fan.


    this was something that jiang chuan had made for zhou lan when he was on the mountain. thinking that one chair looked lonely, he made a pair. jiang xia had brought them down using her interspace ability.


    without any formality, jiang xia casually settled herself onto it. after all, this was something her father had crafted, so there was no need for her to be overly polite.


    seeing shen mo reaching out for the fresh, juicy wild fruit beside her, jiang xia promptly slapped his hand away.


    ¡°these are rewards for the children, don¡¯t touch.¡± while saying this, she herself picked up a fruit and began to bite into it.


    the reason she is acting like this towards shen mo now, needs some explanation. it started from the time when shen mo shamelessly insisted on staying at the village chief¡¯s house.


    originally, the plan was to rest at the village chief¡¯s house for a two days until shen mo¡¯s injuries improved, and then they would leave.


    unexpectedly, after shen mo was able to move around, he told the village chief that he wanted to stay a little longer. of course, he didn¡¯t plan to stay for free. wang wen took out notes and money to pay the village chief for their accommodation. the village chief initially refused to accept the money, but they insisted on paying him and he had no choice but to accept.


    wang wen, the man with the satchel, and the two soldiers, although they were paid for their accommodation, still helped the village chief during the day. occasionally, they would go to the neighboring village to make an unannounced visit. however, shen mo was different from the others. after finding out where jiang xia lived from the village chief, he began frequenting her house as his injuries improved.


    at first, jiang xia was somewhat wary of this powerful and influential young master. but, as he kept coming to her house, her wariness gradually faded away.


    probably because she had shared a lot with shen mo previously, he kept asking her questions, like how to manage the land after it was distributed to the farmers, or how much land tax should be appropriate.


    for these questions, jiang xia gave shen mo a huge roll of her eyes. if she were omniscient and omnipotent, what would they need leaders for? these systems needed to be established based on the country¡¯s situation, and she had no idea about these things.


    even though she repeatedly expressed her ignorance, shen mo remained persistent. as they spent more time together, they gradually grew familiar with each other.


    in recent days, shen mo managed to fish quite a bit of information from her, such as ideas about water conservation, seed cultivation, education promotion, and so on. it wasn¡¯t until the children started to ask her if they could learn that shen mo ceased his behavior of pumping her for information.


    jiang xia might have let it slip at first, but after a few times, she realized that shen mo was trying to get information from her. however, it would be beneficial for everyone if these things could be implemented early, so whenever shen mo asked her, she shared what she knew..

 Chapter 131 - Chapter 131: Getting Along

    chapter 131: getting along


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    ¡°when are you guys planning to go back?¡± jiang xia asked


    swaying gently on a rocking chair and fanning himself, shen mo replied, ¡°soon, well leave after the autumn harvest.¡±


    they had already surveyed the recent grain production areas and had a rough estimate of this year¡¯s yield. once they were finished with the autumn harvest, they would be busy with their troops.


    upon hearing shen mo¡¯s words, jiang xia knew that the issue of grain production misreporting was soon to be resolved..


    at that moment, jiang gu ran over, her large eyes staring expectantly at jiang xia.


    ¡°sister, i¡¯ve taught er ya and the others how to write. can we eat the fruit now?¡±


    this was a fruit that grew in the jiangxia interspace. she didn¡¯t know what kind of seed she had brought in. when it entered the ground, the vines began to grow non-stop. what grew on it was a kind of red fruit.


    jiang xia didn¡¯t care what kind of fruit it was. after confirming that it wasn¡¯t poisonous, he called it red fruit.


    the fruit was sour and sweet, and everything that grew in jiang xia¡¯s interspace tasted good, especially these red fruits. it was incredibly delicious.


    hearing jiang gu¡¯s words, jiang xia laughed and gently pinched her nose, then gave her a few more red fruits.


    ¡°you greedy cat, keep two for yourself and give the rest to the friends who you think write well.¡±


    jiang gu nodded vigorously, happily carrying the fruit to share with her friends.


    xiao gu was fair in her actions, and she didn¡¯t favor her close friends with the fruits.


    ¡°do you enjoy being a teacher?¡± shen mo asked.


    jiang xia turned her head, meeting shen mo¡¯s eyes. for a moment, they both paused.


    jiang xia reacted first, quickly shifting her gaze away, but her face flushed slightly.


    shen mo was handsome, more so than modern celebrities. those celebrities always had to put on makeup, but shen mo was naturally good-looking, with sharp features and a stern presence because of his military background. however, upon knowing him better, one would realize that he was cold to strangers but relaxed and casual with people he familiar with, just like now.


    feeling uneasy under shen mo¡¯s gaze, jiang xia cleared her throat and said, ¡°it¡¯s okay, i just think they¡¯re similar to xiao gu. many children, due to limited knowledge, spend their entire lives in the village and unable to leave the mountains. i want them to know more about the world, to realize that beyond this place, there¡¯s a vast world out there. if i can help them get out, i would have done a good deed.¡±


    although jiang xia¡¯s gaze had shifted, shen mo¡¯s eyes remained on her.


    ¡°a lot of people think that studying is useless, and that farming is the real contribution to building a country. you, on the other hand, want them to learn more by studying,¡± shen mo remarked.


    jiang xia chuckled, ¡°no matter what era, education is important. farmers work hard with their hands all their lives, but once they¡¯re educated and know more, they¡¯ll think about how to produce more grain with less effort. they¡¯ll consider what to plant, how to plant, and methods to grow more wheat. different perceptions lead to different ways of thinking. the more you see, the more you¡¯ll think.¡±


    as jiang xia spoke, shen mo just quietly watched her. he was now certain that the jiang xia he saw and the jiang xia the villagers talked about were two different people.


    the villagers said that the people from the third branch of the jiang family changed after they descended from the mountain. however, after his inquiries, the villagers felt it was normal, saying that people change after experiencing life-and-death situations.


    but shen mo felt that jiang xia¡¯s change was not just a matter of character. the gap in their understanding couldn¡¯t be bridged, even after a few brushes with death. there were many things that you wouldn¡¯t understand unless you saw or heard them firsthand. if you didn¡¯t have the basic concept, how could you even bring it up?


    ¡°you¡¯re right,¡± shen mo agreed.


    ¡°it¡¯s good to want to farm and contribute to the country¡¯s development, but one could also go out, learn, and come back to contribute more to their hometown using their knowledge.¡±


    jiang xia nodded vigorously. her strength was small, but shen mo could help her spread her thoughts. the earlier the ideas were spread, the faster the country would develop. if possible, she really hoped that her words could help more people.


    shen mo was looking at jiang xia when he suddenly stood up and stretched lazily. the big movement caught jiang xia¡¯s attention.


    ¡°where are you going?¡± jiang xia asked.


    shen mo curled his lips in a slight smile at jiang xia, ¡°nowhere.¡± with that, he walked towards the children and called them over.


    ¡°come, big brother is going to teach you history today..¡±

 Chapter 132 - Chapter 132: Relationship

    chapter 132: relationship


    translator: dragon boat translation     editor: dragon boat translation


    at the beginning, when shen mo first arrived at jiang xia¡¯s house, all the children were terrified of him, wishing they could be thousands of miles away.


    eventually, it was jiang gu who broke the ice, stepping forward to chat with shen mo. that gave all the children some relief.


    as for what she said, jiang xia still cringes when she thinks about it, wishing she could crawl into a hole to hide.


    on that day, jiang xia was boiling water at the kitchen entrance while jiang gu was playing in the yard with her friends.


    because shen mo had been visiting for three consecutive days, the kids jiang xia teaches were also curious about the handsome ¡®big brother¡¯s¡¯ background.


    after listening to her friend¡¯s, jiang gu rolled her eyes and moved closer to shen mo.


    just like today, shen mo was sitting under the eaves to enjoy the shade, holding a book he¡¯d found somewhere.


    ¡°brother shen,¡± this was the first time jiang gu had spoken to shen mo. sher words came out in a mosquito-like whisper.


    luckily, shen mo¡¯s sharp hearing caught her calling him. he put his book down and turned to look at jiang gu..


    jiang gu took a step back under the stare of shen mo, and shen mo frowned.


    ¡°what¡¯s up?¡± shen mo asked.


    jiang gu, with her rather large amount of courage, endured shen mo¡¯s hawk-like gaze and asked, ¡°brother shen, do you keep coming to our house because you like my sister?¡±


    even shen mo, who had experienced great storms and waves, was shocked by jiang gu¡¯s question. he didn¡¯t even notice that the book in his hand had fallen.


    jiang xia saw that the children had gathered around shen mo and was curious about what had happened. she followed them and heard her sister¡¯s words


    ¡°brother shen, if you don¡¯t like sister, why do you always come to our house? mother said that brother shen always liked to look at sister. that was proof that he liked sister.¡±


    jiang gu¡¯s voice got louder as she spoke, practically back to her usual volume by the time she got to ¡°it means he likes her.¡± but she wasn¡¯t done, she continued, ¡°mother also said when a girl blushes while looking at a guy, it means she likes him. so, do you and my sister have feelings for each other?¡±


    jiang xia instantly felt as if she had been struck by lightning. she subconsciously looked at shen mo, who was also looking at her. their eyes met, and they both quickly looked away.


    jiang xia didn¡¯t know how shen mo felt, but she wished she could find a hole to crawl into and never see him again.


    shen mo cleared his throat softly, stood up and bent towards jiang gu. ¡°you say that if you stare at someone, it means you like them. so, does it mean i like you because i¡¯m looking at you now?¡±


    perhaps because they had already spoken, jiang gu was no longer scared. she stared at shen mo and finally spoke, ¡°so, does brother dislike xiao gu?¡±


    caught off guard by her question, shen mo could only answer, ¡°no, i don¡¯t dislike you.¡±


    ¡°if you don¡¯t dislike me, then you must like me! so, brother likes xiao gu!¡±


    with her big, clear eyes, jiang gu made it impossible for shen mo to argue.


    due to his military background, nearly all the children feared him. but meeting one who didn¡¯t, he found himself unable to voice any hateful words.


    seeing shen mo lose against jiang gu¡¯s simple logic that not disliking equals liking, jiang xia gave up overthinking it. she sighed, saving shen mo from jiang gu¡¯s persistent questioning about whether he liked or disliked her sister.


    jiang xia lightly tapped jiang gu¡¯s forehead. ¡°you remember clearly all these unnecessary things you heard from mother, but i don¡¯t see you remembering everything i taught you. instead, you¡¯re focusing on these trivial matters.¡±


    ¡°sister, i do remember what you taught me! i just wanted to know¡­ uh!¡±


    jiang gu rolled her eyes and jiang xia knew what she was going to say. she quickly covered jiang gu¡¯s mouth and shouted at the group of children, ¡°alright, it¡¯s time for class. everyone back to your seats. we¡¯ll have to review the words and pinyin we learned yesterday!¡±


    like many teachers, jiang xia¡¯s words held authority. the children returned to their seats, recalling what jiang xia had taught them the previous day.


    jiang xia then led jiang gu to fetch the boiled water. as they walked, jiang xia took the opportunity to remind her sister not to talk recklessly in the future.


    in the following two days, whenever jiang xia saw shen mo, she would remember jiang gu¡¯s words, asking if shen mo liked her. just catching a glimpse of shen mo would make her quickly scurry away..

 Chapter 133 - Chapter 133: Autumn Harvest Began

    chapter 133: autumn harvest began


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    if it was in the modern world, she would have just laughed at jiang gu¡¯s attempts of pairing her up. but times now were different. if word got out, she couldn¡¯t imagine how many people would laugh at her wild fantasies.


    she and shen mo came from completely different worlds; they were not compatible at all. it wasn¡¯t her underestimating herself but the societal norms of their time. furthermore, she wasn¡¯t one to assume things. she could tell whether shen mo had feelings for her or not. it was better to distance herself rather than annoy shen mo with the constant questions about his feelings towards her.


    afterwards, shen mo tried to find jiang xia a few times but she was never there. he realized that she was avoiding him. however, there was still much he wanted to learn from jiang xia and he wouldn¡¯t let her slip away so easily.


    so, one afternoon, shen mo cornered jiang xia after she finished teaching the children. he admitted that he wasn¡¯t trying to bother her but rather had questions to ask.


    jiang xia looked at mo shen suspiciously.¡± what do you want to ask? you can ask now.¡±


    shen mo was speechless for a moment. he really didn¡¯t know what to ask jiang xia.


    after studying shen mo a bit, jiang xia sighed, ¡°if you can¡¯t think of it now, just tell me when you do.¡±


    over the days, jiang xia came to understand what shen mo wanted to know, and didn¡¯t mind sharing more with him.


    seeing her easy-going nature, shen mo couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°you¡¯re not avoiding me anymore?¡±


    jiang xia replied helplessly, ¡°you¡¯ve come to block me. what is there for me to avoid?¡±


    after the discussion, the two of them didn¡¯t mention what jiang gu said again. however, because of this commotion, their relationship became a little close and subtle.


    after sending off a group of children, jiang xia took the fan from shen mo¡¯s hand and began to fan herself.


    ¡°will you have dinner at my place tonight?¡± jiang xia asked.


    ¡°yes, auntie lan¡¯s cooking is delicious.¡±


    shen mo answered happily, but in front of the village chief, he said that jiang xia asked him to stay for dinner, and he couldn¡¯t refuse to have dinner at jiang xia¡¯s house. every time she heard this, jiang xia would just roll her eyes at shen mo.


    the easygoing days flew by quickly. the long-awaited day of autumn harvest finally arrived. the whole village, including the children capable of work, collectively participated in the wheat harvest.


    this year was different from the rest as shen mo¡¯s group joined the effort. their tasks included cutting wheat, bundling it up, loading and unloading the carts, stacking the wheat, and managing the stall. there was a lot to do, and if they worked efficiently, it would be finished in about eight or nine days.


    the sun wasn¡¯t as hot in the morning, hence, the women were the ones mainly harvesting the wheat. as it turned hot after 11 o¡¯clock, the women would retreat home to rest, do house chores, and prepare lunch, while the men took their place in the wheat field.


    tents would be set up near the wheat field for occasional rests. some adults would relax under the tent or in the cool shade of the wheat stacks, and children would play nearby. there would be cold tea or water available for those who were thirsty. even during water scarcity, it was important to keep the workers hydrated to prevent heatstroke.


    thanks to the jiang family, every household had a generous stock of wild vegetables this year. mixing them with some salt, sugar, and a few radishes yielded a refreshingly crisp salad.


    zhou lan¡¯s cooking skills were especially good. many single young men would bring their vegetables to jiang xia¡¯s house, asking zhou lan to help them make vegetable dumplings. naturally, they would reciprocate by helping jiang chuan with his work, which made his life much easier.


    jiang xia handed a few strawberries from her basket to shen mo, who stared at the bright red fruit in his hand in daze.


    ¡°where did you get these from?¡± shen mo asked.


    ¡°from the mountains,¡± jiang xia replied briefly, not giving any more details. she plucked a leaf and popped a strawberry into her mouth, the sweetness blooming on her tongue.


    shen mo looked skeptical, but he knew that if jiang xia didn¡¯t want to disclose something, he wouldn¡¯t be able to press it out of her. he let the matter rest and put a strawberry into his mouth, his eyes immediately widened. these strawberries tasted even better than the ones he had eaten in the jing city.


    seeing shen mo disregard his image while enjoying the strawberries, jiang xia couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter.


    ¡°why are your eyes so wide open? is it really that surprising?¡± jiang xia teased.


    caught by jiang xia¡¯s comment, shen mo finally snapped back to reality and quickly regained his composure.


    ¡°it¡¯s really delicious. if sold in jing city¡¯s market, it would be quite expensive,¡± shen mo said honestly.


    jiang xia chuckled lightly. she knew that these strawberries would be valuable wherever they were sold, but she didn¡¯t dare to put them out there..

 Chapter 134 - Chapter 134: Seeds

    chapter 134: seeds


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    under the sunlight, shen mo stared blankly at jiang xia¡¯s smiling face. he wasn¡¯t sure if it was the nature of girls her age to mature quickly. when they first met, he had thought of jiang xia as a small girl. now, however, he felt her features seemed to have grown and matured.


    sensing shen mo¡¯s gaze on her, jiang xia turned around, ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    shen mo averted his eyes. ¡°nothing, it just seems like you have a lot of secrets.¡±


    the comment caught jiang xia off guard, but she didn¡¯t let it show on her face. ¡°i don¡¯t have many secrets. i¡¯ve just seen a lot, my parents taught me a lot, and i think a lot. that¡¯s all!¡±


    this time, shen mo didn¡¯t respond. he stood up and went to work with the other villagers.


    from the time the village chief announced the start of the autumn harvest to the time everything was done, it took about half a month.


    although the children did not have as much work as the adults, it was still a little difficult for jiang xia.


    she had this magical water that could alleviate fatigue, but every household was busy working. shen mo and others would often drop by her place. if they suddenly became lively from drinking her magical water every day, it might raise suspicions.


    therefore, after discussing with her parents, jiang xia decided to only add a couple of drops of her interspace water while cooking and not use it otherwise.


    with her mind on the issue of grain misreporting, she took the opportunity to jiang xia observed shen mo¡¯s expressions during work. seeing shen mo¡¯s thoughtful face while dealing with the dried grains, she knew he would definitely delve into this issue, and this brought her some relief.


    they started the grain harvest in mid-september and finished in early october. normally, the villagers would have a celebration after completing all their work, but looking at the grain they managed to produce, everyone fell silent.


    especially since a significant portion of these grains had to be submitted as a levy, it was easy to imagine how little each family would get


    seeing the villagers¡¯ spirits dampened, the village chief sighed and told everyone to head home and rest. he advised them not to worry about anything else for now.


    all the grain had already been threshed and weighed in front of everyone, leaving no room for deceit.


    it was only then that the villagers, who had been hoping for luck, admitted that jiang chuan¡¯s family¡¯s worries were right. they might not be able to survive the winter with only this amount of grain.


    after the villagers left, jiang xia, shen mo, and the others helped the village chief to clean up the warehouse.


    seeing the village chief¡¯s furrowed brow, jiang chuan tried to reassure him, ¡°chief, those seeds you distributed to the villagers, if everyone plants them as instructed, we should get a harvest before winter. it would at least provide some stored vegetables. even if we run out of grain, having some vegetables in the cellar can help us through tough times.¡±


    the village chief sighed, patting jiang chuan¡¯s hand gratefully, ¡°we owe so much to your family! as a village chief, i haven¡¯t done as much for the village as you have.¡±


    jiang chuan smiled, ¡°don¡¯t say that, chief. we¡¯ve just done what we can. besides, we owe our well-being to your help. compared to what you¡¯ve done, our efforts are nothing.¡±


    a few days ago, the village chief had distributed the seeds brought by jiang chuan¡¯s family. at first, the villagers were skeptical, wondering if jiang chuan¡¯s family had some ulterior motive for giving away the seeds they¡¯d worked so hard to find.


    however, as days went by, and jiang chuan¡¯s family remained silent, the village chief asked xiao wu to gather everyone together. once everyone, except jiang chuan¡¯s family, was present, the village chief announced, ¡°i¡¯ve heard all the recent rumors.¡±


    this statement shocked many. they suspected jiang chuan had heard their gossip and had the village chief summon them to retract the seeds, putting them on high alert.


    ¡°there¡¯s no need to be nervous. i¡¯ve called you here privately today. i¡¯ve heard your suspicions about the intentions behind the seeds.¡±


    with a stern expression, the village chief took a deep puff of his cigarette before continuing, ¡°before they set out to find the seeds, they expressed concern about a poor autumn harvest and potential hard times for all. back then, you didn¡¯t believe them, accusing jiang chuan of making pretty speeches for personal gain. now they¡¯ve found seeds and distributed them without expecting anything in return, yet you continue to speculate about their intentions.¡±


    ¡°we must be grateful as humans!¡± the village chief expressed while glancing at the villagers present.


    ¡°every family is going through tough times now. we live in the same village, seeing each other daily. in times of adversity, we should band together and find solutions. how can people be so narrow-minded?¡± he added..

 Chapter 135 - Chapter 135: Gratitude

    chapter 135: gratitude


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    most of the men xiao wu called over were family heads, visibly blushing from the admonishment they received from the village chief about their ungrateful and narrow-minded attitude.


    but on reflection, they knew the chief was right. ever since jiang chuan¡¯s family had moved out of the old jiang house, they hadn¡¯t asked for their help, and in fact, brought numerous benefits to the villagers. their continuous private discussions and gossip about the jiang family didn¡¯t paint them in a good light.


    after a quiet moment, a man with a flushed face shouted, ¡°the village chief is right. we¡¯ve been petty. the jiang chuan family has been good to us. we shouldn¡¯t gossip about them this way.¡±


    once one man had spoken up, others chimed in, even recounting the various deeds jiang chuan¡¯s family had done for the village.


    not having acknowledged this before, the conversation brought awareness to many. they discovered that their own families had greatly benefitted from jiang chuan¡¯s family. some hung their heads in embarrassment, while others were overwhelmed with gratitude.


    only then did the village chief reveal a gratified smile. he was taking this stand not only for jiang chuan¡¯s family but also for the future welfare of the village.


    if the reward for serving the village was to be subjected to gossip, who would dare to contribute in the future? a village so devoid of gratitude and empathy had no future.


    however, just as everyone was enjoying a moment of harmony, there were always one or two who had to spoil the atmosphere.


    a voice rang out from the corner, ¡°do they think they¡¯re living bodhisattvas? they help others without expecting anything in return. every family is struggling, but they¡¯re showing off! i don¡¯t believe they don¡¯t have ulterior motives. they may not want anything now, but who knows about the future? they¡¯ve started living comfortably so soon. perhaps they took something from the old jiang house. they could be thieves too.¡±


    the crowd looked towards the source of the voice, spotting a woman in her forties or fifties with yellowish hair.


    ¡°mrs. zhang, do you have any evidence for your claims?¡± xiao wu didn¡¯t let the woman continue with her accusations and interrogated her sharply.


    ¡°what evidence do 1 need? it¡¯s clear as day. if third jiang was so capable, why would old madam jiang have thrown them out?¡± the woman retorted with disdain.


    ¡°mrs. zhang, you¡¯re wrong. we¡¯ve all seen what the third family was like back then. are you deliberately trying to find trouble with the third family by saying this now? ¡°a woman who had a good relationship with zhou lan said.


    then another woman added, ¡°mrs. zhang, everyone knows you¡¯re close to the old jiang family. if you¡¯re looking to cause trouble, at least pick the right time!¡±


    the instigator¡¯s face tightened as she defended herself loudly, ¡°what¡¯s wrong with speaking the truth? if you¡¯re too afraid to say it, i¡¯ll say it for you. but instead of thanking me, you¡¯re accusing me. are these not the exact words you¡¯ve been whispering behind closed doors?¡±


    the room fell silent at her words.


    after a while, a man broke the silence, ¡°indeed, i gossiped with my wife at home. that was my loose tongue, and it¡¯s my fault. i¡¯ll go and apologize to third jiang s family soon. i was wrong, and if they want to beat or scold me, i¡¯ll accept it. now that the words are out, my family has received the third brother¡¯s vegetables and seeds, making him our benefactor. from now on, if third jiang needs anything, i, wang ping, will surely lend a hand.¡±


    often, once someone speaks up, it¡¯s less difficult for others to do the same, and everyone started admitting their own mistakes.


    suddenly, someone queried, ¡°zhang family, didn¡¯t your family receive the seeds that third jiang found? and the vegetables, didn¡¯t you dig them up?¡±


    the woman choked on her words, nervously saying, ¡°they were given by the village chief, i assumed they were from the authorities.¡±


    her words drew a wave of boos in the room. she even denied knowing it was from the third jiang family. in this village, who doesn¡¯t know about third jiang mountain trips? pretending ignorance at this point really showed a lack of principles.


    ¡°do you even believe what you¡¯re saying? the village chief said that one should have a grateful heart. with such ingratitude, 1 wonder who¡¯d dare associate with your family in the future,¡± a woman retorted without holding back.


    the troublemaking woman, under this onslaught of words, could only curl up in a corner, trying to make herself less noticeable.


    seeing that everyone understood the situation, the village chief did not say anything more and dismissed the crowd.


    that night, jiang xia¡¯s family received an uncountable number of villagers, all coming to apologize. some even brought vegetables. it was only later when jiang xia asked around that she learned the whole story..

 Chapter 136 - Chapter 136: Farewell

    chapter 136: farewell


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    after receiving the grain, shen mo and his companions bid the village chief farewell. now, with solid evidence and witness, they had a solid reason for either restructuring the village or distributing the emergency food supply.


    the village chief grasped shen mo¡¯s hand, expressing his gratitude. over their stay at the village chief¡¯s house, shen mo¡¯s group had been open about their real purpose for being there. even though the village chief was already aware, receiving shen mo¡¯s assurance brought tears to his eyes. he murmured, ¡°our village is saved!¡±


    after bidding farewell to the village chief, shen mo made his way to jiang xia¡¯s place. as he knocked on the door, he was surprised to find it wasn¡¯t the scene he expected of jiang xia educating the children. instead, it appeared the jiang family was packing their belongings.


    ¡°planning a trip to the mountains?¡± shen mo asked.


    jiang xia shook her head, ¡°no, we¡¯re preparing to visit the city.¡±


    with that, she turned her head and called into the house, ¡°mom, dad, i¡¯m stepping out for a bit, will be back soon.¡±


    it wasn¡¯t that jiang xia was reluctant to invite shen mo in. the problem was that there were many items she had taken from her interspace within the house, making it difficult for her to explain if shen mo saw them.


    mo jing didn¡¯t ask any more questions and left the jiang house with jiang xia. ¡°since you are heading to the city, why don¡¯t you join us?¡± shen mo suggested. he¡¯d been getting along well with jiang xia lately. he seldom got this close to women. partly because he was often in the military with limited interactions with women, and partly because he wasn¡¯t fond of girls who would stick to him upon first meeting.


    however, when he got along with jiang xia, the two of them talked more about how to develop the countryside, from land distribution to individual farming, and even talked about free trading. it was clearly a topic that was forbidden to be mentioned, but the two of them talked to their hearts ¡®content. jiang xia gave him a very different feeling. the two of them could be friends.


    jiang xia shook her head, ¡°we¡¯ll be here for a few more days. we¡¯re planning to go to the town before heading to the city.¡±


    ¡°in that case, once you reach the city, get in touch with me. i¡¯ll treat you to dinner.¡±


    upon hearing this, jiang xia recalled their first encounter at the restaurant and joked, ¡°i¡¯m worried i might choke if 1 dine with you.¡±


    ¡°why would you?¡± shen mo asked, puzzled.


    ¡°don¡¯t you remember? during our first meal together, you were glaring at me so fiercely that i thought you were picking a fight.¡±


    jiang xia was somewhat exaggerating, but she really didn¡¯t want to meet shen mo¡¯s gaze back then. it was absolutely terrifying.


    shen mo opened his mouth but closed it again. though he was just looking at jiang xia at that time, his attitude, as wang wen said, was not that friendly.


    ¡°i won¡¯t do that again,¡± shen mo assured her earnestly.


    seeing shen mo this serious, jiang xia burst into laughter, ¡°you goof, 1 was just teasing you! we¡¯ve been together for such a long time, don¡¯t i know what kind of person you are? when 1 get the chance, 1¡¯11 come find you.¡±


    shen mo was looking at jiang xia, who was standing in front of him with the sunlight falling on her back. her smile was radiant, and she was without a trace of makeup, but she possessed a pure, natural beauty.


    a sudden wave of emotion rose in shen mo¡¯s heart. he wanted to ask jiang xia to go with him, but the thought disappeared as soon as it appeared. shen mo was startled by his own thoughts and he subconsciously averted his gaze.


    ¡°okay.¡± after a long silence, shen mo heard his own stiff voice.


    that very afternoon, shen mo and his team left. as soon as jiang xia got home, her loving mother pulled her inside for questioning.


    ¡°xiao xia, you¡¯ve been so close to the young master of the shen family lately. is there something going on?¡± zhou lan asked curiously.


    jiang xia rolled her eyes at her mother. ¡°no way, mom. are you still thinking about your novels even when we¡¯re barely managing to feed ourselves?¡±


    zhou lan lightly tapped jiang xia¡¯s head, ¡°you naughty girl, your mother is just concerned about your love life. you¡¯ve always been picky, now you¡¯ve finally met someone who fits your standards and you¡¯re not grabbing the chance.¡± jiang xia took her mother¡¯s hand, ¡°my dear mother, don¡¯t worry about it. instead, we need to bring some things for zhou juan when we go to the town tomorrow! it¡¯s tough to get into the city without someone you know.¡±


    in truth, when shen mo suggested they all leave together, jiang xia was moved. but she still hoped that shen mo and his crew would report the matter as soon as possible to avoid any delay.


    when jiang gu called the two for dinner, the conversation around the dinner table turned to their trip to town the following day. they were asking someone for a favor after all. no matter how well they planned, jiang xia still had some concerns.


    two days passed, jiang chuan had everything sorted out in the village, and the family hurried to the town. they were fully prepared this time. jiang xia was brimming with excitement.. she wondered, what did the towns of the 1960s look like?

 Chapter 137 - Chapter 137: New Plan

    chapter 137: new plan


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    ¡°i¡¯m afraid it¡¯s a little difficult.¡± zhou juan¡¯s father expressed his concern in response to the request from the jiang family.


    ¡°we only hope for you to guide us to the county town. nothing more,¡± jiang chuan clarified.


    the jiang family had just arrived at zhou juan¡¯s home. upon their warm welcome, jiang chuan shared his idea, which, to his surprise, seemed to place zhou juan¡¯s father in a difficult position.


    jiang xia and zhou lan were nervous about this situation. whether they could make it to the county town or not was crucial to their future happiness.


    especially when they saw the concerned look on zhou juan¡¯s father¡¯s face, jiang xia and zhou lan even thought about possible alternatives.


    jiang chuan, with his inherent business instinct, quickly understood zhou juan¡¯s father¡¯s concern.


    ¡°we¡¯ve never left our village, and we know nothing about the situation in the city. it feels like there¡¯s no future for us here in the village. as the head of the family, i cannot stand by and watch my family starve,¡± jiang chuan said. his eyes were filled with sorrow, which touched zhou juan¡¯s father.


    there¡¯s a saying that parents¡¯ hearts are always with their children. if it weren¡¯t for his own children, zhou juan¡¯s father would have never found the courage to leave the impoverished mountain village and work hard to provide the life they have now.


    ¡°you know, i¡¯m just a small worker in the sugar factory, with no real power¡­¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s a misunderstanding. we only want you to guide us to the county town,¡± jiang chuan promptly caught on and clarified once zhou juan¡¯s father spoke.


    jiang chuan immediately understood what zhou juan¡¯s father said and explained again.


    relieved by these words, zhou juan¡¯s father let out a sigh. however, upon seeing the patchwork clothes of the jiang family and their lack of luggage, he asked with some worry, ¡°so, what are your plans once you reach the county town?¡±


    this was a good question.


    jiang xia had already discussed this with jiang chuan during their journey.


    in this era, having a factory job was like having a ¡®secure job,¡¯ but getting one was exceedingly difficult. even if zhou juan¡¯s father had the means to help, why would he?


    therefore, this was jiang chuan and jiang xia¡¯s new plan.


    they would go to the county town and sell wild vegetables.


    jiang xia was confident that the vegetables grown with the help of the interspace water would definitely attract buyers.


    jiang chuan revealed a simple and honest smile that belonged only to rural people. he said to zhou juan¡¯s father, ¡°we don¡¯t have much to offer, just the wild vegetables we sold you before. we¡¯re hoping to find a market for them in the city.¡±


    remembering the taste of those wild vegetables, zhou juan¡¯s father couldn¡¯t help but smack his lips in appreciation.


    despite being ordinary wild vegetables, those from jiang chuan¡¯s family were particularly fresh. even when prepared with minimal seasoning, or simply boiled with rice to make vegetable porridge, they were so good he could eat two large bowls.


    he first praised her without hesitation, then said, ¡°these vegetables taste good indeed, but private selling is prohibited and is against the law. i¡¯m afraid¡­¡±


    jiang chuan understood; zhou juan¡¯s father feared that they would get in trouble and drag him into it. but this was understandable.


    not only does a worker earn a decent salary, but their social status is also high in today¡¯s society. who would be willing to lose such a good job for a little extra money?


    ¡°you don¡¯t need to worry about that. once we get to the county town, we can act as strangers. i¡¯m just someone who happens to be going to town at the same time as you.¡±


    with jiang chuan having spoken so straightforwardly, zhou juan¡¯s father couldn¡¯t well refuse him.


    seeing as they were already at his doorstep, and remembering their past relationship, zhou juan¡¯s father made a room available for the jiang family to rest and recover. they would all go to town together the next day.


    in the evening, zhou juan¡¯s father lit a kerosene lamp for the guests who came from afar.


    tthough zhou juan¡¯s family was better off than jiang chuan¡¯s, they were far from rich. the room they offered to the jiang family wasn¡¯t big, but it was decent enough. the family decided to make a large common bed.


    as night fell and the family lay on the freshly made bed, jiang xia and jiang gu lay between jiang chuan and zhou lan.


    jiang gu, staring at the sturdy roof overhead, whispered to her sister, ¡°sister, when can we live in a house like this?¡±


    the flickering kerosene lamp cast dancing shadows on the wall. jiang gu¡¯s words tugged at the hearts of the entire family..

 Chapter 138 - Chapter 138: Entering the City

    chapter 138: entering the city


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    ¡°we will, eventually,¡± jiang chuan said solemnly in the dark.


    ¡°yes, we definitely will.¡±


    ¡°absolutely, xiao gu, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    with jiang chuan¡¯s assurance, jiang xia and zhou lan comforted jiang gu.


    feeling the warmth of her family once again, xiao jiang gu turned and snuggled into his sister¡¯s arms.


    ¡°alright, time to sleep. we need to rest up and think about what to do tomorrow.¡±


    seeing this, jiang chuan rose and extinguished the kerosene lamp.


    as darkness descended, jiang xia¡¯s mind became clearer.


    jiang gu, and that elder sister whom she had never met before, who she didn¡¯t know if she was dead or alive. all of this left her mind in a turmoil.


    what should they do tomorrow? and in the future? how can they find their sister? what about jiang gu¡¯s schooling? if they earn money, will they have to go back? has the problem in the village been resolved? and¡­ how is that person doing?


    with such chaotic thoughts, jiang xia drifted off to sleep.


    the next morning, zhou juan¡¯s father knocked on the door of the jiang family.


    they immediately got up, packed their belongings, and prepared to go to the city with zhou juan¡¯s father.


    the journey from the town to the county town took at least half a day, but luckily zhou juan¡¯s father had arranged a donkey cart in advance. thus, they reached the city with a leisurely journey.


    in the afternoon, the city was still bustling with traffic. people were coming and going on bicycles, wearing clothes that symbolized the era.


    ¡°i¡¯ll leave you here, the rest is up to you. if it gets too difficult, you can send me a message in the family area of the sugar factory,¡± zhou juan¡¯s father said to the jiang family, standing on the road.


    ¡°thank you, big brother zhou!¡±


    after expressing his gratitude, jiang chuan said goodbye to zhou juan¡¯s father.


    jiang chuan, jiang xia, and zhou lan weren¡¯t surprised by the sight of the city. on the contrary, it was jiang gu who was amazed by the rows of brick houses, exclaiming, ¡°sister, these houses are so grand! there¡¯s nothing like this in the village!¡±


    ¡°and what¡¯s this, sister?¡± jiang gu asked jiang xia, pointing curiously at a glass window.


    ¡°that¡¯s a glass window.¡±


    ¡°glass! it looks so beautiful!¡±


    jiang gu¡¯s astonishment stirred feelings of tenderness in both jiang chuan and zhou lan.


    ¡°don¡¯t worry, gu. one day, your father will ensure you live in a house like this,¡± jiang chuan said softly, patting jiang gu¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°really?¡± jiang gu blinked up at jiang chuan, her eyes filled with anticipation. ¡°of course. just believe in your father. and your sister, too!¡± zhou lan confidently reassured xiao gu, while roping her elder daughter into the conversation.


    jiang xia rolled her eyes. her mother¡¯s undying love for her was simply too much sometimes.


    ¡°we should focus on what¡¯s important now,¡± jiang xia quickly redirected her mother¡¯s attention back to the task at hand.


    reminded by jiang xia, jiang chuan and zhou lan snapped out of their daydreaming.


    then, their family began to search for prospective buyers on the bustling street.


    however, it was not easy to find such a person. not to mention that it was illegal to buy and sell privately, even if they dared to take this risk, how could they guarantee that they would not be reported and arrested in this unfamiliar place?


    just like that, the family carefully observed the pedestrians on the road until the sun was about to set, but they still did not sell a single wild vegetable.


    ¡°sigh, i didn¡¯t expect to not sell a single wild vegetable.¡± zhou lan looked at the wild vegetables in her basket and felt a little discouraged.


    upon hearing this, jiang gu lightly patted zhou lan as a form of comfort. meanwhile, jiang xia stared at the sunset, lost in thought.


    although she had a tent in her interspace, they were in the county town where they were unfamiliar with the area and where the locals were nosy. if they were not careful and someone saw them, they might end up in trouble.


    the family, following jiang chuan¡¯s lead, headed towards a hotel in the city.


    it was just getting dark when the family finally found a hotel that didn¡¯t look too expensive.


    ¡°we¡¯d like a room, please,¡± they requested.


    ¡°do you have a reference letter?¡± a short, plump woman at the front desk asked while cracking sunflower seeds.


    luckily, with their prior travel experience, jiang chuan had already prepared a reference letter from the village chief before their journey.


    jiang chuan handed over the prepared letter to the woman. she gave it a quick glance, stood up, brushed off the sunflower seed shells from her clothes, and went inside to arrange their room.


    ¡°it¡¯s on the second floor, the first room on the left.¡±


    just as the family was about to go upstairs with their key, the woman suddenly stopped them.


    ¡°are those wild vegetables you¡¯re carrying in your baskets?¡± she asked..

 Chapter 139 - Chapter 139: Accidental Encounter

    chapter 139: accidental encounter


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang xia¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°yes, they are. we freshly dug them up from the mountains in our hometown.¡±


    hearing this, the woman left her desk and rummaged through their baskets. seeing that the wild vegetables were indeed of good quality, she became interested.


    normally, those who could afford to run hotels in the city were well-off, they wouldn¡¯t lack food or clothing. but what jiang xia and her family didn¡¯t know was that the severe drought had not only affected the villages but had also reached the county town.


    the vegetables that she had planted in her own field had all withered. some of them had not even grown. they were not as tender as the wild vegetables that jiang xia and the others had dug up.


    when she was sitting in front of the door, she was thinking about where to dig some wild vegetables the next morning. she did not expect to bump into jiang xia¡¯s family.


    ¡°what are you planning to do with these wild vegetables?¡± the woman asked, smiling.


    even the bold jiang chuan became cautious. he looked at the lady and observed her. after all, it was not a small matter to be caught doing private business.


    seeing the caution in their eyes, the woman laughed, slapping her thigh and explained, ¡°why are you all looking at me like that? i just think your wild vegetables look great, and i¡¯d like to buy some.¡±


    in fact, the women had another thought. she felt that jiang chuan¡¯s family was dressed in rags. she figured they wouldn¡¯t get much money for their vegetables anyway.


    zhou lan moved jiang gu behind her, a hint of vigilance in her eyes.


    jiang chuan, on the other hand, felt that this was an opportunity. he secretly put down his basket. ¡°hehe, that¡¯s not very good. isn¡¯t it illegal to buy and sell in private now?¡±


    jiang chuan had a silly smile on his face. no one could guess what this farmer was thinking.


    however, jiang chuan¡¯s family was really lucky. this woman, known as sister wang ping had some influence. ever since the hotel became a state-run institution, she had been in charge.


    however, it was still the era of liberation after all. at this time, the position of ¡®manager¡¯ wasn¡¯t anything special, except that their life was easier, salary was higher than ordinary workers, and had two or three more food stamps every month.


    but even so, for people of that era, it was a job many envied.


    every day, when she was bored in the hotel, she liked to make some food for her grandchildren.


    not having vegetables was a real problem for her, so the arrival of jiang chuan¡¯s family was a pleasant surprise.


    ¡°what¡¯s this about breaking the law? you are my friends, right? what¡¯s wrong with you bringing me some wild vegetables when you visit? if anyone says we¡¯re breaking the law, they need to present evidence!¡± she said.


    with that, wang ping poured water into several enamel cups and handed them to jiang chuan¡¯s family, ¡°here, have some water, don¡¯t just stand there, sit.¡± ¡°thank you, ma¡¯am,¡± jiang xia said, holding the cup of water graciously given by wang ping, her mind already working on what to do next.


    it had to be said, city people were indeed different. just a moment ago, the family was worried about finding buyers for their wild vegetables, and now, a customer was right in front of them.


    ¡°you¡¯re too kind, sister. but tell me, how many of these wild vegetables would you like?¡± jiang chuan asked, sitting across from wang ping.


    wang ping was not someone to be easily fooled. she had them set down their baskets and examined the wild vegetables. seeing they were as fresh and tender as the ones in jiang chuan¡¯s basket, she finally said, ¡°i have three sons and four grandchildren living with me, i¡¯m afraid your four baskets won¡¯t be enough.¡±


    with that said, jiang xia started calculating and even began to feel that this deal would be successful.


    ¡°can you get more of these wild vegetables? money isn¡¯t an issue, and if you don¡¯t want money, i can trade food for them.¡± wang ping saw that no one spoke, so she took the initiative to speak again.


    as he spoke, jiang chuan sized up the lady in front of him. he saw that the clothes she was wearing, whether it was the material or the style, were all new.


    in these times, people were scrimping and saving. forget about clothing, some people didn¡¯t even have a roof over their heads.


    not only could this lady work in a state-owned institution, but she could also afford to wear such fashionable clothes. she even willing to buy all four baskets of wild vegetables at once. clearly, she wasn¡¯t short on money.


    however, they realized that relying solely on her family¡¯s consumption of wild vegetables wouldn¡¯t make them much money..

 Chapter 140 - Chapter 140: Beyond expectations

    chapter 140: beyond expectations


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    once jiang chuan got a clear grasp of the situation, he started to choose his words carefully.


    ¡°big sister, we¡¯ve just arrived in the city and we don¡¯t even have a fixed place to live. we don¡¯t need any fancy stuff. so, you just tell us how much you think these wild vegetables are worth, and give us a fair deal.¡±


    on hearing this, wang ping¡¯s gaze involuntarily shifted to jiang xia and jiang gu¡¯s tattered clothes. the sight of these two children, nearly the same age as her own, dressed so poorly, touched her heart.


    ping wang was also a straightforward person. she immediately went into a small room in the hotel and brought out two sets of clothes that her granddaughter no longer wore and handed them to jiang xia and jiang gu.


    additionally, she brought out two bags of candy from the room. her husband was the manager of a sugar factory, and their children had grown tired of these sweets, so they had plenty to spare.


    after she¡¯d brought out all these things, wang ping felt that she had received so many vegetables and yet given them so little in return. it felt as if she was taking advantage of them. so, she went back in and fetched ten pounds of cornmeal and five pounds of sorghum.


    the fifteen pounds of grain she brought out had just been exchanged with her food stamps. her original plan was to share it amongst her three sons¡¯ families, after all, they had their own grains to eat. however, right now, what was scarcer than grain were these fresh, tender wild vegetables.


    even if they searched the entire county, it would be hard to find the vegetables as good as jiang xia¡¯s family.


    while sorting out the items, wang ping noticed her grandchildren¡¯s used notebooks and pens on the table. ¡°are you two little ladies in school?¡± she asked. ¡°my grandchild doesn¡¯t need these notebooks, you can use them first.¡±


    it was really rare to see pen and paper in this era where food was scarce. jiang xia didn¡¯t hesitate to accept the notebooks, saying sweetly, ¡°thank you, auntie! my sister and 1 will always remember your kindness!¡±


    ¡°this girl sure knows how to speak,¡± wang ping remarked, ¡°but remember, having accepted my gifts, you must study hard. you should at least complete primary school and learn to read and write. otherwise, you¡¯ll have a tough time in the future!¡±


    wang ping was right. these days, even factory workers needed to be literate. at the very least, one had to have completed junior high school or, at the bare minimum, primary school. or, like zhou juan¡¯s father¡¯s sugar factory, one had to be a city resident even if one didn¡¯t know how to read.


    of course, jiang xia prioritized education more than anyone. if not, she wouldn¡¯t spend every spare moment teaching jiang gu to read.


    still, jiang xia was grateful to wang ping. after all, she appreciated the importance of education, unlike some who believed that it was pointless for girls to study.


    after they had counted the items, jiang chuan hinted to wang ping that they could gather more of these wild vegetables, and was curious if there was a demand for them among her connections.


    if asked about demand, indeed there were people she know would need. however, wang ping was a public servant. even if she wanted others to buy wild vegetables from the jiang family, what if someone reported her?


    ¡°if you have more, you can sell them to me. my grandson really loves them.¡± wang ping said this with a grin. her intentions couldn¡¯t have been clearer.


    without further ado, the family gathered the grains and clothes they had just bartered and went upstairs.


    the items they received in exchange exceeded what jiang xia had expected, particularly the two notebooks gifted by wang ping.


    as soon as they went upstairs, jiang xia saw their room, and the whole family marched in unison towards it.


    the hotels in this era were not very good. when they opened the door, there were only two beds in the room.


    however, having a bed was a luxury in itself, an eye-opener for jiang gu.


    ¡°wow, sis, is this a bed? so soft, so white!¡± jiang gu stared wide-eyed at the two small beds in front of her. this was way better than what they had in their village.


    ¡°xiao gu, try sitting on it.¡± jiang xia, seeing jiang gu¡¯s expression, smiled and suggested.


    being in an unfamiliar environment, jiang gu was a bit reserved. she first glanced at jiang chuan and zhou lan, and seeing her parents encouraging her, she carefully approached the edge of the bed and gently sat down.


    ¡°it¡¯s so soft!¡±


    jiang gu didn¡¯t dare to apply too much force.


    ¡°comfortable, right?¡± seeing this, jiang xia walked straight to jiang gu¡¯s side and sat down.


    ¡°sister, you¡­¡±


    jiang gu¡¯s eyes widened when he saw how rude jiang xia was.


    ¡°xiao gu, beds are made for people to sleep on, and we paid for this room, so it¡¯s okay to sit or sleep on it as you like.¡±


    at this moment, zhou lan chimed in..

 Chapter 141 - Chapter 141: Split Up

    chapter 141: split up


    translator: dragon boat translation


    editor: dragon boat translation


    having spent so much time with jiang gu, zhou lan had become the person jiang gu trusted the most, almost to the point of adoration.


    seeing zhou lan stretch out on the other bed without a care, jiang gu finally relaxed and lying down on the bed like zhou lan


    in this era, a hotel was merely a room with two beds. forget about bathrooms, even public bathhouses were scarce.


    but since they were traveling, they had to make do with what was available.


    the family packed their things and lay down to sleep.


    jiang gu and zhou lan were really tired. even jiang chuan was exhausted after a long day of running around. soon, the only sound in the room was the gentle rhythm of their breathing.


    before jiang xia went to sleep, she entered her interspace to take a look. as usual, she watered the fruits and vegetables planted in her interspace. she harvested what needed to be harvested and planted new seeds.


    she looked at the rabbits she was raising, and a new idea came to her.


    since there were people who wanted the wild vegetables, perhaps the meat could be sold too?


    the people in the city did not lack food stamps, but meat stamps were in short supply. in this era, there was no restriction on food. they would eat whatever they had. it was also possible for rich people to buy meat for a changed of pace.


    having made up her mind, jiang gu came out of the interspace, planning to discuss selling a couple of rabbits with jiang chuan tomorrow.


    she slept soundly till morning.


    as soon as she woke up in the morning, jiang xia told jiang chuan about her idea.


    ¡°good idea. but who will we sell to? the hotel lady definitely won¡¯t do.¡± they had the goods, but finding a way to sell it was what worried jiang chuan the most.


    jiang xia thought about it and saw zhou lan pulling jiang gu out of bed.


    poor little girl had followed them around all day yesterday. she fell asleep as soon as she lye on the bed, and this morning, she was still struggling to wake up.


    ¡°why don¡¯t mom and jiang gu explore the nearby area while dad and i check elsewhere? we might just stumble upon a potential buyer. besides, if we stick together all the time, not only will we tire ourselves out, we also won¡¯t be very efficient.¡± always the problem solver, jiang xia took charge of the situation.


    ¡°so, where should mom and 1 go?¡± jiang gu asked, putting forward a concern that needed immediate resolution.


    jiang xia thought about it in her mind. they had rushed to this hotel before it was dark last night. if she remembered correctly, this was a relatively developed area in the county. there seemed to be a shopping mail on the way.


    that¡¯s right! let¡¯s go there. xiao gu will definitely like it!


    ¡°how about mom takes xiao gu to the shopping mall ahead to see if there¡¯s anything we need? 1 still have ten yuan.¡±


    ¡°what is a shopping mall?¡± jiang gu asked curiously.


    ¡°it¡¯s a place where there are lots of fun things and delicious food. would you like to go and see?¡± afraid of jiang gu¡¯s resistance, our ¡®idol¡¯ zhou lan jumped into action.


    ¡°can we go?¡± jiang gu asked cautiously. she was aware of their financial situation and knew that a trip to the shopping mall could cost quite a bit of money.


    ¡°yes, we can. it¡¯s alright if we don¡¯t buy anything. let¡¯s just look around while we wait for your dad and sister to return.¡±


    understanding her mother¡¯s intentions, the sensible jiang gu reluctantly agreed to accompany zhou lan to the shopping mall, despite not wanting to leave her sister and father.


    having agreed on their plans, the family set off in separate directions.


    as they left, jiang xia changed into the clothes that wang ping had given her, and stowed the food and sugar they had traded for the previous day in a basket.


    after walking a considerable distance, jiang xia put the food back into the interspace and took out two rabbits.


    the father-daughter duo wandered for a while until they found an alley. hoping to strike some luck, they decided to explore it.


    emerging from the alley, they came upon a district of single-story houses. unlike the tidy ones near the hotel, these houses seemed older, probably constructed before the liberation era.


    when they reached the place, the father and daughter decided to find the right target and hit it in one shot.


    walking further into the single-story houses, they quickly spotted a particular residence.


    the house was grand and imposing, with unusual steps leading to the entrance and two stone lions symbolizing high status. it was clearly no ordinary residence.


    seeing such a house, jiang xia¡¯s mind flashed with the image of someone. however, she quickly put the thought aside, realizing she needed to focus on the task at hand.


    shaking off her distraction, jiang xia decided to give it a shot, successful or not.. she stepped up and knocked on the door, asking, ¡°is anyone home?¡±

 Chapter 142 - Chapter 142: The Big Sellers

    chapter 142: the big sellers


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    before knocking, jiang xia had already heard voices inside, which gave her confidence. shortly after, footsteps sounded from within and the door opened, revealing a woman in her forties, skinny and with rough skin.


    ¡°who are you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°it¡¯s like this. my child followed me out for a long time and wants to drink some water. 1 wonder if your family can give my child a sip of water to drink.¡±since jiang xia had taken the lead, jiang chuan naturally couldn¡¯t be left behind. he took the lead and walked to the front to speak to the lady.


    the woman, jia ju, glanced at jiang xia and saw that her lips were indeed dry. considering that a child of her age might easily get thirsty, she lowered her guard, opened the door a little wider, and invited them in.


    ¡°wait a moment, i¡¯ll get you some water.¡±


    ¡°auntie, there¡¯s no need to go through so much trouble. just scoop some water for me.¡± jiang xia said sweetly.


    jia ju smiled and said to jiang xia, ¡°this child really knows how to talk. but little ones shouldn¡¯t drink cold water, it can upset your stomach. just wait a bit, 1¡¯11 be right back.¡±


    since jia ju was so enthusiastic, the father and daughter didn¡¯t feel right refusing, so they waited in the yard.


    after a while, jia ju came out with two bowls of water in her hands. behind her was a boy who looked to be about sixteen or seventeen years old.


    the boy, jia guang, followed behind his mother without saying a word, but his eyes were fixed on jiang chuan and jiang xia.


    although jia guang¡¯s gaze was not very friendly, jiang xia couldn¡¯t help thinking that this young boy had grown to resemble a certain celebrity from her own era.


    perhaps it was because jiang xia¡¯s gaze was too passionate, jia ju noticed that something was off and took the initiative to introduce him to jiang xia and jiang chuan.¡± this is my youngest son, jia guang.¡±


    only then did jiang xia realize that something was wrong, she awkwardly retracted her gaze. however, jia ju was no longer surprised. although her younger son may have a bad temper, there were quite a number of girls who liked him.


    ¡°what a handsome young man,¡± jiang chuan said, trying to cover his daughter¡¯s awkwardness by striking up a conversation with jia ju.


    jiang xia tried to cover up her embarrassment by drinking water.


    jia guang¡¯s gaze never left the father and daughter, making them feel slightly uncomfortable.


    after finishing their water, jiang xia was ready to leave with jiang chuan. the county was so big, she didn¡¯t believe that this was the only wealthy family around.


    however, what jiang xia didn¡¯t expect was that before she could pull jiang chuan¡¯s clothes, jia guang walked up to them and stared in the basket.


    ¡°what exactly do you do? what¡¯s in this basket?¡± as he spoke, jia guang kicked the basket with his foot.


    the kick unsettled the rabbits in the basket, stirring them up. now jia ju too sensed something off, and looked at them with suspicion.


    seeing this, jiang chuan decided not to hide anything anymore. he removed the wild vegetables and revealed the two rabbits inside the basket.


    looking at this, jia guang said disdainfully, ¡°i knew you two weren¡¯t just here for a drink.¡±


    but jia ju didn¡¯t see it that way.


    looking at jiang xia, with her bright eyes and sweet mouth, then at her father, not only looking honest but also giving off a farmer¡¯s aura, how could they be bad people?


    in jia ju¡¯s view, she felt sorry for jiang chuan and his daughter. in this severe drought, they had nothing to eat, barely managed to catch some rabbit to bring to the city, and had to use the excuse of needing water to sell it.


    moreover, the father was dressed in worn-out clothes while the daughter was wearing good clothes. it was obvious he cared for his child. how could such a person be bad?


    jia ju looked at the wild rabbits in the basket, noticing that they were indeed fat. if she bought them, she would have a good meal and wouldn¡¯t be at a loss.


    so jia ju pulled jia guang aside and said sternly, ¡°enough, don¡¯t scare this young girl.¡± after saying this, she put on a smiley face and said to jiang chuan, ¡°kids don¡¯t understand things, please forgive him. how much are you selling


    these rabbits for? 1¡¯11 take both..¡±

 Chapter 143 - Chapter 143: Big Sellers

    chapter 143: big sellers


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    the father and daughter looked at each other with excitement. however, jiang xia didn¡¯t act impulsively. she calmly examined jia ju again.


    at first, she was only concerned with selling the wild rabbits. but now, she noticed jia ju and jia guang were nicely dressed and lived in a big house. they didn¡¯t seem surprised at the items they were selling, suggesting that others had come to sell items before.


    ¡°we¡¯re sorry if we¡¯re being forward. please pay us what you think it¡¯s worth,¡± jiang chuan proposed, portraying the humble image of a farmer.


    jia ju was a straight-to-the-point person. also, jiang chuan and jiang xia were just trying their luck, having no idea about the actual price of wild rabbits in the town.


    ¡°how can you do business like this? you¡¯ll lose a lot of money. since you guys seem to have a hard time, i¡¯ll offer a good price. how about four yuan for each rabbit, making it eight yuan in total?¡±


    jia ju, seeing the hefty rabbits, was sure she would not be at a loss paying eight yuan. this price pleasantly surprised the father and daughter. they had found an excellent buyer!


    jiang xia¡¯s opinion of jia ju improved. she was not just a kind woman, she was like a goddess.


    ¡°auntie, i have some wild vegetables. would you like some?¡± jiang xia sweetly asked jia ju.


    jia ju and jia guang were too focused on the big bamboo basket in front of jiang chuan and dint notice the one on jiang xia¡¯s back.


    ¡°oh, these wild vegetables look great!¡±


    jia ju casually flipped through it and saw that the wild vegetables were still as fresh as if they had just been dug up.


    but when jia guang saw the vegetables, he seemed suspicious. ¡°where did you get these vegetables?¡±


    in a drought year, even grass was rare. yet this father-daughter duo had managed to gather so many fresh vegetables. it was naturally suspicious.


    ¡°we live near the mountain. these vegetables were found when we went up there. these aren¡¯t just ours. our neighbors also gave us some to bring here, hoping to exchange them for some food in the town.¡±


    jiang chuan then looked at the rabbits in the basket and added pitifully, ¡°we found these rabbits while collecting vegetables. we didn¡¯t want to eat them and have been raising them, hoping to exchange them for more food for the winter.¡±


    how could jiang chuan let this deal slip away?


    after talking for so long, jiang chuan almost believed his own story. even jiang xia was impressed by her father¡¯s acting skills.


    jiang xia didn¡¯t know if jia guang will believed it, but it seemed like jia ju was convinced.


    ¡°these vegetables are exceptional, and your situation seems difficult. 1¡¯11 take all these vegetables. how much do you want for these along with the rabbits?¡±


    now that the lady of the house had spoken, jia guang had no room to argue.


    ¡°just pay us what you think is fair. we¡¯ve never sold stuff in the town before, so we don¡¯t really know how much to ask.¡± jiang chuan replied humbly.


    jia ju felt even more sympathetic towards jiang chuan and his daughter. after some thought, she offered,¡±! see you guys are having a tough time. i¡¯ll add two more yuan for the rabbit. with the vegetables, how about 15 yuan in total?¡± fifteen yuan!


    that¡¯s not just selling, that¡¯s like robbing! a factory worker¡¯s monthly wage is only this high!


    however, jiang xia didn¡¯t lose herself in excitement. she realized that jia ju was giving them this much money out of sympathy.


    so, jiang xia kept calling jia ju ¡®auntie¡¯, making her smile.


    after the transaction of money and goods was settled, jiang xia suddenly remembered something else. she put on a pleading expression and asked jia ju, ¡°auntie, can you exchange for industrial tickets here? or cloth tickets would also do. i want to buy an iron pot for my mother. if not, making clothes for her to bring back would also be good.¡±


    jia ju found jiang xia even more pleasing to her eyes upon hearing this. where could one find such a beautiful and filial daughter? it was truly enviable..

 Chapter 144 - Chapter 144: Future Deal

    chapter 144: future deal


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    while appreciating jiang xia¡¯s filial piety, jia ju opened up a little awkwardly, ¡°i do have some cloth coupons, but there aren¡¯t many left. i¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not enough to make clothes. why don¡¯t you come again next time? 1¡¯11 save some for you. as for industrial coupons, 1 really can¡¯t help, it¡¯s hard for us to get them as well.¡±


    seeing jia ju¡¯s sincerity, jiang xia sighed. it seemed like it would be difficult to get those industrial coupons. for now, they would have to make do with the pot in the village and worry about the rest later.


    after chatting with jia ju for a while, the father and daughter prepared to leave.


    as they were leaving, jia ju repeatedly reminded jiang xia to come again next time and she would keep the cloth coupons for them.


    hearing this, jiang xia was overjoyed. just as she was about to leave with her bamboo basket on her back, jia guang, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up: ¡°you can bring us wild animals and vegetables in the future.¡±


    these words from jia guang precisely resonated with jiang chuan and jiang xia¡¯s thoughts!


    jiang xia had been thinking, if the villagers could grow food from the seeds she had given them, everyone wouldn¡¯t worry about eating anymore. they could dig up the wild vegetables on the mountain to sell, and then everyone would be full and have some extra money on hand.


    ¡°really?¡± jiang xia asked in surprise.


    ¡°why would i lie to you? i¡¯m just afraid you won¡¯t be able to dig them up,¡± the young man said somewhat arrogantly.


    ¡°these wild vegetables look good! the rabbit is fat, too. it must be delicious to eat! but vegetables get consumed fast, so if you dig up any, be sure to bring us some more!¡± even jia ju was happy about her son¡¯s decision. plus, she really liked jiang xia, who was sweet and smart.


    ¡°alright, just you wait.¡± jiang xia said to jia guang, raising an eyebrow.


    when jiang xia saw jia ju and jia guang¡¯s attitude, she felt that she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about their future deal!


    ¡°alright, xiao xia, let¡¯s go. your mother and sister are still waiting for us.¡± seeing that they were getting more and more entangled in their conversation, jiang chuan reminded her.


    ¡°right, you should hurry home! don¡¯t let your family wait too long.¡± jia ju urged them warmly, revealing her affection for jiang xia.


    watching jiang xia and her father leave, jia ju started planning in her heart.


    they had been away for quite some time. with the money jiang xia had earned, she was eager to share the good news with her mother and little sister jiang gu. jiang chuan hadn¡¯t seen his wife for a long time and missed her a little.


    both of them hastened their steps and soon saw zhou lan and jiang gu sitting in front of the shopping mall.


    approaching, they saw that both jiang gu and zhou lan were covered in dust. ¡°mom, xiao gu, what happened to you?¡±


    jiang xia was truly shocked. they were fine when they left in the morning, and now after a short time away, the two looked as if they had gone to war.


    ¡°sister, mom went to catch a thief. we didn¡¯t do anything wrong!¡± xiao gu said pitifully.


    hearing this, jiang chuan hurried over to zhou lan, inspecting her for injuries.


    ¡°i¡¯m so angry, this stupid power, i didn¡¯t dare to use it!¡± zhou lan was so frustrated!


    she was so worried that she might lose control and damage the thief, leaving her with no money for compensation, that she had only apprehended him. otherwise, she would¡¯ve definitely shown him what she was truly capable of!


    ¡°did you catch the thief?¡± jiang xia sat beside jiang gu and asked softly.


    jiang gu nodded.


    upon seeing this, jiang chuan couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°my dear wife, you¡¯ve already caught the thief, haven¡¯t you? why are you still upset?¡±


    his words only added fuel to the fire, making zhou lan even more angry.


    ¡°he was too rude! i was so angry! if not for the fact that my powers could accidentally injure someone seriously, i would have smashed his mouth! let him curse! let him steal!¡±


    in the end, zhou lan was still afraid. she didn¡¯t understand the rules of this era. what if she had to pay a large amount of money for injuring someone? they didn¡¯t have any money! they were really poor now!


    ¡°alright, alright, mother, don¡¯t be upset! let me tell you some good news.¡± jiang xia spoke with a smile.


    ¡°what is it?¡± zhou lan¡¯s attention was diverted.


    ¡°we¡¯ve made some money! we¡¯ve sold all of today¡¯s rabbits and wild vegetables!¡± jiang xia took out the fifteen yuan they had earned.


    ¡°really? how much did we make?¡±


    zhou lan didn¡¯t seem excited, but it was jiang gu who was almost jumping with joy..

 Chapter 145 - Chapter 145: New Place To Stay

    chapter 145: new place to stay


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    ¡°fifteen yuan!¡± jiang xia said with a laugh.


    ¡°wow! that¡¯s a lot! adding the five yuan 1 have, we now have twenty yuan!¡± even zhou lan couldn¡¯t help but exclaim this time.


    ¡°yes, tonight we can afford to stay in a hotel for one more night. what do you think, xiao gu, are you happy?¡± jiang xia said, addressing jiang gu with a hint of flamboyance.


    unexpectedly, jiang gu frowned, displaying a maturity beyond his age as he began to lecture jiang xia, ¡°no, sister. we¡¯ve just started earning money. we can¡¯t spend it carelessly!¡±


    this comment caused jiang chuan, zhou lan, and jiang xia to burst into laughter simultaneously.


    ¡°this child, so young, yet she knows how to be considerate.¡± zhou lan pulled jiang gu into her arms, chuckling.


    ¡°dad and sister have worked hard to earn money, xiao gu knows.¡± jiang gu leaned into zhou lan, his eyes fixed on the weary jiang chuan and jiang xia, showing genuine concern. this made both jiang xia and jiang chuan feel a stir in their hearts.


    it seems they still need to keep working hard to earn money.


    looking at the dirt-covered zhou lan and jiang gu, the group decided to first take a bath, eat some food, and talk about selling vegetables in the afternoon.


    with the experience from the morning, selling vegetables in the afternoon went a lot smoother.


    in total, jiang xia earned another fifteen yuan, making their current savings nearly thirty-five yuan, a quantum leap from when they first arrived.


    jiang xia wasn¡¯t greedy. he stopped selling at around three o¡¯clock in the afternoon.


    firstly, because they had enough money for the time being and secondly because they needed to find a place to stay.


    they couldn¡¯t stay in the hotel anymore, as jiang gu had suggested, they needed to save what they had earned.


    secondly, since they had made the effort to come to the county town, they needed to stay for a few days. they had also promised jia guang they would find him if they found more wild vegetables. it wouldn¡¯t be good to go tomorrow, would it? it would only arouse his suspicion.


    the family thought about wandering towards the edge of the county town to see if they could find an uninhabited place, where they could use their interspace powers.


    after walking for quite some time, they indeed found a place.


    it was at least ten kilometers away from the county town, an abandoned house surrounded by nothingness.


    the yard was overgrown with wild grass and the windows were shabby and ragged, but at least it could shelter them from the wind, which was already quite good.


    normal people might be afraid to come here, but jiang xia¡¯s family, who had the ability of interspace teleportation, had even encountered a wolf pack. what was there to fear?


    ¡°are we going to stay here tonight?¡± jiang gu asked, holding zhou lan¡¯s hand.


    ¡°yes, xiao gu, are you scared?¡± zhou lan asked softly.


    ¡°not scared, as long as i¡¯m with dad, mom, and sister, i¡¯m not scared.¡± xiao gu showed an incredible amount of bravery.


    seeing this, the group stopped their chatter. they needed to tidy up the house before it got dark. when night fell, the lack of lights would be an issue. but they didn¡¯t care much about the sleeping environment, as long as they could sleep.


    now that they were alone, the interspace powers of jiang xia and jiang chuan could be fully utilized.


    at night, jiang chuan still brought out the tent. after quickly setting it up, they all crawled inside.


    ever since jiang gu slept in the tent last time, she had been wondering when she could do it again. now, her wish had finally come true, and she couldn¡¯t be happier, especially because she could cuddle up with her sister and mom in there.


    without any lights, there wasn¡¯t much they could do for entertainment.


    jiang chuan and jiang xia discussed taking a break the next day and going to jia guang¡¯s house the day after. at that time, they planned to bring out the roe deer from the interspace and sell it to him.


    they earned fifteen yuan from just two rabbits and a basket of wild vegetables. the roe deer should fetch them a good sum of money.


    if the jia family didn¡¯t save any cloth tickets for them, they would simply go to the shopping mall and buy a couple of outfits, and then return home happily.


    they had enough money now. even without selling the roe deer, thirty-five yuan would be enough to spend in the village for a while.


    the more jiang xia thought about it, the more she felt hopeful about their future. as they chatted, they gradually fell asleep. her dreams were filled with scenes of them making a fortune from selling the roe deer. so much so, that she woke up in the morning from such a beautiful dream.


    when she woke up, they weren¡¯t in the tent anymore. this gave jiang xia quite a scare. she thought she might have traveled back to her own time..

 Chapter 146 - Chapter 146: Going Back Together

    chapter 146: going back together


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    ¡°xiao gu, go see if your sister is awake,¡± came zhou lan¡¯s voice before jiang xia could even exit the tent.


    a moment later, jiang gu crawled in, sweetly calling out to jiang xia, ¡°sister, get up. mom made a delicious wild vegetable porridge.¡±


    at these words, jiang xia¡¯s nose twitched as she caught the aroma.


    when it was just the four of them, things were straightforward. there was no need to worry about anything; they could use whatever they had.


    after breakfast, jiang xia took out the pen and notebook given by ping wang and taught jiang gu how to write.


    after breakfast, jiang xia used the pencil and notebook wang ping had given them to teach jiang gu how to write. the notebook was a bit worn but still usable, which was more than enough for her. the pencil was only half its original length, but at least jiang gu wouldn¡¯t have to write with twigs anymore.


    jiang xia thought that the next time they were in the village, she would definitely buy some paper and pencils for jiang gu at the shopping mall. she would eventually have to go to school, so it wouldn¡¯t hurt to stock up.


    rest time always flew by quickly. thus, they spent the day enjoying each other¡¯s company, eating, drinking, and sharing laughter.


    early the next day, jiang xia entered her interspace to fetch the roe deer and picked up a lot of wild vegetables. she initially wanted to sell some strawberries, but finding them in the mountains within a day seemed unrealistic. so, she put the strawberries back, only taking a few for her family to enjoy.


    to avoid drawing attention, they decided to walk to the county town.


    this time, they didn¡¯t wander around but headed straight to jia guang¡¯s house.


    ¡°auntie jia, are you home?¡±


    ¡°who is it?¡± came a voice from inside the house. as the door opened, the speaker exclaimed, ¡°oh, it¡¯s you, young girl! come in!¡±


    unlike the last time, jia ju immediately welcomed jiang xia¡¯s family into the courtyard, even wanting to usher jiang xia into the house.


    ¡°no need, we¡¯ll stay outside,¡± jiang xia quickly declined.


    ¡°what¡¯s this? you¡¯re treating auntie like a stranger?¡±


    ¡°no, it¡¯s not that, auntie. we brought a roe deer this time, and we don¡¯t want it messing up your house,¡± jiang xia explained as she set down the basket she was carrying.


    these words attracted jia guang, who had just come out of the house.


    ¡°roe deer? you even hunted a roe deer?¡±


    ¡°we got lucky, really lucky. the deer just ran into a tree,¡± jiang chuan timely added.


    ¡°and what¡¯s that you¡¯re carrying on your back?¡± jia guang asked, looking at the baskets on zhou lan and jiang gu¡¯s backs.


    upon inspection, both jia ju and jia guang saw that the baskets were filled with wild vegetables.


    ¡°did you pick these too?¡± jia guang asked in disbelief.


    ¡°not all. these were picked by villagers. seeing us making money, they wanted us to sell these for them,¡± jiang chuan explained, maintaining his usual simple and honest tone.


    ¡°good for you, sharing your earnings with the villagers. here¡¯s what i¡¯ll do: i¡¯ll take the roe deer and the vegetables for thirty yuan, six cloth tickets, and ten kilograms of grain tickets. how does that sound?¡± jia ju generously offered.


    ¡°that¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s a lot,¡± jiang xia stammered, touched by the wealthy, kind woman¡¯s gesture.


    ¡°wait. 1 can give you all that, but you must agree to one condition,¡± jia guang interrupted their transaction.


    ¡°what condition?¡± considering the tempting offer, jiang chuan figured he could agree to anything reasonable.


    ¡°given that you can gather so many wild vegetables in just a day, i want to come with you to your village. if there are plenty, i¡¯ll buy as much as you can gather. plus, any wild animals you catch, feel free to bring to me,¡± jia guang proposed, even adding ten yuan to the price of the roe deer.


    this wasn¡¯t a small sum, and for jiang xia¡¯s family, this was a good deal. they could invite villagers to gather vegetables for jia guang, eliminating the need for them to act as middlemen.


    otherwise, if they were the only ones making money, who knew how many people would plot against them.


    considering this, jiang xia gave jiang chuan a knowing look, effectively agreeing to the proposal.


    ¡°deal. no problem,¡± they agreed.


    after the two families happily exchanged things, jiang xia¡¯s family left.


    after a cheerful exchange of goods, jiang xia¡¯s family headed out. jia ju hastily packed some belongings for jia guang, who then set off with jiang¡¯s family.


    as they passed the shopping mall, jiang xia spent ten yuan to buy a stack of blank paper, two new notebooks, and two pencils for jiang gu, ensuring she had enough supplies for a while..

 Chapter 147 - Chapter 147: Back to the Village

    chapter 147: back to the village


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    the journey back to the village was long. when they came, jiang¡¯s family had hitched a ride with zhou juan¡¯s father.


    on their return, however, they were riding back grandly on a donkey cart, with jia guang included.


    when they returned to the village, the sky was almost dark. however, yet it didn¡¯t stop familiar faces from greeting the family from a distance as they approached.


    everyone was curious. they wondered why they had returned to the village so soon.


    as they reached the entrance to their home, many villagers had already rushed to jiang chuan¡¯s door after hearing the news.


    ¡°brother jiang, why are you back so soon?¡±


    their neighbor xiao li was undoubtedly the happiest to see them. thanks to zhou lan, who always invited xiao li over for meals whenever they cooked something delicious.


    ¡°we¡¯re back, and we bring good news!¡± jiang chuan announced cheerfully.


    ¡°what good news?¡± xiao li asked, glancing at jia guang who had returned with them.


    ¡°i¡¯ve heard you can dig up wild vegetables here. if that¡¯s true, 1¡¯11 buy them from you and trade for grain,¡± jia guang stepped forward at the right moment.


    the crowd looked at each other, skeptical of the stranger¡¯s words. could there really be someone willing to offer grain for vegetables?


    xiao li, however, trusted the jiang family unconditionally. on hearing jia guang¡¯s words, he promptly volunteered, ¡°really? while you were away, 1 went up the mountain and dug up some wild vegetables. ii planned to eat them myself, but i could show them to you?¡±


    jia guang was a smart man. he could tell from xiao li¡¯s words that this village indeed had something unique to offer.


    ¡°alright, let me see. if they¡¯re of good quality, i¡¯ll buy them.¡±


    when xiao li heard this, he quickly ran home and brought over a large basket of wild vegetables that he had dug up.


    after a quick inspection, jia guang confirmed that these were the same as what the jiang family had brought him. he said, ¡°alright, i¡¯ll take these. they weigh about four pounds, right? 1¡¯11 trade you two pounds of cornmeal. does that sound fair?¡±


    ¡°absolutely! that¡¯s a great deal!¡±


    exchanging four pounds of wild vegetables for two pounds of cornmeal was an irresistible offer.


    jiang chuan¡¯s business attracted the attention of the village chief. as xiao li finalized the deal, the village chief walked over from the crowd.


    ¡°chief.¡± jiang chuan greeted.


    ¡°grandpa chief,¡± jiang xia and jiang gu chimed in.


    ¡°hey, xiao xia, xiao gu, you¡¯re back.¡± the village chief looked at the two children kindly before turning his attention to jia guang, ¡°and who might this be?¡±


    following the family¡¯s respectful address towards the elderly man, jia guang also respectfully introduced himself to the village chief.


    ¡°oh, 1 see,¡± the village chief nodded thoughtfully.


    seeing the village chief, a few villagers gathered their courage and asked jia guang, ¡°do you want the vegetables from our homes too?¡±


    ¡°yes, as long as you have them, i¡¯ll buy them.¡±


    ¡°my home has some.¡±


    ¡°and mine too.¡±


    ¡°can i trade some too?¡±


    his words instantly sparked excitement among the villagers.


    as more and more people started talking, the village chief first silenced the noisy voices, then walked up to jia guang with a smile, and said, ¡°since you are here with the jiang family to buy wild vegetables, why don¡¯t i find a couple of villagers who are familiar with the area? they can help you gather the vegetables and accompany you to pick up the grain. what do you think?¡±


    jia guang looked around and saw quite a crowd gathered outside the jiang¡¯s house. realizing it would take a while if he went by himself, he agreed, ¡°alright.¡±


    ¡°xiao li, xiao wu,¡± seeing that jia guang agreed, the village chief shouted towards the crowd.


    xiao li and xiao wu immediately stepped forward, ready to follow the village chief¡¯s instructions to gather wild vegetables in the village.


    during the few days when jiang chuan was not home, the villagers had been cultivating the seeds left by him. their spare time was spent digging wild vegetables from the mountains.


    these wild vegetables were rare during this drought. every household that managed to find some didn¡¯t consume them right away. they saved them at home, hoping to trade them for some grain.


    little did they know, their wish was about to come true in such an unexpected way..

 Chapter 148 - Chapter 148: A Good Person

    chapter 148: a good person


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    the area where they foraged for wild vegetables, thanks to the watering from jiang xia¡¯s special space, could rapidly regenerate even after being harvested.


    the villagers, wanting to continuously have wild vegetables to eat, had not overharvested them. therefore, the wild vegetables were growing wonderfully.


    the people gathered at the entrance of jiang chuan¡¯s house were all in a hurry to go back and get their wild vegetables. almost everyone had left, leaving only the village chief alone. even the village chief¡¯s wife rushed home, wanting to exchange the wild vegetables she had saved for some food.


    don¡¯t underestimate the importance of these two pounds of grain. during times when no one is sure they can fill their stomachs, two pounds of grain could possibly be the lifesaver for a family.


    ¡°can xiao li and xiao wu handle the calculations?¡± jiang chuan broke the silence.


    the village chief regained his seriousness and waved his hand, ¡°xiao wu is in charge of these things in the village, and xiao li is very attentive. they won¡¯t make a mistake.¡±


    jiang chuan just nodded, not saying anything more.


    ¡°grandpa chief, do people from other villages know that we have wild vegetables to forage?¡± jiang xia asked in an innocent manner.


    ¡°no, they don¡¯t. why, xiao xia?¡± the chief looked at jiang xia, his eyes filled with confusion.


    jiang xia didn¡¯t say anything more, just giving jiang chuan a meaningful look.


    ¡°what will others think if they find out that people are coming to our village to buy wild vegetables, especially with such a big fuss? ¡± jiang chuan stopped beating around the bush and laid it straight to the village chief.


    the chief was stunned at first but then quickly began to think deeply. indeed, the area where they foraged for wild vegetables was small. if others found out they were trading these wild vegetables for grain, who knows if someone would get greedy and try to steal from them?


    by then, not only would they be unable to trade wild vegetables for grain, but they might even have their tree bark gnawed away.


    ¡°i see, i understand now.¡± with the matter laid bare, the village chief didn¡¯t ask why they returned from the county town so quickly. he rushed home hastily.


    the jiang family, having not been home for several days, felt a sense of nostalgia for this place.


    after bidding the village chief farewell, they quickly tidied up their home and fell asleep after a hasty wash. the day¡¯s journey had been exhausting and they drifted to sleep as soon as their heads hit the pillows. even jiang xia was too tired to enter her interspace.


    the next morning, the noise from outside woke up the jiang family.


    jiang chuan was the first to get up and open the door. soon, zhou lan, jiang xia, and jiang gu rubbed their eyes and came to see what was happening.


    ¡°he¡¯s such a good man.¡±


    ¡°have you changed your opinions about the jiang family now?¡±


    ¡°when did i have opinions?¡±


    ¡°no opinions? weren¡¯t you the one saying that the jiang family was enjoying luxuries in the county town just a few days ago?¡±


    ¡°exactly! you talk too much! even if the jiang family did enjoy luxuries in the county town, what¡¯s it to you?¡±


    ¡°you!¡±


    jiang chuan opened the door.


    instantly, the noise stopped and everyone looked at jiang chuan¡¯s family.


    ¡°everyone, what¡¯s going on?¡± jiang chuan looked at the villagers who had gathered at his doorstep early in the morning, somewhat confused.


    ¡°we came to thank you. your family are such good people. you went to the city to sell vegetables, earned money, and still didn¡¯t forget about us.¡±


    ¡°yeah, truly good people.¡±


    ¡°did you forget? the jiang family risked their lives to find wild vegetables in the mountains, and when they found them, they didn¡¯t forget to take us along.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s right, otherwise, why would we say the jiang family is so kind-hearted?¡±


    amidst the villagers¡¯ praises, a suspicious blush appeared on jiang chuan¡¯s face, ¡°you¡¯re giving me too much credit. it was merely a small effort.¡±


    jiang chuan looked so honest and simple, no one would suspect that this was not the jiang chuan they used to know.


    seeing her father¡¯s reaction, jiang xia couldn¡¯t help but cover her mouth and giggle. as she turned her head, she caught a glimpse of zhou lan and jiang gu, who were already laughing so hard that their faces looked like blooming flowers.


    looking at the time, it was only six or seven in the morning, the usual time for the villagers to come back with foraged wild vegetables. today, however, it seemed as if they had come over purposefully, suggesting that the words jiang xia and jiang chuan had spoken to the village chief last night had taken effect..

 Chapter 149 - Chapter 149: Eating Pancake

    chapter 149: eating pancake


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    after the jiang family finally sent away the villagers who had come to thank them, they found themselves wide awake.


    ¡°oh my, doing a good deed can be so tiring,¡± jiang xia sighed.


    ¡°sister, are you tired? let me massage you.¡± jiang gu, ever thoughtful, saw that jiang xia looked all soft and weary, and volunteered to massage her back.


    zhou lan was touched by the sight, and even jiang chuan¡¯s eyes turned teary.


    despite being so young, jiang gu was always so considerate.


    ¡°alright xiao xia, enough with the sluggishness, come to the kitchen and help, i¡¯m going to make something delicious for you all!¡± with a wave of her arm, zhou lan energetically dragged jiang xia towards the kitchen.


    with nothing else to do, jiang chuan followed them.


    zhou lan asked jiang chuan to take out the remaining flour from the cart and jiang xia to take out some wild vegetables from her interspace. then, she skillfully mixed the flour with water and cut the wild vegetables into pieces.


    ¡°mom, what are you making?¡± jiang gu asked, her big eyes full of curiosity, having never seen this method of cooking before.


    ¡°today we are having something different. i am making pancakes for you!¡±


    upon hearing this, jiang gu¡¯s eyes lit up. she stared at zhou lan with such intensity, as if she could jump into the flour.


    previously, when building their house and having shen mo living with them, zhou lan hadn¡¯t dared to use such good flour for cooking, fearing suspicion.


    now, with only them at home, zhou lan finally had a chance to showcase her skills. even jiang chuan and jiang xia were looking forward to it.


    making pancakes was one of zhou lan¡¯s specialties.


    after preparing the dough, jiang chuan lit the fire, jiang xia assisted zhou lan, and jiang gu cheered them on.


    when the pancakes were ready, jiang gu ate them while praising zhou lan, ¡°these are so delicious! mom, you¡¯re so good at cooking!¡±


    ¡°if you like them, eat more! i¡¯ll make sure there¡¯s enough today!¡± zhou lan said, wiping jiang gu¡¯s mouth.


    unexpectedly, jiang gu stopped eating midway, returning her pancake to her bowl, her eyes filled with sadness.


    ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± jiang xia noticed jiang gu¡¯s unusual behavior and asked immediately.


    ¡°sister, am i dreaming?¡±


    jiang xia glanced at jiang chuan and zhou lan. they were looking at jiang gu with sympathy. ¡°why do you say that?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve went to the county town, stayed in a hotel, visited a shopping mall, ate in a restaurant, and now i¡¯m eating such delicious pancakes. i wouldn¡¯t have dared to dream about these things before.¡± jiang gu¡¯s voice grew softer as she spoke.


    ¡°child, don¡¯t talk like that. as long as your mom is here, you¡¯ll never go hungry,¡± zhou lan, usually carefree, was moved by jiang gu¡¯s words, her eyes welling up.


    hearing zhou lan¡¯s words, jiang gu¡¯s eyes reddened even more, ¡°i wonder how big sister is doing now? if she can eat properly¡­¡±


    this comment tugged at the heartstrings of the entire family.


    yes, they had made money and were enjoying good food and drinks, but they had almost forgotten that they hadn¡¯t found their eldest sister yet.


    in an instant, the lively atmosphere of the family dimmed, and they all lower their heads in silence.


    ¡°don¡¯t worry, xiao gu. if i can make enough money for you all to eat well, then 1 can definitely find your eldest sister,¡± the quiet jiang chuan said, patting jiang gu¡¯s head, his eyes filled with indescribable determination


    at this, jiang gu finally managed a tearful smile, looking sweetly at jiang chuan, ¡°mhm, xiao gu believes in daddy.¡±


    after eating and tidying up, jiang gu went off to play in the yard by herself.


    jiang xia, jiang chuan, and zhou lan sat in the house, looking worried.


    ¡°we¡¯re not living too badly now, and we have some money. can we go to the jiang family to ask for our elder sister¡¯s address?¡± jiang xia was the first to ask jiang chuan.


    ¡°yes, every time i think about our oldest daughter still being out there and not back home, my heart aches,¡± zhou lan also asked jiang chuan.


    even though in essence, jiang chuan¡¯s family didn¡¯t have much emotional connection with the eldest daughter, they had still received the original owner¡¯s memories. emotionally, they couldn¡¯t let go of this bond thicker than water.


    jiang chuan also scratched his head in distress. if they knew the eldest daughter¡¯s address, they could even walk there. but they had to go through the entire jiang family.


    right now, he had just led the villagers to sell wild vegetables and had some money on hand. but who knew what conditions the jiang family would propose when the time came? he would really have a big headache then..

 Chapter 150 - Chapter 150: School Problems

    chapter 150: school problems


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    ¡°it¡¯s not that i don¡¯t want to, it¡¯s just that the time is not right. let¡¯s save a little more money first,¡± jiang chuan said to jiang xia and zhou lan.


    jiang xia, also worried about the same issues as jiang chuan, understood her father¡¯s dilemma and didn¡¯t ask further.


    knowing she couldn¡¯t help much with this matter, zhou lan didn¡¯t ask more either, and went out to play with jiang gu, leaving father and daughter alone in the house.


    ¡°let¡¯s put the matter of eldest sister aside for now. it¡¯s time to solve the problem of xiao gu¡¯s schooling.¡± said jiang xia.


    jiang chuan heard and nodded in respond.


    the issue of trading wild vegetables for grain has been solve.


    after jia guang took back the wild vegetables, xiao li and xiao wu went to the county town with jia guang, brought back the grains overnight, and distributed them to each household the next morning. that¡¯s why everyone came to thank jiang chuan¡¯s family in the morning.


    with a market for the wild vegetables, the villagers no longer had to worry about starvation for the time being.


    through conversations with the villagers, jiang chuan learned that the seeds they had distributed to each household before going to the county town had been planted.


    perhaps it was the effect of the interspace water, these seeds, even planted in normal space, seemed to grow better than average ones.


    in that case, he could discuss with jia guang again to see if he wanted these vegetables. if he did, they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about income. after all, there were plenty of vegetables stored in jiang xia¡¯s interspace.


    in that case, it was indeed time for jiang gu to go to school.


    jiang chuan called jiang gu back from outside.


    ¡°xiao gu, do you want to go to school?¡±


    ¡°yes, of course i do!¡± jiang gu, who had been taught by jiang xia to recognize many words, was looking forward to going to the school that jiang xia mentioned the most.


    ¡°then dad will arrange it for you.¡±


    jiang chuan thought that the money he had now was enough for jiang gu to go to school. he would ask the village head for information on where to go to school. in short, the problem of xiao gu going to school could not be delayed.


    ¡°what about sister? is she going to school with me?¡± jiang gu was thrilled to learn that she could go to school, but she didn¡¯t forget about jiang xia.


    ¡°your sister¡­ does she want to go?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve been to school for a few days before, and the words 1 know are enough for me. do i still need to go to school now?¡± jiang xia wanted to go to school with jiang gu, but the thought of being an adult among a bunch of children made her uncomfortable. plus, with her level of knowledge, she thought going to school was a waste of time.


    jiang chuan understood what jiang xia meant, but after all, they were living in this era, and having a diploma would be useful in the future.


    if jiang xia didn¡¯t want to go, it would be fine. but now they were living in the countryside. if they didn¡¯t go to school, they would have to work in the fields, either to earn work points or to plant vegetables.


    ¡°if you don¡¯t go to school, xiao xia will have to go to the fields with mom and dad.¡±


    ¡°no way, this¡­¡±


    jiang xia was about to say that it wasn¡¯t necessary, but on second thought, it seemed like she had no choice.


    if her family did not work in the fields and relied on digging wild vegetables to make a fortune, that would be too ridiculous.


    however, jiang xia had never planted anything before she died, and now he wanted her to work in the fields? wouldn¡¯t that kill her?


    perhaps when their times improved and they had some spare money, she could set up a stall in the county town and sell some fruits? after all, there were plenty of fruits in her space, all tasting good. she wouldn¡¯t worry about not being able to sell them.


    ¡°dad, how about¡­¡±


    ¡°no, xiao xia must go to school!¡± suddenly, the always quiet zhou lan spoke up.


    ¡°mom, you¡¯re going to scare me to death!¡± zhou lan¡¯s voice was so loud that she nearly yelled in jiang xia¡¯s ear.


    ¡°xiao xia must go to school. your sister is so young. if you go to school with her, you can look after her. otherwise, what if she is bullied at school?¡±


    zhou lan¡¯s righteous words almost made jiang xia believe her.


    but thinking back to the days when her mother wanted to train jiang gu to be her successor, shouting daily for jiang gu to learn martial arts with her, wasn¡¯t it more likely that jiang gu would be the bully rather than the bullied?


    ¡°it¡¯s not that 1¡­¡±


    ¡°yay, sister can go to school with me! i¡¯m so happy!¡±

 Chapter 151 - Chapter 151: Making New Clothes

    chapter 151: making new clothes


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    before jiang xia agreed, jiang gu had already started cheering. that joyous look was exactly what a child her age should have.


    in any case, it was decided that jiang xia would go to school with jiang gu.


    since they were going to school, they couldn¡¯t wear ragged clothes. they didn¡¯t want to be laughed at.


    zhou lan planned to exchange six feet of cloth tickets to make new clothes for jiang xia and jiang gu.


    at first, jiang xia refused. the cloth was intended to make clothes for zhou lan and jiang chuan, and besides, they were wearing clothes given by elder sister wang ping. although old, they were still wearable.


    ¡°stop talking nonsense. we adults will have plenty of chances to wear new clothes later. let¡¯s make yours first!¡± zhou lan was getting impatient with jiang xia¡¯s resistance and went straight to exchange for the cloth.


    although zhou lan was no longer the original zhou lan, she still had the skills of the original zhou lan. therefore, in just two days, zhou lan had made two pieces of clothes. she immediately called jiang xia and jiang gu over to try them on.


    ¡°xiao gu, come, try it on and see how it fits?¡± jiang gu looked at the brand new clothes in front of her, extremely excited.


    ¡°it¡¯s pretty, so pretty! it¡¯s so comfortable to wear!¡± once she put them on, jiang gu didn¡¯t want to take them off, even spinning around to admire them.


    ¡°mom, where¡¯s sister¡¯s clothes?¡± jiang gu, being a little kid, never forgot about jiang xia.


    ¡°here they are, i didn¡¯t forget your sister!¡± zhou lan held up a sky-blue tunic, speaking to jiang gu.


    ¡°why does it feel like mine is prettier?¡± jiang gu was full of curiosity, even sneaking a glance at jiang xia.


    ¡°this really suits me.¡±


    under jiang gu¡¯s puzzled gaze, jiang xia confidently put on the clothes and started spinning around just like jiang gu.


    it was only then that jiang gu confidently walked over, holding her sister¡¯s hand, and started laughing happily.


    in jiang gu¡¯s world, if her sister was happy, she was happy.


    several days passed.


    jiang chuan plowed the fields as usual and sowed the seeds before he went to visit the village chief.


    jiang chuan wanted to ask the village chief where jiang xia and jiang gu could attend primary school.


    upon hearing jiang chuan¡¯s inquiry, the village chief knew that children¡¯s education was important and not to be taken lightly. he said he would have to ask around. jiang chuan trusted the village chief and, although he was eager to resolve the matter, did not rush him.


    during the waiting period, the village chief gave jiang chuan some good news first.


    there was a bus in the village!


    for the village and the jiang family, this was good news.


    not to mention how troublesome it was for jiang chuan to go on a long journey, even if he could drive, he was always nervous and couldn¡¯t focus on driving, risking accidents.


    with the bus service, first, it was more convenient for them to sell their goods, and second, the villagers could now go out and explore.


    sometimes, some policies were implemented overnight, catching you off guard, but also making you feel like it should have been this way.


    in any case, it was something to be happy about.


    however, to catch the bus, they still had to walk six miles to a bus stop outside the village. but compared to riding a donkey cart to the county town, it was much more convenient.


    and so, one day, jiang chuan decided to take jiang xia on another trip to the county town.


    jiang chuan wanted to earn more money before jiang xia started school, so he planned to go to the town again to see if he could sell some more wild animal meat.


    with their previous experience, jiang chuan and jiang xia went out alone this time. this way, they could go and return early and not waste too much time.


    after the father and daughter walked out of the village, and only then did jiang xia take out things like wild rabbits from her interspace, covered with a layer of wild vegetables.


    in order to sell her wild rabbits to the townsfolk, jiang xia didn¡¯t wear her new clothes. she still wore her old clothes, the ones with patches.


    the father and daughter carried a bamboo basket and walked a long time before they arrived at the bus stop. they waited there for quite a while before they saw a bus coming.


    this bus was small and old, looking like a discarded vehicle from the town. it seemed even older than the rural buses of later generations.


    the bus ticket cost ten cents, and twenty cents for two people. for an ordinary family in this era, twenty cents could buy a lot of things. ordinary people could not bear to spend twenty cents on a bus.


    as soon as they got on the bus, the ticket seller kept eyeing them up and down, as if he was afraid that they would avoid paying the fare.


    however, jiang xia could understand that anyone would have such thoughts when they were dressed in such tattered clothes. even in the later generations, the habit of judging people by their appearance still existed, let alone in the 1960s.


    but she wasn¡¯t afraid. she handed over twenty cents to the ticket collector and said, ¡°two tickets for us, please..¡±

 Chapter 152 - Chapter 152: Argue

    chapter 152: argue


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    after paying the fare, jiang chuan and jiang xia found a spot to sit in the back of the bus.


    they thought that the ticket collector was annoying enough, but as soon as they sat down, whispers filled the bus.


    ¡°do you smell that? there¡¯s a strange smell on the bus.¡±


    ¡°yeah, yeah, i smell it too. has the bus service become so poor that anyone can get on?¡±


    ¡°i know right, i don¡¯t know if they¡¯ve gone crazy from poverty. if 1 had known, 1 wouldn¡¯t have taken this bus.¡±


    it was obvious that anyone could understand who they were talking about, especially when the speakers kept looking back at them, giving them disdainful glances now and then.


    why are people always like this?


    jiang xia was furious.


    besides, how could she possibly smell? as soon as she got home, she cleaned herself thoroughly. not even a speck of dust could be found, let alone a smell.


    these people were just assuming they were easy to bully because they were dressed poorly.


    even the usually patient jiang chuan wanted to stand up and confront them. luckily, jiang xia was calm and pulled him back.


    jiang xia was still glad that she didn¡¯t bring zhou lan along. otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to stop zhou lan if she had heard this.


    ¡°dad, don¡¯t bother with them. it¡¯s useless, and they might even call you petty,¡± jiang xia whispered to comfort him.


    jiang xia then looked at the woman who was constantly looking back at them with disdain. she didn¡¯t look particularly well-dressed herself, so jiang xia wondered why she looked down on others.


    just as jiang xia had expected, lin yan, who had taken the lead, was not a proper city person. her brother had benefited from a national policy and was enlisted in the military. upon his enlistment, he made a great contribution and was not only given food for his family, but they also gave the lin family a place to work in the city.


    just like that, lin yan, the daughter of a farmer, became a glorious worker overnight. she entered the county town as a cotton mill worker.


    from then on, lin yan was no longer willing to stay in the village. she even felt that she was a qualified city person, different from the villagers.


    with such self-perception, lin yan gained quite a few ¡®admirers¡¯, such as the girls who had echoed her earlier, who were villagers wanting to befriend her.


    during the conversation, jiang xia gave lin yan a good look. she was wearing a bright red blouse with very rural-looking trousers a rather odd combination.


    but in this era, ¡®city people¡¯ considered such bright red as fashionable.


    jiang xia didn¡¯t want to bother with lin yan, but seeing that the father and daughter duo didn¡¯t respond, lin yan became even more offensive.


    ¡°i say, you two villagers, can you get off the bus? you¡¯re really polluting the air.¡±


    jiang xia didn¡¯t expect lin yan to be bold enough to speak to them like that.


    this time, not only jiang chuan couldn¡¯t bear it anymore, even the usually calm jiang xia got angry.


    jiang xia swiftly rose from her seat, hands on her waist, and confronted lin yan, ¡°what did you say? do you think your words decide everything? polluting the air? i wonder who¡¯s causing a stink around here! who do you think you are, meddling so much! i¡¯ve paid my fare, i can sit wherever i like, does this bus belong to you? why should i leave? could it be that you¡¯ve not bathed for days, stink yourself, and are blaming others?¡±


    ¡°you¡­¡±


    hearing those words was truly satisfying. jiang chuan, sitting nearby, wore a proud expression. it was as if he was just a moment away from standing up to applaud jiang xia.


    lin yan, on the other hand, was left speechless. she had a lot to say but was choking on her words. all she could do was point at jiang xia and her father, glaring at them.


    at this point, lin yan¡¯s friends who had boarded the bus with her couldn¡¯t just sit idly by. they stood up one after another to speak on lin yan¡¯s behalf.


    ¡°i¡¯m saying, aren¡¯t you two just looking for trouble? we¡¯ve already told you that you smell, and yet you argue back!¡±


    ¡°exactly! when we ask you to leave, just leave! why do you talk so much? you¡¯re just wasting everyone¡¯s time.. i think you came on board just to annoy us, right? truly, village people have no manners!¡±

 Chapter 153 - Chapter 153: Revenge

    chapter 153: revenge


    translator: dragon boat translation     editor: dragon boat translation


    with people backing her up, lin yan¡¯s confidence boosted instantly. she straightened her back, looking more confident than before.


    having already started the argument, jiang xia no longer care about anything else. she walked straight up to the three women who were backing lin yan and sized them up.


    these three girls were all dressed in washed-out blue uniforms, so worn out that you could see careful patches here and there. their hair was done up in two braids that screamed ¡°outdated.¡± worse, it looked like they hadn¡¯t washed their hair in a week, all greasy.


    thinking themselves stylish, they crossed their arms, gazing at jiang xia with an air of arrogance.


    by now, the other passengers on the bus had also started to watch.


    jiang xia¡¯s previous sharp words had been such a classic that everyone wanted to see more of the drama, curious about what this petite girl would say next.


    surely, jiang xia did not disappoint her audience. pointing at the trio, she started scolding, ¡°what¡¯s this? are you her relatives? speaking up for her? have you even looked at yourselves? wearing torn clothes, not washing your hair, faces all cracked! you think you¡¯re fairies fallen from heaven? who are you trying to fool!¡±


    jiang xia, the top student, didn¡¯t need to rehearse her words. a few sentences left the trio flushed in embarrassment.


    by now, the passengers had figured out that these three girls and lin yan were different.


    clearly, lin yan was wearing new fabric and style, and her hair was well-groomed. but the trio, their clothes were obviously worn for a long time, and if you looked closely, their greasy hair even revealed their scalps.


    the three girls were all at a sensitive age. it would have been better if they did not say anything, but once they did, their desire to compete rose. the three of them looked at each other and exchanged glances before turning their gazes to lin yan at the same time.


    right, compared to lin yan, what difference was there between them and jiang xia? weren¡¯t they all from the village, what were they pretending to be!


    lin yan saw that when the three girls who were helping her now looking at her with suspicion, defensiveness, and even a hint of disdain, she felt even more humiliated.


    she was a self-proclaimed city person. back in the village or at her factory job, people were always respectful and eager to please her once they learned about her family¡¯s status. no one had ever dared to look at her like this.


    the more lin yan thought about it, the angrier she got, and the culprit was this teenage girl in front of her!


    having worked in the city for so long, this was the first time lin yan had been humiliated. of course, she couldn¡¯t swallow this insult. she briskly walked towards jiang xia, raising her arm to slap her.


    ¡°you village girl, how dare you say that to me? i¡¯ll teach you a lesson!¡±


    lin yan¡¯s action startled the three young girls, who backed away rapidly, creating a path for her.


    upon seeing lin yan¡¯s intention, jiang chuan quickly got up to pull jiang xia away, but before he could reach her, jiang xia had already blocked lin yan¡¯s arm.


    jiang xia thought lin yan¡¯s behavior was utterly overconfident. after all, didn¡¯t she know who jiang xia was?


    she was the chosen one! how could she let others bully her?


    jiang xia took a big frog from her interspace, which she had randomly found in the mountains before. it was hard to find a frog during the dry season, she originally planned to fatten it up to make a spicy frog dish for jiang gu, but it seems it had come in handy today.


    this frog, having drunk the water in her interspace, was significantly larger than an average one. its appearance was frightening, which scared the previously arrogant lin yan, making her retreat continuously, even to the point where she could barely stand.


    there weren¡¯t many people on the bus, and jiang xia and lin yan were standing at a spot where no one was around.


    at this point, seeing the domineering lin yan turned pale at jiang xia¡¯s move, the people thought jiang xia was some sort of sorceress.


    even the ticket seller, who often bullied the weak, couldn¡¯t resist joining in the spectacle.. she walked over, saw lin yan¡¯s terrified face, and asked jiang chuan and jiang xia in a harsh tone, ¡°what are you two doing? you¡¯ve scared this young girl!¡±

 Chapter 154 - Chapter 154: It Wasn’t Me

    chapter 154: it wasn¡¯t me


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    it must be said, the ticket seller indeed had the knack for twisting the truth.


    however, everyone on the bus wasn¡¯t blind; they could all see that it was lin yan who started the trouble. jiang xia, not being a fool herself, played the weak card at the right moment. with tears in her eyes, she looked at the crowd, her patched clothes making her look pitiful.


    ¡°it wasn¡¯t me, it wasn¡¯t me. she was the one who started it.¡±


    as soon as jiang xia¡¯s words fell, jiang chuan stepped forward, his brow furrowed as he said, ¡°we¡¯re just simple villagers. our clothes may be old, but we¡¯ve been minding our own business. we never thought we¡¯d be targeted as soon as we got on the bus. she even tried to hit my child. can you good folks please help us out and tell us if we¡¯re in the wrong?¡±


    the passengers on the bus, while enjoying the spectacle, weren¡¯t foolish when it came down to it. they¡¯d watched the whole thing unfold ¨C the young girl nearly getting hit


    despite jiang xia¡¯s old clothing, she was clean, and her little face was fair and tender. had she been slapped, the swelling wouldn¡¯t have gone down in a day.


    moreover, they had paid for their bus ride. why should they be kicked off the bus? it wasn¡¯t lin yan¡¯s bus, was it? just because she was uncomfortable, does that mean no one else should be allowed to ride? that¡¯s completely unreasonable!


    thinking about this, everyone grew to despise lin yan, and started to chatter.


    ¡°i saw it! the young girl was just defending herself. lin yan was the one who started it. now she¡¯s playing the victim ¨C she isn¡¯t trying to frame someone, is she?¡±


    ¡°i saw it too! she was the one shouting about teaching the girl a lesson!¡±


    ¡°we¡¯re not blind!¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s right, that¡¯s right!¡±


    a wave of discussion swept through the quiet bus. everyone was standing up for justice and criticizing lin yan.


    after a long discussion, everyone agreed that lin yan was utterly unreasonable. seeing that she couldn¡¯t hit jiang xia, she was trying to frame her again.


    hearing this, lin yan¡¯s lips turned pale with anger.


    she raised her trembling hand, pointing at jiang xia, ¡°it was her who scared me with a toad first, how am 1 framing her?¡±


    lin yan, who had lived in the village since childhood, was not afraid of anything but toads. every time she saw one, she would avoid it by three meters, and she was terrified of any creature that resembled a toad.


    upon hearing this, everyone laughed.


    ¡°everyone knows that toads only appear in the rainy season. it¡¯s drought everywhere now, how could i have gotten one?¡± jiang xia timely spoke, clarifying everyone¡¯s doubts.


    even the three girls from lin yan¡¯s village turned to jiang xia¡¯s side upon hearing her words.


    she was right. finding a toad in the dry season was even harder than expecting a rain shower.


    ¡°sister lin yan, did you perhaps see wrongly?¡± one of the girls asked carefully.


    ¡°never mind the toads, even if there were snakes, they would have been caught and eaten by now,¡± another girl murmured.


    ¡°we¡¯re just about ready to eat tree bark in our village,¡± grumbled the youngest girl, beginning to show some dissatisfaction with lin yan.


    yet lin yan was too panicked to care about the girls¡¯ ¡®betrayal.¡¯ she pointed fearfully at the basket behind jiang xia and insisted, ¡°impossible! i saw it very clearly. the thing i fear most is toads! 1 couldn¡¯t have seen it wrong! maybe it¡¯s in her basket!¡±


    ¡°no! it must be in her basket!¡± lin yan seemed to be trying to validate her claim, turning to the ticket seller for support.


    by this point, almost everyone on the bus, except for the ticket seller, believed jiang xia.


    the ticket seller was a peacemaker, trusting neither lin yan¡¯s words nor jiang xia¡¯s.


    with two swift steps, she reached jiang xia¡¯s side and, while jiang xia was distracted, she lifted the rag that covered the basket.


    she didn¡¯t say anything for a long moment after looking inside, leaving her stunned.


    this time, the people who were watching the show could not wait any longer. they all asked,¡± what¡¯s wrong? what exactly is in this basket?¡±


    ¡°wild vegetables? where did you get these wild vegetables from?¡± the ticket seller came to her senses and questioned jiang xia and her father..

 Chapter 155 - Chapter 155: Something Rare

    chapter 155: something rare


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    ¡°what? wild vegetables? really?¡±


    this words caught the interest of the elder men and women who were just spectators.


    at a time when everyone was struggling for food, wild vegetables were a welcome surprise.


    the few who had just spoken up for jiang xia now began to crowd forward, wanting to see if it was true. even the three girls with lin yan were drawn to the excitement.


    the aisle of the bus was already cramped. as the crowd surged forward, lin yan was nearly pushed over.


    thankfully, the girl was wise enough to step aside, preventing a possible minor stampede.


    when everyone on the bus confirmed that jiang xia¡¯s basket indeed contained wild vegetables, they started to get ideas.


    ¡°so it¡¯s really wild vegetables. are you taking these to visit relatives or friends in the city? there¡¯s so much. can i trade something for it? 1 have three feet of cloth coupons,¡± said one older woman who had earlier defended jiang xia and her father.


    these cloth coupons weren¡¯t particularly rare. every working family in the city had some.


    as long as you didn¡¯t wear out your clothes recklessly, changing them once or twice a year was sufficient.


    but villagers see cloth tickets as valuable, and the clever city folks love to exchange them for rare items with the rural people.


    the ticket seller was not happy. she was the one who discovered the wild vegetables, and now everyone was getting ahead of her.


    ¡°i have grain coupons in my hands. little girl, can you exchange these wild vegetables for me?¡±the ticket seller changed her attitude before boarding the bus and said to jiang xia with a smile.


    there was a drought this year. not to mention the vegetables, even the grass had been eaten up by people. now that the ticket seller had come up to exchange for grain coupons, the onlookers were stunned.


    they did not have many grain coupons on hand. the children at home were growing. it was fine if they did not have enough to eat, but they could not let the children go hungry.


    after the ticket seller made her offer, those who wanted to trade for the vegetables fell silent.


    this suited the ticket seller just fine.


    unexpectedly, the old woman wasn¡¯t happy. she, being fair, stood up and proposed, ¡°since these wild vegetables are for their relatives, we shouldn¡¯t take all. why not leave a basket for them, and we can share the rest. what do you think?¡±


    her last question was directed to jiang xia and her father.


    jiang chuan looked at jiang xia and frowned. he pretended to be indecisive and said to jiang xia, ¡°xiao xia, what do you think?¡±


    he was certainly hoping to earn as much as possible.


    however, jiang xia wanted to earn more. she knew that their high-quality wild vegetables would sell well in the city.


    ¡°second aunt¡¯s family has at least ten people. a basket of wild vegetables may not be enough to share.¡±


    while saying this, jiang xia portrayed a compassionate expression, and if one did not know her real intentions, one might think she was moved by their offer.


    jiang chuan instantly understood his daughter¡¯s meaning. he immediately adopted the honest demeanor of a villager and said in a troubled tone, ¡°we dug a lot this time, so one basket should be enough. but 1 don¡¯t know how many grain coupons they can give us. your second aunt promised me that if 1 brought two baskets of wild vegetables, she would exchange more food for me.¡±


    this amused the elder woman and the ticket seller, especially the latter, who brought out her superior attitude again, ¡°i knew it. the villagers are so lacking in grain that they¡¯re going to exchange it with relatives or friends.¡±


    she swiftly took out four pounds of grain coupons from her pocket, ¡°here, four pounds of grain. will it exchange for this basket of wild vegetables?¡±


    jiang xia¡¯s face was expressionless, but inside, she was disdainfully sizing up the ticket seller.


    if she had just started selling wild vegetables, she might have sold them for three pound of grain.


    but today, she intentionally carried a larger bamboo basket, which held at least ten pounds of vegetables. if she traded at the price offered by jia guang, she could get at least six pounds of grain.


    don¡¯t underestimate the two pounds of grain that was missing. it was enough for the family of three to eat for quite some time.


    the ticket seller¡¯s calculation was spot-on, offering just the right amount; not so little that people would feel cheated, but not too much that it would seem wasteful..

 Chapter 156 - Chapter 156: Favor

    chapter 156: favor


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    while jiang xia was weighing the pros and cons, a young man in the crowd suddenly said, ¡°how about this, i¡¯ll give you five yuan, and you give me the vegetables and the basket, okay?


    oh, this was exactly what jiang xia wanted.


    not only did this cover the cost of her bus ticket, but she could also exchange it for some meat tickets, a far more attractive offer than what the ticket seller had proposed.


    the ticket seller fell silent instantly, but jiang xia didn¡¯t think she would give up so easily.


    ¡°heh, there¡¯s a national regulation now, no private transactions allowed. my exchange of grain tickets for these goods is barter. if you buy with money, that¡¯s breaking the law!¡±


    just as jiang xia had expected.


    the young man¡¯s face turned red when he heard the ticket seller¡¯s words.


    his family had been farmers all their lives and had never done anything bad. how could he be framed like this just because he wanted to trade for some wild vegetables?


    in his frustration, he pulled a cloth bag from his pocket and unfolded it in front of jiang xia, ¡°here are two pounds of melon seeds. 1 was planning to bring them home as seeds. could you please trade them for your wild vegetables?¡±


    melon seeds?


    jiang xia hadn¡¯t encountered these before.


    these were quite rare. they were difficult to grow and prepare, plus they were not filling and took up space.


    however, jiang xia knew that zhou lan loved them, and jiang gu probably had never seen them before. she could bring them back to her interspace and plant some for jiang gu to taste.


    jiang xia didn¡¯t reject him immediately. instead, she took the seeds and looked at jiang chuan.


    the moment jiang chuan saw the melon seeds, he thought of zhou lan. he was naturally inclined to take the seeds to pamper his wife.


    but to exchange two pounds of melon seeds for a basket of wild vegetables was quite a deal.


    ¡°we can do that, but there¡¯s a shortage of vegetables this year, let alone wild ones. the wild vegetables all over the mountain have been eaten up. we got these with great difficulty,¡± jiang chuan said reluctantly.


    the young man was understanding and said to jiang chuan in a frustrated tone, ¡°so, what should we do?¡±


    jiang chuan pondered for a while, then glanced at the ticket seller and the old lady, ¡°getting two pounds of melon seeds isn¡¯t easy for you either. how about this, you take a handful of these wild vegetables, and we¡¯ll share the rest with the elder lady and the ticket seller.¡±


    the elder lady had stood up for jiang xia when she was being scolded. it wouldn¡¯t be right to forget her good intentions. besides, jiang chuan thought, why not win some favor by doing a good deed? maybe the elder lady would even be secretly pleased.


    before the young man could respond, the elder lady was overjoyed. she hadn¡¯t expected to have a share in this. afraid that jiang xia and her father might change their minds, she quickly took out a three-foot cloth ticket and stuffed it into jiang xia¡¯s hand, ¡°yes, yes, take this cloth ticket. let¡¯s distribute the vegetables as you said.¡±


    seeing that the father-daughter duo was still wearing patched clothes, the elder lady thought that her three-foot cloth ticket could at least be used to make some clothes for the young girl.


    seeing the elder lady¡¯s enthusiasm, jiang xia couldn¡¯t maintain her cold face anymore. she then put on her usual smile and asked the elder lady, ¡°elder lady, should 1 pack the wild vegetables for you or for this young man first?¡±


    ¡°we agreed that the young man will take first, didn¡¯t we? 1 shouldn¡¯t take advantage!¡± the elder lady said reasonably.


    since the elder lady had spoken up, the ticket seller didn¡¯t dare to be the one to go against the flow. however, she just kept her eyes on jiang xia as she packed the vegetables for the young man, afraid that she would give him even one more wild vegetable.


    however, no matter how fair jiang xia was, the ticket seller still wanted to nitpick. ¡°alright, alright, you said you would grab a little, but how much have you packed for him? hasn¡¯t it exceeded two pounds already? i¡¯m exchanging these with grain tickets, you¡¯re grabbing too much, and i¡¯m at a loss here!¡±


    jiang xia was not used to indulging her, and responded directly, ¡°1 have my own measure, i¡¯m not being greedy with yours, i assure you it¡¯s enough.¡±


    seeing jiang xia¡¯s serious expression, the ticket seller felt a bit deflated.


    forget it, getting the wild vegetables first was the priority.


    after packing the vegetables for the young man, jiang xia then gave the remaining half basket of wild vegetables to the ticket seller and the elder lady.


    knowing that her three-foot cloth ticket wasn¡¯t worth much, the old lady let the ticket seller pack first..

 Chapter 157 - Chapter 157: Arriving at the Station

    chapter 157: arriving at the station


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the ticket seller couldn¡¯t afford to lose face. she only packed her share and then passed the rest to the elderly woman.


    after all the wild vegetables were distributed, jiang xia uncovered jiang chuan¡¯s bamboo basket and packed some for the elderly woman.


    ¡°child, that¡¯s enough.¡± the elderly woman couldn¡¯t believe that her little action brought such good fortune. she couldn¡¯t stop smiling and kept praising how obedient jiang xia was.


    the people watching from the side were filled with regret, wishing they had thought of seizing such an opportunity at the time.


    just as the distribution of wild vegetables was nearly finished, the bus also arrived at the station.


    the group of people who were just regretting set aside their unhappiness and got off the bus.


    jiang xia also prepared to get off the bus, with a backpack on her shoulders. when she looked up, she saw lin yan still glaring at her fiercely.


    most of the people on the bus had left, and even the ticket seller, who was the only one who supported lin yan, had gotten off the bus in advance. jiang xia naturally had nothing to worry about.


    jiang xia approached lin yan and said, ¡°are you afraid of toads? you¡¯d better be careful, or else if it rains one day, and a toad jumps onto your bed, don¡¯t blame it on fate then.¡±


    ¡°you!¡± lin yan stared at jiang xia wide-eyed, as if she wanted to swallow her.


    she wanted to retort, but everyone said they hadn¡¯t seen any toad. she wasn¡¯t even sure if she was just seeing things.


    moreover, everyone now sees jiang xia as a good child who knew how to repay kindness. no matter how she explains, people would think she¡¯s making a fuss.


    never treated this way, lin yan struggled to swallow her anger, and what¡¯s more infuriating is that her three minions were siding with jiang xia.


    afterwards, lin yan directed her resentment towards jiang xia at her three minions.


    ¡°sister lin, let¡¯s go. don¡¯t stoop to her level.¡±


    ¡°yeah, sister lin, look how poor they are.¡±


    ¡°exactly, who uses grain tickets to exchange for wild vegetables nowadays? it¡¯s simply a waste.¡±


    before getting off the bus, the three minions remembered that they came to the city with lin yan to find a job. and they had just helped someone else.


    fearing that lin yan might be angry, they started to side with her again.


    although the three of them did not have a good impression of lin yan and thought that lin yan most likely had a problem with her eyes, now that it concerned their future, they did not dare to say it out loud.


    however, it¡¯s a pity. if they weren¡¯t on lin yan¡¯s side, maybe they could have traded their grain tickets for some wild vegetables.


    they were given grain tickets when they left home to bring back some grain.


    but they were villagers after all, and probably couldn¡¯t get much wild vegetables with their grain tickets.


    what they said was partly to please lin yan, and partly to satisfy their own little minds.


    as for lin yan, the moment someone spoke well of her, she forgot the unpleasantness, resumed her ¡®city girl¡¯ demeanor, and got off the bus with her head held high.


    ¡°these three minions are really loyal, being insulted like that and still willing to follow her. and that woman, can¡¯t she tell these three minions don¡¯t really want to follow her?¡± the elderly woman, who traded wild vegetables with her cloth ticket, said after lin yan and her group left.


    after all, what she said wasn¡¯t very nice, and it was better not to say it directly to people¡¯s faces, to avoid trouble for herself.


    when jiang xia heard the elderly lady¡¯s words, she couldn¡¯t help but chat with her. after learning that her surname was tian, jiang xia called her auntie tian repeatedly, which made her very happy.


    the elderly lady¡¯s name was tian cui, and she was the head of the women¡¯s department. after talking with the father and daughter for a while, she was about to leave.


    before leaving, she gave her home address to the father and daughter, reminding them earnestly that if they had more wild vegetables in the future, they should not forget to deliver some to her house.


    she also mentioned that if they ever came to town and had nowhere to go, they could come to her house. although her house wasn¡¯t large, accommodating them for one night would not be a problem..

 Chapter 158 - Chapter 158: Want to Eat Fish

    chapter 158: want to eat fish


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang xia knew that auntie tian was just being polite, but what jiang xia didn¡¯t expect was that aunt tian really did help their family out in a big way in the days to come.


    of course, these are all things to be discussed later.


    after saying goodbye to tian cui, jiang xia and her father started to think about what to do next.


    jiang chuan thought about the scene on the bus with jiang xia and was still a little scared. ¡°xiao xia, you can¡¯t use your abilities like that in the future!¡±


    if he hadn¡¯t been slow to react, jiang chuan would never have let jiang xia use her abilities in front of so many people.


    not to mention that people might think they¡¯re monsters, if someone reported that their vegetables were illegally obtained, their entire family could be arrested.


    jiang xia also knew that she had been too impulsive just now. she lowered her head and walked without saying a word.


    seeing jiang xia¡¯s silence, jiang chuan couldn¡¯t bring himself to scold her.


    the bus took a different route from the donkey cart.


    they were now following a small river into town.


    the river was used by the town people for washing clothes. it wasn¡¯t exactly crystal clear, but if you looked closely, you could see a couple of small fish.


    fish?


    thinking about fish, the unpleasant feelings that jiang xia had when jiang chuan scolded her disappeared instantly.


    jiang gu had mentioned a few days ago that he wanted to eat fish. isn¡¯t this a chance to get fish without any effort?


    ¡°dad, look, there are fish!¡±


    ¡°fish? where?¡± jiang chuan looked in the direction jiang xia pointed, but couldn¡¯t see any fish.


    ¡°come closer and look!¡± jiang xia pulled jiang chuan to the riverside and then he saw the fish fry that were not even as big as a fingertip.


    ¡°these fish are too small. they can¡¯t be eaten.¡± jiang chuan looked troubled.


    ¡°dad, you forgot, i have the interspace. 1 can catch these fish and raise them in there. not only will we be able to eat fish regularly, but we can also find a new way to get rich!¡±


    as soon as jiang xia saw the fish, she thought about raising fish to sell for money.


    now that there was a drought, if she could get one or two fish, it would be really rare, and the fish would be easy to sell and fetch a good price.


    ¡°oh! you¡¯re right, how could i be so forgetful!¡±


    after his daughter pointed it out, jiang chuan slapped his forehead, feeling foolish.


    he put down his bamboo basket, took off his shoes, rolled up his pants and went into the river.


    catching small fish wasn¡¯t as hard as catching big fish. you just needed some bait in your hand and they¡¯d run right into your palm.


    in a short while, the father-daughter duo caught quite a few fish, and jiang xia put them all into the river in her interspace to raise them.


    after catching the fish, the two of them happily continued on their way into town, as if the path to prosperity lay just ahead.


    before they arrived at the city town, jiang xia took out the rabbit from jiang chuan¡¯s basket and put a lot of wild vegetables into the basket.


    as soon as they entered the town, jiang xia thought of wang ping, the woman they had first met in town, knowing that her family must still need wild vegetables.


    the father-daughter duo headed straight to wang ping¡¯s hotel without hesitation.


    as expected, wang ping was extremely happy to see them.


    she praised the quality of their vegetables and the taste they provided, and seeing that they also brought wild rabbits this time, she bought all the rabbits and vegetables without hesitation.


    this time, jiang xia and her father brought a lot of wild vegetables, and given that wang ping had tasted their vegetables before, she offered a higher price. she gave twelve yuan for the two wild rabbits and a generous twenty pound of grain tickets for almost twenty-five kilograms of vegetables in two baskets.


    it was clear how much sister wang ping loved these vegetables. while the price for the wild rabbits was not high, she gave plenty of grain tickets.


    the outcome completely exceeded the father-daughter duo¡¯s expectations.


    they were stunned at sister wang ping¡¯s generosity.


    after trading the vegetables, jiang xia was ready to leave. but before she could, wang ping insisted on giving her some candy to take with her. however, having already exchanged for money and so many grain tickets, jiang xia felt too embarrassed to accept the candy.


    furthermore, before they left, wang ping made it clear that she wanted them to bring more wild vegetables next time, insisting that she would take as much as they could bring.


    wanting to maintain a long-term business relationship, they naturally couldn¡¯t be greedy. jiang xia and jiang chuan understood this very well..

 Chapter 159 - Chapter 159: Speak of The Devil

    chapter 159: speak of the devil


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    the father and daughter¡¯s had a smooth time selling their wild vegetables. the two of them, who were originally worried about sales, now felt incredibly light-hearted. they now had three regular customers in the city alone.


    moreover, jia guang¡¯s family had even agreed to buy all the wild vegetables from their village. this way, the villagers wouldn¡¯t feel envious of their earnings, nor would they worry about having nothing to eat.


    in addition to the seeds they had given to the villagers previously, the villagers would soon be able to have a full meal.


    ¡°dad, sister wang¡¯s family is not that big, can they finish all the vegetables they¡¯ve bought?¡± jiang xia, swept up in joy, almost forgot that it was a time of famine. was there such a thing as too much food?


    ¡°there are countless ways to eat wild vegetables. given how tasty ours are, they won¡¯t last more than a few days if they eat them three times a day.¡± jiang chuan answered his daughter¡¯s naive question seriously.


    ¡°what other ways are there to eat wild vegetables other than vegetable porridge, vegetable soup, vegetable bread, and vegetable pancakes?¡± jiang xia had never known hardship, let alone eaten these wild vegetables.


    jiang xia only learned about how to eat wild vegetables after she came here. however, jiang chuan was different. it was common knowledge for him to eat wild vegetables when he was young, especially his mother. she was good at cooking wild vegetables.


    ¡°there¡¯s plenty more, like pickled vegetables, vegetable buns, vegetable rice, and so on. the most delicious, though, is pickled vegetables, which was your grandmother¡¯s specialty.¡±


    jiang chuan recalled his childhood. he remembered the ¡®snacks¡¯ that filled the mountains and plains, as well as the steaming hot food that he could eat as soon as he returned home.


    ¡°pickled vegetables? made with wild vegetables?¡± jiang xia asked curiously.


    she had no memory of her grandmother and had never tasted her pickles.


    ¡°yes, it¡¯s really delicious.¡± jiang chuan said, licking his lips as if savoring the memory of the taste.


    ¡°why don¡¯t we go to the shopping mall to buy some salt and ask mom to make some pickles when we get home? i bet jiang gu has never tasted pickles either, so she could try them.¡± jiang xia suddenly suggested.


    their home was short on salt, and since they¡¯d mentioned pickles, it was a good excuse to go to the shopping mall.


    ¡°why should your mother be the one to make it? let¡¯s see if there¡¯s anything ready-made in the shopping mall. your mother already has enough farm work to do. we shouldn¡¯t overwork her.¡±


    as expected, jiang chuan cherished his wife and quickly countered jiang xia¡¯s decision.


    hearing her father, jiang xia felt as if she¡¯d been fed a mouthful of ¡®dog food¡¯.


    but it was a valid point.


    in the past, zhou lan often bought pickles from the supermarket, which had a wide variety of ready-to-eat pickles. she was good at choosing and always managed to pick out the ones jiang xia liked.


    at this thought, jiang xia realized it had been a while since she last ate such pickles.


    ¡°alright, we¡¯ll do as you say, dad.¡±


    just as they finished speaking, they turned around to find themselves right in front of the shopping mall.


    t¡¯s just like they say, ¡®speak of the devil, and he appears.¡¯


    the last time they came to the shopping mall, jiang xia and jiang chuan didn¡¯t go in. but now, stepping inside, they discovered the store was very well-stocked. it could be compare to some small supermarkets from their previous era.


    moreover, there were some grocery stores in the supermarket, which sold some semi-finished vegetables.


    there was a dazzling array of things, but not many people actually came in to buy things.


    the father and daughter went in, and the salespeople inside each did their own thing, unlike the enthusiastic salespeople in the supermarkets of the future.


    ¡°dad, why are they all so cold? shouldn¡¯t they come up and greet us to buy something?¡±


    jiang xia asked curiously, looking at these people who were chatting in small groups or knitting sweaters together.


    seeing this, jiang chuan explained to jiang xia, ¡°their salaries are fixed, earning at most around twenty yuan a month. unlike in our time, where selling goods can earn you sales commission.¡±


    jiang xia nodded in understanding.


    although she hadn¡¯t started working yet, she could understand some of this from what she often heard at home from jiang chuan.


    ¡°so, they earn just a few cents a day. no wonder then..¡±

 Chapter 160 - Chapter 160: Browse First

    chapter 160: browse first


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    if jiang xia were to work here, she would also choose to knit a sweater while sitting.


    after all, the supermarket is a state-owned enterprise now. i¡¯ve come in and i¡¯ve done your work. you can¡¯t fire me, can you?


    but the annoying thing is, even though the customers come to spend money, the salespeople act as if they are the ones in charge, resulting in a bad shopping experience for the customers.


    as jiang xia walked along, she had seen this attitude in several shop assistants.


    when someone comes to buy something, they either act rudely or mutter under their breath, with unpleasant expressions on their faces.


    seeing this, jiang xia was not in a hurry and decided to browse first.


    last time, jiang xia planned to use the cloth ticket to make new clothes for zhou lan and jiang chuan.


    ever since the family transmigrated, they had been wearing ragged clothes until now. jiang xia and jiang gu were lucky to have received old clothes from wang ping.


    zhou lan, considering that they would be going to school and they doesn¡¯t have enough cloth, had exchanged their cloth tickets for fabric and made two sets of clothes for them.


    as a result, zhou lan and jiang chuan were still wearing old clothes, which were in tatters. it was not a good look.


    thinking of this, jiang xia immediately suggested to jiang chuan that they should go and get new clothes for him and zhou lan.


    though jiang chuan didn¡¯t say much, he was delighted inside.


    ah, his own daughter is really considerate. he hasn¡¯t raised her in vain! but the problem that followed was, it¡¯s not like the future where you can buy clothes with money. now, you need cloth tickets to buy clothes.


    ¡°but we only have three feet of cloth tickets. i¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not enough.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s okay, if it¡¯s not enough, we will get more. we¡¯ve sold the wild vegetables today, and we¡¯re not worried about future sales. dad, how about we get more cloth tickets today and everyone wears new clothes?¡±


    encouraged by his own daughter, jiang chuan felt reenergized.


    ¡°alright! but getting cloth in the shopping mall is not easy.¡±


    jiang chuan was correct. even if the shopping mall had cloth that no one else wanted, they wouldn¡¯t get a chance at it. either the store assistants kept it for themselves, or someone else had already claimed it.


    just like how extreme the discounts can get in modern day stores, that¡¯s how extreme it gets when people line up to buy cloth in shopping mail during these times.


    good fabric is quite pricey, so the unwanted fabric in the stores becomes a hot commodity. who doesn¡¯t yearn for some extra fabric to craft new clothes for festive occasions?


    wearing a set of good clothes gives you a good impression wherever you go.


    jiang xia also thought about the problem jiang chuan raised. she thought for a moment and then suddenly had an idea, ¡°why don¡¯t we go to the clothing factory and have a look?¡±


    jiang xia¡¯s idea came from some period dramas and tv shows she watched when preparing for her college entrance exam. she remembered that there were people in those shows who specifically collected unwanted cloth from factories.


    they don¡¯t know the people in the shopping mall, so they might as well go directly to the factory. maybe they could meet someone nice there.


    ¡°alright! we¡¯ll follow my daughter¡¯s plan. if that doesn¡¯t work, we can always trade something with them.¡±


    after thinking about it, the father and daughter decided that it would be more practical to exchange things with people. anyway, there were a lot of wild vegetables in the interspace. the wild rabbits were slowly growing, and there were still two roe deers.


    oh yes, there were some oil and eggs and such in jiang chuan¡¯s interspace too, they shouldn¡¯t waste them.


    ¡°this won¡¯t do. we should keep the oil for ourselves. and not this either, xiao gu has only eaten a few pieces of chocolate.¡±


    after some consideration, jiang xia decided to only keep the eggs, and told jiang chuan to put the rest back.


    just these items wouldn¡¯t be enough to exchange for a lot of cloth. after thinking it over, jiang xia returned to her interspace and saw that the fish she had just caught had grown quite a bit after drinking the water in the interspace.


    after discussing with jiang chuan, jiang xia decided to catch two more fish to take to the factory.


    once they decided what to take, jiang xia and jiang chuan left the shopping mall. after asking around a bit, they found the clothing factory.


    when they arrived at the clothing factory, jiang xia took out a few eggs and learned everything she needed to know from the gatekeeper.


    the clothing factory rarely messed up their products, and even if they did, there were always people waiting to buy them. so, it turned out they had come to the wrong place.


    seeing jiang xia¡¯s disappointed face, the gatekeeper didn¡¯t feel right about accepting their eggs for nothing. so he pointed them in the right direction, suggesting they check out the cotton spinning factory instead..

 Chapter 161 - Chapter 161: Hope

    chapter 161: hope


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    after hearing the words of the old man from the clothing factory, the father and daughter did not have much hope. however, since they had already come to the cotton mill, they could not give up halfway. this time, the father and daughter were more energetic. they took a small fish to the gatekeeper and explained their purpose of coming.


    unexpectedly, the gatekeeper immediately agreed.


    the father and daughter looked at each other in surprise.


    they were both gatekeepers, but even uncle he from the clothing factory did not dare to agree. could this uncle fang be lying to them?


    the gatekeeper had them wait at the gate. shortly after, he brought someone out.


    ¡°zhang shan, hurry up. don¡¯t dawdle.¡±


    zhang shan looked no older than his twenties, was quite tall but thin and had delicate skin. if he hadn¡¯t spoken, the father and daughter would have thought he was a girl.


    ¡°do you two want to buy defective fabric?¡± zhang shan scanned the duo from head to toe, his eyes seemingly asking: can you afford it?


    jiang chuan didn¡¯t waste words, and directly placed the items they had prepared before him, ¡°take a look. if you think these items are sufficient, we can proceed with the conversation.¡±


    uncle fang was astonished upon seeing the items.


    he had just received a fish and thought that was impressive enough. he hadn¡¯t expected this humble-looking father-daughter duo to have so many good things.


    zhang shan had thought they would just buy a few sets of clothing fabric. to his surprise, they had brought out a lot of meat.


    a roe deer, two wild rabbits, and two fish, not to mention the fresh greens. had the duo brought out all their possessions?


    but this suited his needs just fine. in a few days, there would be a celebration at the factory director¡¯s home, and he was asked if he could procure some meat.


    ¡°how much defective fabric do you need?¡±


    upon hearing zhang shan¡¯s question, the father-daughter duo knew there was hope. they quickly said, ¡°we¡¯re poor and have brought all we have. you¡¯ve seen our clothes. you decide how much fabric we can get.¡±


    jiang chuan spoke politely, but if zhang shan tried to take advantage of them, he wouldn¡¯t stand for it.


    if zhang shan was generous this time, they could do business again. if not, this would be the only deal.


    jiang chuan had brought so many items hoping to exchange for more fabric, as it was necessary for winter.


    ¡°why didn¡¯t you come earlier? if you had, you wouldn¡¯t have to worry about clothes for the entire year.¡±


    from these words, jiang chuan knew zhang shan wasn¡¯t planning to shortchange them.


    ¡°we¡¯ve always been farmers, and isn¡¯t private trading discouraged now? it¡¯s just that our kids¡¯ clothes are too worn out¡­¡±


    jiang chuan spoke honestly, and zhang shan didn¡¯t suspect him.


    believing their story, zhang shan said, ¡°you¡¯re lucky to have met me. i¡¯m in charge of this stuff in the factory. 1 can give you items that others don¡¯t want. if you¡¯re okay with that, i¡¯ll give you all i can.¡±


    ¡°of course! we¡¯re struggling to get enough food. having something to wear is already very good!¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re honest. if it weren¡¯t for me, you might have been cheated badly.¡±


    ¡°we¡¯re lucky to have met a kind person,¡± jiang chuan said loudly, not only for zhang shan but also for uncle fang, ¡°if we get more good stuff in the future, can we exchange it for fabric?¡±


    zhang shan had been thinking about this and readily agreed when jiang chuan brought it up.


    ¡°sure, of course! 1¡¯11 keep some good fabric for you!¡± zhang shan, though delicate-looking, was quite bold when it came to business.


    but he also had foresight. he knew that giving the duo a good deal now meant they would remember him when they had good stuff in the future.

 Chapter 162 - Chapter 162: Don’t Be Picky

    chapter 162: don¡¯t be picky


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    having agreed, the two did not say much more. zhang shan brought jiang chuan and jiang xia to a small gate and asked them to wait there for a bit.


    twenty minutes later, zhang shan came out carrying a large bundle of cloth.


    upon seeing this, jiang chuan quickly helped him, assisting zhang shan in placing the cloth on the ground.


    ¡°i searched around, and for now, this is the only bundle of cloth 1 found. the cloth is not damaged, it¡¯s just that the color is not well dyed. the factory manager initially planned to sell it at another stall, but someone accidentally spilled water into the warehouse, so it didn¡¯t go on sale.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s fine, we just need something wearable, we don¡¯t need it to be good.¡±


    this bundle of cloth didn¡¯t seem much, but when jiang chuan reached out to take it, it nearly crushed his shoulder. it must be pure cotton, and quite thick.


    moreover, if you don¡¯t look carefully, you can¡¯t tell that the color of this cloth is bad. even the area that zhang shan mentioned was contaminated by water is hard to notice unless he points it out.


    for this, jiang chuan needs to thank him. after all, zhang shan didn¡¯t deceive them.


    jiang xia also showed off her sweet talking skills, saying thank you over and over again, which made zhang shan very happy, and he praised jiang xia for being a sensible child.


    ¡°why don¡¯t you wait a bit more.¡± saying this, zhang shan didn¡¯t wait for the father and daughter to respond. fie ran back into the warehouse and came out again two minutes later.


    ¡°these few yards of blue cloth were originally meant for my mother. the color is a bit old, but it¡¯s certainly wearable. since this young girl is so sweet, i¡¯ll give it to her. don¡¯t be picky.¡±


    jiang xia took the cloth and said thank you.


    ¡°you¡¯re being too polite, it¡¯s already a hassle for you to exchange these things for us.¡± jiang chuan, in his farmer¡¯s simplicity, felt somewhat embarrassed towards zhang shan.


    ¡°why be polite with me? what you¡¯ve given in exchange is more than enough for these, it¡¯s just that i only have this much cloth on hand right now. just don¡¯t be picky.¡±


    zhang shan was the one who started feeling embarrassed.


    nowadays, flawed cloth is scarce, not just in their warehouse, but in other warehouses as well.


    ¡°we won¡¯t be picky. we want to do business again in the future.¡± since it¡¯s come to this, jiang chuan also sold a favor.


    ¡°okay, next time you come, 1¡¯11 ensure i give you more, not less.¡± zhang shan patted his chest in assurance.


    with this promise, jiang chuan felt reassured.


    although they brought a lot this time, which might sell for forty or fifty yuan, but it¡¯s currently a time of exchanging tickets for goods, and even if you have tickets, you might not be able to get cloth.


    furthermore, this time when they exchanged goods, they were completely in the dark, with the power of decision in the hands of others. they could only accept the other party¡¯s price. but seeing how straightforward zhang shan was, it seemed that he had the power of decision in the cotton factory, at least he could decide on these cloths.


    with zhang shan indicating that he would like them to come again, they would undoubtedly have many more interactions in the future. so, suffering a bit of loss the first time is not a big deal.


    after talking with zhang shan for a while, jiang chuan and jiang xia carried the cloth and walked out.


    once they reached a deserted area, jiang xia immediately put the cloth into her interspace.


    ¡°dad, this bundle of cloth looks small, why is it so heavy to carry?¡± jiang xia couldn¡¯t help but complain.


    ¡°this bundle is at least twenty yards, and your smaller one must be six or seven yards. how could it not be heavy?¡±


    ¡°we have that much? then you and mom can each make a piece of clothing!¡±


    ¡°yeah, your mom finally doesn¡¯t have to wear those worn-out clothes. just think about how much your mom loves to look good, 1 can¡¯t believe she came to this place with me and suffered.¡±


    hearing her father start to express his love again, jiang xia quickly interrupted, ¡°alright, dad, let¡¯s go to the shopping mall again. the thread we exchanged for home seems to be all used up. let¡¯s buy some more for mom.¡± ¡°alright, the shopping mall isn¡¯t far away, let¡¯s hurry up.¡±


    saying this, the father and daughter headed towards the shopping mall.


    they strolled leisurely, not in a hurry, but after carrying that large bundle of cloth for a while, it really tired out jiang chuan.


    before they reached the shopping mall, jiang chuan stopped jiang xia, ¡°xiao xia, how about we have lunch first?¡±

 Chapter 163 - Chapter 163: Do You Take This?

    chapter 163: do you take this?


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    ¡°but where is the restaurant here?¡± the sun had left jiang xia sweating all over, and after a morning of walking, she was feeling a bit hungry.


    ¡°it¡¯s right there. do you see that restaurant?¡± jiang chuan pointed to a state-owned restaurant behind jiang xia.


    jiang xia looked in the direction jiang chuan pointed, and indeed, she saw it.


    in a moment, jiang xia even began to doubt her father¡¯s intentions. how could it be such a coincidence that she happened to walk to a place with a restaurant?


    before jiang xia could figure it out, her stomach protested again. she subconsciously rubbed her belly, ¡°alright, let¡¯s go check it out.¡±


    although the restaurant was in the county town, it looked no different from the one in the township. even the interior decoration was similar. however, there were more people in this restaurant, and the waitstaff here were better-mannered than in the town. even though the father and daughter were not well dressed, they did not give them odd looks or act maliciously. they were busy with their own work.


    from previous experience, the father and daughter ordered food directly, and then found a place to sit down.


    as soon as they finished ordering, the waitress hurriedly came out of the kitchen, walked to jiang xia¡¯s table, ¡°miss, we only have dumplings with wild vegetable filling left, is that okay?¡±


    in these times, there wasn¡¯t much to eat, so jiang xia didn¡¯t have the luxury of choice.


    she just didn¡¯t expect that even in the city, the variety of food wasn¡¯t abundant.


    thinking of this, jiang xia remembered the delicious food from the future in her mind, regretting her past behavior of not cherishing it.


    jiang xia looked around and noticed that many people came to eat at the restaurant, but they all just ate dumplings, or simply noodles.


    ¡°dad, why don¡¯t they have a good meal when they come to the restaurant?¡± jiang xia leaned into jiang chuan¡¯s ear and asked in a low voice.


    ¡°i think having dumplings is already considered good food here. i guess they even added some lard to the dumpling fillings in this restaurant.¡±


    jiang chuan explained to jiang xia with his keen sense of smell.


    indeed, jiang xia observed carefully and found that those who ate dumplings seemed to enjoy it more than those who ate noodles.


    it seemed that even in a restaurant, meat was a scarce item.


    ¡°dad, we¡­¡±


    ¡°xiao xia, maybe we should¡­¡±


    father and daughter spoke almost at the same time.


    ¡°dad, are you suggesting¡­?¡± jiang xia pointed to the basket and gave jiang chuan a look.


    jiang chuan nodded.


    ¡°but, will it work?¡±


    the father and daughter talked like they were solving a riddle, thankfully everyone in the restaurant was busy with their own meals, otherwise they might attract curious looks.


    ¡°how will we know if we don¡¯t try?¡± a light shone in jiang chuan¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°alright then.¡±


    jiang xia looked around and, seeing no one paying attention to them, immediately took two wild rabbits from her space and put them in the basket.


    jiang xia was originally planning to take out two fish, but after thinking about it, she decided to keep them for jiang gu to taste first.


    in any case, as long as her interspace was there, she could always raise wild animals. it was better to sell the meat first and exchange it for things they lacked at home.


    since they were looking to trade, they naturally couldn¡¯t do it in front of everyone.


    jiang xia and jiang chuan deliberately ate slowly, waiting until most of the people in the restaurant left before they began to clean up their plates.


    the waitress in the restaurant was a young girl, around seventeen or eighteen. she was always smiling at everyone, making people feel very comfortable.


    seeing jiang chuan and jiang xia finish eating but still lingering in the restaurant, she approached and asked, ¡°are you waiting for someone here?¡±


    there were many people in the city, and from time to time, people from the village would come and eat while waiting for others to return to the village. a small number of people came to the city to find food, but these people usually sat in the restaurant and wouldn¡¯t leave without food.


    such people couldn¡¯t be allowed to stay in the restaurant, otherwise, they would consume a lot of food in a day.


    however, despite their shabby clothes, the father and daughter seemed to have money to buy food, so they were probably not the latter.


    seeing the last customer leaving the restaurant, jiang xia finally showed the wild rabbits in the basket to the waitress, ¡°sister, take a look, will your restaurant take these?¡±


    the waitress just took a peek, her eyes widened instantly, and she hurriedly ran to the kitchen, then brought out a man in his forties, short and slightly chubby.


    seeing him in a white outfit, jiang xia concluded that he must be the chef in the restaurant.

 Chapter 164 - Chapter 164: Good Stuff

    chapter 164: good stuff


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    ¡°they brought it,¡± the waiter said excitedly, pointing to the father and daughter.


    the cook couldn¡¯t believe it, looking at jiang xia¡¯s bamboo basket with suspicion.


    upon looking, he was startled.


    wild rabbits! these were indeed good stuff!


    the chubby master chef, whose surname was jiang, had been working in the restaurant for a while. since their restaurant had no specialty dishes, and its location wasn¡¯t ideal, the earnings were never good.


    without profits, their restaurant couldn¡¯t afford pork. chef jiang had been worried about this for a long time.


    however, seeing the two wild rabbits in front of him, he was shocked for a moment. he then quickly regained his composure, scrutinizing jiang chuan and jiang xia.


    he cautiously asked the father and daughter, ¡°how much for these two rabbits?¡±


    having had a setback at the cotton spinning factory, jiang chuan had learned his lesson. seeing that the initiative was now in his hands, he said decisively to chef jiang, ¡°we were planning to keep these wild rabbits for ourselves. but times are hard at home. let¡¯s do it this way, i¡¯ll give you these two rabbits for six yuan.¡±


    jiang chuan was actually under-quoting, fearing that if he asked for more, the chef might back out.


    upon hearing jiang chuan¡¯s price, chef jiang rubbed his chin thoughtfully.


    he must have made a deal like this before; otherwise, how could he quote the price of the wild rabbits so perfectly?


    if selling to an individual, such fat rabbits would cost more than three yuan each. if sold to a contractor, they would definitely bargain. fortunately, their restaurant was in need of meat. this price was neither too high nor too low, so they could accept it.


    ¡°how about this, you give me these wild vegetables too, and i¡¯ll give you eight yuan, is that okay?¡± chef jiang asked, pointing to the wild vegetables that jiang xia had collected while catching the rabbits, filling almost half the basket.


    jiang xia glanced at jiang chuan. she was quite satisfied with the price, but jiang chuan seemed dissatisfied and remained silent.


    seeing that the adult didn¡¯t respond, chef jiang hesitated for a moment, then added, ¡°how about this, i still give you eight yuan, and also give you two catties of salt. i can¡¯t give more.¡±


    at this time, everyone was saving money for food, and salt was something they ate less of if they could. a bag of salt could last a long time.


    since it was hard to buy, the restaurant¡¯s salt was probably rationed and occasionally they had a surplus. this must be left to the chef to handle, otherwise, he might not be so quick to offer it.


    before jiang chuan could respond, chef jiang had already taken out the salt and money. this was a full show of sincerity, and it would be impolite if jiang chuan refused.


    jiang chuan realized that the chef wanted to do business with them again in the future; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be so eager.


    after the trade was completed, chef jiang even gave jiang xia two large buns with vegetable fillings.


    business was business, and personal relationships were personal. it was clear that this chef was quite adept at maintaining these relationships.


    the father and daughter, carrying two catties of salt and eight yuan, happily left the restaurant and headed for the shopping mall.


    they now had cloth and didn¡¯t have to worry about salt, they just needed to buy some thread.


    the thread didn¡¯t need a ticket, you just paid with money.


    the father and daughter initially spent thirty cents on a ball of black thread. feeling that it might not be enough, they decided to buy another one. they would let zhou lan use it as much as she wanted without fear of running out.


    after buying what they needed, jiang xia was ready to leave, but the tempting array of food in the store caught her eye.


    the food here didn¡¯t have any additives, and the taste would be very different from the snacks in the future.


    with that thought, jiang xia was tempted.


    they had spent one catty of food ticket on lunch, and they still had two catties left, enough to buy some snacks.


    ¡°dad, shall we buy some food to take home?¡±


    ¡°sure, your mother and sister haven¡¯t tried these before, let¡¯s bring some back for them to taste.¡±


    since her father had agreed, jiang xia didn¡¯t hesitate. she confidently walked to the pastry counter and began to choose.


    after spending sixty cents on thread, they still had seven yuan and forty cents left. so, jiang xia didn¡¯t hold back, planning to buy a lot and eat to her heart¡¯s content.


    ¡°this one, this one, and that one, i want them all,¡± jiang xia pointed at a few biscuit-like items in the counter and boldly told the salesperson.


    the salesperson looked at jiang xia with contempt, ¡°you want so much, can you afford it?¡±


    jiang xia wasn¡¯t pleased to hear this.

 Chapter 165 - Chapter 165: Who Are You Looking Down On

    chapter 165: who are you looking down on


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    ¡°who are you looking down on? if i say i can afford it, then so be it. ¡°after a long day, jiang xia learned a lesson: some people should not be treated kindly, or they would take advantage of the situation.


    upon hearing jiang xia¡¯s words, the salesperson didn¡¯t react at all, crossing her arms and snorting through her nose, ¡°fine then. these are two yuan per kilogram, and you¡¯ll also need half a kilogram of grain tickets. just having grain tickets isn¡¯t enough, you need to have money too.¡±


    upon hearing the price, jiang xia hesitated for a moment. she had only made six yuan from selling two wild rabbits; was it possible that the salesperson was trying to deceive her into buying these small biscuits at two yuan per kilogram?


    ¡°it¡¯s alright, girl, go ahead and buy it. biscuits are a luxury these days; it¡¯s normal that they¡¯re sold at this price.¡± seeing jiang xia¡¯s hesitation, jiang chuan explained to her.


    that made sense. in this era when people can¡¯t even get enough food, who has the money to buy such luxuries? if they were to buy them, it would probably only be during the chinese new year, when people are more willing to spend.


    with that in mind, jiang xia felt balanced. she confidently took out the money from her pocket.


    seeing jiang xia¡¯s boldness, the salesperson felt even more sour, ¡°oh, you have money to buy food, why don¡¯t you spend it on some clothes? you both look as dirty as beggars.¡±


    jiang xia was about to argue with the salesperson when jiang chuan held her back, giving the salesperson a warning glance.


    he was upset as well. who could bear hearing such words about his beloved daughter who had done nothing wrong?


    but they were in an unfamiliar environment. even if they were to fight, they would be at a disadvantage with so many people in the shop. it would be best to avoid causing trouble.


    jiang xia picked a few biscuits, approximately half a kilogram, and paid four yuan.


    having bought the biscuits, jiang xia walked away directly. spending money had made her furious; she didn¡¯t want to stay in this awful place for another second.


    on the way home, it was too late for the bus, so the father and daughter hired a donkey cart with the money they had left.


    during the journey, jiang xia was visibly upset.


    ¡°what¡¯s the matter, xiao xia? we bought what we needed today, and we¡¯ve secured a way to sell our wild vegetables. coming to the city has been fruitful, why aren¡¯t you happy?¡±


    jiang xia touched the biscuits in her hand, and said dejectedly: ¡°dad, i now understand the importance of appearances.¡±


    hearing this, jiang chuan realized that jiang xia was still thinking about the shopping mall incident.


    ¡°now you understand, right? in any era, some people only care about appearances, not substance.¡±


    seeing an opportunity, jiang chuan finally had a chance to show off his wisdom in front of his clever daughter.


    ¡°dad, don¡¯t worry. i won¡¯t be easily defeated. one day, 1 will make sure our family has nice clothes and a good life. by then, we¡¯ll not only afford clothes, but also gold for each of us.¡±


    ¡°alright, dad is waiting, and believes you can achieve what you say.¡±


    their lives were getting better, a stark contrast from when they first came here, without food or money.


    since they were able to go from having nothing to now having food, drink, and even some spare money, was the day jiang xia imagined, where each of them could buy a piece of gold, far off?


    soon, the donkey cart dropped them off at the entrance of the village.


    by the time the father and daughter got home, it was almost dark. zhou lan and jiang gu had already lit the oil lamp and were waiting for them.


    ¡°sister, dad! you¡¯re back!¡± even before they entered the house, jiang gu shouted towards the door.


    upon hearing the sound, zhou lan looked up and saw jiang chuan and jiang xia coming back.


    even though it had only been a day, zhou lan had missed them.


    she quickly went up to them and asked, ¡°why are you back so late? have you eaten yet?¡±


    ¡°we¡¯ve eaten, both jiang xia and 1 have eaten.¡± jiang chuan approached zhou lan and said with a smile..

 Chapter 166 - Chapter 166: Furniture Shopping

    chapter 166: furniture shopping


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    upon seeing zhou lan, jiang chuan completely forgot about the existence of jiang xia and jiang gu.


    ¡°xiao gu, let¡¯s not watch. let¡¯s go to the room, your sister brought some delicious food for you.¡± seeing this, jiang xia didn¡¯t disturb their parents and led jiang gu into the room.


    jiang xia had put a lot of effort for this family.


    especially because jiang gu was still young, jiang xia was worried that zhou lan might use plots from tv dramas to influence jiang gu, and quickly led her into the room.


    ¡°sister, what delicious food did you bring?¡± jiang gu, being young, was immediately excited about the prospect of food and followed her sister obediently into the room.


    after jiang xia got jiang gu seated on the bed, she took out the biscuit.


    originally, the chef at the restaurant gave them some stuffed buns, which jiang xia intended to bring back, but father and daughter were so hungry on the way that they ended up sharing the buns.


    ¡°this is a delicious treat your sister bought at the department store, want to try it?¡±


    ¡°wow! biscuit!¡±


    previously, zhou lan had planned to buy these when the family went to town. however, a thief messed up zhou lan¡¯s plan. the mother and daughter duo didn¡¯t get any biscuits, and ended up looking quite disheveled.


    ¡°mom! sister bought biscuits! come and eat!¡± jiang gu, excited about the treat, didn¡¯t think of keeping it to herself and immediately called zhou lan over.


    ¡°coming, coming!¡± zhou lan loved to eat biscuits too. since they traveled to this world, the food had been plain with hardly any snacks, so she was craving something tasty.


    ¡°oh my! biscuits! these are expensive!¡± zhou lan exclaimed, seeing what jiang xia held.


    she had wanted to buy them before, but had only money, no grain tickets. she thought of waiting till jiang xia and the others brought the tickets to buy them, but the plan was forgotten after catching the thief.


    on hearing zhou lan¡¯s words, jiang gu, who was about to take a biscuits, quietly withdrew her hand.


    jiang xia noticed and said with a smile, ¡°xiao gu, we have money now. it¡¯s okay to enjoy a treat occasionally.¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t scare her mom. it¡¯s fine, xiao gu, go ahead and eat.¡± zhou lan noticed too and handed a biscuits to jiang gu, encouraging her.


    seeing her parents and sister all started eating, jiang gu finally took the biscuits from zhou lan.


    ¡°sis, this biscuit is really tasty!¡± jiang gu couldn¡¯t help but exclaim after taking just one bite.


    ¡°if it¡¯s tasty, 1¡¯11 buy more for you next time!¡± jiang xia touched jiang gu¡¯s head and confidently said.


    now they have money and enough grain tickets, they also have a steady market for their wild vegetables. they don¡¯t have to worry about food and drinks anymore, so how far are they from a comfortable life?


    as jiang xia was contemplating, she glanced at the furniture in their house.


    the house was new when they separated from their extended family. since its completion, everyone had been so busy that they didn¡¯t have time to properly furnish the house. now, apart from two beds and a dining table, there wasn¡¯t any decent furniture in the house.


    the table was a makeshift one, barely usable, and far from good. shen mo once said, the table felt odd.


    as jiang xia was immersed in her thoughts, zhou lan suddenly slapped her, ¡°dear, why are you laughing? it¡¯s kind of scary!¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s nothing. we¡¯re earning money now, 1 was thinking of buying some furniture for our home.¡± jiang xia expelled shen mo from her mind and shared her thoughts with zhou lan.


    ¡°we do need to buy some furniture. otherwise, our house is too empty, there¡¯s nothing. when others come to visit, it gives off a poor impression.¡± zhou lan was the first to agree with jiang xia¡¯s idea.


    ¡°dad, we might have money now, but we can¡¯t buy a cabinet, we can only hire someone to make one.¡±


    ¡°i need to ask the village chief about this. if the village chief can¡¯t find anyone, we¡¯ll go to the city. there are passenger buses now, so it¡¯s convenient to go to the city.¡±


    ¡°alright, let¡¯s take out some money to see if it¡¯s enough. if it¡¯s not, we have grain tickets, let¡¯s see if we can use them to cover part of it.¡±


    even if they spent all their money, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem. as long as jiang xia¡¯s interspace exists, they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about not earning money.


    ¡°alright, we¡¯ll follow what xiao xia said, but we should keep a low profile. otherwise, making a big fuss might make the people from jiang¡¯s side jealous, and it might cause some trouble..¡±

 Chapter 167 - Chapter 167: Making Furniture

    chapter 167: making furniture


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang chuan¡¯s words were reasonable, with the jiang family¡¯s people still eyeing them greedily. they needed to be careful.


    ¡°dad, why not invite the village chief to our home tomorrow?¡± jiang xia suggested. ¡°he¡¯s a good man; he won¡¯t cause any trouble.¡±


    ¡°that could work,¡± jiang chuan nodded, agreeing to jiang xia¡¯s idea.


    that night, after zhou lan and jiang chuan had finished washing up, they lay in bed discussing the events that took place in the village that day.


    not long after jiang chuan left, the village chief gathered everyone together and told them that relief food was on its way. he asked everyone to hold on a bit longer, promising that within a fortnight they would no longer be hungry.


    he also took the opportunity to warn those who had been foraging for wild vegetables to keep quiet about the abundance of wild vegetables in their village.


    ¡°the village chief is right,¡± jiang chuan interjected when zhou lan brought up this point. ¡°if word gets out about the wild vegetables, it won¡¯t just be one person who suffers.¡±


    thankfully, the villagers took heed of the village chief¡¯s warning and had not spread the news.


    ¡°i heard some rumors in town that the village chief was accused of stealing their rightful food,¡± jiang chuan told zhou lan about what he had heard in the past few days. ¡°do they mean he¡¯s corrupt?¡±


    ¡°you wouldn¡¯t believe some of the things they¡¯re saying,¡± zhou lan sighed. ¡°i don¡¯t understand why, when the village chief is clearly working in the villagers¡¯ best interest, there are still people who are ungrateful.¡±


    zhou lan then relayed to jiang chuan some of the villagers¡¯ negative comments about the village chief. jiang chuan shook his head in disbelief.


    ¡°being a village chief is a tough job,¡± jiang chuan remarked, sighing.


    ¡°indeed,¡± zhou lan agreed. ¡°good people always seem to have it hard. no matter what we do, there will always be people who might leak information.¡±


    ¡°well, if they do, well just find another place to irrigate,¡± zhou lan said, determined not to let the naysayers get to them.


    without their family¡¯s dangerous journey up the mountain to discover the land with wild vegetables, they would have nothing to eat, let alone the ability to trade vegetables for grains.


    ¡°true, i noticed many villagers planting the seeds we gave them, and they¡¯re growing quite well,¡± jiang chuan mentioned. ¡°we should be able to rely on our own crops soon.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s great! we¡¯ve helped solve a major problem for the villagers. from now on, let¡¯s just mind our own business and live our peaceful lives,¡± zhou lan concluded.


    in the dark, jiang chuan nodded in agreement. it¡¯s important to be kind, but it shouldn¡¯t be to a fault. otherwise, it would become an obligation, and failing to help would attract complaints.


    after discussing these serious matters, the couple chatted casually before going to sleep.


    the next morning, jiang chuan went to see the village chief to request his help in finding a carpenter. the village chief, being a straightforward man, immediately set off for the neighboring village and found a very capable carpenter.


    the carpenter and the village chief were acquaintances, so for the village chief¡¯s sake, he agreed to make a table for jiang chuan¡¯s family for ten yuan and four stools for one yuan each, totaling fourteen yuan. including the twenty yuan for the wood, it came to thirty-four yuan.


    this was within jiang chuan¡¯s budget. he asked the carpenter not to worry about complex designs and focus on finishing the table quickly.


    the village chief was surprised. the jiang family suddenly had over thirty yuan to spend? was city money that easy to make?


    after jiang chuan left, even the carpenter couldn¡¯t help asking: ¡°is this jiang¡¯s family son? he¡¯s so generous?¡±


    this carpenter was the best in the area. both in their village and in copper mountain village, he was the first choice for any woodworking task, so he was familiar with the jiang family¡¯s business.

 Chapter 168 - Chapter 168: Working Together

    chapter 168: working together


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    the jiang family was not a generous bunch at all. even if you offered them the lowest price, they¡¯d haggle over a couple of yuan or even a single cent. they always wanted to pay less.


    the carpenter originally didn¡¯t want to take the job offered by the village chief, which involved working for the jiang family, as he knew their reputation. but due to his family¡¯s dire financial situation, he reluctantly agreed.


    however, upon seeing the jiang family, they seemed different from what he had imagined.


    ¡°yes, but not exactly,¡± the village chief ambiguously responded to the carpenter, leaving him confused.


    regardless, he was here to work, and getting lost in questions was unnecessary. his focus was on doing his job well.


    the jiang family had shared their wild vegetable picking spot with the villagers. everyone could now find their way up the mountain, taking breaks to allow the vegetables to grow back properly.


    with the seeds given by the jiang family, the villagers were less dependent on foraging. most of them were attentively nurturing their home gardens, hoping for a plentiful and healthy harvest.


    things were finally on the right track in the village, and the jiang family could ease up a bit.


    for the last couple of days, the family stayed at home, but they were far from idle, busy tidying their house.


    when they first built the house, it only had two rooms and a kitchen, no living room.


    with their daughter, jiang gu, growing up, jiang chuan decided to add a door in the middle of one of the rooms, transforming it into two separate rooms. he also reconfigured his and zhou lan¡¯s room, freeing up space for a living room. their newly made table and chairs would fit perfectly there.


    after they stopped picking wild vegetables, zhou lan found herself with surplus energy. not only did she wake up early to clean the house and prepare breakfast, but she also managed to sew a set of clothes for everyone in the family.


    zhou lan, though seemingly easy-going, was actually quite skilled, having retained the original zhou lan¡¯s craftsman abilities. the previous zhou lan was indeed an exceptional woman, but her talents were overshadowed by the constant farm work.


    now, with the newly reincarnated zhou lan, her abilities were finally put to good use.


    once the house renovations were complete, the family donned their new clothes, making it a moment of celebration.


    however, they only wore the new clothes at home. when they left the house, they reverted to their old outfits.


    they used to live in extreme poverty, and although they could now be considered affluent by village standards, they didn¡¯t want to attract too much attention and cause envy.


    jiang xia and jiang gu looked healthier and happier after enjoying their improved home life, especially jiang gu. with her round, bright eyes and fashionable twin ponytails, no one could guess that they had once been too poor to afford food.


    looking at jiang gu, you¡¯d think she was a city child.


    this wasn¡¯t self-praise; even the occasional villagers who came to borrow grain couldn¡¯t resist complimenting her


    as a result, more children wanted to play with jiang gu, hoping to build a connection with the jiang family.


    some straightforward kids would ask jiang gu directly, ¡°xiao gu, where did your family get the money to buy you new clothes?¡±


    jiang xia initially didn¡¯t want to play with these kids, but upon hearing the question, she became curious about how her little sister would respond and walked over to her.


    xiao jiang gu lifted her hands, revealing her belly, and said to the questioning girl, ¡°it¡¯s not new. we got it from someone in the county town who felt sorry for us. see, it¡¯s small. my belly is showing.¡±


    ¡°but it¡¯s still new! my parents told me that any clothes without patches are new clothes!¡± the little girl pointed at jiang gu¡¯s clothes and passionately shared her theory.


    jiang xia was caught off guard by the sharp question.


    regarding the clothing issue, jiang xia hadn¡¯t prepared jiang gu with an answer, and neither had jiang chuan or zhou lan. wearing new clothes seemed to be a commonplace event in their house..

 Chapter 169 - Chapter 169: Jiang Gui Arrives

    chapter 169: jiang gui arrives


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    the little girl was still arguing with another little girl. they didn¡¯t manage to resolve their dispute, which led to jiang gu speaking again.


    jiang gu calmly addressed the two little girls, ¡°we¡¯re poor at home. my family can¡¯t afford to buy me clothes. i¡¯ve told you before, someone else gave me these clothes. my mother told me to take good care of them since they were given by someone else. it would be disrespectful to wear them out carelessly. besides, look, the cuffs of this dress have been worn out by the previous wearer. how could it be new?¡±


    as she spoke, she lifted her sleeve for the two girls to see.


    presented with evidence, the two little girls stopped nitpicking. they both started to admire jiang gu¡¯s luck, getting clothes from kind people in town, having such a wonderful sister and a mother who cooks well. they were truly envious.


    hearing this, jiang xia pondered on how her younger sister had indeed inherited the family¡¯s good virtues. at the same time, she felt pity for the little girls whose lives were clearly not easy.


    just a piece of clothing was enough to spark their envy.


    once the house was tidied, the spirits of the jiang chuan family greatly lifted.


    looking around their renewed home, jiang chuan stroked his chin, feeling as if something was missing. finally, his gaze fell on the windows.


    yes, glass!


    the last time jiang gu went to town, she had mentioned that the glass there was pretty. they could bring a couple of pieces back. they couldn¡¯t always rely on these paper-covered windows, what if it rained?


    even though it was dry season now, it¡¯s better to be prepared, right?


    with that thought, jiang chuan started to plan on getting a certification from the village chief to bring some glass back next time he went to town.


    when jiang gui arrived at jiang¡¯s house, they were having their meal around a small worn-out table.


    the main dish was still wild vegetable porridge, unchanged. only that zhou lan had skillfully pickled the wild vegetables with the salt jiang xia had brought back. the chili sauce they brought from the future also added an extra kick to the dish, making it more appealing and delicious.


    jiang gui was practically drooling as he eyed the food at jiang chuan¡¯s house.


    ¡°big brother, have you eaten yet? what brings you here today?¡±


    jiang chuan asked politely, which was quite generous considering what jiang gui¡¯s family had done in the past.


    ¡°it¡¯s still early, 1 haven¡¯t eaten yet.¡±


    jiang gui had his meal, but the food at jiang¡¯s house looked so appetizing that he couldn¡¯t resist wanting to try some. he saw that there was still a lot of porridge left in the big bowl.


    unexpectedly, after he spoke, no one invited him to eat. everyone continued to eat on their own.


    despite his irritation towards jiang gui, jiang chuan politely asked him again, ¡°why haven¡¯t you eaten yet? is there something urgent?¡±


    jiang gui despised jiang chuan in his heart.


    there was still so much porridge left, why couldn¡¯t they let him have a taste? truly, even when their circumstances improved, they were still stingy by nature.


    thinking this, jiang gui spoke irritably, ¡°of course, there¡¯s a matter. i wouldn¡¯t willingly come to your house otherwise. i came to discuss the wild vegetable issue. it was your family who led everyone to pick those vegetables before. now people in the village are either secretly picking them or doing so in groups, almost depleting them. the relief grains have not arrived yet, so you should take responsibility for this, right?¡±


    ¡°big brother, there¡¯s something i don¡¯t understand. it¡¯s true that 1 found the wild vegetables and invited everyone to pick them, but what gives you the right to question me about it? i didn¡¯t ask you to come with us to pick the wild vegetables in the first place, did i?¡± jiang chuan paused for a moment, then continued in a cold voice: ¡°also, if i¡¯m not mistaken, our families have separated, right? setting aside whether or not i should be responsible for the wild vegetables, since we¡¯re separated, isn¡¯t it a bit much for you to interfere with our affairs?¡±


    needless to say, as soon as jiang gui started speaking, jiang chuan knew that his family must have secretly gone to the mountains while they weren¡¯t home.


    the wild vegetables on the mountain were almost all picked. now that they couldn¡¯t benefit from the wild vegetables, they came to question the person who found them.


    jiang gui would never have been so brazen to confront other families, but things were different with jiang chuan¡¯s family. after all, he was jiang chuan¡¯s elder brother. jiang chuan should show him some respect, shouldn¡¯t he?


    what jiang gui didn¡¯t expect was how the previously timid and simple jiang chuan could be so confrontational now.


    and then there was jiang gui, who didn¡¯t even consider that his concern for the village people in discussing the wild vegetables issue today seemed very much like it was for his own selfish interests. who couldn¡¯t see through that?

 Chapter 170 - Chapter 170: Let’s Get It Done

    chapter 170: let¡¯s get it done


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    moreover, the village chief had always said not to casually go into the mountains when there was no need. there were not many wild vegetables to begin with. if we dug them all up, there would be none left to eat. could it be that jiang gui, the one speaking of sneaking into the mountains, is from their family?


    or did they see that his family¡¯s life has improved, and decided to take advantage of them? again?


    however, even without jiang gui coming, jiang chuan realized that despite their best efforts to look out for the villagers¡¯ welfare, they could not keep the villagers¡¯ mouths shut.


    when jiang gu went out to play a few days ago, many villagers took advantage of his young age and bombarded him with questions. even the village chief, who was always considerate of others, was scared and stayed home.


    apparently, jiang gui had gone to the village chief¡¯s house first but didn¡¯t get any information, so he brazenly came here.


    speaking of splitting the family, jiang gui naturally understood. if it weren¡¯t for his wife pushing him to ask, jiang gui wouldn¡¯t have swallowed his pride to come here.


    ¡°i¡¯m your elder brother from the same mother. 1 see your family¡¯s meals have improved, this porridge is so thick, and you¡¯re even eating pickles.¡± after saying this, he swallowed, and said bitterly, ¡°you brought so many wild vegetables to the city, you must have sold them, right? look at your family, your meals have suddenly improved, you must have made a lot of money?¡±


    hearing jiang gui¡¯s words, jiang chuan immediately showed a cold face, ¡°how could you slander us like this, brother?¡±


    ¡°exactly! what are you talking about? what do you mean by ¡®we made a lot of money¡¯? if others hear this, will our family survive?¡± even zhou lan couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes at jiang gui.


    ¡°since you call me big brother, i¡¯m just saying it to you. if there were outsiders at home today, 1 wouldn¡¯t mention it.¡±


    on the surface, this seems considerate, but on closer examination, it is clear that jiang gui is threatening them.


    he wouldn¡¯t say it today, but what about tomorrow and the day after?


    with the constant rumors in the village, if word gets out, who knows what kind of turmoil it could cause?


    however, he is not the timid jiang chuan of before.


    he sneered a couple of times, protected zhou lan behind him, and said to jiang gui without good temper: ¡°if you want to spread rumors, go ahead. after all, i still bear the surname jiang, don¡¯t i? even if others believe that 1 made money, can the jiang family stay out of it? won¡¯t they suspect whether you have taken any advantages? can you escape the spit of others?¡±


    hearing jiang chuan¡¯s words, jiang gui was immediately aroused and pointed at jiang chuan¡¯s nose and cursed, ¡°you dare to drag the entire jiang family into this!¡±


    ¡°why wouldn¡¯t i dare? has the jiang family ever spared us? have you forgotten about the stealing incident?¡± zhou lan couldn¡¯t stand jiang gui¡¯s pretentiousness anymore and couldn¡¯t help but bring up the old story. ¡°perhaps you weren¡¯t criticized enough and want to experience it again!¡±


    zhou lan looked at jiang gui with distaste. what she didn¡¯t expect was that he had the audacity to come to their house to ask about the wild vegetables.


    the two sisters eating nearby glared at jiang gui. if he dared to act, they were not pushovers.


    in zhou lan¡¯s words: let¡¯s get it done!


    who¡¯s afraid of who!


    however, zhou lan¡¯s momentum really shocked jiang chuan. he was only used to arguing, but when zhou lan got angry, she was ready to fight.


    that would be the end. they, father and daughters, couldn¡¯t hold back zhou lan.


    fortunately, zhou lan was angry for only a moment and didn¡¯t really mean it.


    but he was still a little worried, so he thought of an excuse to send zhou lan out first, ¡°honey, didn¡¯t xiao xia and xiao gu say they wanted to visit the village chief? why don¡¯t you take them to see him now, and by the way, tell the village chief that the jiang family is visiting our house again. 1 don¡¯t know if they¡¯re planning to steal something again.¡±


    after that, jiang gui was completely dumbfounded.


    at first, he thought jiang chuan was brave to ask his parents to separate the family.. now it seems that not only has he become bolder, but both husband and wife seem to have completely changed

 Chapter 171 - Chapter 171: A Complete Change

    chapter 171: a complete change


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    ¡°you! you guys!¡± jiang gui wanted to threaten jiang chuan¡¯s family again, but he couldn¡¯t say anything.


    last time, they had been the ones at fault. if it weren¡¯t for the village chief, they might have ended up in jail. even though they didn¡¯t end up in jail, the public shaming they experienced had utterly disgraced their family.


    ¡°we are all one family. why would 1 steal from you? besides, it¡¯s not like you have anything valuable, right? let¡¯s talk this out properly.¡± suddenly, jiang gui¡¯s arrogant attitude changed.


    ¡°well, if that¡¯s how you feel, you¡¯d better leave now. and remember, we have seperate our families. no matter what good or bad happens to us, we should not take credit for or implicate each other!¡± jiang chuan made things clear to avoid jiang gui¡¯s bothersome nagging.


    ¡°right! let¡¯s make a clean break! even if our family ends up begging in the streets, we won¡¯t ask for a grain of rice from the jiangs!¡± zhou lan also made her stance clear.


    jiang gui was taken aback by zhou lan¡¯s firm attitude and was unable to retort.


    with jiang chuan and zhou lan against him, there was hardly any room for jiang gui to argue.


    feeling dispirited, jiang gui flung the door open and left.


    jiang gu, the smart little one, quickly followed jiang gui outside before her sister could say anything.


    today was the day the carpenter was supposed to deliver a table, as agreed with the village head. if jiang gui happened to see it, the news might reach jiang fu and wang fen, and sun li, who is in cahoots with them, might find out soon.


    while they had nothing to hide, they had involved the village chief in this matter. they couldn¡¯t drag him into any potential controversy. otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be able to explain everything to the villagers even if he had eight mouths.


    in no time, jiang gu rushed back home, confirming that she had seen jiang gui entering his house. the family finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    just then, there was a knock at the back door.


    ¡°is it the village chief here to deliver the table?¡± jiang gu asked quietly.


    zhou lan and jiang chuan immediately got up to open the door.


    it was a good thing, yet they felt as if they were doing something wrong and had to be secretive.


    to avoid suspicion, the village chief didn¡¯t come. it was just the carpenter and his apprentice.


    the carpenter¡¯s craftsmanship was truly excellent. the table surface was incredibly smooth, the corners were rounded, and the original color of the wood was preserved, with just a layer of clear varnish emphasizing the grain. it was like a piece of art.


    and not to mention the four chairs.


    moreover, the carpenter had specially made two additional taller stools to accommodate different heights in the family. everyone was thrilled.


    jiang chuan had paid the carpenter on the day they agreed on the deal. still, since they had come all this way to deliver the furniture, they needed to show some gratitude.


    without needing jiang chuan to say anything, zhou lan went into the house and came out with a cloth bag.


    ¡°i thought your kids were small, so i made two taller stools. i hope you won¡¯t mind.¡± the carpenter explained about the two extra stools.


    ¡°how could we? we¡¯re more than pleased. here are two kilos of cornmeal and one kilo of millet. please accept them and don¡¯t think it¡¯s too little.¡± zhou lan handed the cloth bag to the carpenter.


    the carpenter was pleasantly surprised. after all, everyone needed grains at this time.


    ¡°are you sure? i heard from the village chief that you didn¡¯t get anything when you separate from your family.¡±


    ¡°we don¡¯t rely on the jiang family. since we¡¯ve separated, we can support ourselves.¡±


    with this statement, jiang chuan not only confirmed what the village chief had said but also proof his capability.


    the old jiang chuan was seen as weak, but now he was determined to change his image entirely. from a somewhat capable jiang chuan, he would become an extremely capable jiang chuan. he wanted people to believe that whatever they had was well-deserved.


    hearing jiang chuan¡¯s words, the carpenter was filled with admiration for them.


    so many capable families are held back by their parents, with the entire family relying on the labor of just one person while everyone else enjoys the fruits of their work.


    it¡¯s indeed rare to see a family like jiang chuan¡¯s that can truly split from their relatives and still manage to support themselves.

 Chapter 172 - Chapter 172: Seeing Old Madam Jiang

    chapter 172: seeing old madam jiang


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    however, what the carpenter was thinking, the jiang family did not know. right now, the four members of the family were discussing where to place the table in the most conspicuous spot in the living room.


    although the living room was not big, the table wouldn¡¯t take up much space.


    and from what they could see, their life was definitely going to get better. in the future, they even planned to buy some of the trendy things of the time. they wouldn¡¯t always have to sneak around like they did today.


    the original jiang chuan lived a very constrained life, thinking of which made him uncomfortable.


    now he was no longer the previous jiang chuan, he wanted to change the image of jiang chuan in the hearts of the people.


    however, considering the current social development trend, he also couldn¡¯t be too flashy. of course, being too naive and honest was not suitable either. since he was here, everything should start from scratch. in short, he should first achieve results before discussing anything else.


    originally, he had planned to hide the table to the side, but after thinking about it, jiang chuan felt it was completely unnecessary, so he confidently placed the table in the center.


    jiang xia¡¯s ideas coincided with jiang chuan¡¯s.


    why should their family, who also worked hard to earn a living, be more miserable than others?


    jiang xia even felt that their father should show off his skills to them first, to let them know that jiang chuan was not the same as before.


    to avoid the jiang family constantly making trouble and disrupting their life.


    but jiang chuan didn¡¯t know jiang xia¡¯s thoughts. if he knew, their father would probably give his daughter a big thumbs up.


    if they were to change, they should change completely.


    after the matter of the table was settled, the family finally had time to prepare the adobe that they owed when building the house. they were busy for a while before they finally paid off the adobe that they owed.


    after repaying the adobe, the family of four was completely free.


    after getting some free time, jiang xia remembered the fish she had been raising in her interspace.


    considering that the village chief had helped her family so much, she should give him a fresh fish to taste, and her family could also enjoy it in their spare time.


    jiang gu was no longer surprised by his sister¡¯s abilities and even looked forward to one day being as strong as his sister.


    as for giving away the fish, jiang xia decided to make a cover-up first, so she took jiang gu to the river, intending to tell the village chief later that the fish was caught from the river.


    the two sisters leisurely went to the river and immediately saw someone washing vegetables by the river.


    it had been dry for a while, and the small river was nearly dry, with only a few shallow ditches still holding some water.


    they couldn¡¯t figure out why someone would come to the small river to wash vegetables?


    ¡°sister, it¡¯s grandma.¡± xiao gu immediately recognized the person washing vegetables by the river. due to her previous fear for old madam jiang, jiang gu hid behind jiang xia after speaking.


    ¡°grandma? old madam jiang?¡± it had been a long time since jiang xia had seen the jiang family, and she had almost forgotten about them.


    ¡°it¡¯s her, i¡¯m sure i didn¡¯t recognize her wrongly.¡± jiang gu said cautiously yet firmly.


    ¡°why is she here all of a sudden?¡± as far as jiang xia knew, old madam jiang usually left the housework to her two daughters-in-law. why was she doing the work today?


    ¡°sister, let¡¯s go, don¡¯t let grandma see us.¡± the closer jiang gu got to old madam jiang, the more afraid she became.


    ¡°what¡¯s the matter? what will happen if she sees us? we¡¯ve already separated from them.¡± jiang xia wasn¡¯t afraid of her. besides, what could old madam jiang really do to them?


    ¡°what if grandma takes you away and sells you when mom and dad are not paying attention? our oldest sister was sold away by grandma.¡± every time jiang gu saw old madam jiang, she thought of the scene where her oldest sister was sold away. she always remembered old madam jiang saying that she was going to sell her second sister.


    she knew what kind of person old madam jiang was, especially now that their parents were not around. what if old madam jiang really caught jiang xia and sold her?


    ¡°it¡¯s okay. if she dares to, you run home and find mom and dad. they won¡¯t let her off easily. xiao gu, we are different from before now.¡±


    jiang gu stopped and thought carefully, feeling that what her sister said made sense. then she said indignantly, ¡°yes, i¡¯ve almost learned all the kung fu mom taught me.. when 1 grow up a little bit more, i will take revenge for my oldest sister, beat up grandma, and show her how powerful i am!¡±

 Chapter 173 - Chapter 173: The Whereabout Of The Eldest Sister

    chapter 173: the whereabout of the eldest sister


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang xia smiled at jiang gu¡¯s innocent words. she bent down to look at jiang gu and said, ¡°there are many ways to show you¡¯re angry. fighting isn¡¯t good, it uses a lot of energy and can hurt you. people often forget their pain once their wounds are better.¡±


    jiang gu looked confused.


    ¡°to win, we must find what someone fears losing most. what do you think our grandma fears losing the most?¡±


    both jiang xias didn¡¯t know what old madam jiang cared about most.


    in her memory, old madam jiang only cared about herself. as long as she had good food and clothes, she didn¡¯t care about others.


    suddenly, jiang gu said, ¡°i know!¡± she then whispered to jiang xia, ¡°i saw grandma holding a small cloth bag once, and she was secretly discussing with grandpa about hiding it somewhere where no one could find it. it might have money inside it. i haven¡¯t seen grandpa and grandma care about anything else as much as that.¡±


    money? if it¡¯s really money, why hide it? anyway, the money is to be spent.


    besides, if it was money, wouldn¡¯t it be better to keep it close to them? why even mention about hiding it secretly?


    jiang xia was momentarily stumped by old madam jiang¡¯s intention, but since jiang gu mentioned it, she kept it in mind. if she had the opportunity to visit the jiang family in the future, she could try to find out what it was.


    having said enough, jiang xia then took jiang gu and walked towards the river.


    since they saw old madam jiang, jiang xia wanted to see if she could find out about the whereabouts of her eldest sister.


    before the two even got close, old madam jiang, as if she had eyes in the back of her head, looked at them viciously, scaring jiang gu into taking a step back. jiang xia¡¯s impression of old madam jiang was still from the last time she and her eldest sister stole from their house. little did she expect that after being denounced once, old madam jiang¡¯s resentment towards them had deepened.


    ¡°grandma, long time no see. i¡¯d like to ask on behalf of my parents, how has my eldest sister been doing recently?¡±


    old madam jiang had been hearing a lot of gossip in the village recently.


    people in the village were either discussing how well the jiang family was doing, or saying that the jiang family had to sell their daughter because of her. they said that given their capabilities, they should have been able to find good marriages for their three children, without resorting to selling them.


    but old madam jiang didn¡¯t believe it. she knew jiang chuan and zhou lan very well. could those two timid spouses go to the city to earn money? she thought they were probably begging


    indeed. everyone said that the clothes jiang gu was wearing were given to them by the city people.


    thinking about this, old madam jiang looked at the girl and saw her clothes were indeed old. it seemed the jiang family was really begging for food in the city.


    she immediately felt a sense of disdain. even if they had better days, weren¡¯t they still so pitiful?


    ¡°how would i know about your elder sister? she was sold to another family, should i follow her there?¡± old madam jiang retorted before picking up the cleaned vegetables by her side and preparing to leave.


    jiang xia quickly stepped in front of old madam jiang to stop her, ¡°you should at least remember where she was sold to and to which family, right?¡±


    upon hearing this, old madam jiang glared at jiang xia coldly, ¡°why does a little brat like you need to know so much? get out of my way!¡±


    with that, old madam jiang shoved jiang xia to the side, not wanting to waste any more words with her


    if jiang xia hadn¡¯t pretended to be something she¡¯s not in front of everyone last time, she wouldn¡¯t have been publicly embarrassed.


    that embarrassment made it hard for her to show her face in the village for a while. even her daughters-in-law, who were once very respectful, would sometimes tease her, making her feel upset.


    ¡°sister!¡± jiang gu shouted when she saw what was happening.


    ¡°it¡¯s okay.¡± jiang xia almost fell when she was pushed, but she managed to stand firm because she had been taking care of her health recently.


    she didn¡¯t expect old madam jiang, despite her age, to still have such strength.


    looking at old madam jiang¡¯s healthy body and stubborn heart, jiang xia thought that without any leverage over old madam jiang, it might be hard to get any information from her.

 Chapter 174 - Chapter 174: Shen Mo Arrives

    chapter 174: shen mo arrives


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    after old madam jiang left, jiang xia brought jiang gu along to experience the joy of catching fish by the river.


    however, it was not hard to imagine that they could not catch anything in such dry weather. the two of them worked hard for half a day and only caught two small river fish. seeing that it was about time, jiang xia took out the fish from the interspace and went to the village chief¡¯s house with jiang gu. after that, they went home directly from the village chief¡¯s house.


    the two girls halted at the entrance, when they noticed their home¡¯s front door wide open. this was unusual. their house was always kept locked. why was it wide open today? could something have gone wrong at home?


    this notion sent waves of panic through jiang xia. the village was abuzz with rumors of their family engaging in illegal trade in the city. was it possible that someone was here to investigate?


    ¡°sister, did something happen at home?¡± jiang gu¡¯s voice quivered, clutching tightly at jiang xia¡¯s dress.


    seeing jiang gu trembling, jiang xia quickly pulled her into her arms and comforted her softly, ¡°don¡¯t be afraid. we didn¡¯t do anything bad. it must be an important guest.¡±


    the ones who came to cause trouble for their family were either jiang gui or sun li.


    however, the two of them did not have a good reputation in the village for a long time, so they did not dare to act so audaciously.


    could it be that they had found people from the town?


    as soon as she thought of this possibility, jiang xia immediately thought about how to deal with it.


    everyone in the village knew their family¡¯s first city trip was to scout opportunities through friends. but how to explain the second trip? saying they found nothing on their first trip was far-fetched. after all, the villagers noticed the marked improvement in their living conditions after their second visit to the county. that excuse wouldn¡¯t hold up.


    how could she find a flawless reason?


    however, jiang xia wasn¡¯t that worried. she had faith in her father, jiang chuan.


    after all, her father had navigated the business world for years. if he couldn¡¯t handle this, then all his years of experience would count for nothing.


    arriving home, jiang xia and jiang gu tried to appear somewhat disheveled.


    shen mo, who had been chatting with jiang chuan, looked up when the sisters returned. he greeted jiang xia with a warm smile, asking, ¡°did you go to the river? catch any fish?¡±


    so it was shen mo, not an investigator. she had scared herself for no reason.


    as jiang xia let out a sigh of relief, jiang gu whispered, ¡°it¡¯s that brother. he must be here to see you.¡±


    jiang gu remembered shen mo and how her sister¡¯s cheeks would flush at the sight of him. their mother had explained that this meant ¡®having a crush.¡¯


    although jiang gu spoke softly, jiang xia could feel that shen mo must have heard her. otherwise, why would he keep staring at her?


    feeling uncomfortable under shen mo¡¯s intense gaze, jiang xia diverted her eyes, stuttering, ¡°why¡­ why are you here all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°i happened to pass by, so 1 came to take a look.¡± shen mo replied, his smile easy and comforting.


    ¡°is that so? since you¡¯re already here, if you¡¯re not in a hurry, stay here for a meal. we¡¯re cooking braised fish at home.¡±


    assuming shen mo hadn¡¯t eaten yet, jiang xia instinctively invited him to stay.


    while grilled fish was her favorite, given their circumstances, braised fish wasn¡¯t a bad choice, especially with zhou lan¡¯s culinary skills.


    moreover, shen mo had assisted with their relief grain issue before. it was only fair to reciprocate when someone helped you, right?


    however, she still had to tell jiang chuan and zhou lan not to accept any money or grain tickets from shen mo. otherwise, they would never be able to repay their family¡¯s favor.


    while jiang xia was still thinking about how to tell his parents about this, shen mo spoke, ¡°sounds great. 1 heard that many villagers are bartering wild veggies picked from the mountains for food. they say your family discovered these wild veggies first. could you show me the area when you have time?¡±


    jiang xia knew there was more to shen mo¡¯s visit.


    he had spoken with jiang chuan for quite some time but hadn¡¯t let slip anything about anyone else. he was careful, indeed.

 Chapter 175 - Chapter 175: Shameless

    chapter 175: shameless


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    shen mo saw that jiang xia was quiet, and thought that she was unsure of his reason for being there. he quickly explained, ¡°the wild vegetables you gave me last time were tasty. even uncle wang agreed. i heard that your village is trading it for grain. i¡¯m worried the wild vegetables might run out, so i came to trade for more.¡±


    he then pulled out three grain tickets from his pocket, asking, ¡°is this enough?¡±


    jiang chuan¡¯s face changed when he heard this. he wondered why shen mo hadn¡¯t mentioned wanting wild vegetables before. now that his daughter was home, did he suddenly want the wild vegetables?


    jiang chuan liked shen mo. he was a hard worker, from a good family, and had even been a soldier. but, if shen mo was interested in his daughter, jiang chuan would have to rethink things.


    ¡°xiao xia, xiao gu, your mom isn¡¯t home today. so, if you want to have someone over for a meal, you¡¯ll need to help cook.¡±


    ¡°mom¡¯s not home? where is she?¡± jiang gu asked curiously.


    ¡°she¡¯s at the neighbor¡¯s house. she¡¯ll be back soon.¡± jiang chuan answered. ¡°the neighbor wanted to learn some craft skills from your mom. she¡¯s been there for a bit and should return soon.¡±


    jiang xia just nodded, staying quiet.


    seeing shen mo still waiting, jiang chuan looked at jiang xia again. from her father¡¯s look, she understood that he didn¡¯t want her to go out with shen mo.


    but jiang xia had different thoughts. shen mo was a wealthy and influential man who didn¡¯t worry about basic needs. their family praised the taste of the wild vegetables, so why not seize this opportunity to expand their vegetable sales?


    if the wild vegetables grew well, shen mo might even help them find more customers. taking him around wouldn¡¯t hurt, right?


    ¡°there might not be any wild vegetables left at the foot of the mountain. we haven¡¯t gone up the hill in a while, and others who go daily didn¡¯t find much. i can take you up to look, but finding anything is down to luck.¡± jiang xia finally said.


    after some thought, shen mo realized he may have overstepped.


    why had he suddenly invite a young girl to accompany him up the mountain?


    but since jiang xia had agreed, backing out now would make him seem scared.


    ¡°okay, let¡¯s go have a look,¡± shen mo agreed.


    ¡°if there are no vegetables on the mountain, come back quickly for dinner. don¡¯t waste time up there,¡± jiang chuan quickly advised.


    ¡°dad, don¡¯t worry. 1 know what i¡¯m doing,¡± jiang xia assured her father. she immediately understood what her father was implying.


    how could she possibly take action with shen mo around? what if he saw her as a monster?


    just before leaving, shen mo handed jiang chuan a stack of grain tickets, saying it was for the meal.


    jiang chuan accepted them, but when shen mo wasn¡¯t looking, he passed the tickets to jiang xia, telling her to return them to shen mo.


    jiang xia had been worrying about this, but it seemed her dad thought just like she did.


    without wasting any time, jiang xia and shen mo set off. they hardly said a word to each other during the trip.


    however, jiang xia was physically weaker. while shen mo, walking ahead of her, didn¡¯t break a sweat, she was nearly exhausted.


    seeing this, she gave up the idea of taking shen mo on a tour around the mountain. instead, she led him straight to the place where they usually found the wild vegetables.


    as expected, nothing was left.


    this could explain why jiang gui came to their house and said what he did.


    seeing this, shen mo didn¡¯t say anything. he just asked jiang xia to lead the way down the mountain.


    the journey down the mountain was no easier than the way up. however, thinking about the delicious braised fish that zhou lan had prepared, jiang xia didn¡¯t find the journey so difficult anymore.


    but as they approached the house, they could hear shouting coming from inside.


    jiang xia frowned, sensing that something was not right.


    moreover, she recognized the voice of the person shouting. it was old madam jiang, whom she had met earlier in the afternoon.


    judging by the number of people in their house, it wasn¡¯t just old madam jiang. her two daughters-in-law must have come too.


    she didn¡¯t know what old madam jiang had heard or whether she simply couldn¡¯t stand seeing their family living well, but she had somehow found her way to their house..

 Chapter 176 - Chapter 176: A Bunch of Bad People

    chapter 176: a bunch of bad people


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    old madam jiang didn¡¯t visit jiang chuan¡¯s family to discuss her eldest daughter¡¯s location. if she did, she wouldn¡¯t have brought her two daughters-in-law, who always argued.


    their loud arguments could be heard all the way outside the village.


    soon, many villagers were drawn by old madam jiang¡¯s yelling. they gathered around their house.


    back at home, old madam jiang kept thinking and grew more and more upset.


    moreover, she heard from the villagers that jiang chuan¡¯s family had renovated their house. after arriving home, she heard from jiang gui and his wife that the meals at jiang chuan¡¯s house were much better than most families.


    she might not believe others, but she trusted jiang gui right away. seeing that the two sisters had indeed put on some weight compared to before, she immediately brought her two daughters-in-law over.


    why do they get to eat so well while 1 can¡¯t even have enough food and good sleep at home?


    old madam jiang had only heard about jiang chuan building a house on the edge of the village, but hadn¡¯t seen it.


    on the day when jiang gui¡¯s wife came to steal, jiang chuan¡¯s house wasn¡¯t as tidy as it is now, and there was not much furniture. now, in such a short time, jiang chuan¡¯s family had a big table that seemed very expensive.


    when jiang gui¡¯s wife saw the table, she planned to find a reason to take it later.


    they were the older family. wasn¡¯t it right for the younger family to share some good things with them?


    the jiang hua¡¯s wife was even more greedy. she liked the design of jiang chuan¡¯s house and planned to kick them out again to take the house.


    soon, an argument started. especially old madam jiang, who believed that jiang chuan¡¯s things should be shared with her.


    at this time, the old master jiang didn¡¯t appear. jiang xia knew he silently approved of these women¡¯s actions.


    now, old madam jiang acted like she was being mistreated, saying that jiang chuan¡¯s family had forgotten about their mother since they got money. she complained that she had worked hard to raise the children, but was not being thanked for it.


    jiang hua¡¯s and jiang gui¡¯s wife joined in, saying how sad their mother-in-law was, unable to eat or dress well, and that jiang chuan, the youngest in the family, didn¡¯t care.


    this group was causing a commotion in the yard of jiang¡¯s house, crying and yelling. if you didn¡¯t know better, you¡¯d think someone in the house had passed away.


    zhou lan didn¡¯t let them in the house. she let them cry and argue in the yard, without looking at them.


    old madam jiang thought zhou lan was still the quiet and timid woman she used to be. she pointed at zhou lan and shouted at her rudely, becoming more aggressive with each insult.


    just when old madam jiang stopped shouting, jiang xia came in.


    usually, zhou lan would have already prepared to argue. but now, jiang xia saw her mother staying quiet, putting up with old madam jiang¡¯s mean words.


    jiang xia couldn¡¯t stand this. she walked up to old madam jiang and said, ¡°grandma, what¡¯s wrong with you? haven¡¯t we already split our houses? why are you here again?¡±


    seeing zhou lan staying silent, old madam jiang was enjoying shouting, sometimes looking at the watching villagers. she was worried she would become the talk of the town if she was the only one yelling. she was upset about not having someone to argue with when jiang xia arrived.


    she quickly switched her attention from jiang chuan and zhou lan to jiang xia, pointing at her and saying, ¡°everyone, look at how my granddaughter talks! this is my son¡¯s house, why can¡¯t i come? what does this child mean? doesn¡¯t she want to recognize me as her grandma anymore?¡±


    the usually bossy old madam jiang was talked back to by a child, which made her even more upset.


    ¡°this is too much! this child! and my son who doesn¡¯t discipline his child. 1 am so upset because of them! is there any fairness in this world?¡±


    from what she remembered, whenever jiang chuan¡¯s family did something that old madam jiang didn¡¯t like, she would act like this, accusing jiang chuan of being a bad son or finding some other reason. she would make a scene before calming down.


    seeing old madam jiang out of breath from anger, some villagers started to worry.


    they were worried that zhou lan and jiang xia might actually make old madam jiang ill from anger..

 Chapter 177 - Chapter 177: A Good Show

    chapter 177: a good show


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    the daughter-in-law of the sun family, mrs. sun, was among the people at the scene.


    she was jealous when she heard that the jiang family got rich in the city. she wanted to complain about them, but they always stayed in their house. she never got the chance.


    but now, she couldn¡¯t miss this interesting situation.


    ¡°wow, zhou lan always seemed so nice and kind. who knew she¡¯d act like this towards her own mother-in-law?¡± mrs. sun said, trying to stir things up. ¡°no surprise the old jiangs didn¡¯t give her any food when they split up.¡±


    seeing that old mrs. jiang was getting really mad, mrs. sun pushed further. ¡°and jiang chuan¡¯s daughter. she made her grandma upset before and now she¡¯s doing it again. if she¡¯s this strong-willed as a child, who will want to marry her when she¡¯s older?¡±


    some people who had received help from the jiang family couldn¡¯t stand mrs. sun¡¯s comments. they stood up for jiang xia. ¡°their daughter was so well-behaved. her grandmother was the one causing trouble. i think jiang xia is just pushed to her limits. she¡¯s not bad as you claim.¡±


    mrs. sun didn¡¯t like it when someone stood up for the jiang family. she turned around and saw it was the blind old lady, li xia. mrs. sun quickly retorted, ¡°how has old madam jiang been causing trouble for jiang xia? i remember her grandma was trying to find a good husband for jiang xia. isn¡¯t that good for her?¡±


    ¡°jiang xia is just a teenager, why are they rushing to find her a husband? they should be helping her older sister jiang hong. she¡¯s older than jiang xia. why aren¡¯t they worried about her?¡±


    li xia finished her words with a mocking laugh, ¡°i think old madam jiang¡¯s real intention might be to sell off jiang xia.¡±


    the whole village knew about old madam jiang wanting to sell jiang xia. who would believe that she was genuinely trying to find a good family for her?


    li xia might be blind, but she knew who was good and who was bad.


    mrs. sun couldn¡¯t respond to li xia¡¯s words. she focused on watching what old madam jiang would do next.


    it became quiet outside, but the situation was heating up in the yard.


    old madam jiang was was annoyed. zhou lan stopped talking, and jiang xia was just watching her like she was watching a monkey perform tricks.


    they didn¡¯t have much to do for fun since they came here, especially zhou lan who missed her favorite tv shows. she wouldn¡¯t miss this real-life family drama.


    seeing zhou lan ignoring her, old madam jiang turned to jiang gui¡¯s wife. the eldest daughter-in-law stepped forward as if they had planned it.


    she had noticed a big table in the middle of the room when she walked in. but zhou lan closed the door before she could take a closer look. but even with a quick glance, she knew the table was expensive.


    she looked around, trying to figure out how to get the table without anyone realizing.


    jiang xia thought her eldest aunt was always thinking of bad ideas.


    however, she was relieved that her mother wasn¡¯t being treated badly. as for zhou lan, she seemed not to care much and was just watching the drama. she probably didn¡¯t speak up because she had nothing else to do.


    but usually, jiang chuan would be with his mom in such situations. where was her dad today? and jiang gu wasn¡¯t there either.


    she guessed jiang chuan took jiang gu out to play. that was good, so jiang gu wouldn¡¯t get scared seeing this situation.


    finally, jiang gui¡¯s wife spoke, ¡°zhou lan, you¡¯re not new here anymore. don¡¯t you know what kind of person your mother-in-law is?¡±


    ¡°what kind of person is my grandma, why don¡¯t you tell us?¡± jiang xia couldn¡¯t stand her aunt¡¯s attitude. she wanted to see what her eldest aunt would say.


    jiang gui¡¯s wife was surprised. she expected zhou lan to answer, not jiang xia.. she quickly replied, ¡°i was talking to your mom, not you! don¡¯t you feel bad? you made your grandma so upset she almost fainted, and you¡¯re still here, not thinking about what you did but talking nonsense!¡±

 Chapter 178 - Chapter 178: Shameless

    chapter 178: shameless


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    according to grandma, i¡¯m old enough to be married. since i¡¯m of marriageable age, i count as an adult in this family and should have a say. why can¡¯t i speak up? besides, grandma hasn¡¯t even said anything yet. why is aunt stepping in to manage our family affairs?¡± jiang xia quoted her grandmother¡¯s words.


    needless to say, jiang gui¡¯s wife face turned very ugly.


    back when old madam jiang planned to sell jiang xia for food, her eldest aunt probably had a lot to do with it, often whispering in old madam¡¯s ear. likely, she played a big part in selling off her elder sister.


    in her childhood memories, her eldest aunt often made life difficult for jiang xia¡¯s family because zhou lan¡¯s children were prettier than hers.


    if jiang xia guessed correctly, the idea of selling her elder sister likely originated from her eldest aunt. otherwise, with old madam jiang¡¯s limited intelligence, how could she come up with such a plan?


    the most annoying part was that she could still act so innocent!


    ¡°you! you ungrateful child! can¡¯t you see you¡¯ve upset your grandma so much she¡¯s faint? i¡¯m your aunt. if your mother doesn¡¯t discipline you, shouldn¡¯t i step in? 1 was just trying to help, but you treat me like i¡¯m worthless!¡±


    jiang gui¡¯s wife sure knew how to seize opportunities to put on an act.


    but it was okay, as jiang xia didn¡¯t expect this shameless woman to reflect on her mistakes. if she actually did, that would be a shock.


    after a long talk, jiang hua¡¯s wife couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, ¡°enough, sister-in-law! why are you arguing so much with a child?¡±


    after speaking, jiang hua¡¯s wife secretly cursed her eldest sister-in-law for being a bully at home but acting like a soft-spoken woman here.


    she disliked such pretense; it made her feel sick!


    when jiang chuan¡¯s family moved out, she wanted to follow. once they left, their family became old madam jiang¡¯s puppets, and she even considered selling her daughter.


    after pleading and behaving, she managed to dissuade old madam jiang.


    looking at jiang chuan¡¯s house, she was extremely envious.


    if she moved out from the jiang family, given her and jiang hua¡¯s hard work, they could have a life like this after a few years.


    reminded by the second sister-in-law, jiang gui¡¯s wife finally realized and stop talking.


    right, why was she talking so much? could the quiet zhou lan understand all that she said?


    thinking this, jiang gui¡¯s wife quickly dropped her pitiful act and addressed zhou lan seriously, ¡°i won¡¯t beat around the bush then, zhou lan. i saw the new table you made, and you should give it to us.¡±


    ¡°no, sister-in-law¡­¡± jiang hua¡¯s wife couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. was she expecting them to be fools?


    before she could finish, old madam jiang cut her off, ¡°second¡¯s wife, shut up. let the your sister-in-law speak. she¡¯s speaking my mind.¡±


    when it was about important things, the old madam jiang seemed more alive and spoke louder.


    seeing old madam supporting her, the jiang gui¡¯s wife quickly continued, ¡°zhou lan, did you hear? mother spoke. not just the table, but also this house. the table is for me, and the house for mother. mother is old and deserves a good place to live comfortably.¡±


    jiang hua¡¯s wife was upset. she asked, ¡°sister-in-law, what about our house? why do you all get something, but we don¡¯t?¡±


    once she said it, she felt some regret. but when she thought about not getting any share, she felt upset. she had already said it, so let it be!


    she pointed to the door and said, ¡°this door looks new too. we should have it.¡±


    jiang xia finally understood. this shameless family wanted to take their house.


    they had tried to steal before and got caught. even after being scolded, they didn¡¯t stop. now, they weren¡¯t even trying to hide it.. they just wanted to snatch it all!

 Chapter 179 - Chapter 179: Ungrateful Actions

    chapter 179: ungrateful actions


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    ¡°i must say, what does the jiang family¡¯s house have to do with you?¡± li xia, the blind old woman from outside, couldn¡¯t bear it anymore.


    from their conversation, she realized old madam jiang and the brazen wife of jiang¡¯s eldest son were plotting to take over the house.


    when jiang gui¡¯s wife saw the blind old woman, she pointed at her and retorted, ¡°why does it concern you, blind woman? the jiangs have a tiny house of their own, so we, from the larger branch of the jiangs, should move in. isn¡¯t that alright? after all, we share the same surname, jiang.¡±


    ¡°what insolence! when the jiang family were up in the mountains gathering wild vegetables, you audaciously separate their home and didn¡¯t spare them even a grain of rice. now you pretend to be part of the same family?¡±


    li xia was never friendly with jiang gui¡¯s wife. she had a knack for standing up to her.


    li xia¡¯s statement made jiang xia and her mother want to celebrate, for someone finally stated the obvious.


    this sent jiang gui¡¯s wife into a fury. she stomped over to li xia, hands on her waist, yelling, ¡°why are you meddling? this is a family matter, why are you, an outsider, butting in? do you think you are the only one allowed to speak?¡±


    jiang xia recalled li xia from a memory of her older sister helping li xia¡¯s son.


    however, this was just a memory from her former self. since her arrival, she only witnessed a few arguments between li xia and jiang gui¡¯s wife, with little other interaction.


    noticing li xia¡¯s kindness as she stood up for them in front of many people, jiang xia sighed quietly. she didn¡¯t want li xia¡¯s help to go unappreciated.


    zhou lan agreed, so before jiang xia could speak, she addressed the jiang gui¡¯s wife, ¡°enough! when we left our family home, you didn¡¯t even leave us a single grain. we almost starved! now, whatever we possess is because of our hard work, gathering wild vegetables in the mountains. we live in this decent house thanks to the villagers¡¯ help. how dare you say such things?¡±


    ¡°exactly, we were nearly dead in the mountains, and nobody bothered to find us. it was the village chief who rallied the villagers to search for us. without him, we would not only be homeless but probably dead,¡± jiang xia added, reminding the villagers of the past actions of old madam jiang¡¯s family.


    ¡°slander! you¡¯re slandering us!¡± exclaimed old madam jiang, her face reddening with anger, barely able to form words.


    ¡°slander? how is it slander? didn¡¯t you pay for your theft?¡± zhou lan retorted, ¡°do you realize that your current actions are illegal and far more serious than stealing?¡±


    ¡°yes, call the village chief if you doubt it. let¡¯s see if he agrees with a family attempting to claim another¡¯s property after separation. will he side with you or us?¡±


    ¡°yes, this is robbery, and robbers used to be tied to trees and burned.¡± jiang xia warned.


    considering old madam jiang¡¯s excessive behavior, jiang xia felt no need to respect their dignity.


    ¡°see everyone, robbers still exist in our time! we were poor and robbed once. now it¡¯s happening again. how can we survive?¡± zhou lan¡¯s acting was convincing, tears streaming down her face. seeing old madam jiang¡¯s actions, anyone would empathize with the jiang family.


    when jiang xia walked in, shen mo stayed outside to avoid suspicion.


    luckily, she and her mother handled it well.


    hearing zhou lan¡¯s crying, shen mo decided it was time to step in.


    when jiang gui¡¯s wife and jiang hua¡¯s wife saw shen mo coming out, they immediately shut up.


    this young man was very attractive, tall, and had an impressive aura. he didn¡¯t seem like a villager at all.


    could it be that he was from the city?


    jiang gui¡¯s wife was thrilled. she had been anxious about finding a match for jiang hong, and here was a prospect!


    the jiang hua¡¯s wife also eyed shen mo. she had a daughter and wouldn¡¯t let jiang gui¡¯s wife family take all the luck..

 Chapter 180 - Chapter 18o: A Small Favour

    chapter 18o: a small favour


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    having been married to jianghua for a long time, jianghua¡¯s wife had picked up his refined manners. she approached shen mo and politely asked, ¡°young man, what is your name? i am the wife of the second son of the jiang family. my daughter has come of age, have you found a spouse yet?¡±


    shen mo ignored her and went to jiang xia, ¡°need help? i can make them leave, their actions are wrong.¡±


    jiang xia didn¡¯t want owe shen mo¡¯s a favor. people might talk behind their backs if she did.


    even if they wanted to punish these people, it should be the village chief¡¯s job. but if they asked the village chief for help all the time, it would look like their family was always having problems. this wasn¡¯t a big problem. they could solve it themselves.


    however, although jiang xia did not dare to let shen mo to make them leave, she did not mind asking him for a small favor.


    ¡°there is no need to make them leave, but i would like to know, how would the public security department normally deal with such robbers?¡± jiang xia asked shen mo, pretending to be indifferent.


    ¡°they would be arrested and put in jail. that would teach them a lesson,¡± shen mo answered, agreeing with jiang xia.


    jiang xia didn¡¯t want people to know who shen mo really was. so, she didn¡¯t ask what would happen to these robbers if they were in the army.


    if people in the village knew shen mo was a soldier and was connected to her family, they might ask for help or talk about them.


    ¡°why would they be arrested? why would they go to jail?¡± jiang gui¡¯s wife was the first to react. she looked scared as she tried to explain to shen mo, ¡°we just came to visit our daughter-in-law. how does that have anything to do with jail?¡±


    ¡°we¡¯re all family. why say such hurtful things?¡± jiang hua¡¯s wife also realized that things weren¡¯t going well and tried to explain.


    ¡°did you forget that we are not a family anymore? we live separately now. how are we suddenly a family again?¡± jiang xia said, coldly looking at jiang hua¡¯s wife. her words were sharp.


    ¡°what are you saying? even if we are not a family anymore, your grandmother is still here. shouldn¡¯t the young respect the elder?¡± jiang gui¡¯s wife tried to use this theory again.


    this was simply moral kidnapping!


    jiang gui¡¯s wife talked for a while and then asked shen mo without waiting for jiang xia¡¯s reply, ¡°young man, do you want a wife? my daughter is also old enough to marry. would you like to meet her?¡±


    jiang xia was just thinking about how to respond to jiang gui¡¯s wife¡¯s moral kidnapping, but she didn¡¯t expect that in such a short time, she had set her sights on shen mo. how could jiang xia tolerate this?


    ¡°you just said jiang hong doesn¡¯t need to worry about finding a husband. why are you suddenly trying to find her one?¡±


    ¡°listen¡­¡±


    ¡°let¡¯s be honest. it would be great if her daughter could find a husband. not worrying about getting married? now when she sees a young man, she wants him to marry jiang hong!¡±


    before jiang gui¡¯s wife could finish, li xia interrupted her.


    ¡°what are you saying, old woman?¡±


    ¡°she¡¯s not wrong about jiang hong¡¯s looks.¡±


    jiang xia¡¯s words made the villagers laugh.


    everyone in the village knew that jiang hong not only had a bad temper, but she was also ugly.


    shen mo didn¡¯t care about what others were saying. he was only looking at jiang xia.


    he was surprised that jiang xia could fight back so well.


    old madam jiang had been watching for a long time. seeing that shen mo was good-looking and acted well, she didn¡¯t want him to marry into another family!


    ¡°young man, what does your family do? my granddaughters might not be pretty, but they¡¯re nice and hardworking. if you marry them, they¡¯ll take care of everything for you!¡±


    ¡°mother, my jiang hong¡­¡± jiang gui¡¯s wife, afraid that shen mo would be taken away by jiang hua¡¯s wife, hurriedly called out to old madam jiang.


    ¡°i know, i have it in mind.¡± old madam jiang, seeing jiang gui¡¯s wife in such a hurry, pulled her behind her and whispered.


    but she didn¡¯t like the way the jiang gui¡¯s wife was acting..

 Chapter 181 - Chapter 181: Lot In Their Delusions

    chapter 181: lot in their delusions


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    it was obvious that this man was from a wealthy family. if he took a fancy to her granddaughter, he might be able to give her a lot of glorious gifts.


    ¡°young man, do you live in the city? what¡¯s your job? how much money do you make in a month?¡± after comforting her daughter-in-law, old madam jiang kept asking shen mo questions.


    shen mo was here for work, dressed in casual wear to avoid attracting attention.


    even his casual clothes were simple. except for his good looks, you couldn¡¯t tell much about him from his clothes.


    hearing old madam jiang¡¯s question, jiang xia laughed in her heart.


    did they seriously think their jiang family was such a wonderful place that whoever they fancied would be willing to become their son-in-law?


    shen mo didn¡¯t want to talk to them, yet the jiang family was still lost in their delusions.


    jiang xia was pondering the absurd situation. initially, the jiang family came to seize their house, but how did it turn into a matchmaking event?


    just as jiang xia was thinking about how to pin the crime on the jiang family, jiang chuan returned with jiang gu.


    seeing the crowd outside, jiang chuan knew something had happened at home.


    when he was figuring out a way to get in, he spotted xiao wu who had been watching for a while.


    he immediately pulled xiao wu aside to understand the situation. upon hearing that the jiang family wanted to seize the house, he was very angry. what did they think they were doing?


    when everyone saw jiang chuan, they stepped aside. even when ms. sun spotted him, she unconsciously moved away.


    at some point, jiang chuan had become someone not to mess with in the village.


    just as jiang chuan stepped in, he heard old madam jiang questioning shen mo. he was even more angry. ¡°mom, what are you saying? you know what the daughters of my elder brothers are like. how can you try to ruin this young man¡¯s life!¡±


    ¡°and my sisters-in-law, if there¡¯s nothing else, don¡¯t mess around here. go home, we don¡¯t welcome you!¡± jiang chuan wasn¡¯t the same old jiang chaun anymore. moreover, before he came in, xiao wu told him these two women were badmouthing his wife. how could he tolerate that?


    ¡°look, everyone, look at my disobedient son¡­¡±


    old madam jiang began to scream, but jiang chuan cut her off, ¡°again, mom? if you have nothing to do, can you stop causing trouble? can¡¯t you see you¡¯ve made a mess at home? go home if you¡¯re free!¡±


    ¡°wait, third brother in law , you¡­¡±


    ¡°do you leave or not? if not, don¡¯t blame me for being harsh!¡±


    jiang chuan had no patience left. these three women were giving him a headache.


    jiang gui¡¯s wife wasn¡¯t scared. she still thought jiang chuan was a coward. no matter how well he lived now, how much could he achieve?


    ¡°what¡¯s wrong? third brother in law, do you want to hit me?¡±


    jiang chuan sneered. he was looking for an excuse to drive them out, and this was a perfect opportunity.


    he didn¡¯t waste any time and turned to zhou lan. ¡°alright, xiao lan, it¡¯s not our fault this time. they refuse to leave, and we are only defending our home. everyone here is our witness.¡±


    zhou lan had been eager to take action. hearing jiang chuan¡¯s words, she picked up a tool and prepared to strike. jiang xia also got ready, she took a broom and followed zhou lan. even jiang gu took a stick, not showing she was scared.


    jiang hua¡¯s wife hadn¡¯t expected the seemingly honest and kind-hearted family to actually pick up weapons to hit people. she thought that jiang chuan was just being stubborn.


    because of her unexpectedness, zhou lan and the two daughters were confronting the two of them, beating and kicking them fiercely.


    it was only when the sounds of the beating reached the outside, everyone truly believed that the mother-daughter trio would indeed hit people, and their strength was not small.


    the mother and daughter trio didn¡¯t care how miserably they were crying out, their hands never stopped, no matter if you are their sisters-in-law, or aunts.


    however, old madam jiang and her group didn¡¯t dare to take action.


    the villagers still valued filial piety, otherwise old madam jiang wouldn¡¯t have threatened jiang chuan¡¯s family time and time again using this..

 Chapter 182 - Chapter 182: I’ll Pretend Too.

    chapter 182: i¡¯ll pretend too.


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    zhou lan was having a great time with the fight.


    she got rid of all her frustrations caused by jiang gui¡¯s wife since coming to the jiang family.


    jiang gui¡¯s wife and jiang hua¡¯s wife were getting hit and were running around in a panic.


    seeing her third daughter-in-law act so wildly, the old madam jiang mumbled, ¡°she¡¯s crazy, she¡¯s gone crazy,¡± as she tried to step in and help.


    jiang chuan, who was close by, saw what his mom wanted to do and quickly held her back. ¡°mom, you must be tired from standing. come, sit with me and rest.¡±


    ¡°no, they¡­¡±


    ¡°mom, relax. this is their issue. you can¡¯t fix it. people will talk if you try to help. let them sort it out.¡±


    jiang chuan didn¡¯t even let his mom speak and held her tight, scared that she might run towards the fight.


    at this moment, the blind woman li xia chimed in, ¡°oh, old madam jiang, you should listen to your third son. take a break. this fight is already a mess. your words won¡¯t change anything. brothers and sisters fight too, let alone sisters-in-law.¡±


    the old madam jiang ignored them and tried to move forward again, but jiang chuan stopped her, which made her angry.


    ¡°clear the way, clear the way!¡±


    someone ran to eldest jiang house and called for his daughter, jiang hong.


    jiang hong wasn¡¯t a fool, she quickly went home and called her dad and uncle jiang hua.


    when jiang gui heard that his wife had been beaten up, he immediately went to call the village chief to come with him.


    the crowd around the house moved aside for them.


    once zhou lan and her two daughters were almost done venting their anger. they stopped fighting and even threw the weapons they had picked up to the side.


    seeing their husbands, jiang gui¡¯s wife and jiang hua¡¯s wife felt brave again. they sat on the ground and started crying loudly, sounding like a pig being slaughtered.


    jiang gui, who had been insulted by jiang chuan¡¯s family, pointed at them and shouted, ¡°how can you just hit people? have we done something wrong to you? why are you always mean to us!¡±


    ¡°how can you say that? when did we start hitting people for no reason? do you even know what happened before you came? why don¡¯t you talk about your wife¡¯s plan to take my house and insult my wife?!¡±


    jiang chuan didn¡¯t let jiang gui talk nonsense. he had warned him during an earlier incident, but he still dared to come today.


    ¡°you¡­¡±


    jiang gui became quiet as he understood that arguing more would just prove he was wrong. instead, he turned to his wife, ¡°i¡¯ve told you so many times not to bother the third family. why didn¡¯t you listen?¡±


    his wife complained, ¡°you¡¯re still blaming me even after i¡¯ve been beaten.¡± she rolled up her sleeves to show her badly injured arms. ¡°see, 1 have never been hurt this much since i joined this family.¡±


    on her fair arm, there were shocking bloody marks, causing jiang gui to secretly curse when he saw the injuries.


    jiang gui couldn¡¯t stand up to jiang chuan or zhou lan, so he turned to jiang xia and jiang gu.


    looking at jiang xia and jiang gu, who were quietly standing there, jiang gui shouted angrily, ¡°look what you¡¯ve done to your aunt. jiang xia, you¡¯re not a kid anymore. don¡¯t you know you should respect older people and be kind to younger ones? didn¡¯t your parents teach you this?¡±


    jiang xia looked at her eldest aunt tearful face. she knew her aunt was pretending it. since she could pretend, jiang xia could too.


    since boss jiang¡¯s wife knew how to pretend, she would pretend too.


    jiang xia sobbed and said aggrievedly, ¡°uncle, what are you talking about? auntie scolds me every day, calling me a loss-maker, talking about selling me off. do you pretend not to hear all that? and my eldest sister, she¡¯s nowhere to be found now. are you acting as if you don¡¯t know about all these?¡±


    jiang gu immediately burst into tears at the mention of eldest sister. she looked as pitiful as she could be.


    jiang fu and the village chief watched everything from far away. the village chief was talking about what happened with xiao wu. when he found out that jiang gui¡¯s wife and jiang hua¡¯s wife got beaten for trying to take the house, he felt relieved.


    these people had invaded their property. if jiang chuan¡¯s family hadn¡¯t fought back, the village chief would have been worried that jiang chuan had gone back to being a coward..

 Chapter 183 - Chapter 183: Talking About What’s Fair

    chapter 183: talking about what¡¯s fair


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    ¡°after jiang chuan left the family, you gave him nothing, not even a place to live. the place where they live now was my old house, which was built by the villagers. people might gossip about it if they hear about what you did.¡±


    jiang fu knew this would make him look bad if people found out. he was surprised when jiang chuan¡¯s family fought back.


    he knew that his wife went to jiang chuan¡¯s house. he thought about how the village chief had not come out to talk about the rumors in the village these past few days, and he rarely cared about the village¡¯s affairs. so he did not stop her. anyway, a good scolding could serve as a lesson to jiang chuan¡¯s family, reminding them that their parents were still alive and they shouldn¡¯t hide anything good they find and keep for themselves.


    of course, jiang fu didn¡¯t dare to voice these thoughts and agreed on the surface. he turned to the old madam jiang and blamed her, ¡°didn¡¯t 1 tell you not to visit jiang chuan¡¯s home? it¡¯s hard for them. we are old now and shouldn¡¯t make things difficult for them. we should endure it for the rest of our lives. the children still have a long way to go. how foolish!¡±


    after speaking, fearing the village chief might not believe him, he pointed at his daughters-in-law and said, ¡°you two, why didn¡¯t you take care of your mother-in-law? why follow her to cause trouble? if your mother gets injured because of the fight, what will you do?!¡±


    jiang fu put all the blame onto old-madam-jiang and the two daughters-in-law. he made himself look innocent.


    given all that had been said, the village chief could no longer pursue the matter further, otherwise, it would seem like he was trying to instigate conflict.


    these family matters were not his to interfere in. it would only create a rift among the family and put him in an unfavorable position.


    as soon as jiang fu said that, the daughters-in-law didn¡¯t dare to say anything and got up from the ground, muttering words of dissatisfaction and went home.


    the old madam was also helped home by jiang gui and jiang hua.


    jiang chuan didn¡¯t even bid them farewell.


    the incident seemed to come to an end.


    when the main people involved left, there was no more drama to watch, so everyone else went home.


    they didn¡¯t worry about future village gossip. today, they had shown everyone how strong their family was.


    even sun li¡¯s wife, who wanted to join in the chaos, had run away. she was afraid that zhou lan would hear her and she would get into trouble.


    when most people had left, jiang xia noticed blind old madam li xia still standing outside the house.


    jiang xia remembered that li xia had defended her earlier. she thanked li xia and gave her a fish they had caught earlier at the river, ¡°auntie, jiang gu and i caught this fish today. even though it¡¯s not big, please accept it.¡±


    ¡°but, that¡¯s not right, child. it¡¯s not right to accept a reward without doing anything.¡±


    although li xia couldn¡¯t see, she genuinely liked this child¡¯s behavior.


    understanding, polite, and grateful.


    ¡°you helped my family a lot today, auntie, don¡¯t be polite with me. take this fish, and if you need anything in the future, just let us know, we will help as much as we can.¡±


    ¡°you are such a nice child, i¡¯ll take the fish.¡±


    ¡°alright, auntie, be careful on the uneven road.¡±


    li xia was happy to take the fish home. she didn¡¯t expect that she would receive a fish for just speaking a few words for the child. this fish would make a delicious soup with tofu.


    jiang xia watched li xia leave before going back into the house.


    shen mo was there. since the village chief came, jiang chuan decided to have a good meal with him.


    the village head explained why he only came now.


    he was truly exhausted these past few days. he was constantly worrying about food aid and wild vegetables. but people couldn¡¯t wait and kept asking him questions. he was tired of answering.


    until the problem was solved, he couldn¡¯t rest. so, he decided to ignore it.


    who would bother him every day if he ignored it?


    when he ignored the problem, the village chief did have two days of peace. however, only after two days, jiang gui and jiang hua rushed to his house, saying that their wives were beaten by jiang chuan¡¯s family..

 Chapter 184 - Chapter 184: A Good Meal And Drink

    chapter 184: a good meal and drink


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    originally, the village chief was worried that jiang chuan¡¯s family would be at a disadvantage. after arriving at the scene and understanding the situation, the village chief¡¯s hanging heart finally fell, so naturally, he didn¡¯t support jiang chuan¡¯s family too much.


    of course, on the one hand, it was also to avoid suspicion. if jiang chuan¡¯s family and he had a deep private relationship, it would probably stir up rumors in the village again.


    jiang chuan¡¯s family are all wise people. even if the village chief doesn¡¯t explain, they don¡¯t blame the village chief.


    after being disturbed by old madam jiang and her daughter-in-law for so long, the whole family had forgotten to eat.


    now that they were free, they only thought of this matter.


    fortunately, zhou lan¡¯s braised fish had already been cooked and was still warm in the pot, so she didn¡¯t need to spend too much time cooking it on the spot.


    silence had to go back after a while, so the family didn¡¯t drink alcohol and replaced it with tea.


    ¡°alright, let¡¯s keep it simple today. it¡¯s embarrassing that you had to see this today. when i have time, 1 will invite you to have a good drink.¡± jiang chuan raised his teacup to shen mo.


    shen mo also raised his teacup with a smile, ¡°okay, i¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    the village chief always felt something was wrong with shen mo.


    shen mo, at the very least, is a young master who holds an important position in the military. why does he love to run to jiang chuan¡¯s house?


    although jiang chuan¡¯s family saved shen mo¡¯s life, the relationship between shen mo and jiang chuan¡¯s family is too intimate, isn¡¯t it?


    based on his years of experience, the village chief felt that the relationship between shen mo and jiang chuan¡¯s family was definitely not simple.


    although there was no alcohol, zhou lan¡¯s cooking was well-known. a braised fish, paired with some stir-fried wild vegetables, was quite delicious.


    the village chief had just received a fish from jiang xia that morning, and now he was having a meal at her house. he thought to himself that he should pay more attention to jiang chuan¡¯s family in the future.


    he couldn¡¯t let them suffer losses. even if he couldn¡¯t help them, his presence showed his stance.


    after having a good meal and drink, shen mo had to leave. he had spent quite some time here.


    he initially came just to take a look, but unexpectedly, he saw that jiang xia¡¯s family had a problem.


    somehow, shen mo involuntarily stayed, thinking that if they needed help, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to provide it.


    the most surprising thing was seeing jiang xia this time.


    it was only a short time since they last met, and jiang xia was looking more radiant. her big eyes were sparkling when she looked at him, her face was rounder, and sometimes she blushed, which made him feel itchy inside.


    when he was leaving, zhou lan politely gave shen mo a jar of pickled wild vegetables. this was newly pickled by zhou lan¡¯s family. the village didn¡¯t have much to offer; they didn¡¯t even have wild vegetables to dig up, so they could only give him this inexpensive item for him to try.


    shen mo couldn¡¯t refuse their kindness, so he took the jar of wild vegetables and left.


    after jiang chuan sent shen mo away, the village chief said goodbye to them.


    unfortunately, they had just finished their jar of pickled vegetables at home, or else they would have given some to the village chief to take home.


    on his way home, the village chief was still thinking about jiang chuan¡¯s family.


    he didn¡¯t expect jiang chuan to have changed so much after a trip to the city. not only did they get new furniture at home, but their food had also improved. even their pickles had sesame oil in them, which was a luxury.


    he was right, helping jiang chuan¡¯s family back then was one of his best decisions.


    after sending shen mo and the village chief away, the family started to clean up the dinner table. they were busy for a while before they could finally sit down and rest.


    when they were talking about the matter of the old madam jiang, jiang xia suddenly remembered that she had met the old madam jiang by the river today, so she told jiang chuan and zhou lan everything that had happened in the morning.


    ¡°did she say anything else?¡± jiang chuan asked, looking unhappy.


    old madam jiang really has a heart of stone.


    ¡°no, she said i should mind my own business.¡± jiang xia despised old madam jiang, especially after she came in and scolded zhou lan today, which made her feel sick.


    ¡°well, now that our family is a little richer, and our house can shelter us from wind and rain, we can¡¯t let our eldest daughter continue to suffer outside, right? if worst comes to worst, we¡¯ll give them the money we have. we can always earn the money back.¡± zhou lan also couldn¡¯t help but speak.


    though she never met jiang qing, she remembered her older sister from her past life. she knew a mother¡¯s longing for her children, so finding jiang qing was also important to her..

 Chapter 185 - Chapter 185: Taking Action Right Away

    chapter 185: taking action right away


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang xia and zhou lan shared the same thought.


    sooner or later, they would have to have a face-off with the old madam from the jiang family, so why not use some money to buy some peace of mind early?


    she had also begun early preparations to welcome her eldest sister back home. strawberries and watermelons from the garden, leftover fabric from home, and some meat were all set aside for her elder sister to enjoy upon her return.


    despite lengthy discussions, they still couldn¡¯t find the best solution to their problem.


    life had to continue even though the problem remained unsolved. jiang chuan and zhou lan decided to work on the farm again. they wanted to plant the seeds that jiang xia had given them a few days ago.


    jiang gu wanted to help her parents on the farm. but jiang xia pulled her aside, persuading her, ¡°xiao gu, can you stay home with your sister? i¡¯m worried that aunt might come again.¡±


    hearing this, jiang gu nodded without hesitation, ¡°okay, then i won¡¯t go to the farm with mom and dad.¡±


    jiang chuan and zhou lan were relieved to leave things in jiang xia¡¯s hands, trusting that their daughter would be able to handle it, even if the old madam jiang decided to show up again.


    as soon as their parents left, jiang xia quickly brought jiang gu inside and asked her, ¡°xiao gu, do you remember where grandpa and grandma usually hide their cloth bag? can you tell me?¡±


    jiang gu, with no suspicion about his sister¡¯s intention, explained it in detail. she even analyzed with her sister where the old madam jiang would most likely hide the bag, given her character.


    during their conversation, jiang gu got a feeling of being a great outlaw, and she was even thinking about taking action right away.


    ¡°xiao gu, don¡¯t be impulsive. let¡¯s wait a few days until the current issues is over. the village is busy with the autumn harvest. we¡¯ll go when grandma and grandpa¡¯s house is the busiest. jiang hong will surely have to go to town for school. you just keep an eye out for me. if someone comes, throw a rock at the rooftop.¡±


    ¡°sis, i¡¯m short, i might not be able to hit it. how about i mimic a bird¡¯s call? it¡¯s the season when many birds are around. we see lots of birds in the village every day.¡±


    as soon as jiang gu said that, jiang xia couldn¡¯t help but pat his sister¡¯s head. as expected, the daughters of the jiang family were not to be trifled with.


    planning to search old madam jiang¡¯s room, jiang xia kept the plan to herself, of course not intending to involve jiang gu.


    while jiang gu¡¯s heart was in the right place, jiang xia feared that in a moment of panic, she might leave her behind, and who knows what chaos the old madam jiang might stir up then.


    if only her interspace ability could function as it did when they encountered the pack of wolves on the mountain, she could take jiang gu into the interspace with her.


    jiang xia decided not to tell zhou lan or jiang chuan about her plan, to avoid causing them worry.


    after much thought, jiang xia still felt that he should act alone.


    at night, jiang xia quietly got up and went out after everyone at home had fallen asleep.


    without a moment¡¯s hesitation, she headed straight for her grandparents¡¯ house.


    there were no dogs in the village now, mainly because people couldn¡¯t even afford to eat, let alone keep a pet.


    thus, jiang xia reached the jiang family¡¯s house without any obstruction.


    under the pressure of time, she paid no heed to the condition of the courtyard and directly went to the room where old madam jiang slept.


    it was almost the autumn harvest, but the weather was still a little hot. old madam jiang had left her window open, which was convenient for jiang xia, who had been wondering how to get into the house quietly.


    she deftly climbed into the room.


    perhaps it was because she didn¡¯t win the arguement in the afternoon, old madam jiang was still cursing and swearing as she fell asleep.


    jiang xia was shocked and quickly hid in her interspace.


    after waiting for a while, jiang xia came out of the interspace when she heard old madam jiang¡¯s snoring.


    the room wasn¡¯t large, and there were only a few places to hide things.


    after inspecting the room, her attention finally fell on the bed where old madam jiang was sleeping.


    she leaned down to knock under the bed and indeed found something unusual.


    there was an empty space by the side of the bed. if it weren¡¯t for old madam jiang still sleeping on it, jiang xia would surely have been able to find it.


    in a moment of desperation, jiang xia muttered to herself a few times in her heart, and to her surprise, she heard a few unusual sounds from her interspace.


    now, jiang xia was completely certain that old madam jiang¡¯s had hidden something was under the bed.


    ¡°who¡¯s there?¡±

 Chapter 186 - Chapter 186: Unforeseen Rewards

    chapter 186: unforeseen rewards


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang xia¡¯s movements were probably too big and woke old madam jiang up. jiang xia retreat hastily back into the interspace again.


    old madam jiang got up in a daze but realized that there was no one in the room.


    ¡°aiya, are you old and muddle-headed? who else can it be at this late hour? hurry up and sleep, you have to work tomorrow!¡± old master jiang was particularly unhappy that his beautiful dream was interrupted. he said to old madam jiang in a bad mood.


    old madam jiang was still worried. she stretched her neck and patrolled around the house before going back to sleep.


    jiang xia didn¡¯t dare to come out casually again. she waited for a good twenty minutes until she was sure that madam jiang was sound asleep before she left the interspace.


    learning from her close call, jiang xia decided not to linger. after exiting the interspace, she promptly made her exit from the old jiang house.


    she didn¡¯t expect that not only did she find the item tonight, but she also had an unforeseen rewards.


    this interspace seemed to react to her thoughts. could it be possible to transport her entire family into it? she had done it once before, but were there specific conditions that needed to be met?


    many questions flashed through jiang xia¡¯s mind.


    however, she realized that there seemed to be a plethora of unexplored potential within her interspace.


    as she pondered joyfully, jiangxia planned to sneak back into her room, only to be caught off guard by her father¡¯s voice echoing from above, ¡°xiao xia, where have you been?¡±


    ¡°where on earth did you go? your father and i were so worried!¡± zhou lan lowered her voice and said to jiang xia.


    ¡°dad, mom, you almost scared me to death.¡± jiang xia held her chest and said in a face full or horror.


    then, jiang xia walked up to jiang chuan and zhou lan with a mysterious expression. ¡°come, dad, mom, i have something extraordinary to show you.¡±


    since she was already awake, and this item was something she had acquired after considerable difficulty, it made sense to examine it now with her parents to understand what it truly was.


    zhou lan was the first to notice jiang xia¡¯s absence.


    originally, she had just woken up at night. when she happened to go out, she wanted to see if her daughter had covered herself with the blanket.


    although the weather was still hot, it was still cold at night. it was easy to catch a cold without a good blanket.


    to her surprise, upon entering the room, she saw jiang gu sleeping soundly. when she checked for jiang xia, the room was empty.


    zhou lan panicked and quickly went into the house to wake jiang chuan up.


    afraid that they would wake up the villagers, the husband and wife waited in the courtyard.


    with jiang gu still asleep, jiang xia led zhou lan and jiang chuan into their room.


    upon entering, zhou lan promptly lit the kerosene lamp, providing jiang xia with enough light to bring out the item she found in old madam jiang¡¯s house.


    ¡°what is this?¡± jiang chuan asked with a frown.


    ¡°i took these from grandpa and grandma¡¯s house. jiang gu told me today that grandpa and grandma hid these two things and never let anyone see them. i thought that there might be some secret, so i went to get them.¡±


    initially, she assumed it was merely a small cloth bag. however, now this bag appeared more like a protective sheath. a slight touch revealed what seemed like a box within.


    ¡°i thought this cloth bag was only the size of a palm. 1 didn¡¯t expect it to be so big. there¡¯s also a box. could there be some unknown family secrets hidden in this box?¡± jiang xia asked his father curiously as she looked at him.


    since he had gotten it back, it was useless for jiang chuan to beat jiang xia up.


    might as well see what was hidden inside.


    with some struggle, they managed to remove the cloth bag, revealing a box roughly three feet long.


    there was an old lock on the box. upon seeing this, jiang chuan fetched some tools from his belongings.


    it was obvious that the lock had been rusty since it had not been opened for a long time. jiang chuan managed to opened it without much effort.


    the three of them didn¡¯t expect the box to contain a trove of jewelry.


    ¡°goodness! xiao xia, look at this! a pearl necklace, jade bracelets, and even gold bars!¡± zhou lan¡¯s eyes nearly popped out in amazement.


    this small box of jewelry was worth a lot of money, especially in this era.


    ¡°shh, mother, xiao gu is still sleeping.¡± jiang xia quickly pulled zhou lan back to stop her from screaming.


    the houses were all made of wood and lacked proper soundproof. waking jiang gu was one thing, but if the neighbors heard them, they would be in real trouble.


    ¡°alright, alright, 1¡¯11 quiet down,¡± zhou lan quickly lowered her voice.


    then, the family shifted their gaze to the box of jewelry.


    jiang xia rubbed her chin and looked confused..¡± dad, do grandpa and grandma seem like the kind of people who could possess such jewelry?¡±

 Chapter 187 - Chapter 187: The Secret of Jiang Chuan Birth

    chapter 187: the secret of jiang chuan birth


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    according to jiang chuan¡¯s original memories, the answer is certainly negative. why else would old madam jiang order their family to work every day?


    upon hearing this, jiang chuan frowned and scrutinized the items in the box.


    this old madam jiang and old master jiang actually held such a secret.


    ¡°there should be more gold bars than this, right? it seems like one has been used.¡± zhou lan looked at the jewelry and gold bars in the box and said.


    ¡°it must have been used by our grandparents, but what could possibly necessitate the use of a whole gold bar in our family?¡±


    in jiang xia¡¯s memory, even when they were about to sell jiang qing, she didn¡¯t see the old couple in the jiang family using this gold bar.


    moreover, this original body was only in her teens. could it be that it was even earlier?


    ¡°it seems like it was about ten years ago.¡± jiang chuan stroked his chin and replied.


    however, now his mind seems to have lost the impression of the use of the gold bar.


    ¡°this grandpa and grandma are really something. they have so much gold, silver, and treasure on them, but they still rely on our family to work. after selling eldest sister, they still want to sell me too!¡± jiang xia became even angrier when she saw this.


    logically speaking, in this era, one could not be considered poor to have such jewelry, but why did the two elders of the jiang family have to resort to selling their granddaughters to survive?


    ¡°could it be that your father isn¡¯t your biological father?¡± zhou lan widened her eyes and pointed at jiang chuan.


    with that said, they remembered some of the gossip in the village before.


    now it seems that maybe these are not rumors at all?


    ¡°perhaps, considering the attitude of grandpa and grandma towards dad, could it be that dad is no only not biologically related, but there was a conflict between grandpa and grandma and dad¡¯s biological mother?¡± jiang xia made a guess based on old madam jiang¡¯s attitude.


    jiang chuan, who was sitting aside, was spinning his mind rapidly.


    the original body¡¯s memories gradually emerged in his mind, recalling some small things, there were indeed such traces.


    jiang chuan sorted out this information in his mind, and now he can definitively say that the original jiang chuan is indeed not the biological child of old madam jiang.


    ¡°i can only vaguely feel it, but there¡¯s no solid evidence. moreover, after so many years, 1 can¡¯t remember what happened before.¡±


    it seems that to clarify this matter, it still requires more time and energy.


    however, since he now knows the secret of the original jiang chuan¡¯s birth, he will definitely figure out what happened.


    he borrowed someone else¡¯s body and should live well for that person.


    after being disliked by old madam jiang for so many years, now he finally found the reason behind it. eventually, he needs to figure out why the old madam chose to adopt him but did not treat him well, he can¡¯t just let it pass in a muddle.


    at that moment, a wave of sadness welled up in jiang chuan¡¯s heart. he also felt the same feeling of being scolded by old madam jiang.


    ¡°there were at least ten gold bars in this box before.¡± zhou lan said after counting these gold and silver treasures.


    jiang chuan reined in the emotions that had suddenly emerged, feeling somewhat sorry for the original body.


    the original body was not a useless person, but he was suppressed by old madam jiang for so many years, even if he was capable, he would always doubt himself.


    under such self-doubt day and night, jiang chuan turned himself into an ordinary farmer.


    alas, he could not escape the influence of his environment after all.


    while jiang xia was still searching in that bag for something that could prove her father¡¯s identity, zhou lan was busily counting the gold bars and jewels.


    the mother and daughter duo had been busy for a while.


    jiang xia was sweating profusely, her face disappointed, while zhou lan was also sweating, but her face was filled with joy.


    anyone who got so many good things would be so happy that they couldn¡¯t sleep at night.


    ¡°mother, did you see anything special when you were counting these jewels?¡± jiang xia asked zhou lan helplessly.


    ¡°let me see.¡± zhou lan turned over the pile of jewelry again and said, ¡°ah, here it is, it¡¯s wrapped in a layer of red cloth, i haven¡¯t opened it to see what it is.¡±


    jiang xia and jiang chuan¡¯s eyes lit up, and they quickly took the item and examined it carefully.


    ¡°it¡¯s a pocket watch!¡± jiang xia exclaimed in surprise.


    she had only seen such a thing on tv and had never seen it in real life.


    but when jiang chuan held this pocket watch, his hands started to tremble.


    when he opened the pocket watch¡¯s cover, a black and white photo that was only an inch long jumped into sight.


    in the photo was a young woman of excellent temperament, clearly a lady from a rich family, not the kind of cunning that old madam jiang could exude.


    jiang xia stared at the photo over and over again, feeling as if she had seen it somewhere. it seemed familiar..

 Chapter 188 - Chapter 188: Having A Younger Brother

    chapter 188: having a younger brother


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    ¡°this photo¡­ doesn¡¯t it look a bit like your eldest sister?¡± zhou lan noticed something unusual about the picture.


    upon hearing zhou lan¡¯s words, jiang xia also agreed.


    in jiang xia¡¯s memory, jiang qing was a gentle girl, who gave the impression of positively facing her present life, even though she had gone through hardships.


    the woman in this photo gave off the same vibe.


    jiang xia even vaguely felt that the woman in the photo might be their biological grandmother, jiang chuan¡¯s real mother.


    since seeing this photo, jiang chuan hadn¡¯t said a word. he felt an inexplicable connection with the woman in the photo.


    ¡°considering our previous guess, could the woman in this photo be our father¡¯s real mother? she also bears a striking resemblance to eldest sister.¡± jiang xia couldn¡¯t hold back her suspicions.


    hearing this, zhou lan nodded in agreement.


    jiang chuan had always been handsome, which was fifty percent of the reason zhou lan was attracted to him.


    even though the present jiang chuan wasn¡¯t as tall and handsome as before, if their life improved and his health recovered, he could still become a good-looking middle-aged man.


    in zhou lan¡¯s memory, people often said jiang qing and jiang xia looked like jiang chuan, and jiang gu looked like her.


    ¡°dear, if this woman really is your mother, we should try to find out more when we have time. maybe we¡¯ll find more clues.¡± zhou lan said, looking at jiang chuan.


    she was surprised to see jiang chuan, who had always been steady and calm, had tears in his eyes and look of deep sorrow.


    ¡°what¡¯s wrong? did you feel something when you saw this photo?¡± zhou lan asked, treading carefully seeing her husband¡¯s unusual reaction.


    jiang chuan sniffled, his voice filled with helplessness, ¡°i just felt really sad when i saw this photo for the first time. this feeling has been overwhelming me. and¡­ 1 also feel a bit heartbroken.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. old madam jiang is still alive. if the person in this photo is really your biological mother, then old madam jiang must know some clues. don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll find her slowly.¡±


    hearing her mother¡¯s words, jiang xia felt like it was like a knife to her father¡¯s heart.


    if old madam jiang was willing to speak, would her family have ended up in such a miserable state?


    jiang xia changed the topic, pulling zhou lan¡¯s arm, ¡°mother, look, with this big box of things, we won¡¯t have to worry about our life anymore.¡±


    zhou lan was a broad-minded person, and her attention was once again drawn to the box of jewels and gold. ¡°that¡¯s right. with this box of jewelry and gold bars, do we still have to be afraid that old madam jiang won¡¯t tell us about your sister¡¯s whereabouts? we can afford whatever she asks for now.¡±


    ¡°yes, but mother, now we have this box of gold, we don¡¯t have to worry about money anymore. we have time too, have you ever thought about having a younger brother for jiang gu and me in this era?¡±


    this memory belonged to the original jiang xia.


    in the memories of the original jiang xia, her mother had always been scolded by old madam jiang because she did not give birth to a boy. they were poor back then, and jiang xia wanted to speak up but was afraid of the elder¡¯s authority, so she never dared to discuss it with her mother.


    even if she did, it would be pointless. even if they had a younger brother, could they afford to raise him?


    therefore, when this memory came to jiang xia¡¯s mind, she subconsciously voiced out her thoughts.


    ¡°you silly girl, how can i have a baby at this age? besides, 1 already have you, jiang gu, and your elder sister. isn¡¯t that enough for me? isn¡¯t it, my dear?¡±


    zhou lan had always wanted a son, but it was a matter of destiny. even with the desire and the current conditions, considering her age and physical state, she was unable to do it.


    however, even if she was not destined to have a son in this life, zhou lan actually didn¡¯t think much of it now.


    jiang xia was so smart, jiang gu was so considerate, and jiang qing had always been sensible. all three children had never given her much worry. what else could she ask for?


    upon mentioning this, jiang chuan recovered from his sadness and uncomfortably said, ¡°cough, cough¡­ this isn¡¯t something we can have just because we want it. it¡¯s late now. let¡¯s put away these things first. we can talk about other matters later..

 Chapter 189 - Chapter 189: Fully Adapted

    chapter 189: fully adapted


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    ¡°yes, your father is right. look at the time now. hurry up and tidy up, it¡¯s time for bed.¡±


    the family naturally used the terms of address common to this era.


    it could be said that they had fully adapted to life here.


    regardless of their current identities or the era they lived in.


    especially zhou lan, who had completely taken on the identity of the original zhou lan. she couldn¡¯t help but feel pity for jiang chuan. she felt that jiang chuan in this era was really pitiful.


    he had been adopted by old madam jiang, but he had been suppressed since he was young. even when he grew up, his family sucked his blood like vampires and even wanted to eat his flesh. now that they finally knew his identity, they had no clue about his biological mother.


    zhou lan¡¯s heart ached when she saw jiang chuan¡¯s expression.


    while tidying up these things, jiang xia also had a series of questions flashing through her mind.


    since her father was not old madam jiang¡¯s biological son, and her father¡¯s biological mother might have had a conflict with old madam jiang, why did old madam jiang raise jiang chuan?


    if it was for the box of jewels, she could have taken it all for herself and thrown jiang chaun to someone else or abandoned him directly. why did she keep jiang chuan by her side?


    was she just waiting for jiang chuan to grow up so that his family could make money for her?


    this was far from reasonable.


    jiang chuan was also thinking about these questions.


    for a moment, the family of three was heavily burdened by the matter of the box.


    ¡°dad, mom, sister, what are you doing?¡±


    suddenly, jiang gu¡¯s voice came from outside the house.


    the three of them were shocked and quickly opened the door to pull jiang gu inisde.


    ¡°xiao gu, why are you awake?¡±


    ¡°sister, i woke up and didn¡¯t see you, so i came to find you. sister, where did you go?¡± jiang gu asked, hugging jiang xia¡¯s thigh in a daze.


    seeing this, zhou lan stepped forward to hold jiang gu in her arms and explained to her, ¡°your sister had a nightmare and came to find your dad and mom. xiao gu, go to sleep, we are all here.¡±


    when jiang gu lay on zhou lan¡¯s shoulder, she felt somewhat reassured and whispered in zhou lan¡¯s ear, ¡°did sister also dream that eldest sister is not living well and that¡¯s why she woke up? mom, when can we see our eldest sister?¡±


    although this was whispered in zhou lan¡¯s ear, both jiang xia and jiang chuan heard it.


    sigh, when to bring jiang qing back home has become a worry for the family.


    ¡°yes, your dad was just discussing it with us. in a few days, we¡¯ll go to the village chief¡¯s house for a certificate. when there¡¯s no work in the fields, we¡¯ll see if we can find your eldest sister.¡±


    zhou lan didn¡¯t just make this up, while waiting for jiang xia, the two couple were discussing this.


    but now, every time they leave the house, they need a certificate. otherwise, they can¡¯t even get out of the village, let alone go to the city.


    moreover, these certificates aren¡¯t issued casually. once the certificate is issued, the village chief has to take responsibility. if anything happens to them in the city, the first person to look for would be the village chief.


    in addition, the villagers kept saying that their family was doing business in the county town. they had food and drink after going there twice. many people in the village were jealous and wanted to follow them into the city.


    a notice was recently issued stating that unless it¡¯s necessary, no certificates should be issued casually. so when it came to this, jiang chuan only mentioned it briefly. as for whether it could be done, it would depend on whether he could get the certificate.


    upon hearing zhou lan¡¯s words, xiao gu relaxed and fell asleep leaning her head.


    looking at jiang gu lying peacefully on zhou lan, jiang xia felt that it wasn¡¯t so bad to transmigrate to this world.


    she had family members whom she hadn¡¯t seen but thought about all the time, and a cute and well-behaved little sister, which fulfilled her previous wish to have a sister.


    now she has both an elder and younger sister, which is simply too perfect.


    the next day, the family woke up according to their usual routine.


    now, they could be said to have completely integrated into the life here.


    they work at sunrise and rest at sunset, which is very healthy.


    in the morning, jiang chuan went to the village chief to inquire about the certificate. since the work in the fields was almost done, zhou lan thought of disassembling some old clothes at home.


    jiang gu was called away early in the morning by her friends in the village to play. jiang xia, not wanting to play with a group of children, stayed at home to help zhou lan.


    ¡°mom, haven¡¯t we already put on new clothes? why are we taking apart these old ones?¡± while arranging the disassembled clothes, jiang xia asked zhou lan curiously..

 Chapter 190 - Chapter 190: Making Shoes

    chapter 190: making shoes


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    ¡°we can¡¯t waste these fabric scraps. i recall from my past memories that these pieces can be pasted together with flour glue and left to dry. they can then be used to make shoes.¡± zhou lan continued working with her hands while she explained this to jiang xia.


    upon hearing this, jiang xia recalled something similar from her original memory.


    but it was rather vague.


    over the past two years, due to the drought, they barely had enough to eat, let alone use flour paste to make shoes.


    essentially, everyone in the village wore straw sandals. only those who were somewhat well-off still wore the cloth shoes they had from before. otherwise, only those who had relatives or children in the city could get cloth shoes to wear.


    if not, they would have to wait until winter.


    however, even then, only the working members of the household could afford the luxury of cloth shoes. the women and children in the family would just sew layers of cloth into their straw sandals, enough to prevent their feet from getting frostbitten.


    considering all of this, jiang xia couldn¡¯t help but admire her mother¡¯s foresight. with the end of the autumn harvest and the cold weather approaching, it was the right time to make a few pairs of shoes, ready to wear once the chill set in.


    ¡°in that case, let¡¯s take apart all the worn-out clothes at home. now that we¡¯re not short of food, let¡¯s see if we can make a pair for each family member.¡± ¡°do i even need to say that? your mother has already done the math; we have just enough. don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t be left out.¡± zhou lan said with a smile. in her view, jiang xia¡¯s question was completely redundant.


    now that their home life had improved, it was only right that each person had a pair of new shoes to wear, reflecting their hard work.


    ¡°right, and for eldest sister, don¡¯t forget to make a pair for her too.¡±


    ¡°i haven¡¯t forgotten. i¡¯ve factored in a pair for your eldest sister as well. your eldest sister had a tough time. we couldn¡¯t help much before, but now that our lives have improved, we shouldn¡¯t forget her.¡± zhou lan¡¯s feelings for jiang qing had been with her ever since she arrived here.


    especially now that life was better, zhou lan missed jiang qing even more, always thinking of leaving something for jiang qing no matter what.


    ¡°then what about the clothes, mother? did you leave some for eldest sister?¡± jiang xia remembered that after each person in the family made a set of clothes, there should still be some fabric left, which she had specifically reserved for jiang qing.


    ¡°i¡¯m keeping it. didn¡¯t you tell me last time? i didn¡¯t forget.¡±


    hearing zhou lan say this, jiang xia felt relieved.


    the two then discussed what kind of family jiang qing had married into, whether she was living well, and whether she had enough to eat.


    after a long discussion, a worrying thought suddenly sprung from jiang xia¡¯s heart, ¡°mother, do you think eldest sister would hate us? would she not acknowledge us because we sold her?¡±


    zhou lan paused for a moment.


    she essentially dismissed this possibility. in her memory, jiang qing had always been a child who deeply cared about her family. when old madam jiang said she was going to sell her for food. jiang qing knowing there was no turning back, silently accepted her fate.


    even with a thousand reluctances in her heart, at the crucial moment, she did not want to make her parents uncomfortable.


    such a child wouldn¡¯t easily disown them.


    ¡°your elder sister isn¡¯t that kind of person. however, in this era, women can¡¯t just return to their parents¡¯ home like we could in our times. they would be reprimanded by their in-laws. if your elder sister has a child there, the situation would become even more complicated.¡± zhou lan¡¯s voice was filled with an increasing sense of helplessness as she spoke.


    not only did she feel helpless about jiang qing¡¯s sorrow, but she also felt the same about the general plight of women in this era.


    jiang xia understood this. even if they find their elder sister and she really can¡¯t come back, it¡¯s okay. they just want to see if she¡¯s doing well. if her family is struggling, they¡¯ll bring some food for them.


    if their elder sister¡¯s in-laws aren¡¯t treating her well, they shouldn¡¯t blame her for taking action.


    if their elder sister is unwilling to come back for the sake of her child, that¡¯s not a problem either. given their family¡¯s current situation, they can afford to raise another child.


    the two of them fantasized about their future life while tirelessly working.


    when they had nearly finished dismantling the old clothes, jiang chuan returned home with a big smile on his face.


    ¡°why are you so happy today?¡± zhou lan asked, looking at jiang chuan¡¯s cheerful face and laughing, ¡°has the certificate been issued?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s not that simple,¡± jiang chuan responded. ¡°the village chief said it can¡¯t be issued yet. we have to wait a few more days; otherwise, if the villagers find out, they¡¯ll gossip behind our backs.¡±


    ¡°then why are you so happy, dad?¡± even jiang xia couldn¡¯t help but be curious..

 Chapter 191 - Chapter 191: It’s All Karma

    chapter 191: it¡¯s all karma


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang chuan stepped closer to jiang xia and zhou lan, saying with an air of mystery, ¡°on my way back, i crossed the eastern part of the village and heard some interesting news. can you guess what it is?¡±


    ¡°does it have to do with grandpa and grandma?¡± jiang xia asked, her eyes wide with anticipation.


    zhou lan also looked on expectantly from the side.


    however, she suspected that it likely involved old madam jiang.


    jiang chuan had been holding the pocket watch in his hand the entire night before he went to bed. even when he woke up in the morning, he couldn¡¯t bear to put it down.


    he appeared upset when he woke up this morning, but now his face radiated joy.


    when he didn¡¯t know his lineage, jiang chuan could convince himself that he simply wasn¡¯t favored by old madam jiang. but now that he knew his origins, he could no longer lie to himself in this way.


    the actions of old madam jiang throughout his life were hard for him to forget.


    ¡°on my way back, i noticed some villagers huddled and chatting, so 1 decided to listen in. apparently, the bed where the two elders of the jiang family slept collapsed.¡±


    ¡°how could a perfectly good bed just collapse?¡± zhou lan asked, her face filled with confusion.


    ¡°xiao xia, where did you discover the box of jewels in your grandparents¡¯ room?¡±


    ¡°under their bed¡­ could it be¡­?¡± jiang xia looked even more surprised as she listened to her father.


    ¡°don¡¯t speak of this to anyone,¡± jiang chuan said in a lowered voice, ¡°it¡¯s just a collapsed bed, likely nothing serious. otherwise, jiang gui and jiang hua would already be here, making a commotion.¡±


    it was said that the bed collapsed suddenly. the old couple was about to get out of bed in the morning when the bed suddenly gave in, and the two old people fell quite hard, especially old madam jiang, who injured her back.


    but fortunately, it wasn¡¯t anything serious.


    right now, jiang chuan didn¡¯t want old madam jiang to pass away too soon.


    they still didn¡¯t know the whereabouts of jiang qing, and his own origins were still a mystery. all these questions still needed old madam jiang to answer.


    ¡°i think, it¡¯s all karma!¡± zhou lan said with certainty, ¡°old madam jiang did so many bad things. i think even the heavens couldn¡¯t stand it and decided to give her a taste of her own medicine!¡±


    jiang xia agreed with her mother¡¯s viewpoint in her heart.


    if they could travel to this era, it wasn¡¯t strange that heaven decided to punish old madam jiang.


    however, she also had some concerns.


    ¡°dad, mom, will grandma and grandpa suspect that the box they kept under the bed is gone and that¡¯s why the bed collapsed?¡±


    ¡°not necessarily, they have been sleeping on that bed for so many years. plus, old man jiang likes to spend his free time in bed, it¡¯s normal for the bed to collapse. don¡¯t worry, the old jiang family is in a mess right now, they won¡¯t remember this for a while.¡±


    besides, how big was that box?


    ¡°but what if¡­¡±


    ¡°is anyone home? third uncle? third aunt?¡±


    jiang xia was still speculating when jiang hong¡¯s voice suddenly came from outside. jiang xia quickly shut up.


    needless to say, when jiang chuan heard jiang hong¡¯s voice, he had already guessed why jiang hong had come.


    ¡°the bed had collapsed and old man jiang was injured as well. someone would have to pay for it.


    jiang gui and jiang hua wouldn¡¯t let jiang chuan off the hook.


    ¡°dear, quickly lie down. i¡¯ll tell xiao xia you¡¯re not feeling well. just stay silent,¡± zhou lan reacted immediately, pushing jiang chuan into the house.


    jiang chuan said nothing. he didn¡¯t want to get involved in old madam jiang¡¯s affairs, especially if it meant spending money on her. the very thought of it disgusted him.


    ¡°jiang xia, where¡¯s your dad?¡± jiang hong walked in and asked jiang xia upon seeing her.


    ¡°he¡¯s in the room, unwell. what do you need him for?¡± jiang xia replied, clearly unhappy.


    she didn¡¯t understand the old jiang family¡¯s mindset. how could they have the audacity to seek them out?


    did they not have enough of the beating from yesterday?


    jiang hong didn¡¯t want to come either. however, her grandfather had tasked her with this. her second uncle¡¯s daughter was very smart. when her second aunt heard the news, she¡¯d already told her daughter to hide.


    unable to find her, jiang hong could only steel herself and come.


    upon entering the house, she greeted jiang chuan¡¯s family warmly, ¡°third aunt, hello.¡± seeing jiang chuan lying on the bed, she quickly asked zhou lan, ¡°third aunt, what¡¯s happened to third uncle? where is he not feeling well?¡±


    zhou lan, without even turning her head, was tucking in the blanket for jiang chuan as she answered irritably, ¡°it¡¯s all because of the mess your family caused yesterday, trying to take over our house. your uncle was deeply upset. he didn¡¯t sleep well last night and fell ill upon waking this morning..¡±

 Chapter 192 - Chapter 192: Don’t Think About Taking Advantage

    chapter 192: don¡¯t think about taking advantage


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    when jiang hong heard this, she didn¡¯t show any reaction on her face, but she admired her third aunt in her heart.


    the third aunt, who used to be honest and blunt, was now lying.


    if jiang hong believed what zhou lan said, she wouldn¡¯t be able to explain it to her grandfather later. she put on a thick face and asked, ¡°really, aunt? people said that uncle just came back from outside when i was on my way here. how come he can¡¯t get up now because of illness?¡±


    zhou lan was muttering in her heart, not expecting jiang hong to be so clever, even inquiring about her family¡¯s situation on her way over.


    but it¡¯s true that jiang hong is considered a clever child in the old jiang¡¯s family, at least smarter than her own parents.


    ¡°you see, it¡¯s just bad luck. your uncle started feeling ill when he went out, and he can¡¯t get up after coming back. maybe it¡¯s more serious because he caught a chill,¡± she explained.


    zhou lan turned and smiled subtly, ¡°jiang hong, did you come to see your uncle for something? i¡¯m planning to send jiang xia to fetch the doctor. your cousin is young, and i¡¯m not comfortable letting her go alone. will you go with her and keep an eye on her?¡±


    the doctor¡¯s house is about a mile from the jiang¡¯s family, not too far but not too close either. it would take about half an hour to walk.


    the village roads are tough, and the children are young. it¡¯s common for parents to have two children go out together.


    so zhou lan¡¯s request was not strange.


    but jiang hong clearly didn¡¯t want to go, especially since the doctor had already been invited to her house.


    thinking of this, jiang hong cleared her throat and said, ¡°aunt, there¡¯s no need to look for the doctor. he¡¯s at our house right now, treating grandma¡¯s back.¡±


    upon hearing this, jiang chuan weakly turned in his bed, coughing as he asked, ¡°what happened to your grandma? is she ill? oh, it¡¯s a shame that i¡¯m unwell, or 1 would have gone to see her.¡±


    seeing jiang chuan¡¯s pale face and trembling hand, it seemed like he wasn¡¯t lying.


    moreover, even in his ill state, he still cared about her grandma, surely he must be really sick.


    ¡°grandma¡¯s waist was hit. the bed that grandma slept on collapsed this morning and hit grandma.¡± jiang hong briefly explained the situation to jiang chuan.


    ¡°is your grandpa okay?¡± jiang chuan asked, shakily sitting up.


    ¡°you should worry about yourself first, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s sick,¡± zhou lan scolded.


    ¡°i¡¯m fine; i¡¯m young and strong. i¡¯ll recover soon. but our parents are old, we should care for them more,¡± jiang chuan replied, bantering with his wife.


    this left jiang hong quite surprised.


    seeing her uncle so dutiful, jiang hong started to see him in a new light.


    her uncle wasn¡¯t as ungrateful as others said; he was still as honest as before.


    with this in mind, jiang hong felt more comfortable saying, third uncle, do you think we should ask third aunt and sister jiang xia to visit grandpa and grandma?¡±


    jiang hong felt that even if jiang chuan couldn¡¯t go, sending jiang xia and zhou lan would at least fulfill her grandpa¡¯s task.


    certainly better than her second aunt¡¯s family, who didn¡¯t even show up.


    ¡°go, cough, go, you go back first. 1¡¯11 have your aunt and cousin get ready and go,¡± jiang chuan agreed before zhou lan could speak.


    jiang hong now fully trusted her uncle and left upon receiving the promise.


    once jiang hong left, zhou lan immediately became upset, ¡°why did you agree to her? didn¡¯t we agree not to get involved with the old jiang¡¯s family matters?¡±


    ¡°mom, dad is right. we have to go to show the old jiang family that some people can¡¯t take advantage, especially from us.¡±


    jiang xia, who had been listening outside, said, sharing her father¡¯s thoughts.


    jiang chuan sat up, no longer looking weak, and explained seriously to zhou lan, ¡°that¡¯s right, what xiao xia said is correct. we must go, and we must go openly, to show the villagers how we repay evil with kindness.¡±


    ¡°exactly, let¡¯s see what they can say about us in the future!¡±

 Chapter 193 - Chapter 193: Something Exciting To See

    chapter 193: something exciting to see


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    after persuading zhou lan, jiang xia was ready to leave.


    ¡°by the way, what about your dad? is he still going?¡± zhou lan asked, looking at jiang chuan lying on the bed as she was about to leave.


    ¡°dad should stay home. otherwise, that grandpa and grandma might order him around like a donkey, and we won¡¯t be able to stop them,¡± jiang xia said.


    although jiang chuan wanted to mock the sick appearance of old madam jiang, he had to admit that his daughter¡¯s concern was valid.


    ¡°if you really meet doctor li, ask him to come and see me too. let¡¯s make this act look real,¡± he said.


    ¡°alright, i¡¯ll talk to doctor li when i see him.¡±


    their family had enough to eat lately, thanks to the interspace water and interspace vegetables. their bodies and faces looked healthier than others in the village.


    even the previously skinny jiang gu¡¯s face had filled out.


    as for clothes, after the last fight with old madam jiang, the family no longer hid their new clothes.


    she put on the new clothes that she had made earlier.


    even without worrying about old madam jiang, they still needed to be mindful of the other villagers.


    now, the mother and daughter looked entirely different.


    both their physical health and the quality they radiated had changed.


    jiang xia noticed the difference, especially her mother¡¯s walking style, which seemed more like going for a fight than visiting a sick person.


    normally, the women in the village would walk with their backs hunched, either from hunger or from being crushed by long-term heavy labor.


    ¡°mother, isn¡¯t your way of walking too conspicuous?¡± jiang xia hesitated to say to her mother.


    ¡°what¡¯s wrong with it? i¡¯m not doing anything wrong. i should walk with my back straight!¡± zhou lan responded, shaking her shoulders and standing tall, no longer resembling her former self.


    jiang xia thought for a moment and decided her mother was right.


    since their family had changed, why should they continue to act as before and let others look down on them?


    saying this, jiang xia straightened up too, and with zhou lan, they boldly headed towards the old jiang¡¯s house.


    ¡°hey, who are those mother and daughter?¡± mrs. sun and her sidekick were gossiping on the roadside.


    seeing the two women passing by, they looked at them curiously.


    the sidekick looked closely and exclaimed, ¡°oh, that seems to be jiang chuan¡¯s wife and daughter!¡±


    hearing this, mrs. sun¡¯s eyes widened, and a wicked idea formed in her mind. she grabbed her sidekick, following jiang xia and zhou lan, saying, ¡°let¡¯s see where they¡¯re going.¡±


    the sidekick realized that something exciting was happening.


    ¡°i guess they¡¯re going to old jiang¡¯s house. the village is buzzing about how old master jiang and old madam jiang broke the bed!¡± the sidekick gossiping as they walked.


    ¡°really?¡± mrs. sun¡¯s eyes never left the mother and daughter, and she continued to question.


    ¡°why wouldn¡¯t it be true? if not for old master jiang¡¯s behavior, how would old madam jiang have hurt her back?¡± the sidekick said with an expression full of gossip.


    though the sidekick said a lot, mrs. sun only occasionally responded.


    she wondered how zhou lan had changed so much in such a short time. her figure had improved, her complexion was better, and her walk was no longer timid.


    ¡°hey, do you think they¡¯re rushing to old jiang¡¯s house to help again?¡± the sidekick continued to guess maliciously.


    mrs. sun frowned, feeling this matter wasn¡¯t so simple.


    they didn¡¯t look like people who would be bullied; they looked more like they were going to pick a fight.


    ¡°why talk so much? let¡¯s go and see.¡±


    ¡°okay, let¡¯s go. i heard that yesterday old madam jiang and her two daughters-in-law were beaten. today, if jiang chuan¡¯s family dares to show up, they¡¯ll probably get a scolding.¡±


    mrs. sun and her sidekick were indeed lucky.


    they had heard a few days ago that relief food was coming, and some families were waiting for it at home, not working in the fields, and gossiping at the village entrance.


    now that there was a show to watch, the two of them couldn¡¯t even wait to see..


    the mother and daughter hurriedly walked to old jiang¡¯s house and ran into doctor li.


    whether intentionally or unintentionally, zhou lan openly discussed jiang


    chuan¡¯s illness with doctor li at the door..

 Chapter 194 - Chapter 194: About Jiang Hua

    chapter 194: about jiang hua


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    doctor li knew well what the old jiang family had done. when the jiang family initially split up, he had struggled for quite some time because of conflicts between the two households.


    today, after observing the situation of the old jiang family and noticing that only zhou lan and her daughter came from jiang chuan¡¯s family, while jiang chuan stayed home claiming to be ill, doctor li more or less understood their attitude. he was already pondering how to discuss this matter with others.


    the two daughters-in-law of the old jiang family were taking care of old madam jiang inside the house. they couldn¡¯t help but shiver when they heard zhou lan¡¯s voice.


    jiang xia was observing the situation inside the room from the doorway. seeing the uncomfortable look on the two daughters-in-law¡¯s faces, she couldn¡¯t help but smirk.


    it seemed that the beating last time wasn¡¯t in vain. just watch; these two won¡¯t dare to bully her family again easily.


    jiang gui was somewhat afraid of zhou lan. last time, when he went to her house to talk about the wild vegetables, he was scolded by jiang chuan. then, just yesterday, zhou lan scolded him again when he went to support his wife. now, he didn¡¯t want to provoke her at all, so he found an excuse to slip into the house.


    jiang hua hadn¡¯t interacted much with jiang chuan¡¯s family and didn¡¯t have strong feelings about them. his impression of zhou lan was still that of her honest and naive appearance. after sending off doctor li, he asked zhou lan, ¡°sister-in-law, why did you bring jiang xia here all of a sudden?


    jiang hua was different from his brother jiang gui; he was neither arrogant nor noisy. having read a few books, he possessed some scholarly elegance.


    this trait would sometimes make him seem selfish and petty. moreover, he would only lean towards the side that was beneficial to him before making any decision.


    he wouldn¡¯t harm others, but he hadn¡¯t done much to help others either.


    in jiang xia¡¯s impression, he was neither a good nor a bad person.


    but this is understandable. nowadays, with families struggling for food and money, considering oneself first without harming others is not seen as a big deal.


    jiang xia felt a sense of wonder in her heart. among this family of harsh people, it was surprising that they could have someone like jiang hua.


    zhou lan was also thinking to herself. as long as jiang hua didn¡¯t assist the old jiang family against her and jiang xia, she wouldn¡¯t hold a grudge against his family.


    ¡°i¡¯m a bit embarrassed by your words. what do you mean by ¡®all of a sudden¡¯? i heard from jiang hong that jiang xia¡¯s grandmother fell and hurt her back, and jiang xia¡¯s father is ill. so jiang xia and i were sent to ask and see if there¡¯s anything we can do to help.¡±


    jiang hua truly didn¡¯t know about jiang hong visiting jiang chuan¡¯s house.


    it must have been either jiang gui who sent her, or old master jiang.


    only those two could make order jiang hong around.


    jiang hua thought about this and he calmly replied, ¡°is that so? i just found out about this matter. jiang hong really troubled you this time.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s no trouble at all, don¡¯t be so formal. it¡¯s just that my husband is also ill now and can¡¯t come to help,¡± zhou lan responded politely, acknowledging jiang hua¡¯s courtesy.¡±


    ¡°of course. i wonder what¡¯s wrong with third brother? how did he suddenly become so sick that he can¡¯t get up?¡± jiang hua¡¯s words had a probing tone.


    ¡°he probably caught a cold. last night he was so angry that he didn¡¯t sleep well. he went out early this morning. it¡¯s autumn now, and the dew is heavy. when he came back at noon, he said he felt very dizzy and now he¡¯s coughing a bit.¡± zhou lan elaborated, as if afraid jiang hua wouldn¡¯t believe her.


    not only did zhou lan sound reasonable, but her tone was also very sincere. how could jiang hua not believe her?


    besides, he knew about the fight yesterday. after all, anyone who had their house taken from them for no reason would be angry enough to lose sleep for a night.


    ¡°i see, that does sound serious. perhaps i¡¯ll go with you to check on him later. since you¡¯re here, come in and have a look. my parents are staying in my elder brother¡¯s room,¡± he said.


    originally, there was only a collapsed bed in the room, and nothing else was wrong.


    originally, it was just the bed that collapsed in the room, but old madam jiang insisted on moving to jiang hua¡¯s room, fearing that the wall might collapse and she wouldn¡¯t be able to escape.


    since old madam jiang had spoken, who would dare to refuse?


    jiang hua¡¯s family could only obediently clear their bed to make room for old madam jiang to stay. even if they had many complaints in their hearts, the elder daughter-in-law of the jiang family wouldn¡¯t dare to utter a word of discontent.


    she didn¡¯t want to risk being scolded by old madam jiang for being unfilial.

 Chapter 195 - Chapter 195: Take a Good Look

    chapter 195: take a good look


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    ¡°has eldest brother-in-law and his wife moved out to live?¡± zhou lan asked curiously.


    normally, since only the bed in old madam jiang¡¯s room had collapsed and not the wall, if the things in the room were tidied up, someone could still have lived there, right?


    why had they moved into jiang gui¡¯s house?


    moreover, since jiang gui¡¯s wife was willing to let old madam jiang live with them, zhou lan¡¯s only thought was that jiang gui must have become wealthy and didn¡¯t care about one room.


    ¡°no, it¡¯s not that. father and mother are afraid something might happen in that room. mother¡¯s waist is immobile now, and she won¡¯t be able to run away if something happens,¡± jiang hua explained.


    zhou lan finally understood what jiang hua meant. old madam jiang was just afraid of dying.


    ¡°then, are eldest brother-in-law and eldest sister-in-law squeezed into one room with father and mother now?¡±


    it shouldn¡¯t have been so. jiang gui¡¯s family was always dominant at home. if old madam jiang had suggested this, they would probably have made jiang hua¡¯s family move out and taken over their room. how come it looked like jiang hua¡¯s family was still comfortably living in their room?


    ¡°yes, mother said that she needs to get up at night and needs eldest sister-in-law to look after her. eldest brother-in-law and eldest sister-in-law are sleeping on the floor in the room.¡±


    with that, zhou lan understood.


    she had secretly sighed in her heart, thinking that old madam jiang really knew how to enjoy herself. she had only injured her waist and was not disabled. old master jiang could have just helped her get up at night, but she specifically required her daughter-in-law¡¯s care.


    although she despised this in her heart, zhou lan showed no sign of it on her face. she even put on a sympathetic expression, ¡°i see. eldest brother-in-law¡¯s family must be having a hard time. as the weather is getting colder, they must take care of themselves. don¡¯t end up like my jiang chuan, wearing himself out and needing to spend money on a doctor.¡±


    ¡°yes, yes, yes. we know eldest brother and his wife have it tough.¡±


    this comment fell precisely into the ears of jiang gui¡¯s wife.


    she was tormented every day by old madam jiang, who demanded her help with everything. now that they lived in the same room, and since their room was not very large, and old master jiang was not very clean, it had become messy and smoky.


    right now, jiang gui¡¯s wife was filled with resentment and had nowhere to vent.


    ¡°since second brother knows that we have it tough, why not let father and mother stay with you tonight? it will give me and your elder brother a chance to rest.¡±


    before jiang hua could say anything, his wife stood up, dissatisfied, and retorted, ¡°why should we? we take care of father and mother during the day, work in the fields, and come back to cook at night. we¡¯re also exhausted. how come you feel aggrieved just taking care of father and mother?¡±


    ¡°how are we aggrieved? 1 asked if you could stay with father and mother just for one night, and you refuse? do you feel like taking care of father and mother is a burden?¡±


    before zhou lan could say anything, the two began arguing, and zhou lan secretly enjoyed the chaos. she even gave her daughter a knowing look, signaling her to watch closely.


    this sister-in-law drama was really something rare.


    the two of them argued for a long time but did not reach a conclusion. old madam jiang, who was lying on the bed, raised her eyebrows and said sternly, ¡°are you rebelling? you¡¯re complaining about taking care of me? if i could stand up, you¡¯d see what¡¯s coming to you!¡±


    old madam jiang¡¯s authority was not in vain. the two daughters-in-law were silenced instantly.


    ¡°old madam jiang, you¡¯re sick now, who are you going to show off to?¡±


    a loud voice came from outside.


    everyone turned to look and saw that the village chief¡¯s wife had arrived.


    she had seen ms. sun sneaking towards old jiang¡¯s house when returning home.


    considering the incident at old jiang¡¯s house last night had spread throughout the village, she was concerned that they might be planning to trouble jiang chuan¡¯s family.


    the village chief¡¯s wife rolled her eyes and jogged home. after telling the village chief about this, the two of them discussed it at home and decided to send her to old jiang¡¯s house to take a look.


    after all, the village chief had eaten a meal at jiang chuan¡¯s house last time. it was time to pay him back.


    when ms. sun saw the village chief¡¯s wife coming, she immediately hid behind the crowd, as if she were invisible, afraid that she would be seen.


    zhou lan warmly greeted the village chief¡¯s wife: ¡°you¡¯ve gone to the trouble of coming here for our small family matter. long time no see, how have you been? how¡¯s everything at home?¡±


    the village chief¡¯s wife remembered zhou lan and jiang xia, knowing that zhou lan was capable, and jiang xia was intelligent, sensible, and smart..

 Chapter 196 - Chapter 196: Someone Can Handle

    chapter 196: someone can handle


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    upon seeing zhou lan arrive, she waved at her and strode in, saying, ¡°oh my, what¡¯s this talk about? there¡¯s been a problem in the village, right? my husband is the village chief and always tells me to care about village matters.¡±


    after speaking, she smiled at zhou lan and said, ¡°everything is fine at home.¡±


    the village chief¡¯s wife was here, so old madam jiang had to show some respect.


    in an instant, the previously fierce-faced old madam jiang quickly changed her expression.


    jiang xia, who was standing by the side, looked on and chuckled in their heart. it seems that there are people who can deal with the old madam jiang


    members of the old jiang family, seeing the village chief¡¯s wife arrive, hurriedly moved stools and poured water.


    ¡°why are you here? really, this is no big deal, and i¡¯m sorry to trouble you with a trip,¡± old madam jiang said, abandoning her previous harsh manner and smilingly speaking to the village chief¡¯s wife.


    old master jiang, sitting nearby, looked unhappy. jiang chuan was not here, so there was no one to help move the lumber and make a new bed.


    old madam jiang saw what her husband was thinking, and before the village chief¡¯s wife could speak, she turned to zhou lan and her daughter and said, ¡°you two, go outside and help.¡±


    zhou lan and jiang xia had seen workers outside already making a new bed for old madam jiang.


    is she asking that the two women should do heavy labor?


    old madam jiang was really bold to say that.


    however, zhou lan and jiang xia did not speak or move. they just lowered their eyes.


    they knew the village chief¡¯s wife was here to back them up.


    ¡°hehe, this is your family matter, and i shouldn¡¯t intervene, but since i¡¯m here, and 1 see the situation, i must say something. i see your two sons doing nothing, so why do zhou lan and her daughter have to help?¡± the village chief¡¯s wife spoke politely, but who couldn¡¯t hear the sarcasm against the jiang family?


    this was clearly saying the men of the jiang family were useless.


    ¡°why can¡¯t they? in the past, didn¡¯t zhou lan and her daughter do the household chores?¡± old madam jiang responded naturally.


    the village chief¡¯s wife¡¯s face turned very displeased.


    she thought, old madam jiang¡¯s temper hasn¡¯t changed a bit despite her injury. if she hadn¡¯t come today, zhou lan and her daughter might have been bullied again by this family.


    the village chief¡¯s wife took a sip of water, cleared her throat, composed herself, and stood straight: ¡°if i remember correctly, jiang chuan¡¯s family has separated from you, right? since you¡¯re separated, each family should mind its own business. zhou lan and her daughter came to visit you out of respect, and yet you treat them like this?¡±


    old madam jiang choked on her words.


    everyone in the village knew that jiang chuan had separated from the family.


    the news of them being beaten had already spread in the village.


    old madam jiang also saw that only zhou lan and her daughter came today. she was certain that no one would stand up for them, so she put on the airs of an elder.


    who knew that the village chief¡¯s wife would appear out of nowhere.


    old madam jiang felt resentful towards her, wondering why she was meddling in their affairs.


    although cursing in her heart, she still had to show respect on the surface. old madam jiang, scolded by the village chief¡¯s wife, looked embarrassed and said, ¡°yes, yes, yes, you see, i¡¯m old and confused. my two sons have been busy working and taking care of me, so they¡¯re tired.¡±


    ¡°but there¡¯s no reason for a man to watch a woman do heavy labor. there¡¯s no such thing in the world!¡± the village chief¡¯s wife even made things clear.


    old master jiang, sitting nearby, couldn¡¯t stand to hear this anymore. he sprang up and grumbled at his two sons, ¡°come, follow me and let¡¯s work!¡±


    before leaving, he glared at zhou lan and her daughter, as if he wanted to devour them.


    jiang xia realized that things were not going well. with the help of the village chief¡¯s wife, they knew they shouldn¡¯t push too far. jiang xia immediately put on a caring expression, stepped forward, and asked old madam jiang, ¡°grandma, is your back alright? when my father heard you fell, he sent my mother and me to visit you right away..¡±

 Chapter 197 - Chapter 197: Celebrate Well

    chapter 197: celebrate well


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    as soon as jiang xia finished speaking, the village chief¡¯s wife, as if in a practiced duet, immediately said to old madam jiang, ¡°look, how sensible and filial this child is!¡±


    in the meantime, quite a few people from the village also came to visit old madam jiang upon hearing the news.


    it could be said that everyone saw the respectful and filial appearance of zhou lan and her daughter.


    with the village chief¡¯s wife by their side, speaking well of them, even old madam jiang, if she wanted to scold them, couldn¡¯t get a word in.


    everyone was talking at once again. after a while, they all knew that jiang chuan was still sick at home. and yet zhou lan and her daughter hadn¡¯t forgotten to come and see old madam jiang. they all praised zhou lan for her filial piety.


    in the end, under the arrangement of the village chief¡¯s wife, zhou lan and her daughter went back to take care of jiang chuan. the people who came to visit did not want to offend the village chief¡¯s wife, so they all agreed.


    before old madam jiang could say anything to persuade them to stay, zhou lan and her daughter had already been pushed out by the crowd.


    on the way home, mother and daughter almost laughed out loud, thinking of the earlier situation, but fortunately, they held it back.


    they never thought they would see old madam jiang defeated like that.


    when they returned home, doctor li had already gone to their house. jiang chuan was sitting leisurely in the courtyard, sunbathing.


    looking up, he saw the smiling faces of mother and daughter. ¡°what happened? why are you both so happy?¡± he asked.


    the mother and daughter first laughed for a while, and after their laughter, zhou lan said to jiang chuan, ¡°you didn¡¯t see it today. old madam jiang and that old man¡¯s faces were so displeased!¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s right! thanks to the village chief¡¯s wife,¡± jiang xia added.


    ¡°the village chief¡¯s wife was there?¡± jiang chuan asked curiously upon hearing jiang xia mention her.


    upon seeing this, jiang xia briefly explained the situation to jiang chuan.


    ¡°it seems we should really thank the village chief.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re right, we should show our gratitude. i¡¯ll pickle some wild vegetables and send them to the village chief.¡±


    zhou lan said, knowing that without the village chief¡¯s wife, things wouldn¡¯t have been resolved so easily.


    but today, they had taught old madam jiang and her husband a lesson, and they probably wouldn¡¯t bother them again for a while.


    ¡°what did doctor li say after he came?¡± jiang xia had been worried about the situation at home while at old madam jiang¡¯s house.


    ¡°doctor li knows our family situation. 1 think, looking at doctor li¡¯s expression, he probably won¡¯t tell anyone about this matter.¡±


    when doctor li came, jiang chuan didn¡¯t intend to hide anything from him. looking at doctor li¡¯s face, it seemed he knew that jiang chuan was pretending to be sick to avoid his old family jiang.


    ¡°enough about that. today xiao xia and i fought a beautiful battle. how about we eat something nice to celebrate?¡± zhou lan asked, smiling and rolling up her sleeves.


    ¡°great! the weather is getting cold. how about some mutton soup?¡± jiang xia excitedly suggested to jiang chuan and zhou lan.


    ¡°right! we still haven¡¯t eaten the sheep we caught in the mountains last time. let¡¯s slaughter it today and have a feast!¡± zhou lan decided, clapping her hands.


    ¡°good! i¡¯ll kill the sheep! tonight we¡¯ll have a wonderful meal!¡± even jiang chuan¡¯s mood was lifted, looking forward to the evening¡¯s dinner.


    father and daughter were preparing to start, laughing and chatting as they went to the backyard. just as jiang xia was about to fetch the sheep, there was a knock at the small door.


    jiang chuan opened the door, and his memory slowly returned when he saw the two people.


    they were zhou lan¡¯s family members, her brother zhou wan, and zhou lan¡¯s sister¡¯s husband, xu niu.


    they didn¡¯t come empty-handed. zhou wan was carrying a small bag, and xu niu¡¯s bag was larger, looking like freshly slaughtered animals, with a strong smell of blood.


    jiang xia¡¯s memory of her maternal grandmother¡¯s family was vague, but these memories were happy ones from the original jiang xia.


    their family could only eat two full meals when they returned to their maternal grandmother¡¯s house. they didn¡¯t have to work all day and could even play freely.


    but life at their maternal grandmother¡¯s house was also tough. they often didn¡¯t have enough to eat and just managed to feed themselves. helping jiang xia¡¯s family was really hard for them.


    they only had one boy in their family, zhou wan. his wedding used up all the money and food they had saved. when zhou lan got married, there was nothing left to eat in the house..

 Chapter 198 - Chapter 198: About Uncle

    chapter 198: about uncle


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    later, zhou wan¡¯s family circumstances improved, but zhou lan, having been suppressed by old madam jiang, no longer dared to resist them. even though zhou wan was now in a position to support them, he felt helpless without his sister¡¯s advocacy. he was afraid that any rash action would give rise to idle gossip.


    zhou wan was brimming with ideas to help his sister, but he had to restrain himself.


    this was a tragedy of the times. even if one has sons, without money or power, one can still be oppressed by others.


    if jiang xia remembered correctly, both of her maternal grandparents were still alive.


    her grandfather was named zhou tian, and her grandmother was hu ying. both were in their sixties.


    although the two elderly people had grandchildren.


    at that moment, zhou lan heard a voice and walked over. seeing zhou wan, a flood of memories about him swept over her.


    zhou wan and his wife had been childless for all these years.


    she wasn¡¯t sure if zhou wan¡¯s health was too poor, or if his wife was physically unfit. regardless, they had suffered two miscarriages. zhou wan was hesitant to let his wife get pregnant again, so the matter of having a child was perpetually delayed.


    zhou lan was the eldest sister in the zhou family, with just one older brother and two younger sisters: zhou hua and zhou ling.


    zhou lan and her second sister had both married into another village, and their lives were far from ideal. the elderly couple of the zhou family didn¡¯t want their youngest child to endure further hardship, so they arranged a match for zhou ling within their own village, with xu niu.


    zhou wan had a distaste for the old jiang family, hence he rarely visited his sister¡¯s home. it was jiang chuan who held a deep affection for zhou lan and would occasionally bring his family back for a visit.


    since they had transmigrated here, their family hadn¡¯t gone back to visit, and zhou wan hadn¡¯t seen them in quite a while.


    seeing his brother-in-law now, zhou wan felt quite different compared to before.


    ¡°didn¡¯t we go to the wrong place? is this jiang chuan¡¯s house?¡± zhou wan asked the man in front of him, sounding uncertain.


    if not for jiang chuan¡¯s unchanged appearance, zhou wan might have turned around and left.


    especially zhou lan¡ªwhere was her previously cautious demeanor?


    as soon as zhou wan entered the house, he started to take in the changes inside.


    he still remembered that their family used to live in a cramped, cluttered room in the old jiang¡¯s house. the room was damp and dirty, barely habitable. now they lived in a spacious house with a yard¡ªit was a total transformation.


    indeed, if it weren¡¯t for the villagers who guided them, they would never have believed that their sister could live in such a place.


    ¡°why not? brother, don¡¯t you hope that we live a good life?¡± zhou lan smiled at zhou wan and ushered him and xu niu into the house. ¡°if it weren¡¯t for your brother-in-law¡¯s firm decision to separate from the old jiang family, we would still be suffering.¡±


    worried that zhou wan would ask more questions, zhou lan hastily said to jiang chuan and jiang xia, ¡°go, go to the room and fetch some water. your uncle and aunt have come from afar, they must be thirsty.¡±


    ¡°alright, i¡¯ll go right away.¡±


    everyone in the family got busy, fetching water, arranging things. it was a whirl of activity.


    the water that jiang chuan¡¯s family drank now was mostly from jiang xia¡¯s interspace water, which tasted a bit sweeter than regular well water. jiang xia purposefully mixed it when pouring, and added a touch of sugar for good measure.


    after zhou lan transmigrated, she had been preoccupied with finding a way to survive for her family and had almost forgotten about her relatives. now, seeing zhou wan, her memories of her family came rushing back, and zhou lan was almost moved to tears.


    in zhou lan¡¯s memory, her family had always been very supportive. even though her brother disapproved of the old jiang family, whenever their family visited, they still treated them with good food and drink.


    so, for the present zhou lan, she was still more than happy to have them as relatives.


    ¡°i heard from others a few days ago that you had separated from the family. they said that the old jiang family didn¡¯t even give you a grain of rice. 1 thought about keeping it from my parents and secretly coming to see you. but i didn¡¯t expect someone to tell my parents. my mother was so upset she almost fainted, and my father was left speechless.¡±


    this wasn¡¯t an exaggeration from zhou wan. although the zhou family had many children, the old couple regarded each child as their heart and soul. any trouble concerning their children deeply distressed the old couple.


    especially jiang xia¡¯s grandmother, hu ying. upon hearing the news, she was so agitated that she could hardly stand, fussing and wanting to come see zhou lan. her daughter had always been tender-hearted, and without a grain of rice, no fields, no house, she couldn¡¯t imagine how they were going to survive..

 Chapter 199 - Chapter 199: Stay for Dinner

    chapter 199: stay for dinner


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    zhou lan could clearly visualize hu ying¡¯s worried face, which brought a pang of sorrow to her heart.


    noticing zhou lan¡¯s expression, zhou wan promptly handed her the goods he had brought along. ¡°this is wild boar meat, which i hunted last night with zhou ling¡¯s husband. mother insisted that i bring some to you right away to ensure you don¡¯t go hungry. and here¡¯s a pound of grain. it¡¯s not a lot, but it should last a few days.¡±


    in these challenging times, procuring food was an uphill battle for everyone. thus, zhou wan¡¯s act of delivering a pound of grain came as a timely blessing.


    as he spoke, zhou wan extracted the wild boar meat from his bag ¨C a front leg, some lean meat, and several offals.


    ¡°the boar wasn¡¯t large, just over a hundred pounds. my family and zhou ling¡¯s family shared the meat. 1 reserved some for our parents, kept a portion for myself, and our parents insisted that you should have half. therefore, i brought a front leg, some lean meat, and several offals. dad mentioned that your husband enjoys it, so 1 made sure to bring some.¡±


    in the past, jiang chuan¡¯s family was impoverished and weren¡¯t choosy eaters. jiang chuan hardly had the opportunity to savor meat at the old jiang¡¯s residence. so, when he visited his in-laws, he ate heartily.


    zhou lan¡¯s family wasn¡¯t affluent, but the elderly couple always remembered to share their blessings with them.


    the last time they had some pig offals, they had invited jiang chuan¡¯s family for a meal.


    back then, jiang chuan was on the brink of starvation, and that meal came like a saving grace. the taste of that meal was something jiang chuan would never forget.


    as he recollected this memory, jiang chuan was overcome with emotion.


    it felt wonderful to be remembered by one¡¯s parents.


    ¡°dad, he always remembers us whenever he has good food. despite starving himself. brother-in-law, let zhou lan prepare the offals today, and please bring some back for our parents to enjoy a meal.¡±


    ¡°mom and dad wanted us to bring this to you. if we take it back, they might not appreciate it,¡± zhou wan, always concerned about his sister, said. his excuse enabled them to keep the meat.


    ¡°elder brother, please heed your brother-in-law this time.¡± at this point, zhou lan decided to voice her opinion as well.


    ¡°yes, do listen to me. i¡¯ll go clean these offals now. you stay for a meal, and any leftovers you can take back to dad.¡± as jiang chuan said this, he collected the items and began to move away.


    he pondered, deciding to also buy them some wine. they had been of great help to jiang chuan, and now that they were better off, they couldn¡¯t forget this act of kindness.


    later, they could take the wine back for his father-in-law to enjoy.


    after hearing the reasoning from zhou lan and jiang chuan, zhou wan decided to stay for a meal, completely forgetting his promise to his parents to return once he had delivered the goods.


    being at someone else¡¯s house, xu niu didn¡¯t want to be idle, so he volunteered to help jiang chuan, ¡°brother-in-law, let me assist you in cleaning the offals. it¡¯ll be quicker this way.¡±


    this suited jiang chuan¡¯s intentions. he could take some time to buy wine and also inquire about the current situation of his in-laws.


    ¡°okay, first have some water to quench your thirst, then we¡¯ll proceed.¡± noticing that they hadn¡¯t had a sip of water after all the conversation, jiang chuan suggested he drink first.


    he was aware that his daughter must have added some space water to it, which would help to alleviate their fatigue.


    xu niu, anxious to save time, quickly drank the water. it was only when he left with jiang chuan that he noticed the water tasted sweet as sugar.


    observing jiang chuan¡¯s yard and the sweet-tasting water at home, he realized that jiang chuan¡¯s family wasn¡¯t as poor as his father-in-law had suggested.


    zhou lan extracted the meat and the pork trotters, placing the offals back in the sack for jiang chuan to handle.


    ¡°be cautious when you head to the river, ensure no one sees you.¡±


    ¡°i understand, also, be careful with family matters.¡± jiang chuan was apprehensive that zhou lan might divulge too much to the zhou family due to her tender-heartedness.


    ¡°i am aware of what should be said and what should not.¡± zhou lan, however, had her own plans.


    she wanted to maintain a relationship with her family in the future, so she couldn¡¯t conceal everything, but she also wouldn¡¯t disclose everything.


    firstly, she needed to assure zhou wan that she was not as helpless as before, that she could take care of herself. this way, when he reported back to their parents, they wouldn¡¯t be too taken aback..

 Chapter 200 - Chapter 200: Treating Uncle Generously

    chapter 200: treating uncle generously


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    zhou wan harbored no doubts. he firmly believed that his sister should lead an upright and prosperous life.


    ¡°little sister, i¡¯ve heard life in the city is really good. have you found any opportunities there?¡±


    zhou wan had heard that his sister and brother-in-law went to the city to live a better life. it was said that they stayed there for only two days, but their home had already changed dramatically. he discussed it with his wife, and she said that everyone in the city was wealthy.


    he had never visited the city and yearned for its rich life.


    ¡°are you exaggerating?¡± zhou lan laughed lightly, then briefly recounted their city journey to zhou wan.


    jiang xia was listening attentively. when her mother concluded, she quickly chimed in, ¡°uncle, life in the city isn¡¯t easy either. city folks don¡¯t grow crops, they have to buy from us.¡±


    she said this to console her uncle. now, those who have jobs in the city no longer worry about basic needs, and they can occasionally receive grain and meat tickets.


    ¡°yeah, we¡¯ve just been scared by our poverty these years.¡± zhou wan sighed upon hearing jiang xia¡¯s words.


    his wife had health problems, and they had considered seeking medical help in the city. word had it that city doctors were highly skilled and could surely cure her.


    hence, his wife was always curious about life in the city.


    seeing zhou wan in low spirits, zhou lan probed him with a few questions.


    out of desperation, zhou wan shared their situation with his sister.


    jiang xia felt a pang of sympathy after hearing this. a woman¡¯s life is often shaped by childbirth.


    ¡°uncle, don¡¯t worry. my mom has a plan.¡±


    ¡°haha, stop kidding. what could your mother possibly do?¡±


    upon hearing her uncle¡¯s words, jiang xia signaled zhou lan. grasping her daughter¡¯s intention, zhou lan quickly replied, ¡°don¡¯t worry, elder brother, leave it to me. 1 will find out more for you.¡±


    jiang xia had originally planned to bring some quality medicines back from the city for her aunt, given that most miscarriages these days were due to poor health.


    however, having just acknowledged him as her uncle, she couldn¡¯t fault her mother for being slightly cautious.


    ¡°alright, then i¡¯ll trust you this once,¡± zhou wan said with a smile, agreeing to their plan.


    of course, he only agreed verbally, not truly taking the matter to heart.


    on zhou lan¡¯s side, the meat was already prepared, and they were discussing how best to enjoy it.


    jiang xia also agreed with zhou lan¡¯s plan to treat their uncle generously today.


    their kindness reminded zhou wan of his parents¡¯ advice, ¡°sister, mom and dad planned for you to sell this meat to make some money.¡±


    his parents intended for zhou lan to sell the meat and keep the pig¡¯s offal for themselves to eat for now.


    usually, people would sell the meat they had for money. so, when zhou lan planned to stew all the meat for a single meal, zhou wan was reminded of this.


    hearing zhou wan, zhou lan felt a pang of sadness. their parents had planned everything for their family¡¯s welfare.


    ¡°elder brother, let¡¯s have a feast today. if mom and dad ask, just tell them everything i said. they¡¯ll be reassured.¡±


    zhou wan had already evaluated zhou lan¡¯s home.


    the house was newly built, and there seemed to be a new square table in the living room. the kitchen was fully equipped.


    even both nieces had their own rooms.


    witnessing the comfortable life his sister was leading, he decided to share this news with their parents to make them happy, regardless of whether zhou lan brought it up or not.


    jiang xia remained oblivious to zhou wan¡¯s thoughts. had she known, she would probably have told him that this was just the beginning, and better days awaited their family.


    with zhou wan¡¯s visit, they certainly couldn¡¯t serve the mutton soup.


    it wasn¡¯t that jiang xia didn¡¯t want to offer the sheep, but she feared startling her uncle by abruptly bringing out an entire sheep.


    nevertheless, it was okay to save it for later. when the time was right, she would serve it and treat her grandmother and the rest of the family to a fine meal.


    while jiang xia contemplated future plans, zhou lan and zhou wan were chatting merrily.


    they discussed everything, from their childhood to the present, even including everyone in the village.


    jiang xia could clearly feel that her mother was genuinely happy today!

 Chapter 201 - Chapter 201: Strange

    chapter 201: strange


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    zhou lan had always been the cherished daughter in her family before she got married. even after her marriage, she would often visit her childhood home with her husband and daughter. therefore, she had never experienced the feeling of being away from home.


    ever since she transmigrated to this new world, one thing led to another. from the split in old jiang family to the current day, she had been caught in a whirlwind of events, leaving her with no time to think about her family.


    now, with zhou wan¡¯s sudden visit, she found herself consumed with homesickness. she couldn¡¯t help but reminisce about the times when she would return home and laugh with her parents and brothers.


    tonight, she was dining with zhou wan, and her heart was filled with joy. zhou lan found herself seeing zhou wan as her own blood brother, as close as one could be.


    their chat quickly turned delightful. memories of the original host in zhou lan¡¯s mind were flooding back. one story led to another, and they kept on chatting.


    they could talk about anything, from the aunt living in the east end of the village to the distant cousin living in the west, discussing the recent developments in the village after zhou lan got married.


    her daughter, jiang xia, was listening to the conversation, slowly getting engrossed in it. when she heard her mother and uncle talking about her cousin, she suddenly realized that she hadn¡¯t seen jiang gu today.


    the younger girl, jiang gu, was becoming increasingly mischievous, especially after learning martial arts from zhou lan. jiang xia wanted to shape her into a young lady, but it seemed like a futile effort.


    with a sigh, jiang xia dismissed the thought. not wanting to interrupt her mother and uncle, she quietly got up and went out to find her little sister.


    the the small size of the village and the limited places jiang gu could go,


    jiang xia easily found her in a fruit orchard on the western side of the village. the trees looked lifeless due to years of drought.


    jiang gu was playing with a group of children her age, creating quite a ruckus.


    jiang xia approached with a smile, ready to call her sister home to meet their uncle.


    however, as she got closer, she saw that something was amiss. jiang gu had just pushed a chubby kid down and sat on his back. her round face, which had grown somewhat plump from recent good meals, was set in a sulky expression as she demanded, ¡°give me back my bird¡¯s egg!¡±


    initially, jiang xia was too far to see the situation clearly, and there were many people around. now that she saw the two kids fighting, she quickly rushed over, pulled her sister¡¯s hand, and brought her to her side.


    seeing her elder sister, jiang gu¡¯s anger turned into grievance. her lips pouted, her struggle, her big, round eyes moistened, and two big tears dropped.


    ¡°elder sister, he stole my my bird¡¯s egg! 1 found it on the ground and wanted to put it back in the nest, the bird mommy would be so sad if she couldn¡¯t find her egg! but when 1 wasn¡¯t looking, he took my egg!¡±


    as jiang gu spoke, she pointed at the chubby kid still holding the egg, lying on the ground.


    jiang xia wiped her tears and comforted her, ¡°don¡¯t cry, dear. i will get your egg back.¡±


    although she was comforting her sister, jiang xia was puzzled by something else.


    even though jiang gu had been eating well recently, putting on a bit of weight and gaining strength, it didn¡¯t seem possible that she could push down a chubby kid.


    taking a closer look at the chubby boy, it was evident he must have been well-fed to have such plump flesh on his body during these times of scarcity. it would take considerable strength to knock him down.


    turning her gaze back to jiang gu, jiang xia found herself wondering when her little sister had become so strong as to easily knock down a chubby boy..

 Chapter 202 - Chapter 202: Nosebleed

    chapter 202: nosebleed


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang xia had just finished wiping away jiang gu¡¯s tears and playfully pinched her chubby little cheeks. upon seeing jiang gu¡¯s increasingly plump and healthy face, jiang xia couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of joy.


    it seemed that jiang gu was aware her sister was deliberately pinching her face. she pouted in displeasure, about to protest, when they heard a loud wail from not too far off.


    both jiang xia and jiang gu were taken aback, almost forgetting the presence of another child lying on the ground.


    among all the children, jiang xia was the oldest. naturally, it fell to her to resolve disputes among the younger ones.


    she walked over to the chubby little boy, exerting all her strength to help him stand up. she thought to herself how impressive it was that, in these hard times when everyone was struggling for sustenance, someone could still manage to raise such a chubby child.


    after helping the chubby boy up, jiang xia discovered why he was crying. he had been knocked down, and his first instinct was to protect the bird egg he was holding, forgetting to shield his face. not only was his face smeared with mud, but his nose had also been bumped and was bleeding.


    feeling his nose was wet, the chubby boy wiped it with his hand, only to smear blood all over his face and hand.


    unfamiliar with the concept of a nosebleed, seeing his own blood led him to wail in fear.


    jiang xia¡¯s first reaction was to glance at jiang gu. she had to exert a lot of effort to lift the chubby boy, but jiang gu had managed to knock him down, even causing a nosebleed.


    could it be that jiang gu was as strong as their mother, stronger than most people?


    upon further thought, the chubby boy was indeed heavy. because of his weight, a fall would likely injure him more than others, making a nosebleed a reasonable outcome.


    pushing those thoughts aside, jiang xia gently lifted the boy¡¯s chin to make him tilt his head back, trying to reduce the blood flow. simultaneously, she comforted him, ¡°don¡¯t be scared. this is just a small blood vessel in your nose that¡¯s burst, causing the bleeding. it¡¯s not serious, and it doesn¡¯t hurt much, right?¡±


    the chubby boy took a moment to really register the pain and, realizing it wasn¡¯t as severe as he¡¯d imagined, stopped crying.


    in this era in rural areas, tissues were a rare commodity. most villagers used coarse tree bark paper, which would sting when rubbed against the skin.


    not expecting to find any paper, jiang xia looked around for something to stop the bleeding. it was just after the harvest season, and most leaves had fallen to the ground, leaving only dry and brittle ones that crumbled at a touch.


    just then, a small, tender yellow leaf fluttered down from a tree. although it was tiny, it could serve a purpose.


    jiang xia picked up the leaf, cleaned it on her clothes, and even rubbed it a bit to make it softer. then, she rolled it into a small tube and gently placed it into the boy¡¯s nostril to stem the bleeding.


    once she had attended to his nosebleed, jiang xia led the group of children to the river to clean him up.


    at the shallow, pitifully small river, jiang xia cleaned up the chubby boy and used her own sleeve to dry his face.


    just as they finished, they ran into jiang chuan and xu niu, who had just returned from buying wine.


    curious about jiang xia and the chubby boy¡¯s disheveled state, jiang chuan asked what had happened. after hearing a brief account of the incident, jiang chuan sternly said, ¡°you need to take jiang gu with you, return him home, and make sure to apologize!¡±


    jiang chuan was concerned that jiang gu, being young, would feel especially wronged if reprimanded too harshly. but now was a critical time for a child¡¯s education, and it was important to instill the right values. if they didn¡¯t explain to her the gravity of the situation, jiang gu might grow up to be spoiled and arrogant due to family bias.


    bending down, jiang chuan gently ruffled jiang gu¡¯s round little head, specifically reminding her, ¡°jiang gu, daddy knows it wasn¡¯t on purpose. but when we cause someone else to get hurt because of our mistake, we must apologize, understand?¡±


    jiang gu¡¯s eyes became moist. she knew she had done something wrong, but unlike grandmother, her father didn¡¯t scold or hit her, which made her feel even more remorseful. so, she obediently nodded, took jiang xia¡¯s finger, and followed her away.

 Chapter 203 - Chapter 203: Admiration

    chapter 203: admiration


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    xu niu watched his brother-in-law¡¯s approach to educating his child with genuine admiration.


    he could feel that his brother-in-law was respecting jiang gu¡¯s emotions, treating them both as equals in their communication, and teaching the child valuable life lessons.


    xu niu had never seen such an educational style before. in his own childhood, at his home or others, any misbehavior was met with physical punishment. if he caused trouble, reprimands were inevitable.


    the old saying goes, ¡°beating is love, scolding is affection¡±. in this era, many people believed that if a child was not beaten or scolded, but always treated kindly, they would undoubtedly become spoiled, troublesome, and difficult to raise. such children would certainly cause problems everywhere they went.


    families didn¡¯t have money to spare. raising a child was seen as an investment for an extra helping hand when they grow up, someone to support you in your old age, not a source of constant trouble forcing the family to apologize and pay compensation.


    furthermore, the most prevalent belief of this era was that parents were the child¡¯s elders. they had given life to the child, and having lived longer, they naturally assumed whatever they said was correct. there absolutely wasn¡¯t the concept that parents could be wrong and the child could be right.


    such a teaching method as jiang chuan¡¯s was not just rare, but practically unheard of. witnessing it, xu niu began to contemplate how he would educate his own children in the future. he too wanted to learn this approach from his brother-in-law, aspiring to raise his children to be obedient, sensible, and clever!


    jiang chuan watched the group of children walk away, still concerned about jiang gu, but felt completely at ease with jiang xia handling things.


    with that thought, jiang chuan no longer watched them. he turned around and continued walking home with xu niu.


    he had specifically brought xu niu out today to inquire about his in-laws¡¯ situation. now that the topic had come up, he asked, ¡°brother-in-law, how are our parents doing at home? how¡¯s life in the village?¡±


    xu niu thought about the life of the elderly couple, his own family, and his older brother¡¯s family, and couldn¡¯t help but sigh deeply.


    this year¡¯s drought, although not leading to a complete crop failure, greatly impacted the harvest. the grains were mostly empty husks, and what was reaped was only about a third of what was sown. and of this, a large portion had to be handed over.


    after all, not every village chief was like jiang chuan, resisting pressure and refusing to exaggerate the harvest.


    their family was considered well-off compared to the rest of the village, but they still faced food scarcity due to limited grain allocations. they hoped to set aside some leftovers to feed the pigs, hoping to fatten them up and exchange them for more grain tickets at the purchase station.


    the other families were not as fortunate as to raise pigs for the sake of the family. this was probably the situation before the jiang chuan family split up. sometimes, they encountered acquaintances on the road who were so malnourished that their faces had turned yellow and their cheeks had sunk in. it was truly heartbreaking.


    before leaving, xu niu was asked by his elderly parents to assure their daughter zhou lan that they were fine and that she should lead her life without worrying about them.


    xu niu didn¡¯t say much more. ¡°our neighboring villages are all more or less in the same state, so every family is facing similar hardships. at least we have a pig at home, which is better than most. well sell the pork, buy a piglet, and try to get by. don¡¯t worry about us, brother-in-law. just take good care of our nieces. that¡¯s the best thing you can do. our parents miss jiang xia and jiang gu. if you have time, bring them to visit!¡±


    xu niu¡¯s tone was light, but jiang chuan could still sense the underlying situation. it seemed their living condition wasn¡¯t good. yet the old couple was still concerned about zhou lan and even wanted to give her some pork, cherishing their daughter deeply.


    jiang chuan didn¡¯t say much. he had understood the situation and silently vowed to help the zhou family when he was able to. however, there was no need to voice this directly, as it might just make xu niu feel worse..¡±

 Chapter 204 - Chapter 204: White Cut Meat

    chapter 204: white cut meat


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    today, zhou lan was in high spirits as she reunited with her elder brother. they seemed to have endless topics to chat about. not wanting to interrupt their conversation, zhou lan quickly prepared some pork and simply steamed it in a big pot.


    after steaming, she cut the pork into large chunks, making a dish called ¡°white cut meat¡± (plain sliced pork), which is eaten dipped in sauce once cooled. by now, she was skilled at making sauces, the fragrance of which filled the entire house, making even jiang gu drool and impressing jiang xia.


    thanks to the current weather, the sauce didn¡¯t spoil easily. after she made it, there was usually enough for the family to eat for three to four days. it was both convenient and delicious.


    while the meat was steaming, zhou lan didn¡¯t have to keep a constant eye on the pot, so she could continue chatting with her brother.


    by the time jiang chuan returned with the others, zhou lan and zhou wan were still sitting and talking at the table, reminiscing about old times, and zhou lan¡¯s laughter echoed heartily.


    upon seeing her husband, zhou lan got up to greet him and accepted the jar of wine he was carrying. ¡°you¡¯ve come back just in time! the meat is ready. sit down, and i¡¯ll cook some wild vegetable porridge, then we can eat.¡±


    xu niu and zhou wan were glad to see zhou lan so vibrant, a contrast to her previously silent and listless demeanor. they were relieved and settled down at the table.


    jiang chuan¡¯s main intention in helping was not just to assist. he wanted to share some crucial information he¡¯d learned during his journey to reassure zhou lan.


    after listening, zhou lan looked concerned and said, ¡°husband, we must help them. they have always been good to us!¡±


    jiang chuan, understanding his wife¡¯s sentiments, reassured her, ¡°don¡¯t worry. we still have some money left. though not much, luckily we have grain tickets. i¡¯ve planned to give them some when they leave. it will solve their immediate problems. once we¡¯re in a better position, we¡¯ll assist them further.¡±


    grateful for her husband¡¯s thoughtfulness, zhou lan kissed him on the cheek, feeling joy in her heart.


    ¡°why are you two feeding us with your lovey-dovey moments instead of making food?¡± jiang xia joked, having just returned with her sister. seeing their parents so affectionate after all these years made her roll her eyes, although there was a hint of envy.


    zhou lan, wearing a playful expression that seemed to say, ¡°i love making you jealous,¡± cheerfully stirred the wild vegetable porridge in the pot.


    jiang chuan asked with concern, ¡°was everything okay? did anyone give you a hard time?¡±


    pulling up a small stool, jiang xia sat by the stove. she added some dry grass, causing the flames to jump. ¡°dad, don¡¯t worry. the people here are simple and honest. they don¡¯t make a fuss over minor accidents between kids. the father of the chubby kid kept saying it was no big deal and even thanked us for the seeds we provided. they¡¯ve sprouted and are growing rapidly. maybe they¡¯ll emerge before winter. when we were leaving, he even invited xiao gu and me to have a meal at their home.¡±


    having finished stirring the porridge, zhou lan set the spoon aside and looked at the father-daughter duo. ¡°what are you two discussing?¡±


    jiang xia briefly recounted the recent events in the small woods and by the river. zhou lan nodded with a look of pride, ¡°it¡¯s no wonder xiao gu is so skilled; she¡¯s been raised by me! once she goes to school, 1 won¡¯t have to worry about her being bullied!¡±


    jiang chuan and jiang xia exchanged a glance of disbelief over zhou lan¡¯s concern, each musing: ¡°for a wife or mother like this, what can one do but indulge her?¡±

 Chapter 205 - Chapter 205: Bold Guess

    chapter 205: bold guess


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    there was something jiang xia had kept from them. she wanted to wait until her guess was confirmed before sharing, hoping to offer them a pleasant surprise.


    soon, the porridge was ready. zhou lan ladled out six bowls, and the three of them carried them to the table. jiang chuan returned to the kitchen for dishes, while jiang xia took jiang gu to wash her hands.


    having practiced martial arts from a young age, zhou lan developed a bold personality. she often drank with her brother and fellow martial arts enthusiasts, building a solid tolerance for alcohol. she poured wine into four glasses and took her seat.


    zhou wan was a tad surprised. so much had changed in the family since their last meeting. apart from the noticeable improvements in their living conditions, the couple had also transitioned from being shy and timid to outgoing and vivacious. zhou lan had become the heart of the family, adored and cherished by all.


    previously, it was unheard of for a man to let a woman sit before him. but now, jiang chuan consistently put zhou lan first, always eager to assist her. observing his sister being so treasured made zhou wan immensely happy.


    however, the four wine glasses caught his attention. ¡°sister, 1 remember you typically avoid drinking. why pour yourself a glass today?¡±


    taken by surprise, zhou lan chuckled, ¡°it¡¯s a rare occasion with you all here. i¡¯m so elated that 1 felt like sharing a drink.¡±


    being ever considerate, zhou wan advised, ¡°your intentions are sweet. however, this liquor is potent. if you¡¯re not accustomed, 1 fear you might feel ill.¡±


    ¡°if i do get tipsy, i¡¯m home and can just sleep it off. don¡¯t fuss over it, elder brother,¡± she retorted playfully.


    seeing her so at ease, zhou wan chose not to press further. his heart swelled with joy at her happiness.


    maybe it was the high spirits or fatigue from the journey, but zhou wan found the vegetable porridge exceptionally delicious that evening. the pork, lean and perfectly cooked, complemented the liquor brilliantly.


    as the night progressed, their laughter and chatter grew louder, with alcohol loosening their inhibitions. a slightly inebriated zhou wan clasped jiang chuan¡¯s hand, reiterating, ¡°as long as you cherish my sister, i¡¯m content.¡±


    zhou lan, who hadn¡¯t indulged as much, felt a surge of emotion at her brother¡¯s heartfelt words. tears glistened in her eyes.


    noticing the emotional scene, jiang xia tactfully took her younger sister outside.


    the jiang family¡¯s new home had three rooms. jiang chuan and zhou lan shared one, with jiang xia and jiang gu each having separate quarters. given the state of their guests, the sisters decided to offer one of their rooms. excitedly, jiang gu proposed, ¡°let¡¯s give my room to uncle and auntie. i want to bunk with you tonight!¡±


    proudly, jiang xia ruffled jiang gu¡¯s hair, ¡°you¡¯re such a sweetheart!¡±


    they tidied up the room, and once everything was set, jiang gu laid down in jiang xia¡¯s room, and zhou lan helped the tipsy guests to bed. it wasn¡¯t long before the house was quiet.


    that night, jiang xia lay in bed, eyes open in the pitch-dark room, thoughts of the day¡¯s events keeping her awake. her movements stirred jiang gu, who mumbled sleepily, ¡°sister, why aren¡¯t you asleep?¡±


    feeling guilty for waking her sister, jiang xia apologized. she then decided to ask jiang gu about something that had been on her mind.


    ¡°jiang gu, do you feel stronger these days?¡±


    still groggy, jiang gu mumbled, ¡°yes, jiang gu is super strong. if i can do everything, then everyone will love me even more, and they won¡¯t leave.¡±


    jiang xia¡¯s heart ached at this response. despite the immense love they showered on jiang gu, the emotional scars of her early years lingered..

 Chapter 206 - Chapter 206: Giving Something

    chapter 206: giving something


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang xia gently patted jiang gu¡¯s back, singing a lullaby to lull her into slumber. ¡°sleep, sleep, go to bed early, a well-rested baby is always pretty.¡±


    the next morning, jiang xia woke up very early. she guessed that the adults had drunk alcohol last night and would probably have a headache today. so she prepared water mixed with interspace water to help with their hangovers.


    jiang xia was also concerned about her aunt¡¯s two miscarriages. she suspected they might be recurrent miscarriages. she had read a bit about it in medical books at the library but didn¡¯t know the exact treatment. the best way would be medicines, like vitamin e, but they were unavailable. so, the only option was to use food as a remedy.


    her first thought was to give her uncle the sheep they had caught, which had grazed in the interspace and looked even healthier than modern farm sheep.


    but she quickly dismissed that idea. even if their household conditions had improved, presenting such a fat sheep without an explanation, especially during a famine, would raise questions.


    so she tied two wild rabbits with grass rope, gathered a large basket of wild vegetables, and added a bag of raw melon seeds.


    the melon seeds came from a time when she traveled by bus to the county town. she had exchanged wild vegetables for these seeds with someone on the ride.


    she planted the seeds in the interspace and didn¡¯t pay much attention to them. to her surprise, they sprouted and grew on their own. they thrived so well that they quickly turned into sunflowers over a meter high. the flowers had large heads and were filled with plump sunflower seeds that were a delight to see.


    jiang xia initially planned to roast these seeds in a pan, seasoning them to make spicy-flavored seeds. however, her current body was only thirteen years old, making it difficult for her to handle the heavy pan, let alone roast the seeds. so, she could only pack a bag of raw seeds.


    when the adults woke up, both zhou wan and xu niu, despite the pleas of zhou lan and jiang chuan, decided to leave early. they were worried that if they stayed out too long, their elderly parents would be anxious. they even chose to leave without having lunch.


    zhou lan quickly packed some wild vegetable cakes and corn muffins that she had prepared in advance for them to eat on the road. jiang chuan discreetly slipped some money and grain tickets into zhou wan¡¯s pocket.


    when zhou wan went to pick up his basket, he noticed it felt heavier than expected. upon opening it, he found it filled with fresh wild vegetables, two lively wild rabbits, and a bag which, to his surprise, contained melon seeds such a rare treat!


    zhou wan glanced at zhou lan and then at jiang chuan, momentarily at a loss for words. the rough man¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t help but become a bit moist. he originally came to help and support his sister¡¯s family, yet he was leaving with a bounty of gifts.


    at this moment, jiang xia spoke up, ¡°uncle, all these were prepared on my mother¡¯s orders. the wild vegetables were picked fresh this morning. you can share them when you get back. these two wild rabbits were encountered by dad and me in the mountains!¡±


    her underlying message was that these items weren¡¯t as precious as he might think, hoping zhou wan wouldn¡¯t feel burdened and would accept the gifts.


    seeing jiang xia¡¯s clever and well-behaved appearance, zhou wan couldn¡¯t help but smile, revealing two rows of white teeth. the more he looked at her, the more he was moved by her intelligence and sensibility, making him even more speechless.


    zhou lan quickly added, ¡°yes, elder brother, i¡¯ll only be at ease if you take these with you. i¡¯ve never had the chance to properly show filial piety to our parents and always worried them. it pains my heart. if you don¡¯t take these things back, i¡¯ll feel even worse.¡±


    with a pitiful look on her face, zhou lan seemed as if she was about to burst into tears any moment.


    jiang chuan quickly wrapped an arm around zhou lan¡¯s shoulder. she leaned into him, burying her face. she genuinely felt sad, having just reunited with her brother, the impending separation was hard to bear.


    realizing the depth of the conversation, zhou wan ceased his refusals. he shared a glance with xu niu. with baskets strapped to their backs and under the watchful gazes of all, they set off..

 Chapter 207 - Chapter 207: A Test

    chapter 207: a test


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    zhou wan and xu niu had already departed, but zhou lan remained upset for some time. jiang chuan patted his wife¡¯s shoulder and reassured her, ¡°don¡¯t worry. i¡¯ll go to the county town again in a few days. once we earn more money, we can buy gifts and visit them. we¡¯ll see them soon.¡±


    known for her lively personality, zhou lan quickly bounced back. soon, she was joyfully planning her shoe soles project.


    jiang xia patiently waited for zhou lan¡¯s mood to lift. the moment zhou lan began to smile, she called out mysteriously, ¡°mom, dad, wait. i have something to share.¡±


    she stepped outside to lock the main door and returned, her actions rousing a sense of concern in jiang chuan and zhou lan.


    the cloud of worry once again shadowed zhou lan¡¯s cheerful heart. ¡°xiao xia, please, tell us straight away. we can handle it.¡±


    jiang xia responded calmly, ¡°it¡¯s not about me; it¡¯s about xiao gu.¡±


    zhou lan¡¯s concern deepened. she rushed to xiao gu and cradled her. ¡°what happened? is she sick? did someone hurt her?¡±


    as the adage goes, ¡°concern leads to chaos¡±. jiang xia empathized with her mother¡¯s reaction.


    gently prying zhou lan¡¯s hand off xiao gu, she led her to the center of the courtyard. ¡°it¡¯s neither, mom. there¡¯s no need to worry. what i¡¯m about to show might be seen as a good thing! but 1 need to demonstrate.¡±


    filled with anticipation, zhou lan and jiang chuan watched as jiang xia fetched a basket of hard soil clumps, setting one on the ground.


    ¡°xiao gu, use all your might to crush this soil clump.¡±


    the soil, affected by droughts in recent years, had turned dry and brittle. despite watering, these soil chunks were so parched they became rock-hard and nutritionally barren. some were even tougher than stones. given xiao gu¡¯s tender age of just over six, could she possibly muster the strength to break them?


    jiang chuan and zhou lan exchanged puzzled glances. a single piece of this hard soil would demand much effort from jiang chuan, a full-grown man, just to induce a crack. why then would jiang xia ask jiang gu to attempt it?


    jiang gu confidently clenched and unclenched her small hands, mimicking adults as she blew into her palm. she then grasped a soil lump firmly.


    her tiny face reddened as she exerted force, her features scrunching up adorably. the sight was humorous and endearing.


    seeing jiang gu¡¯s cute determination, zhou lan couldn¡¯t help but draw her into a playful hug. just as she intended to assist in crushing the lump, fragments of broken soil exploded from jiang gu¡¯s hand. some bits landed on both jiang xia and jiang gu, but the majority fell to the ground, slipping through her fingers.


    the astonishment was evident on zhou lan and jiang chuan¡¯s faces. jiang xia appeared unsurprised, while jiang gu looked up expectantly, hoping for praise from her family.


    the implication quickly dawned on zhou lan and jiang chuan. this wasn¡¯t just any soil lump; it was exceptionally hard. if even jiang chuan struggled with it and jiang gu could shatter it so effortlessly, her strength was clearly superior, not just compared to other children but even many adults.


    did jiang gu also have a unique power? one akin to zhou lan¡¯s prodigious strength?


    jiang chuan¡¯s gaze met zhou lan¡¯s, and without a word, they shared an understanding. they needed a private conversation with jiang xia. given jiang gu¡¯s tender age and her probable lack of understanding about her newfound power, she shouldn¡¯t be privy to the talk. zhou lan reached out and scooped up her daughter.


    ¡°look who our mighty little one is! it¡¯s our precious xiao gu. as a reward, mom will treat you to a meat bun today!¡±


    ¡°yay! jiang gu loves meat buns the most!¡± jiang gu¡¯s hands clapped in delight within zhou lan¡¯s embrace. her thoughts didn¡¯t linger on her remarkable strength. her heart swelled with happiness, thinking only of her mother¡¯s praise and the promised treat..

 Chapter 208 - Chapter 208: Icy Beauty

    chapter 208: icy beauty


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang chuan looked at the small cone of soil crumbs piled on the ground. holding his chin, deep in thought, he turned to jiang xia. ¡°xiao xia, when did you first notice xiao gu¡¯s unusual strength?¡±


    jiang xia recounted the incident where jiang gu pushed the chubby kid to jiang chuan.


    but that wasn¡¯t the only incident.


    while jiang xia and jiang gu were escorting the chubby kid home, they passed their neighbor¡¯s residence.


    this neighbor was the village¡¯s renowned icy beauty. living alone and still unmarried, she often faced advances from some single men at night. as a deterrent, she kept two large dogs that growled and barked at strangers, serving as her guards.


    being on her own, she didn¡¯t have the pressures of feeding an entire family. the dogs were content with the leftovers she provided.


    lying on the ground, each dog measured nearly a meter in length. standing on their hind legs, they¡¯d probably tower over most people.


    jiang gu, unafraid and seeing dogs for the first time, was immensely curious. she approached them playfully.


    the two dogs circled around jiang gu, nearly making her dizzy, but she laughed and hugged their necks.


    observing this, the icy beauty remarked to jiang xia, ¡°it¡¯s strange. these dogs typically growl at everyone except for me. but today, they¡¯ve been surprisingly calm around your little sister.¡±


    jiang xia often felt that the icy beauty, though appearing indifferent to most, she always seemed very friendly towards jiang xia. she didn¡¯t understand why, but whenever she met the ice beauty, she felt a deep sense of closeness and wanted to befriend her.


    while the icy beauty was speaking, she didn¡¯t notice jiang gu, with her back turned to the dog. but jiang xia saw it all ¨C jiang gu, displaying surprising strength, lifted one of the large dogs with ease.


    given the ongoing food crisis, the dog shouldn¡¯t be that heavy. yet, for a six-year-old, lifting such a massive dog was nothing short of remarkable.


    this incident reinforced jiang xia¡¯s belief in jiang gu¡¯s extraordinary strength.


    that same day, an experiment in which jiang gu crushed soil clumps convinced jiang xia. like her and their parents, jiang gu had inherited the family¡¯s unique power.


    hearing this, jiang chuan exclaimed, ¡°i¡¯ve been so preoccupied lately. i didn¡¯t even notice when jiang gu¡¯s strength started to manifest.¡±


    sensing jiang chuan¡¯s guilt, jiang xia consoled him, ¡°dad, our focus has been on earning money to ensure jiang gu¡¯s education. we might have overlooked this detail, but it¡¯s fortunate we discovered it before others became suspicious. explaining such strength in a child would be challenging.¡±


    jiang chuan smiled and said, ¡°you have a sharp eye.¡±


    upon hearing this, jiang xia expressed a concern, ¡°dad, since jiang gu is part of our family and possesses powers, do you think our elder sister might have some abilities too?¡±


    jiang chuan frowned, ¡°it¡¯s hard to say. initially, even jiang gu didn¡¯t exhibit any powers. her strength developed over time while she was with us. perhaps the abilities in our family manifest after a certain amount of time together?¡±


    feeling downcast, jiang xia thought about how long she¡¯d been in this world without finding her elder sister.


    jiang chuan comforted her, ¡°don¡¯t dwell on it. our family has faced some recent challenges, but things might settle soon. let¡¯s use this opportunity to discreetly inquire about her. perhaps we can find some clues about your elder sister.¡±


    jiang xia quickly got over her emotions and nodded with a smile.


    she recalled that they had planned to slaughter a sheep for meat the day before. just as she was about to fetch the sheep, she heard someone call out from outside, ¡°third brother, are you home?¡±


    both jiang chuan and jiang xia turned towards the voice, recognizing it as belonging to their neighbor, xiao li.


    jiang xia approached to open the door, and as xiao li stepped in, she greeted him warmly, ¡°uncle li.¡±


    xiao li acknowledged her and then looked towards jiang chuan in the yard, asking, ¡°third brother, why is your door shut in broad daylight? is something happening at home?¡±


    jiang chuan welcomed him inside, saying, ¡°not really. we just bid farewell to zhou lan¡¯s elder brother. we were feeling a bit low, and to avoid unnecessary chatter, we decided to keep the door closed..¡±

 Chapter 209 - Chapter 209: Something Bothering Him

    chapter 209: something bothering him


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    upon hearing this, xiao li said, ¡°that works out perfectly. your wife probably isn¡¯t in the mood to cook at noon. why not bring your family over to my place for a meal? 1 just traded some wild vegetables for meat tickets and cut some pork for lunch. i was actually planning to invite you.¡±


    jiang chuan glanced at the time, realizing it was almost noon. earlier, he had been so engrossed in thoughts about jiang gu¡¯s abilities that he forgot to check the time.


    although he initially wanted to decline the offer, he sensed that xiao li had something on his mind. given that it seemed to require a more detailed conversation, he readily agreed.


    ¡°alright, just wait a moment. your sister-in-law¡¯s elder brother brought over some pork yesterday, and we had leftovers from last night. i¡¯ll bring them over; once warmed up, they¡¯ll still make a good dish.¡±


    ¡°okay then, i¡¯ll head back and wait for you,¡± xiao li said, then left.


    jiang xia watched xiao li¡¯s slightly stooped figure walking away and said to her father, ¡°dad, uncle li definitely has something bothering him.¡±


    ¡°if you¡¯ve noticed, do you think i haven¡¯t? i¡¯ll ask him about it during lunch,¡± jiang chuan responded.


    zhou lan knew of xiao li¡¯s family¡¯s circumstances. during these times, most families were short on food, certainly not as well-off as theirs. so, she decided to bring more meat and wild vegetable pancakes, as well as the meat sauce she had prepared earlier.


    by the time they arrived, xiao li had already set the table.


    the room was modest, with mismatched dishes, and not a complete set to be seen. before jiang chuan¡¯s family began earning some money in the county town, both households had similar living conditions. but after obtaining some funds, they purchased furniture, dishes, and cups, making their home feel more welcoming.


    xiao li was slightly uneasy. this was the first time the third brother¡¯s family had visited for a meal. he had been concerned about not offering enough, and seeing them arrive with so much food added to his embarrassment.


    ¡°look at this,¡± he exclaimed. ¡°i invited you over, and yet you¡¯ve brought so much with you.¡±


    zhou lan replied with a hearty laugh, ¡°all of this was leftover from last night. we were actually worried you¡¯d find it lacking!¡±


    ¡°how could 1? these items are precious. i cherish them; there¡¯s no way i¡¯d complain,¡± xiao li assured.


    as they sat down for a meal, xiao li seemed restless, as if he wanted to say something. he glanced at jiang chuan multiple times but always hesitated. growing impatient, jiang chuan said directly, ¡°xiao li, if there¡¯s something on your mind, just speak up. our families are close; you don¡¯t need to hold back.¡± encouraged by this, xiao li began, ¡°here¡¯s the thing. just yesterday, i noticed the seeds you gave us have sprouted and are thriving. by winter, we¡¯ll surely have fresh vegetables. inspired by you, i considered selling the wild vegetables we collected earlier in the county town.¡±


    ¡°now that there¡¯s a bus service to the county town, it¡¯s become convenient. but the bus fare is two cents, and a round trip is four cents, which 1 was reluctant to spend. luckily, xiao wu needed to visit the town and had borrowed a donkey cart from the production team. so, we both headed to the town¡¯s supply and marketing cooperative to trade for grain.¡±


    ¡°on our journey, xiao wu and 1 discussed the impending winter. as the days go by after the autumn harvest, it gets colder. every family is stockpiling grain and trading it for cloth to endure the winter. currently, donkey carts remain an option, but as it gets colder, even those might not be feasible. what will we do then?¡±


    jiang chuan¡¯s brow furrowed upon hearing this. unlike the modern cities of later times, with their vehicles and towering buildings that shield from the wind, winters in these rural areas can be harsh.


    here, amidst the vast wilderness, a mere gust can send shivers down one¡¯s spine. though they hadn¡¯t yet faced winter, the intensifying winds and dropping temperatures hinted at the challenges ahead.


    in these famine-stricken times, hunger and inadequate clothing were rampant. most families had just a few pieces of cloth and cotton, hardly enough to make a few padded jackets.


    jiang chuan remembered that the original host used to wear hand-me-downs from the jiang family elders. even piecing several garments together, the result was still too thin to fend off the cold.


    with such scant protection, traveling to town on a donkey cart in winter would be akin to turning into an icicle..

 Chapter 210 - Chapter 210: Venture Into The Mountain

    chapter 210: venture into the mountain


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    at this point, xiao li looked a little embarrassed. blushes of red appeared on his tanned cheeks, indicating he was genuinely worried.


    he had been troubled all day, fearing they might not make it through the winter. after grasping xiao li¡¯s concerns, jiang chuan comforted him, ¡°xiao li, don¡¯t fret. while i can¡¯t speak for other families, given the bond between us, we¡¯ll surely support each other. we¡¯ll make it through this winter.¡±


    hearing this, xiao li recognized that jiang chuan had misunderstood him. he wasn¡¯t seeking any help or support from jiang chuan.


    he quickly explained, ¡°third brother, you¡¯ve misunderstood. every year, around this time, hunters head to the mountains. they hunt wild animals and exchange them for grain and cloth tickets to ease their lives. i¡¯m contemplating hunting this year. you¡¯ve been to those mountains several times, right? you must know a bit about them. so, i wanted to ask where the most game is located?¡±


    it made sense for xiao li to consider venturing up the mountain. the grain yield from this year¡¯s autumn harvest was meager. even though they¡¯d informed the authorities, there was no feedback. even after shen mo¡¯s extensive inspections over several days, there was still no word. with winter quickly drawing near, preparations were crucial, or survival would indeed become challenging.


    the prior mishap where jiang chuan¡¯s family encountered danger on the mountain had left a deep-rooted caution in the villagers. though they didn¡¯t know much about the mountain, they generally preferred to maintain their distance. if it weren¡¯t for the ongoing food scarcity, none in the village would even consider such a trip.


    given the circumstances, xiao li might not be the only one considering a hunting trip. perhaps a few villagers discussed this and, considering xiao li¡¯s close ties with jiang chuan, sent him to gather more information. once familiarized, they might all venture to the mountain together.


    xiao li¡¯s cheeks turned even redder as he continued, somewhat awkwardly, ¡°i¡¯d also like to request a favor. could you draw me a map? if i¡¯m fortunate enough to locate another vegetable patch, it would be incredible! this would ensure our village has vegetables for the winter.¡±


    jiang xia thought to herself, finding another vegetable patch wouldn¡¯t be easy without the aid of the interspace water.


    however, on second thought, the village was indeed out of food. the previous vegetable patch had been depleted by jiang gui. jiang xia had been searching for the right moment to locate a new wild vegetable patch for everyone. however, it wouldn¡¯t seem right since she was consistently the one to make these discoveries. this pattern would inevitably raise eyebrows over time, which is why jiang xia had refrained from acting.


    if such discoveries were only attributed to one individual, it would invite suspicion. however, if many people were to find these vegetable patches, everyone would assume that the mountain was simply rich with undiscovered patches. no one would suspect any human intervention.


    with this thought, jiang xia broke into a delighted smile, her voice turning even sweeter, ¡°of course, uncle li! you truly are a good person, always thinking of our village. i have the best memory for routes, i can surely draw a map for you!¡±


    receiving such praise from a child, xiao li couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit shy. swiftly, he grabbed a piece of pork and offered it to jiang xia, insisting, ¡°eat up, have some meat.¡±


    as jiang xia delicately tasted the meat, she pondered where she might pour the interspace water next to grow a new vegetable patch. if she introduced seeds from the interspace and nurtured them in the mountain¡¯s soil, nourishing them further with interspace water, wouldn¡¯t it offer the villagers a culinary alternative to just wild vegetables? she wondered which vegetables would be ideal for planting and decided she would have to give this more thought.


    after their meal, jiang chuan and xiao li decided that they would draft a map for him once they wrapped up their afternoon tasks. they advised him to gather the necessary provisions for his mountain expedition and set out at the crack of dawn two days hence.


    zhou lan shared concerns about the time constraints and worried xiao li might fall short of essential supplies. thus, she committed to preparing wild vegetable pancakes and corn buns for him to carry on his journey.


    after everything was planned out, xiao li heaved a sigh of relief. he sent jiang chuan¡¯s family away and began to carefully pack his bags..

 Chapter 211 - Chapter 211: Sigh

    chapter 211: sigh


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    zhou wan and xu niu set out early in the morning. the distance between the two villages wasn¡¯t very far, so they weren¡¯t in a rush. they walked leisurely, pausing now and then to rest, chat, and snack on wild vegetable pancakes.


    xu niu took a big bite of the vegetable pancake zhou lan had packed for them. he was pleasantly surprised. although he expected the pancake, having been kept overnight, to be tough, he found it resilient, moist, and still very delicious, even when cold. after eating it, he felt a sudden burst of energy, as if it made the lengthy walk seem effortless.


    not only did xu niu feel this way, even zhou wan felt the same.


    ¡°i never expected my second sister-in-law¡¯s cooking to be this good,¡± xu niu commented. ¡°the last time she cooked for us, it was tasty, but this is even better.¡±


    hearing praise for his sister, zhou wan smiled with pride. ¡°indeed, there¡¯s a lingering sweetness in her pancakes. i wonder which ingredients she used. it brings me peace to see her and her family thriving since parting ways with the old jiang family.¡±


    zhou wan¡¯s thoughts turned to jiang chuan, his brother-in-law. ¡°jiang chuan has always been sincere and humble. before their separation from the old jiang family, he was constantly suppressed by them, to the point of becoming overly submissive.¡±


    ¡°every time he visits with my sister, i¡¯m upset to see them speaking less and less. i used to be concerned about how they would fare after leaving the old jiang family, especially with a child to care for. but since then, jiang chuan has truly shown his capabilities. the home they¡¯ve built is truly something to envy.¡±


    just thinking about their three-room clay house made zhou wan very envious. he wondered when he could build such a spacious house for his own family. once the drought ended and they were allowed to grow vegetables in the village, he dreamed of cultivating a small plot in the yard. this vision brought him immense joy.


    xu niu also reflected on the change of his brother-in-law¡¯s attitude when he was educating the child by the river. it was indeed different from before. in the past, if xiao gu had injured someone, jiang chuan would definitely be worried that they would seek retribution. he would also be scolded by old madam jiang at home. however, he could not be as calm as he was today.


    moreover, despite the positive changes in jiang chuan¡¯s family¡¯s circumstances, they remained considerate of xu niu¡¯s needs. they packed a generous basket filled with wild vegetables and rabbits, ensuring a fulfilling meal for him.


    the large pig they owned didn¡¯t yield much meat after deboning. while zhou¡¯s parents gave away half of their share, xu niu was cautious about its consumption. given the four mouths he had to feed in his household, they allocated only a small amount of meat for each person, reserving about a pound. the remaining meat was exchanged for grain tickets at the local cooperative store. these tickets would help sustain them throughout the winter. they even set aside some for the family¡¯s elders.


    xu niu sighed deeply, remarking, ¡°life is challenging. when will the rains come? we can¡¯t go on like this for much longer.¡±


    as zhou wan was walking, he felt an unusual bulge in his pocket. could the strong winds on the road have blown sand into it?


    reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a stack of grain tickets and some loose change.


    both xu niu and zhou wan exchanged glances, realizing the source of this unexpected find. jiang chuan had likely slipped these into zhou wan¡¯s pocket discreetly.


    holding the money and tickets in his hand, zhou wan felt a pang of unease. even though his brother-in-law¡¯s family seemed to be faring well lately, they had their own challenges and many mouths to feed. just a day prior, zhou wan had caught wind of some issues at the old jiang residence. clearly, things for jiang chuan¡¯s family weren¡¯t as serene as they appeared outwardly. the thought of accepting these invaluable grain tickets weighed heavily on zhou wan, especially as the elder brother.


    since they were already midway to their destination, turning back was not an option. they chose not to linger on the matter and quickly proceeded home.


    by the time they arrived home, it was already noon. the enticing scent of freshly cooked food emanated from the kitchen, signalling that zhou wan¡¯s wife was preparing a meal.


    upon seeing their son and son-in-law, zhou wan¡¯s elderly parents quickly glanced behind them, hoping that maybe their daughter had also returned. realising it was just the two men, they felt a tinge of disappointment.


    zhou lan¡¯s mother, zhang min, stepped forward, helping zhou wan unload the basket he was carrying. noting their presence, xu niu said, ¡°mom, dad, lunch must be ready at our house with zhou ling preparing. i better head back..¡±

 Chapter 212 - Chapter 212: Sharing The Goods

    chapter 212: sharing the goods


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    the two elderly nodded without insisting that xu niu stay longer. however, zhou wan quickly stopped him. ¡°xu niu, don¡¯t be in a hurry to leave. let¡¯s divide the goods for you to take home.¡±


    upon hearing that there were more goods, zhang min swiftly grabbed zhou wan by the ear. ¡°1 told you to deliver pork, so why did you bring stuff from your sister¡¯s place?¡±


    zhang min¡¯s temper seemed to mirror that of zhou lan¡¯s. it was evident why they were mother and daughter in this world.


    guarding his ear, zhou wan exclaimed, ¡°ouch, mom, be gentle! my sister insisted on giving this to us. i didn¡¯t ask for it. let me divide the goods for xu niu first so he can eat lunch. 1¡¯11 explain everything about zhou lan later at the table!¡±


    zhou lan¡¯s father, zhou cheng, approached to soothe his wife. ¡°haven¡¯t you heard? someone in the village mentioned that the men in zhou lan¡¯s family went to the county town. they might have earned some money. don¡¯t rush things. let the boy divide the goods.¡±


    only then did zhang min release zhou wan, her hands on her hips, observing him intently.


    zhou wan then unveiled two wild rabbits tied with a rope and a large basket of wild vegetables beneath a cloth cover.


    these wild vegetables were vibrant and lush. it was clear that they had thrived from ample nutrients. their leaves were twice the size of other vegetables.


    he had never heard that the harvest in the neighboring village was superior. why did the wild vegetables grow better there than in his own village?


    xu niu¡¯s family consisted of four members. including the old couple, there were six people. zhou wan only had to care for two elderly individuals and had no children, totaling four in his household. therefore, without considering the number of mouths to feed, he directly divided the wild vegetables into two portions, one for each family.


    zhou wan found another cloth bag and filled it with melon seeds. he handed them to xu niu, saying, ¡°no one in the family enjoys melon seeds. only zhou ling snacks on them when she has nothing to do. take these melon seeds with you. i¡¯ll just keep a few to try.¡±


    xu niu didn¡¯t refuse. he planned to take these raw seeds home for zhou ling to roast. they would be enough for her to snack on for half a month, satisfying her craving.


    zhou wan placed the packed seeds into xu niu¡¯s basket. then, with one hand, he picked up a wild rabbit by its ear, comparing the weight of both rabbits. finding them nearly identical in weight, he chose the slightly lighter one for xu niu to take home.


    xu niu was taken aback by the generous offer. he remembered that, before he left, zhou lan had mentioned the rabbit was for his sister-in-law to help her recover. xu niu hadn¡¯t even thought of keeping the wild rabbit for himself.


    the eldest brother had been married for several years. his eldest sister-in-law had suffered two miscarriages. the entire family hoped she could strengthen her body to bear a child for the eldest brother, and xu niu was no exception.


    ¡°brother, i can¡¯t accept this,¡± xu niu protested. ¡°this rabbit is so plump; it¡¯s rare. you should keep it to make soup for our parents and my eldest sister-in-law to nourish them. i can¡¯t take it.¡±


    zhou wan, thinking of his own wife, hesitated for a moment, torn about giving away the rabbit.


    zhang min quickly grabbed the rabbit and tossed it into the basket, saying, ¡°just take it and hurry home. zhou ling must have already prepared lunch and is waiting for you. it¡¯s okay for you to wait, but don¡¯t keep the kids waiting too long.¡±


    zhang min had a sharp tongue but a soft heart. she might sound harsh, but she always considered others¡¯ best interests. fearing his mother-in-law, xu niu didn¡¯t say another word and quickly left with the basket.


    lastly, zhou wan took out the meat sauce made by zhou lan and the untouched pig offal he had brought back.


    upon seeing the pig offal, zhang min was ready to scold zhou wan. ¡°you! 1 told you to give the pork to them so they could exchange it for grains at the co-op. the offal was meant for jiang chuan to eat. why did you bring it back?¡±


    fearing zhang min¡¯s reprimand, zhou wan quickly relayed the conversation he had with zhou lan the previous night. after listening, zhang min seemed only half-convinced but didn¡¯t appear inclined to scold him further.


    ¡°has zhou lan¡¯s family been doing well since they separated from the main family?¡±


    zhou wan responded confidently, ¡°yes! their living conditions are much better than when they were with the old jiang family. their courtyard is spotless, with no bad odours. each of the two girls has her own room, which is spacious and bright. seeing that, 1 even thought about building a similar house for us.¡±


    only then did zhang min seem relieved. ¡°the county town is indeed different from our village. selling wild vegetables in the county town definitely brings in more than exchanging them at the co-op. jiang chuan is truly resourceful.


    even when trading isn¡¯t in vogue, he still manages to find buyers. impressive..¡±

 Chapter 213 - Chapter 213: Biased

    chapter 213: biased


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    zhou wan felt upset as he listened. why was jiang chuan praised for selling vegetables in the county town when zhou wan had once wanted to do the same, only to be scolded by his mother? she had warned him that he was too naive and would surely get cheated.


    why was she treating jiang chuan differently? she was clearly biased.


    just then, zhou wan¡¯s wife came out of the kitchen, having finished cooking. seeing her husband, she cheerfully said, ¡°father, mother, zhou wan, dinner is ready. let¡¯s sit and eat. we can talk while dining.¡±


    zhou wan went over to help his wife and playfully pinched her waist, showing his affection.


    the four settled at the dining table. some wild vegetable pancakes that zhou lan had brought were still left. zhou wan served them, with meat sauce on the side. the combination was incredibly fragrant.


    zhou cheng, already missing his daughter, felt the longing intensify as he ate the food she prepared. ¡°why didn¡¯t zhou lan come back with you to visit? it¡¯s been nearly six months since i last saw her. 1 heard her family was forced into the mountains by the old madam jiang and almost didn¡¯t return¡­¡±


    zhou cheng¡¯s voice trembled, the thought of almost losing his daughter filled him with anger and sorrow.


    however, dealing with the entire jiang family was challenging. their brother was strong-willed and articulate, making arguments against him fruitless. in contrast, jiang chuan was timid and rarely defended himself. it frustrated zhou wan¡¯s family to witness such treatment, but they often felt helpless.


    zhang min wiped her tears upon hearing this. ¡°they¡¯ve split up anyway, so we might as well bring their family back! even if we tidy up this courtyard, we can still accommodate them. it¡¯s better for them to stay by father and mother¡¯s side than to suffer outside! if my daughter stays by my side, i¡¯ll see who dares to bully her in the future!¡±


    seeing his parents¡¯ growing distress, zhou wan quickly reassured them, ¡°father, mother, don¡¯t worry. zhou lan is doing well. after the separation, she didn¡¯t take anything from the old jiang family. but with the village¡¯s support, she built a decent house. their life is sorted.¡±


    ¡°later, they ventured up the mountain a few times and were fortunate to discover a wild vegetable field. the wild vegetables 1 brought back were harvested by them. zhou lan instructed me to share them with you guys. she also mentioned that these vegetables are exceptionally sweet and would likely be popular in the county town.¡±


    after that, zhou wan offered a wild vegetable pancake to the elderly couple. ¡°i¡¯ll prepare wild vegetable porridge for you tonight. taste it and see if the vegetables are as delightful as zhou lan described.¡±


    zhang min continued to probe, ¡°is just having food and shelter sufficient? what about their clothing and household items? they seemed to have left with nothing, so how do they manage financially? life must be tough!¡±


    ¡°not really. i went to take a closer look. the porcelain pots they own are of excellent quality. despite some chipping, they¡¯re far superior to what we use. 1 also noticed jiang xia and jiang gu in new outfits. apparently, these were garments that city kids outgrew, so they were passed on to jiang xia and jiang gu. additionally, their newly acquired furniture, made from quality wood, looks splendid.¡±


    ¡°i also heard from jiang chuan that he¡¯s been inquiring about the whereabouts of their eldest daughter, jiang qing. he¡¯s eager to reunite with her. zhou lan plans to bring her three daughters and have the family of five visit you. she wants you to meet the three granddaughters you¡¯ve missed for so long.¡±


    zhang min recalled her eldest granddaughter who was sold by old madam jiang and, in anger, slammed the table. ¡°that woman has such a malicious tongue! how dare she determine the fate of my granddaughter? my poor girl is mistreated merely because she¡¯s gentle!¡±


    ¡°mother, calm down. jiang chuan mentioned that the old madam jiang has shown some remorse. he¡¯s even devised a plan to ascertain her precise location. in just a day or two, he should be able to bring his daughter home.¡±


    though still upset, zhang min¡¯s primary concern was for her granddaughter¡¯s swift return, hoping the family would soon visit the village..

 Chapter 214 - Chapter 214: Drawing a Map

    chapter 214: drawing a map


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang xia held the half-used pencil that wang ping from the small town hotel had given them, along with a few notebooks with some bent corners, and slumped over the table in worry.


    in the notebook, there was already a rough outline of the mountain map. what remained was marking the spots where wild vegetables were found and guiding xiao li to discover new vegetable patches.


    jiang xia poked her own head with the pencil¡¯s eraser, trying to figure out which plot of land was more suitable for a vegetable field. this was a habit she had developed when she was studying. whenever she encountered a problem that she could not solve, she would poke her forehead with the pen as if she could figure it out with just a poke.


    jiang gu was also lying beside the table. her two small hands were holding the edge of the table. her round little face was placed on her little fingers. her wide, shiny black eyes were wide open as she looked at her sister curiously.


    ¡°sister, what are you drawing? why are there so many tangled lines? i don¡¯t understand,¡± jiang gu said.


    while ¡¯messy¡¯ was a new word jiang gu had just learned, and while she understood the meaning, she couldn¡¯t write it, especially the last character which was too complicated to even copy.


    seeing her younger sibling¡¯s cute expression, jiang xia momentarily set aside the map issue. smiling, she rubbed jiang gu¡¯s head and began to explain, ¡°this is called a map. you¡¯ll learn about it in elementary school during geography lessons. the map has symbols indicating directions like north, south, west, and east. these tangled lines are not just lines; they represent the paths we take.¡±


    ¡°what does ¡®complex¡¯ mean?¡± jiang gu asked, eager to learn.


    jiang xia explained the meaning and then tore a page from the notebook, writing down the word for jiang gu to practice.


    zhou lan took the cloth that had already been washed and hardened and placed it in a basket. she sat down beside jiang xia with the basket in her arms and took a few glances at the words ¡± complex¡±.


    ¡°xiao xia, xiao gu hasn¡¯t started elementary school yet. don¡¯t you think the word you¡¯re teaching is too complicated?¡±


    jiang xia thought for a moment and realized that it seemed to be the case. in the modern world, she had skipped several grades because of her high iq. she had even learned more than her peers. therefore, she had forgotten that most of the words she learned before she entered school were words with fewer strokes.


    however, jiang xia didn¡¯t expect xiao gu to understand these words. in fact, she wanted her to learn how to write first and cultivate her interest in learning, so the complexity of the words didn¡¯t matter


    jiang xia still had other things to worry about.¡± mother, where do you think we should choose for the new wild vegetables? 1 looked at this map and couldn¡¯t think of a reasonable location. it could be hidden and not easily discovered, and it wouldn¡¯t be too difficult to pick vegetables.¡±


    jiang chuan, leisurely fanning himself with a hand fan, walked in and said, ¡°you can¡¯t get everything from a map. some things require on-the-ground examination. the map is just a guide.¡±


    jiang xia felt that it made sense.¡± that¡¯s true, but it¡¯s the middle of the afternoon now. if we go to the foot of the mountain brazenly, we¡¯ll surely be spotted. maybe i should inspect the area at night!¡±


    zhou lan expressed her concern, ¡°it¡¯s pitch-black at night. do you really want to venture to those remote foothills? 1 was really worried the other night when you sneaked out to the old jiang family house. 1 won¡¯t let you go alone tonight!¡±


    jiang xia felt a bit guilty for her previous night¡¯s escapade and didn¡¯t argue. instead, she said, ¡°of course, i¡¯ll have my brave mom with me! without you by my side, i¡¯d be scared!¡±


    zhou lan chuckled at jiang xia¡¯s words and felt reassured, picking up a needle to start sewing shoe soles.


    the fabric, once starched and washed, was very stiff. pushing a needle through required a lot of effort. for most people, it would take a long time just to make one stitch. but zhou lan had unusual strength; she effortlessly made several stitches as if sewing through cotton.


    thinking about how the family would soon have new shoes, zhou lan felt joyful and worked faster. in no time, she had shaped the sole of one shoe..

 Chapter 215 - Chapter 215: Which Vegetable To Plant

    chapter 215: which vegetable to plant


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang xia watched her mother make shoe soles, deep in thought. she constantly worried about their vegetable garden. suddenly, an idea struck her, and she said to jiang chuan, ¡®dad, how about we introduce different types of vegetables from our interspace and plant them at the mountain¡¯s base? this way, villagers can enjoy a change in taste and get more vitamins. many villagers look thin and malnourished. even if we can t provide them enough meat, a variety of vegetables can surely help.¡±


    jiang chuan looked at his mature and thoughtful daughter with pride. she always considered everyone¡¯s well-being and never just her own. he felt lucky to have such a daughter.


    however, jiang chuan believed it wasn¡¯t just his upbringing that shaped jiang xia¡¯s generous nature. her schooling and personal experiences played a significant role in molding her values.


    while jiang gu wrote on the side, she found some characters quite challenging. feeling exhausted, she lifted her head and saw her sister and dad in conversation. when they discussed vitamins, her curiosity piqued. ¡°sister, what¡¯s a vitamin?¡± she asked.


    in simple terms, jiang xia answered, ¡°it¡¯s an element in vegetables that helps keep you healthy. different vegetables have various vitamins, each with unique benefits. you¡¯ll learn more in your chemistry and biology classes.¡±


    jiang gu tried to grasp the concept. she knew that fresh vegetables were rare treats, and eating them made her feel full and energetic. in her mind, she assumed vitamins were what gave her this energy. seeing her puzzled look, jiang chuan, filled with affection, lifted her up. he playfully rubbed his bearded chin against her soft face, causing her to burst into giggles.


    after a little playful moment, he told her, ¡°go play outside for a while. once you¡¯re refreshed, you can continue writing.¡¯1


    jiang gu eagerly left her pencil and ran out. earlier, she had discovered the joy of crumbling soil chunks. she had received praise for this simple act from her family in the morning. in her innocent world, she believed that if she broke all the soil chunks, it would bring even more happiness to her family.


    with jiang gu away, jiang chuan turned to jiang xia, ¡°xiao xia, your idea is great. have you thought about which vegetables to plant?¡±


    jiang xia felt a hint of concern. with so many varieties in her interspace, choosing the most suitable one was tricky.


    it wasn¡¯t just about being indecisive. finding a vegetable that could flourish in the wild, demonstrate strong vitality, and regenerate rapidly was challenging.


    cabbage? no. even though it¡¯s simple to grow, cabbages require spacing between each plant, preventing dense cultivation.


    spinach? it might indeed be the best choice since it¡¯s iron-rich, perfect for rhe villagers. however, its slight sweetness might attract wild animals before the villagers could reap its benefits.


    pondering, they couldn¡¯t pinpoint an ideal vegetable.


    taking a break from her sewing, zhou lan stretched to alleviate her stiff back. she then chimed in, ¡°remember the shepherd s purse we used to spot during our outings in the modern world? this herb grows in large patches and thrives on minimal nutrients. it s delicious and has a unique texture. perhaps it¡¯s the right choice.¡±¡±


    jiang xia remembered. on family outings, they would often gather shepherd s purse from the fields, clean, and marinate them. later, they¡¯d prepare dumplings filled with the herb and pork.


    the thought of those delicious dumplings made jiang xia¡¯s mouth water.. she resolved to retrieve the sheep from her interspace the following day and make some delectable lamb dumplings!

 Chapter 216 - Chapter 216: Preparing to Set Off

    chapter 216: preparing to set off


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    having decided on the type of vegetable to plant, jiang xia went into her interspace to pick it.


    inside jiang xia¡¯s interspace, it was originally vast and open, with lush green grass and the sound of trickling water. it evoked the serene vibe of the countryside often depicted in manga. now, it was messily filled with different vegetables. small animals caught and tied up with straw ropes were carelessly thrown to the side, giving the place a somewhat chaotic appearance.


    it seemed necessary to tidy up the interspace. at the very least, she should set up fences to separate areas for different animals, making them more organized and accessible.


    while thinking this, jiang xia started searching for the shepherd¡¯s purse.


    she hadn¡¯t intentionally planted it, but shepherd¡¯s purse was everywhere. its seeds must have been mixed with other vegetable seeds.


    therefore, she might have overlooked a corner where the shepherd¡¯s purse was thriving.


    as expected, in a lush corner by the river, she found a large patch of shepherd¡¯s purse. she excitedly picked a handful and placed it on the table outside of her interspace.


    ¡°everything¡¯s ready. we can set off tonight!¡±


    on her way out to play with her sister, jiang xia noticed jiang gu crushing soil blocks, piling them up into a small mound.


    examining the soil, even though it was crushed, it still seemed dry. it clearly lacked nutrients. even if watered, it would quickly solidify. using this soil to nurture seeds would only suffocate them.


    jiang xia realized that most of the soil in the fields was like this in this drought era. there were no nutrients left. even if the drought season was over, such soil would not be able to grow enough food in a short period of time.


    she wondered if using water from her interspace would help. on a whim, she poured some onto the soil and observed its reaction under the sun.


    the soil absorbed the water and solidified, soon drying out. touching it, jiang xia felt its hard state. it seemed the interspace water had no effect.


    she thought of another method to improve the soil quality that was widely used in the future: burning dried leaves on the land. the ash would enrich the soil.


    tonight, when she went to the foot of the mountain, she planned to gather more dried leaves to test. if the soil improved, the seeds given to the villagers might germinate better.


    late at night, after zhou lan had put jiang gu to sleep and was preparing to leave, jiang chuan held his wife¡¯s hand, looking worried, ¡°my dear, please let me go with you. it¡¯s so dark outside; i¡¯m concerned about you.¡±


    jiang xia rolled her eyes. while her dad was worried about her mom, why wasn¡¯t he concerned about her? wasn¡¯t he afraid that she, a young girl, would be scared in the darkness? could his favouritism be any more obvious?


    jiang xia concluded once more, the love between her parents was genuine. she was merely an unexpected addition to their love story!


    zhou lan pulled away gently and wrapped her arms around jiang chuan¡¯s neck, saying, ¡°relax, with my skills and strength, who could challenge me?¡±


    with that, she playfully swung her fist, clearly excited about the night¡¯s adventure. having read many novels, she was always eager for unknown adventures.


    ¡°you should stay and watch over little gu. if all three of us leave, 1 won¡¯t be comfortable leaving her alone.¡±


    jiang chuan finally relented.


    hearing the quiet outside, jiang xia noted the lateness of the hour. ¡°mom, we should set out.¡±


    zhou lan checked her belongings once more: a vegetable basket, a map, and most importantly, a flashlight jiang chuan had given them from the car. they were ready to go..

 Chapter 217 - Chapter 217: Meeting An Acquaintance

    chapter 217: meeting an acquaintance


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    zhou lan and jiang xia had ventured to the foot of the mountain on numerous occasions and knew the route well.


    using a flashlight, they moved quickly towards the mountainside. they wanted to get back before dawn so no one would notice they had secretly gone into the mountain.


    zhou lan skillfully avoided stones under her feet, looking out for her daughter following behind. she warned her about all the uneven spots on the ground. they reached the foot of the mountain in about an hour, much faster than before.


    without stopping, they went straight to the previously chosen vegetable field. it was barren now, with even fewer green leaves than the last time they visited. almost nothing was left.


    it seemed someone had been continuously picking wild vegetables, not giving them any chance to regrow.


    jiang xia had a good idea of who was behind this, jiang gui from the old jiang family, who was known for being lazy and only wanting easy pickings.


    though villagers had been given seeds, jiang gui didn¡¯t bother planting them. he only wanted to collect wild vegetables.


    ¡°if we find more vegetable fields, we won¡¯t tell the jiang family!¡±


    zhou lan felt the same. she wished those malicious people who always played tricks behind her back would leave the village.


    but they needed to focus on the task. ¡°don¡¯t be upset,¡± zhou lan said. ¡°finding a good vegetable field is our main priority. xiao xia, which way should we go?¡± based on her memory, jiang xia pointed up the mountain, ¡°let¡¯s go up a bit, but not too far in.¡±


    they walked a little further. the unpolluted sky was clearer than in later times. the bright moon and countless stars illuminated the path so well they didn¡¯t need their flashlight.


    zhou lan sighed, ¡°i haven¡¯t seen so many stars in such a long time. once we settle down here, our family should spend a few nights on the mountain and enjoy this beautiful view.¡±


    they didn¡¯t go very deep but stopped near a mountain path. jiang xia discovered another path covered in wild grass beside it, hard to notice unless one looked closely.


    jiang xia followed this path for a few meters and found another spot perfect for planting ¨C an area surrounded by small stones with many dried-up trees around.


    since the water from her interspace couldn¡¯t directly revive plants, jiang xia had to transplant plants into the soil of her interspace. but she couldn¡¯t move the large trees, so she gave up on them. she started planting shepherd¡¯s purse, sprinkling some interspace water around to protect the plants from animals. looking at a dried tree, jiang xia had an idea. she took a handful of soil from her interspace and placed it on the tree, wondering if this soil had any revitalizing properties outside her interspace. she decided to use this tree as a test.


    after finishing their tasks, jiang xia and zhou lan started to head back.


    on their way down, they suddenly heard a voice behind them, ¡°who¡¯s there?¡±


    the moon was very bright that night. both of them were in a good mood after finishing their tasks, so they decided to walk home by moonlight instead of using the flashlight. when they heard the voice, zhou lan got startled and wanted to turn on the flashlight.


    luckily, jiang xia recognized the voice and stopped her mother just in time, preventing their futuristic flashlight from being seen.


    in a low voice, jiang xia whispered to zhou lan, ¡°1 think it¡¯s old sun and his wife.¡±


    zhou lan frowned. sun li¡¯s wife was close with jiang gui¡¯s wife, and she always caused trouble for zhou lan. seeing them on the mountain so late surely meant they were up to no good.


    as they got closer, the moonlight revealed zhou lan and jiang xia.


    sun li¡¯s wife said in a sharp tone that was hard to ignore, ¡°oh, look who¡¯s here in the middle of the night. it¡¯s the third wife of the jiang family who loves to show off.¡±


    jiang xia replied with a smile, pretending to be innocent, ¡°aren¡¯t you also here in the middle of the night? did you find something valuable and sneak out to get it?¡±


    jiang xia cleverly turned the tables on them, suggesting they were up to something sneaky while also questioning their purpose on the mountain..

 Chapter 218 - Chapter 218: Bad Intentions

    chapter 218: bad intentions


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    sun li¡¯s wife was so annoyed that she became furious, probably because she was too tired from climbing the mountain. her face was covered with a layer of greasy sweat, which reflected some light under the moonlight.


    her expression was ferocious as she pointed at jiang xia and shouted, ¡°you ignorant brat, who taught you to speak like this!¡±


    jiang xia put on an innocent face and replied, ¡°you were the one who said that to us just now. that¡¯s why i¡¯m imitating you. didn¡¯t you teach me to do that?¡±


    sun li¡¯s wife was rendered speechless, unexpectedly countered by a child.


    sun li, seeing his wife¡¯s disgraceful behavior, waved his hand impatiently for her to shut up. he thought she would only embarrass herself further, especially in front of a child.


    sun li looked at zhou lan arrogantly and demanded, ¡°what are you doing up the mountain in the middle of the night instead of sleeping at home? have you done something guilty?¡±


    sun li wasn¡¯t there when zhou lan beat up the jiang family, so he didn¡¯t take her seriously. now, there were two adults on their side, and zhou lan only had one child with her. he wasn¡¯t afraid of a fight.


    jiang xia took advantage of the fact that she was just a child and didn¡¯t have to care about the adults¡¯ dignity when she spoke. she stood in front of her mother and said, ¡°uncle sun, we should follow the order of questions. we asked you first, so why are you not answering and instead asking us? if you don¡¯t answer, then we won¡¯t answer either!¡±


    ¡°you!¡± sun li was also at a loss, not expecting that jiang xia, a little girl, could be so sharp-tongued.


    sun li¡¯s wife, feeling guilty, then said, ¡°we are here because we have run out of vegetables at home, so we came to the mountain to look for wild vegetables.¡±


    ¡°why, instead of focusing on planting your crops, are you two obsessed with the scanty wild vegetables on the mountain? didn¡¯t you and jiang gui¡¯s wife pluck all of them from this mountain?¡± zhou lan, who had a hot temper, didn¡¯t mince her words at all. she retorted sharply, leaving sun li¡¯s wife speechless.


    ¡°besides, the village chief just distributed the seeds two days ago. what is the logic in that?¡±


    sun li¡¯s wife was speechless. she simply continued being unreasonable. ¡°what¡¯s it to you? i think you sneaking to the mountain in the middle of the night is definitely up to no good. you might have done something disgraceful that you want to hide.¡±


    clearly, they arrived earlier and even went up the mountain, but she was trying to frame zhou lan and her daughter as the ones with bad intentions.


    zhou lan was not afraid of them. she had done nothing wrong. if they were really asked why they went up the mountain in the middle of the night, she would say it was because jiang chuan was feeling unwell and they went to the mountain to find herbs for him.


    everyone knew that jiang chuan was unwell and had been lying down all afternoon after the big scene created by old madam jiang yesterday, so zhou lan¡¯s words would not arouse suspicion.


    zhou lan said confidently, ¡°if you are not guilty, we might as well go to the village chief and reason things out. we¡¯ll see who will be the one unable to explain themselves!¡±


    sun li and his wife exchanged a guilty look, neither of them making a sound. obviously, they were afraid that the matter might actually reach the village chief.


    as the four of them stood closer, the scent of sun li and his wife slowly drifted over. jiang xia smelled the faint smell of blood and suddenly remembered that the two of them had made a fortune with the jiang family¡¯s eldest son.


    at that time, jiang xia guessed that they had secretly gone to the mountain to steal wolf cubs, which is why the wolf pack descended the mountain and attacked her family and shen mo, who were also on the mountain.


    jiang xia originally thought that after saving shen mo that day, the wolf pack had been exterminated, leaving only one or two wolves that escaped. she hadn¡¯t expected that these two could still find wolf cubs on the mountain. there might be a wolf pack deeper in the mountain.


    there was a famine these days, and every household was starving. the wolves definitely weren¡¯t full either, and they would gather to attack the slightest bit of meat. sun li and his wife actually dared to blatantly steal the wolf cubs. wasn¡¯t that trying to lure the wolf pack down the mountain and into the village?


    if the wolves were to gather and innocent villagers were injured or even killed, sun li and his wife would be in deep trouble!

 Chapter 219 - Chapter 219: Meeting the Village Chief

    chapter 219: meeting the village chief


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang xia knew that now was not the time to quarrel. this matter had to be reported to the village chief. it was important to let the village chief know that there were packs of wolves in the mountains, which could threaten the villagers at any time.


    she agreed with zhou lan¡¯s words. she had to force the sun couple into a dilemma and make them follow her to see the village chief.


    ¡°fine, let¡¯s go find the village chief together,¡± she declared.


    sun li¡¯s wife¡¯s expression changed. ¡°no, why should we go just because you say so? we won¡¯t listen to you!¡±


    jiang xia tilted her head and looked at her with her eyes shining under the moonlight. ¡°but you said that we are feeling guilty, yet we aren¡¯t. that¡¯s why we want to see the village chief. could it be that you are the one feeling guilty and don¡¯t dare to go with us?¡±


    this was a tricky statement to respond to. if they said they wouldn¡¯t go, didn¡¯t that indirectly admit their guilt and fear?


    but if they agreed to go, sun li and his wife really couldn¡¯t explain why they had gone up the mountain in the middle of the night.


    sun li¡¯s wife looked troubled. with no good options, she adopted a softer tone, as if coaxing a child. ¡°it¡¯s not that we don¡¯t dare to go, but it¡¯s late at night, and the village chief must be resting. we can¡¯t disturb his rest, can we?¡±


    jiang xia wouldn¡¯t give them an opportunity to dodge. ¡°no, considering our pace, by the time we get back it will be dawn. the village chief is very diligent. he wakes up as soon as it¡¯s light. we definitely won¡¯t disturb him,¡± she asserted.


    seeing that soft tactics weren¡¯t working, sun li was ready to get tough. he handed what he was holding into his wife¡¯s arms. only now did jiang xia understand why sun li had been dawdling here: his hands had been occupied.


    sun li immediately freed his hand and prepared to attack zhou lan and jiang xia. he was a burly man. could he not take care of two women, one old and one young?


    seeing his stance, zhou lan guessed his intent and sneered coldly, ¡°how shameful for a man to lay hands on a woman!¡±


    with that, zhou lan adopted a martial stance. with her years of martial arts training and her current strength, she could easily take down sun li.


    in just two or three rounds, sun li was defeated. he was thrown over zhou lan¡¯s shoulder and landed heavily on the gravel road. his back hit the potholes on the gravel road, and sun li cried out in pain.


    zhou lan pulled him up and tied his hands behind his back with the straw rope jiang xia used to bind small animals.


    sun li never expected zhou lan to be this formidable. with his hands tied, he could not escape and could only surrender.


    seeing her husband bested, sun li¡¯s wife became more frightened and fell silent. she stood at a distance, clutching a large bundle, clearly panicked.


    zhou lan cast a cold glance at her and said, ¡°let¡¯s go.¡±


    sun li¡¯s wife, not daring to resist further, staggered after them.


    their group didn¡¯t walk quickly. to delay, jiang xia even pretended to trip over stones several times. by the time they entered the village, the sky was beginning to lighten, and villagers were preparing to go to the fields.


    sun li, with his hands tied, was a conspicuous sight.


    the villagers all knew that sun li was close to the jiang family, and that the old jiangs had a feud with jiang chuan. seeing sun li and zhou lan together suggested that something had happened.


    some curious villagers followed to see where they were heading. sun li¡¯s wife wished she could bury her head in shame. the bundle in her arms seemed to move a few times, increasing her panic.


    xiao wu was preparing to work his field early and then planned to go to the mountains with xiao li. on his way, he encountered zhou lan and the others, and immediately rushed to inform jiang chuan.


    the group stopped in front of the village chief¡¯s house. sun li¡¯s wife thought that if she apologized now, she might be able to escape before the situation escalated further.


    but jiang xia didn¡¯t give her a chance to react and directly knocked on the village chief¡¯s door. from inside, they heard a voice, ¡°coming.¡±


    jiang xia then heard the sound of the wooden door being opened..

 Chapter 220 - Chapter 220: Making a Big Trouble

    chapter 220: making a big trouble


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    the village chief was wearing a coat, seemingly having just gotten out of bed without time to tidy up, when jiang xia and her group came knocking at the door.


    it wasn¡¯t fully light outside yet, and the group of people were standing in the dark, making it hard to see clearly. the village chief didn¡¯t take a close look at the crowd behind jiang xia, only lowering his head to recognize jiang xia, the clever second daughter of the jiang family. his tone was like that of someone coaxing a child, ¡°jiang xia, why were you knocking on the door so early? did something happen at home?¡±


    jiang xia shook her head, looked up at the village chief, and pointed to the people behind her. ¡°uncle village chief, we encountered mr. and mrs. sun sneaking around on the mountain, and we don¡¯t know what they were doing. my mother and i decided to bring them to see you, but they were unwilling and even wanted to hit me and my mom! if it wasn¡¯t for my mom dodging in time, and mr. sun tripping over a rock, i don¡¯t know what would have happened to us.¡±


    jiang xia spoke with increasing grievance, her little face scrunching up like a bitter melon. the people around her started to murmur among themselves after hearing this.


    only now did the village chief notice that the entrance to his home was crowded with people, among whom sun li was tied up with his hands behind his back.


    sun li glared at jiang xia, thinking that this little girl¡¯s ability to twist the truth really was something she inherited from her father! in reality, zhou lan was very capable, and sun li was at a complete disadvantage during their dispute. he was the one who was wronged. yet, after jiang xia¡¯s words, it seemed like he was the one bullying others.


    the villagers nearby couldn¡¯t stand to watch after hearing this. since the sun family started causing trouble for the jiang family after they split, no one doubted the truth in jiang xia¡¯s words.


    a woman, holding a hoe in her hand, pointed at sun li and scolded, ¡°you¡¯re lazy and eat a lot as it is, and now you dare to raise your hand against a woman. what kind of man are you!¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re talking nonsense! you believe whatever this little girl says!¡± sun li wasn¡¯t good with words and couldn¡¯t out-argue the gossipy women of the village. his wife, however, snapped back at them.


    this woman wasn¡¯t specifically targeting the sun family; she was just used to sticking her nose into everything and chipping in her two cents. it was clear that the sun family was bullying zhou lan and her daughter, jiang xia, who was on the verge of tears, clearly having been bullied badly.


    people generally were inclined to stand on the side of the weaker party, regardless of right or wrong.


    the woman scolded, ¡°this little girl wouldn¡¯t lie. you have no shame, bullying a child like this!¡±


    zhou lan was satisfied with everyone¡¯s reaction. she had been upset with the sun couple and was now very relieved to see them getting scolded by the villagers and unable to talk back.


    seeing that the arguing was getting out of hand, the village chief raised his hand to calm everyone down. when the crowd was silent, he turned to ask zhou lan, ¡°zhou lan, tell me, what happened?¡±


    zhou lan then recounted the situation when they encountered the couple on the mountain. after listening carefully, the village chief turned to the sun couple, ¡°what were you two doing going up to the mountain in the middle of the night?¡±


    at this point, someone chimed in, ¡°we didn¡¯t see them at all during the day yesterday, and their house was locked up tight. they might have already gone up to the mountain yesterday. what were they doing, sneaking up the mountain without telling anyone in the village?¡±


    sun li¡¯s wife stubbornly replied, ¡°what¡¯s it to you? is there a rule in the village that says we can¡¯t go to the mountain? or a rule that says we have to tell everyone in the village when we do? we didn¡¯t commit a crime, so why were we being interrogated?¡±


    ¡°if you didn¡¯t do anything wrong, then what were you afraid of? just tell everyone what you were doing on the mountain to prove your innocence,¡± a villager retorted.


    at this time, the sky was already bright. everyone saw the evasive gaze of the sun li¡¯s wife, and nobody believed her claims of innocence.


    at this moment, jiang chuan rushed over with xiao wu.


    jiang chuan stayed up all night waiting for zhou lan and jiang xia to return. instead of waiting for his wife and daughter, he heard that they had gone to the village chief¡¯s house. not wanting to delay, he asked his neighbor xiao li to look after jiang gu, and he hurried over to the village chief¡¯s house with xiao wu.


    seeing the commotion, jiang chuan didn¡¯t bother asking what happened but ran to his wife to inspect her up and down. after confirming she wasn¡¯t injured, he finally relaxed and listened to the villagers¡¯ arguments..

 Chapter 221 - Chapter 221: Little Wolf Cub

    chapter 221: little wolf cub


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    the village chief, seeing that their quarreling was getting nowhere, advised sun li¡¯s wife, ¡°why don¡¯t you just tell us what you were doing up on the mountain? if you haven¡¯t done anything wrong, you naturally wouldn¡¯t be afraid to tell everyone.¡±


    at this point, sun li snapped back to reality. ¡°why do we have to explain ourselves?¡± he demanded. ¡°didn¡¯t zhou lan and her daughter also go up the mountain in the middle of the night? why isn¡¯t anyone asking what they were up to!¡±


    after hearing sun li¡¯s words, the villagers finally realized that zhou lan and jiang xia had also gone up the mountain in the middle of the night. someone asked, ¡°zhou lan, why did you go up the mountain?¡±


    zhou lan hadn¡¯t expected the focus to shift to her, but she wasn¡¯t afraid. she had already thought of an excuse. ¡°jiang chuan suddenly felt unwell last night. i remembered seeing some medicinal herbs on the mountain, so i went to pick some,¡± she explained. ¡°who knew we would run into the sun couple right at the foot of the mountain, and they tried to attack us without saying a word.¡±


    upon hearing this, everyone found it reasonable. after all, they knew that dr. li had visited jiang chuan just the day before because he was not feeling well.


    a curious villager broke the temporary silence, ¡°now the mountain is barren, and many plants have died due to the drought. where did you see these medicinal herbs? what kind of herb was it?¡±


    zhou lan paused, not expecting such a detailed question. she casually said the name of the herb, ¡°isatis root! i thought 1 saw it when 1 went up the mountain to pick wild vegetables before. 1 wasn¡¯t sure, so i went up again to look for it.¡±


    jiang chuan didn¡¯t expect to be dragged into this. he immediately played along and coughed twice as if he was really uncomfortable. everyone became somewhat skeptical.


    zhou lan mentioned isatis root because that was the only medicinal herb she knew. she had learned of it after catching a cold due to sweating during martial arts training. a club master in the martial arts hall had given her isatis root at that time; otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have known any herbs at all.


    jiang xia was worried that everyone would continue to dwell on this topic, so she quickly changed the subject and redirected everyone¡¯s attention back to the sun couple.


    she pointed at the black cloth bag in sun¡¯s wife¡¯s arms and shouted, ¡°look at what she is holding! it seems to be moving!¡±


    upon hearing that it was moving, sun li¡¯s wife trembled with fear, and the object in her hands dropped to the ground, emitting a faint whimper. terrified, sun li¡¯s wife quickly picked up the cloth bag and held it tightly, warily watching everyone.


    now, the crowd was even more curious.


    the village chief realized that something was wrong. this sound did not sound like an ordinary animal. moreover, the two people from the sun family were beating around the bush and refusing to explain for a long time. it must be something bad.


    ¡°ms. sun, will you open this cloth bag yourself, or shall we do it for you?¡± the village chief sternly asked.


    sun li¡¯s wife clung tightly to the cloth bag and protested, ¡°no, no one can see! this is our family¡¯s business; why should we show you?¡±


    at that moment, the black cloth bag moved again, this time more vigorously. it was clear that the creature inside had been awakened by the fall and was beginning to struggle.


    as it struggled, it also made a noise. suddenly, it seemed as if sun li¡¯s wife was bitten; in pain, she hastily threw the cloth bag away. after all the commotion, the bag loosened, and what was inside was revealed.


    to everyone¡¯s astonishment, it was a wolf cub that was on the verge of death.


    seeing the wolf, a chill ran through everyone¡¯s hearts.


    they knew how terrifying wolves were, not to mention that jiang chuan¡¯s family had encountered wolves twice recently and had been attacked by them.


    about two or three years ago, the wolf pack had grown large, and because a villager had injured a wolf while hunting in the mountains, the pack retaliated and attacked the village that very night. several unsuspecting villagers who were out and about were killed by the wolves.


    since then, the village had established a rule that no one was allowed to approach the wolves, let alone touch anything related to them.


    the sun couple were truly brazen, daring to provoke a wolf pack and even stealing a wolf cub to bring back.. wasn¡¯t this inviting a wolf pack to descend upon the village and harm the villagers?!

 Chapter 222 - Chapter 222: Punishment

    chapter 222: punishment


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    the village chief was a person who prioritized the villagers in everything. anything that might have endangered the safety of the villagers caught his serious attention.


    he knew that if the wolf pack lost its cubs, following the scent, they would find the village sooner or later. when that happened, everyone would be in a panic and no one would dare to go out, making it impossible to have enough food to survive the winter.


    the village chief was not stupid. he quickly associated this with the two previous encounters jiang chuan¡¯s family had with the wolf pack, as well as the blood-stained clothes. they must have something to do with the sun family.


    they stole wolf cubs and exchanged them for money. because the wolves lost their cubs, the wolf pack that came out of the deep mountains injured other innocent people. these two people from the sun family were outrageous, and they had to be punished!


    ¡°village chief, this is a wolf cub!¡± someone exclaimed. ¡°in these barren mountains, if anything is abundant, it¡¯s wolves! the last time jiang chuan went to the mountains, he barely managed to kill a few wolves, but there were more wolves deeper in the mountains. the sun family actually dared to steal wolf cubs, completely disregarding the lives of the villagers. you must punish them severely!¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s right, village chief,¡± another person chimed in. ¡°before, sun li also stole things and was lazy in his daily life. he discovered a wild vegetable field in the mountain but harvested it completely. we cannot let them get away with stealing this wolf cub this time; they must be punished severely!¡±


    the anger of the villagers had reached its peak. it had reached the point where if they were not severely punished, they would not be able to appease the anger of the people. of course, the village chief would not be lenient.


    he squatted down and picked up the little wolf cub. everyone quietly waited for his next command.


    ¡°go find doctor li first and save this little wolf cub. if the little wolf cub dies in the village, the wolf pack will definitely come to the village for revenge! as for the two people from the sun family, from today onwards, they will be expelled from the village. they are no longer people of our village! i¡¯ll handle the relevant procedures after i¡¯m done with these things.¡±


    when the sun couple heard this arrangement, they were so scared that their faces turned pale. they begged for mercy, but the village chief did not want to listen anymore. he did not have time to waste with them. the wolf cub was already on the verge of death and needed to be treated as soon as possible.


    the village chief found two strong men and asked them to watch over the sun family while he brought the wolf cubs and a group of people to doctor li¡¯s residence.


    jiang chuan¡¯s family also followed. on the way, jiang xia told jiang chuan roughly what had happened that day. ¡°dad, i¡¯m worried that doctor li won¡¯t have the medicine to save the wolf cub. i want to try feeding it with water from the interspace to see if it can be saved. help me find an opportunity later so i can give the cub water.¡±


    ¡°alright, wait for my signal!¡±


    doctor li, not minding the crowd at his door, hurriedly took the village chief into the house, placing the little wolf cub on the table, and began examining its wounds.


    the wolf cub seemed to have been knocked unconscious, with numerous small wounds all over its body. that¡¯s why it had been so quiet in the bag. it only started to struggle when it woke up from the beating.


    doctor li, having no experience in treating animals, did not know what to do. he could only try to bandage the wounds with hemostatic medicine and hoped that the wolf cub could survive.


    just as everyone was staring at the wolf cub, jiang chuan suddenly sat down hard on the ground. seeing this, zhou lan immediately knelt down to support jiang chuan¡¯s shoulders, shouting, ¡°doctor li, come and see what happened to jiang chuan! he fainted all of a sudden!¡±


    with jiang chuan causing such a scene, everyone¡¯s attention shifted to him, and no one was watching the little wolf cub.


    of course, jiang chuan knew that everyone was concerned about whether the wolf cub could survive. causing a commotion at this time would definitely attract unwanted attention, but to provide his daughter with a suitable opportunity, he could only pretend to faint to divert attention.


    after a careful examination, doctor li concluded that jiang chuan had fainted because he was too tired and lacked sleep. he just needed to rest well.


    everyone couldn¡¯t help but complain, but they couldn¡¯t say it out loud. they then shifted their attention back to the little wolf cub..

 Chapter 223 - Chapter 223: The Crowd Goes Up the Mountain

    chapter 223: the crowd goes up the mountain


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    at this time, jiang xia had secretly fed the wolf cub some interspace water. coupled with the effects of the medicine on its body, it was obviously in a much better state than before, and breathing normal again.


    everyone heaved a sigh of relief when they saw that the wolf cub¡¯s condition was getting better. they looked at the village chief and waited for his next instructions.


    the village chief gently stroked the wolf cub¡¯s fur. the most important thing now was to send the wolf cub back as soon as possible. otherwise, the consequences of angering the wolf pack would be severe. however, if the wolf pack had discovered that the wolf cub was missing and must be in a vigilant stage now. it would be dangerous to approach the wolf pack at this time.


    fortunately, there was no drought a few years ago, and there were many small animals on the mountain. there were many hunters in the village who often went up the mountain to hunt. although they had now set aside their hunting rifles for farming axe, their skills were still intact.


    moreover, the village chief was still thinking about the isatis roots that zhou lan had mentioned. if there were really herbs on the mountain, the villagers could go to the town or county to exchange money for food tickets by picking herbs. then, even if the country did not allocate food, everyone would be able to survive this winter.


    the village chief began to assign tasks to everyone.¡± those who have been hunters before, as well as young and strong men, bring your hunting rifle and send the wolf cubs back to the wolf pack. the women in the village followed zhou lan to the foot of the mountain to look for isatis roots and new wild vegetable fields.¡±


    speaking of this, the village chief sighed. he was really worried that if there was not enough food, more villagers would die this winter.


    ¡°everyone, please try your best to look for it. if we can find new wild vegetables or medicinal herbs, we will be able to survive this winter!¡±


    of course, everyone knew the village chief was speaking reasonably, and no one refused.


    the final arrangement was that if a family had children, one adult should stay to take care of them. those unwilling to go to the mountains could stay behind. the rest would set off for the mountains after breakfast, aiming to return before dark.


    though the village chief made it clear that going to the mountains was entirely voluntary and anyone who didn¡¯t want to go didn¡¯t have to, virtually all the villagers participated in this action.


    of course, other than those who were naturally lazy and unwilling to contribute to the village. they just wanted to profit from others¡¯ efforts, like the old jiang family.


    after arranging everything, everyone went back home to eat and then gathered at the entrance of the village.


    jiang chuan still had xiao gu at home, so she definitely couldn¡¯t follow him to the mountains. however, zhou lan was worried about leaving her alone at home. in the end, she decided to send her to the village chief¡¯s house first and let the village chief¡¯s wife take care of her.


    the village chief¡¯s wife was getting old, and everyone spontaneously wanted her to rest at home. therefore, many people sent their children over and asked the village chief¡¯s wife to stay at home in the name of taking care of the children.


    after everything was arranged, the group went into the mountains.


    actually, the one who was the most nervous was zhou lan. she had not expected that a casual lie would be taken so seriously by the village chief.


    though she had prepared a patch of wild vegetables, they were a drop in the bucket and wouldn¡¯t be enough to sustain the entire village. but if there were medicinal herbs, the situation would be completely different.


    in this era, medicinal herbs were highly valued. if one was willing to spend some money to take the bus to the county, they could definitely exchange them for valuable items at the pharmacy.


    trading was not allowed at this time, but but bartering was permissible. to get the herbs, pharmacies would certainly be willing to exchange them for various items.


    jiang xia understood this situation and could only pray in her heart that they would really encounter isatis roots.


    even if it were just one isatis root plant, when placed in the interspace soil, it could reproduce and yield more isatis roots, which could then help the villagers.


    at the mountain path¡¯s entrance, the villagers divided into two groups: one to return the wolf cub, and the other to search for wild vegetables and isatis roots.


    jiang chuan would definitely be following the village hunters to return the wolf cub, while the village chief, due to his age, led everyone in search of vegetables.


    zhou lan and jiang xia were worried about jiang chuan going to the wolf pack. before parting, they gave him many advice. jiang xia also filled a water bottle with interspace water for jiang chuan to carry with him..

 Chapter 224 - Chapter 224: Found the Isatis Roots

    chapter 224: found the isatis roots


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    if it weren¡¯t for the fact that zhou lan¡¯s strength couldn¡¯t be discovered by others, zhou lan would, of course, prefer to stay by jiang chuan¡¯s side and go into the mountains together.


    jiang chuan could tell that his wife was worried. he hugged zhou lan tightly and gave her a comforting kiss on the cheek. ¡°don¡¯t worry, there are so many of us here; nothing will go wrong.¡±


    following that, jiang chuan joined the large group and headed into the mountains.


    while jiang xia was leading everyone to find a patch of shepherd¡¯s purse, she was also constantly on the lookout for isatis roots. however, to her disappointment, the barren mountains were mainly filled with withered trees. even the weeds had begun to turn yellow, let alone finding a single isatis root.


    just as jiang xia was about to give up in disappointment, she suddenly heard a woman shouting, ¡°i found it, 1 found it! village chief, 1 found it!¡±


    jiang xia¡¯s hope ignited as she turned to look at the woman. the crowd also rushed towards the woman. with the increase in the number of people, the rustling sound of stepping on dried leaves became more apparent.


    jiang xia, being short, squeezed through the gap between everyone¡¯s legs to get to the front and looked in the direction of the woman¡¯s eyes. following the woman¡¯s gaze, her initial excitement turned into disappointment. it turned out that what was found was the shepherd purse patch that she had set up the night before. she had thought that they had discovered isatis roots.


    as everyone was ecstatically picking the shepherd¡¯s purse, jiang xia, disappointed, lowered her shoulders and moved aside to make way for others.


    the village chief didn¡¯t forget to remind everyone, ¡°be careful not to damage the roots of the shepherd purse, so they can grow back and we can continue to harvest them!¡±


    just as jiang xia was walking away in disappointment, a flash of green caught her eye. she was stunned at first, then her face turned pale. she tentatively pulled zhou lan over and asked, ¡°mother, do you think that¡¯s isatis root?¡±


    zhou lan also noticed this shade of green. from the appearance to the size, it looked almost identical to the isatis roots she knew. it seemed that they had really found the isatis root!


    jiang xia went closer to take a detailed look and realized that this isatis root didn¡¯t just suddenly grow.


    the roots of the isatis were connected to two types of soil. one was dry yellow soil, and the other was moist black soil. it was actually soil from jiang xia¡¯s interspace.


    it turned out that this isatis root was growing in a crevice of a dead tree¡¯s roots.


    and this dead tree was the very one that jiang xia, with a try-and-see attitude, had buried in her interspace soil the previous night.


    because the sky was too dark last night, jiang xia didn¡¯t recognize that the dead tree was the tree she was experimenting with.


    the dead tree seemed unchanged at first glance, but it had regained some vitality. the isatis root seed, located in the roots of the dead tree, had sprung back to life after being buried in the interspace soil, absorbing enough nutrients. miraculously, it had grown into an actual isatis root.


    knowing that one isatis root plant was not enough to share, jiang xia quickly took the opportunity¡ªwhile everyone¡¯s attention was on the shepherd¡¯s purse field¡ªto secretly water the isatis root with her interspace water.


    after absorbing the interspace water, the isatis root immediately began to grow vigorously and even split into three separate plants.


    jiang xia secretly stowed away one of the isatis roots into her interspace. only then did she act surprised and call out to the village chief, ¡°uncle chief, come and see, there really are isatis roots!¡±


    the village chief hurried over and, upon seeing the few isatis roots, felt both joy and disappointment. he was happy that there indeed were isatis roots, but disappointed that the few roots were far from enough to share around.


    jiang xia could tell what the village chief was thinking and said, ¡°uncle chief, since there are isatis roots here, it means there must be more in other places. let¡¯s keep looking; we might find more!¡±


    the village chief thought that although jiang xia was young, she made sense. ¡°alright,¡± he said, ¡°these isatis roots belong to you, as you found them first. it is only fair.¡±


    the others looked at jiang xia and zhou lan with obvious envy in their eyes. the jiang family seemed to have exceptional luck, discovering not only a vegetable field but also medicinal herbs.


    finding medicinal herbs is not an easy task. discovering one or two plants here was already quite rare. the other villagers did not have a strong desire to find more isatis roots. each of them had picked almost a full basket of shepherd¡¯s purse and were ready to wait for their men to come down from the mountain and then head home together..

 Chapter 225 - Chapter 225: Finally Down the Mountain

    chapter 225: finally down the mountain


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang xia and her family had already obtained more than the others. if they appear too eager, it might cause dissatisfaction among the other villagers.


    therefore, zhou lan led jiang xia to wait for jiang chuan at the mountain¡¯s exit. to others, it looked like they were worried about her husband¡¯s safety, and not many people gossiped about it.


    zhou lan¡¯s apparent anxiety wasn¡¯t entirely an act for the villagers. she was genuinely concerned for jiang chuan¡¯s safety.


    even she, with her immense strength, wasn¡¯t confident she could escape from the ferocious wolf pack unscathed. last time, they were able to escape only because shen mo¡¯s team had handguns that helped them fend off the wolves.


    although they had hunting rifles in their hands, they had not used them for a long time, and the hunters had been out of practice for so long. facing a hungry wolf pack that had just lost its cubs, there was no guarantee that accidents wouldn¡¯t happen.


    they waited until the sun was about to set, and everyone became anxious.


    some of the women, who had not seen their husbands come home for such a long time, were scared and worried that something had happened to them. they couldn¡¯t help but start to tear up, initially silently, but as the atmosphere grew tenser, more and more people started crying, gradually filling the air with sobs.


    the village chief was worried as well, but he couldn¡¯t scold these women who were concerned for their husbands. he could only comfort them, saying, ¡°don¡¯t worry, there are many of them. they will be fine.¡±


    although he said that to reassure them, it was getting quite late. the sun was almost completely set, and the moon was slowly rising. the village chief felt uneasy too.


    jiang xia knew that waiting like this was not a solution. after spending a whole day on the mountain, everyone would certainly be exhausted. it was better to prepare something for them to replenish their energy when they descended.


    jiang xia led zhou lan to look for a water source nearby.


    jiang xia could give everyone the water from her interspace directly, but the effect of the water was too strong. just one or two sips of it would invigorate people remarkably. moreover, the water was sweet like sugar. once people drank it, they would notice the difference and would definitely suspect jiang xia¡¯s family. therefore, she could only find some water source and mix it with the interspace water for the villagers to drink.


    fortunately for jiang xia and the others, they looked around and found a small spring under a crack in the rock.


    the spring was located in a depression in a stone, shaped like a bowl. water bubbled from the bottom of this stone, but it would stop flowing once it reached the edge of the ¡°bowl.¡±


    jiang xia used a water bag to scoop out the water from this stone bowl, but it was only enough to fill half of the bag.


    just as jiang xia was starting to feel disappointed, water began bubbling from the spring again, soon refilling the stone bowl. she quickly and happily filled her water bag once more.


    jiang xia had hoped for another bowlful of water, but the spring stopped flowing. it seemed that in these dry times, a constantly flowing water source didn¡¯t exist.


    out of respect for nature, jiang xia poured some water from the water bag into the stone bowl and filled the empty space with water from her interspace.


    after she sealed the bag tightly, she shook it a few times to mix the waters.


    soon after, they heard someone shouting, ¡°they are coming down! they are coming down!¡±


    upon hearing that jiang chuan was descending, zhou lan, holding jiang xia¡¯s hand, rushed towards the path down the mountain. their pace was so fast it could be described as flying.


    being pulled along, jiang xia stumbled, thinking bitterly that while her mother was eager to see her father, she should consider that jiang xia, being only thirteen, had short legs and couldn¡¯t keep up!


    upon seeing jiang chuan in the crowd, zhou lan disregarded the people around her. she rushed over and hugged jiang chuan tightly, burying her head in his neck.


    jiang chuan, knowing that his wife must have been very worried, comforted her by patting her shoulder, saying, ¡°it¡¯s alright now, let¡¯s go home.¡±


    seeing the affectionate reunion between jiang chuan and his wife, the villagers teasingly cheered from the side.


    seizing the opportunity, jiang xia handed the water bag to xiao wu, who was leading the group, and said, ¡°uncle xiao wu, this is the water i found over there. our uncles must be exhausted. please distribute this to them quickly.¡±


    impressed by such a thoughtful child, xiao wu genuinely appreciated her gesture and found himself hoping that he might have such a considerate child in the future..

 Chapter 226 - Chapter 226: Eating Lamb Dumplings

    chapter 226: eating lamb dumplings


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    lie took the water bag in relief.¡± okay, good girl.¡±


    the village chief also asked about the situation on the mountain. in fact, the people hadn¡¯t seen the wolf pack, because they didn¡¯t dare to go too deep into the mountain. they stopped beside the small wooden house built by jiang chuan¡¯s family on the mountain. they found a relatively safe location and left the recovered wolf cub there before they left.


    when they were halfway down the mountain, the villagers heard the howling of wolves and were afraid. they worried that the scent of the wolf cub would attract the pack, so they changed their route to avoid potential danger, which delayed their descent.


    learning that no one was hurt, the village chief was relieved and organized everyone to return to the village.


    when they returned to the village, the sky was completely dark and the temperature had dropped. everyone was huddled against the cold as they made their way home.


    tonight, the village was devoid of the warm lights and smell of cooking that usually greeted them. almost everyone had been busy up on the mountain today, so nobody had been at home to prepare food.


    exhausted, people were dragging themselves back to their own homes, each thinking about what they would eat tonight.


    the best meal would be a porridge made from the shepherd¡¯s purse they had picked today, but jiang chuan¡¯s family was going to have a much more luxurious dinner.


    by the time they returned, jiang xia had already planned that they would definitely eat the lamb they had, no matter what.


    they chose the tenderest meat to stew with white radish, perfect for warming themselves after spending a whole day on the mountain and returning so late in the cold night.


    they also selected a portion of the lamb meat to make dumplings, as they had been craving this meat for days and today they were finally going to satisfy that craving!


    as soon as they arrived home, jiang xia securely closed the door, then led the lamb out of the yard and, on a whim, pulled some white radishes from the ground, explaining her plans for the evening meal.


    after listening to jiang xia, zhou lan had a rough idea of how to cook it. she looked at jiang xia with a smile and said,¡± it would be great if i could add a scallion to the soup to enhance the taste.¡±


    jiang xia immediately understood. they had gotten many seeds while on the mountain, including scallion seeds that were now flourishing. she quickly went to pull a large scallion from her interspace, along with a piece of ginger that was growing beside it.


    seeing this wasn¡¯t enough, zhou lan said to jiang chuan, ¡°dear, do you remember the bag of goji berries in the car? bring them out and put them in the soup, it will be nutritious.¡±


    jiang chuan, composing himself, magically produced a bag of goji berries from his hands.


    jiang xia praised, ¡°wow, dad, it¡¯s becoming increasingly convenient for you to take things from the car. with a blink of an eye, you can get whatever we need from it. that¡¯s amazing!¡±


    hearing his precious daughter¡¯s praise, jiang chuan smiled proudly and replied,¡± it¡¯s a piece of cake!¡±


    not only did he bring out the goji berries, but jiang chuan also produced a bag of thirteen-spices seasoning and a jar of lao ganma chili sauce.


    using the thirteen-spice as a barbecue seasoning for grilling the meat was jiang chuan¡¯s exclusive secret recipe. now, they planned to add it to the dumplings, which would surely make them incredibly delicious.


    the lao gan ma chili sauce would be perfect for mixing with vinegar as a dipping sauce for the dumplings, making them extra tasty.


    zhou lan looked at the condiments and said to jiang xia in satisfaction,¡± alright, go and fetch your sister. dinner will be ready when you two come back. dear, help me!¡±


    the last part, of course, was addressed to jiang chuan, who happily agreed.


    looking at the atmosphere in the courtyard, jiang xia felt more and more the warmth and sweetness of home, just like in modern times.


    without wasting any more time, jiang xia hurried to the village chief¡¯s house to pickup jiang gu.


    in her mind, she imagined jiang gu¡¯s big round eyes staring longingly down the road towards their home, waiting for jiang xia to come and fetch her.


    when she arrived at the village chief¡¯s house, seeing that the entrance was empty, she was puzzled as to why jiang gu was nowhere to be seen.


    because jiang xia had been delayed on her way home, all the other children had already been picked up by their families, leaving only jiang gu. knowing jiang gu¡¯s personality, she would have been waiting anxiously at the door..

 Chapter 227 - Chapter 227: Fighting Again!

    chapter 227: fighting again!


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    just as jiang xia was feeling curious, she suddenly heard a shout of reprimand: ¡°if you bully me again, 1¡¯11 punch you!¡± the voice was jiang gu¡¯s.


    it was only then that jiang xia noticed, just a short distance from the village chief¡¯s front door, two children fighting with each other¡ªwith one child riding on top of the other and throwing punches.


    fearing that the one being bullied was her little sister, jiang xia quickly ran over. only when she got closer did she realize that the one throwing the punches was jiang gu!


    jiang xia wore a stern expression, thinking, ¡°how has this little girl become so prone to fighting? her ladylike demeanor is increasingly becoming a thing of the past.¡±


    however, once jiang xia saw who was being hit by jiang gu, she knew that jiang gu had not struck the wrong person.


    the one lying on the ground was jiang cai, the second son of jiang gui.


    jiang gu was swinging her small fists, punching jiang cai in the back, while jiang cai continued to curse, ¡°you worthless piece of trash, how dare you lay a hand on me? believe it or not, i¡¯ll go home and have my parents sort your whole family out!¡±


    with disdain in her heart, jiang xia thought, ¡®like father, like son. the parents are just as crooked as the child they raise.¡¯


    after jiang gu gave jiang cai a couple more punches, jiang xia went over to pull jiang gu up.


    although jiang gu was originally fierce, seeing her sister gave her a sense of support, and she immediately became aggrieved. ¡°sister, this bad guy threw stones at me! one of the stones hit my arm. 1 only hit him because 1 was angry, sister¡­¡±


    jiang gu wanted to ask if jiang xia would scold her, but her sentence was cut off by jiang xia¡¯s compassionate interruption. ¡°he dared to throw stones at you?! where did it hit you? let me see how bad it is!¡±


    saying this, jiang xia rolled up jiang gu¡¯s sleeves. jiang gu pointed to a bruising spot on her right arm. seeing this, jiang xia¡¯s anger surged, and she gave a swift kick to jiang cai¡¯s butt. ¡°if you have the guts, go tell your parents! let them come to my house and we¡¯ll see who¡¯s afraid of whom! when my mother was beating your parents, she should have given you a thrashing too, you worthless trash, daring to bully my sister!¡±


    after scolding him at length and still feeling dissatisfied, jiang xia kicked him a few more times, making jiang cai cry out in pain and beg for mercy.


    jiang xia, unbothered, took jiang gu¡¯s hand after venting her anger, and they headed home together.


    on the way, it was jiang gu who turned to comfort jiang xia, ¡°sister, don¡¯t be angry anymore. my arm is fine. do you think what i did this time was wrong?¡±


    jiang xia crouched down, placing her hands on jiang gu¡¯s shoulders, and looked into her eyes. ¡°xiao gu, you didn¡¯t do anything wrong,¡± she said. ¡°kind people are often taken advantage of, and when we are bullied, we should fight back. we must let those who bully us know that any unfriendly behavior will be punished! you were just protecting yourself, not intentionally harming others, so you did nothing wrong. you need to understand the difference between intentionally hurting others and effective self-defense.¡±


    jiang gu nodded her head in a half-understanding manner. she could only understand that there was no need to apologize to anyone for this.


    jiang xia stood up, took jiang gu¡¯s hand, and they continued walking home. ¡°we are in for a treat tonight; mom made lamb soup and lamb dumplings. make sure you eat a lot tonight.¡±


    jiang gu had never tasted lamb meat before. the thought of it quickened her steps and made her mouth water involuntarily.


    when they reached their home, before they even entered, they could smell the delicious aroma of meat. fearing that the mouthwatering aroma might attract outsiders, jiang xia quickly waved her hands to disperse the scent at the door.


    they hurried into the house and locked the door.


    in the kitchen stove, lamb was stewing. zhou lan, who was strong, had just finished chopping the lamb into minced meat, mixing it evenly with chopped green onions and parboiled radish.


    jiang chuan was using the family¡¯s refined flour to knead dough and was currently rolling out dumpling wrappers.


    jiang gu had never seen dumplings before, let alone how to roll dumpling wrappers. seeing jiang chuan rolling out the wrappers with a rolling pin was fascinating. she placed her little head beside the board, her eyes round and focused.


    in the past, when she lived at the old jiang¡¯s house, she had never eaten refined flour. the coarse grain dough would always stick slightly to the bottom of the pot, and scraping that off with a spoon was usually jiang gu¡¯s meal. today, seeing the white flour filled her with immense joy..

 Chapter 228 - Chapter 228: A Splendid Dinner

    chapter 228: a splendid dinner


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    zhou lan could tell what jiang gu was thinking and felt her heart ache. she beckoned and called jiang gu over, ¡°xiao gu, come here. mom will teach you how to make dumplings!¡±


    ¡°dumplings?¡± jiang gu¡¯s eyes sparkled.


    while zhou lan was teaching jiang gu how to wrap dumplings, jiang xia snuck into the kitchen. she scooped out two pieces of stewed lamb for jiang gu, added some broth, and brought it out for her.


    jiang gu was concentrating on learning how to wrap dumplings, but the dumplings she made either turned out wrinkled or burst open. now, lured by the aroma of the meat, she lost interest in continuing and began to eat the lamb while holding the bowl.


    jiang xia rubbed jiang gu¡¯s head lovingly and sat down to help his mother make dumplings.


    the two of them were experienced in making dumplings, and in no time they had made dozens of dumplings, ready to be boiled.


    while waiting for the dumplings to cook, zhou lan mixed vinegar, soy sauce, and chili sauce to make a dipping sauce for the dumplings.


    after jiang gu finished her lamb and drank all the soup, a big bowl of plump lamb dumplings was placed in front of her, and its aroma left her dizzy.


    ¡°so these are dumplings. it smell so good!¡±


    jiang chuan, zhou lan, and jiang xia looked at the young girl with sympathy. each of them picked a lamb dumpling and placed it in her bowl. jiang gu felt this was the happiest moment of her life.


    after eating her fill, jiang gu lay down on the couch and fell asleep. zhou lan carried her to her room, while jiang xia and jiang chuan cleaned up the leftovers.


    jiang chuan stored the remaining lamb in the car¡¯s refrigerator, and jiang xia washed the dishes.


    while washing the dishes, jiang xia thought of the various crops and animals tied up in her interspace, as well as the dry leaves she had collected from the mountain the night before. the entire space looked messy, and it was time to tidy it up.


    since jiang chuan had experience in architectural design, jiang xia asked, ¡°dad, can you draw a blueprint for me? i want to tidy up my interspace. i want to partition my interspace with fences to categorize the animals. this way, they won¡¯t have to be tied up every day and can have their own space to move around.¡±


    jiang xia thought for a moment and felt the joy of having her own farm. ¡°moreover, i can raise these animals and let them reproduce! if 1 could get a cow and some ducks and chickens, we¡¯d have milk, chicken eggs, and duck eggs to eat. xiao gu is growing, and she needs good nutrition!¡±


    jiang chuan thought jiang xia¡¯s idea was brilliant. after a detailed discussion, he drew a blueprint according to jiang xia¡¯s specifications.


    now, all jiang xia needed to do was to build the fence according to the blueprint. jiang chuan also helpfully marked areas for each type of crop on the blueprint, so that each crop had its own plot of land to grow on.


    jiang chuan patted jiang xia¡¯s shoulder. ¡°xiao xia, i¡¯ve drawn the blueprint for you, but you¡¯ll have to do the work yourself. building a fence is not an easy task. you¡¯ll have a lot of work ahead.¡±


    indeed, just the thought of chopping wood and hammering the posts deep into the ground made jiang xia feel sore already.


    yet, when she looked at the mess in her interspace, her mild ocd couldn¡¯t tolerate it. since only she could enter her interspace, she would have to do all the work herself.


    before going to bed, she spent some time in her interspace. she sorted the vegetables and planted them in separate areas. she even divided the different vegetable fields with small soil slopes. after doing all this, the vegetable fields in the interspace looked much tidier. all that remained was the fence.


    jiang xia drank some water from her space to recover her strength, ensuring she wouldn¡¯t wake up sore the next day. she then went to bed.


    around ten the next morning, the village head came knocking on jiang chuan¡¯s door.


    jiang chuan pretended to be sick in the morning and stayed at home to make his wife¡¯s words seem more credible. he didn¡¯t go out to work. the village chief originally planned to look for him in the fields, but upon hearing from xiao li that he wasn¡¯t feeling well and hadn¡¯t left the house, the village chief specifically came to visit him at home.


    jiang chuan knew that if the village chief made a special trip to his house, there must be an important matter that needed to be discussed in person.

 Chapter 229 - Chapter 229: Censuses

    chapter 229: censuses


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    he poured a cup of water for the village chief using a slightly chipped porcelain cup that he had exchanged for in the county town. it was one of the only two cups they had at home.


    because they had so few cups, family members usually drank water directly from bowls.


    the village chief was also very tired from walking all the way. he drank all the water in the cup in one gulp. after finishing, he licked his lips, remarking on how sweet the water tasted that day, as if sugar had been added.


    the village chief didn¡¯t dwell on the water¡¯s taste. he pulled jiang chuan aside and got down to business.¡± the country has a new order to conduct a comprehensive national census.¡±


    the national census aims to survey the country¡¯s current population, as well as its regional and age distribution. it¡¯s a nationwide survey activity that must be conducted regularly in country c.


    but what did this have to do with jiang chuan? there was no need for the village chief to come all the way here to tell him that someone had come to investigate. he just had to tell the truth.


    the village chief gulped and continued, ¡°our village¡¯s survey has been handed over to the production team¡¯s leader, chen xing. xiao wu is familiar with him. every time you borrow a donkey cart from the town, it¡¯s from him.¡±


    the village chief still hadn¡¯t gotten to the main point, and jiang chuan was somewhat confused about its relevance to him.


    ¡°i know you¡¯ve always wanted to find out where your eldest daughter, jiang qing, has married off to. your mother surely won¡¯t tell you, and i¡¯ve always been concerned about this matter for you. but now the opportunity has come.¡±


    upon hearing that it concerned his daughter jiang qing, jiang chuan¡¯s demeanor became serious.


    it was commendable that the village chief had always kept this matter in mind for him. jiang chuan had almost given up on it. jiang xia even contemplated using the treasure chest she had stolen from beneath the bed of the jiang elders to threaten them into revealing jiang qing¡¯s whereabouts. they really had run out of options.


    now, with the village chief bringing up this issue again, hope ignited in jiang chuan¡¯s heart. ¡°village chief, what exactly is this opportunity you¡¯re speaking of?¡±


    ¡°i believe that even if old madam jiang married jiang qing off, she wouldn¡¯t have sent her far away. it¡¯s likely one of the nearby villages. the production team¡¯s survey will definitely visit those villages. by then, they will surely discover your daughter¡¯s whereabouts.¡±


    ¡°but won¡¯t this trouble the others?¡±


    jiang chuan was always considerate. if the task fell to the production team, it would surely be delegated. many people would be involved in this work, and it wouldn¡¯t be feasible for each of them to ask if there¡¯s someone named jiang qing, right? the nearby villages combined have at least ten thousand residents. finding her wouldn¡¯t be easy.


    the village chief also frowned, realizing that this was the only solution they had at the moment. but they had to at least give it a try, shouldn¡¯t they?


    jiang chuan had another idea. ¡°chen xing is the leader of the production team after all. if he inquires at old jiang¡¯s house in the name of the census, wouldn¡¯t my mother at least give a vague location?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s a good idea. since jiang qing married out of our village, they will of course ask where she went during the survey. by then, old madam jiang won¡¯t be able to keep hiding the truth.¡±


    jiang chuan looked troubled again. ¡°but i don¡¯t even know chen xing. how can i ask for his help?¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t worry about that. just invite him for a meal, and you¡¯ll get to know him. xiao wu often borrows a donkey cart from the production team and knows their members. it shouldn¡¯t be hard for him to invite chen xing to dinner at your place. however, you¡¯ll need to think about what dishes to prepare. since you¡¯re asking for a favor, the food shouldn¡¯t be too plain.¡±


    jiang chuan agreed.¡± you¡¯re right, village chief. how about this? it¡¯s getting late today. 1¡¯11 head to the county town early tomorrow to get some items. in the evening, with xiao wu¡¯s help, i¡¯ll invite chen xing for dinner to discuss this matter.¡±


    ¡°that sounds good,¡± replied the village chief.


    as the village chief was about to leave, he turned back and said, ¡°prepare some wine! chen xing loves to drink. pour him a few extra glasses; people are more talkative when they¡¯ve had a drink.¡±


    the village chief glanced at the porcelain cups in jiang chuan¡¯s house and remarked, ¡°are you running short of cups? come to my place and borrow a few.¡±


    seeing the village chief¡¯s eagerness to help, jiangchuan felt too embarrassed to decline. he quickly expressed his gratitude and followed the village chief to his house to fetch the cups.

 Chapter 230 - Chapter 230: New Skill

    chapter 230: new skill


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    since he decided to go to the county town, jiang chuan wanted to bring zhou lan and jiang gu with him this time.


    ever since the village started having bus services, jiang gu had always wanted to ride the big four-wheeled bus. the last time they went to the city, only jiang xia and jiang chuan went, leaving jiang gu disappointed for quite a while. but this time, when she heard that she could also go, she was overjoyed.


    zhou lan quickly packed some snacks for the journey. they planned to return on the same day, so there was no need to prepare much. as long as there was something to satisfy jiang gu and jiang xia¡¯s midday cravings, it would be enough.


    as she was packing, zhou lan asked, ¡°what are we planning to exchange in the town this time?¡±


    jiang xia had already thought about this question.


    the few isatis root plants they found on the mountain yesterday all belonged to jiang xia. last night, she even set aside a piece of land in her interspace to plant them. after just one night, a large area of isatis roots had grown.


    jiang xia decided to take half of the isatis roots to a pharmacy in the county town. if they could exchange it for some money, it would be great. if not, they could also exchange it for food tickets or something similar.


    winter was approaching, and although they had enough fabric at home, they lacked cotton. without cotton, they couldn¡¯t make cotton-padded jackets or quilts.


    initially, jiang xia wanted to exchange all the isatis roots. but with the current drought in various places, suddenly presenting so many isatis roots and claiming they were picked from the mountain wouldn¡¯t be believable.


    then they planned to revisit the restaurant they had been to before, to exchange a basket of wild vegetables and some tickets for pork, so they could host guests in the evening.


    as she was thinking, jiang xia suddenly had an idea, ¡°mom, your meat sauce is so delicious. why don¡¯t we bring a few jars of it to jia guang¡¯s house in the county town to see if we can exchange it for some money?¡±


    jia guang was the youngest son of a wealthy family. every time jiang xia went to the city, he would buy a large basket of wild vegetables from her. this slightly arrogant but generous man had a particular pursuit of delicious food and paid great attention to the freshness of vegetables. this is why he was willing to spend a lot on her fresh and tender wild veggies.


    it¡¯s a pity he was born in this era, which hadn¡¯t yet fully developed. had he been born in later times, he would definitely be someone who values the quality of life.


    after listening to her daughter describe this boy, zhou lan¡¯s heart was ignited with excitement. she looked at her daughter with a teasing expression, thinking of all the romance novels she had read, ¡°sweetie, it seems like you have quite the romantic fortune. do you think your superpower isn¡¯t just having a special space, but also attracting endless romances?¡±


    jiang xia was left speechless by her mother¡¯s cheekiness. she wondered, weren¡¯t her parents loving enough? why were they always trying to matchmake her?


    ignoring her mother, jiang xia retreated into her space to pack.


    seeing her daughter¡¯s shy demeanor, zhou lan chuckled to herself and cheerfully went to pack the meat sauce.


    early the next morning, before the dawn had fully broken, and a hazy light filled the horizon, outshining even the stars.


    jiang xia¡¯s family was already up and ready. jiang gu, still drowsy from sleep, was pulled out of bed, rubbing her eyes, and followed her family obediently.


    they woke up this early not to catch the first bus but to head to the county town when the villagers were still asleep, and the roads were mostly empty. jiang chuan could drive their suv to the county town. this would not only save time but also avoid the crowded buses.


    after their previous unpleasant encounter with a mean woman on a bus, jiang xia had a bad impression of bus rides. she didn¡¯t want jiang gu to have a bad experience, so she suggested driving early.


    jiang chuan went out first to get the car, while zhou lan, holding jiang gu, followed with jiang xia. once the door was securely locked, they proceeded outside.


    jiang xia and zhou lan looked at the empty space behind jiang chuan, puzzled, ¡°why haven¡¯t you brought out the car?¡±


    jiang chuan was equally puzzled, ¡°the car is right here. can¡¯t you see it?¡±


    he looked up at the dim sky and pointed at the massive suv.. even if it was still dark, such a big vehicle shouldn¡¯t be invisible, right?

 Chapter 231 - Chapter 231: Self

    chapter 231: self-driving tour


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    ¡°uh¡­¡±


    a gust of cold wind blew, picking up two withered leaves.


    jiang gu rubbed her eyes, still drowsy, and asked, ¡°dad, what are you showing us?¡±


    jiang chuan was stunned for a moment as he looked at the well-parked suv behind him.


    if it were jiang xia and zhou lan saying they couldn¡¯t see it, he might have thought the two were joking. but now that even jiang gu said the same, it seemed they really couldn¡¯t see the car.


    jiang chuan stored the car and brought it out again, doing this several times. every time he asked them, the answer was always the same, they couldn¡¯t see it.


    this was strange.


    jiang chuan pondered deeply, and suddenly jiang xia said, ¡°1 can see the car now. what happened just now?¡±


    jiang chuan realized something and looked at them excitedly, ¡°it seems this car can turn invisible. only those i want to see the car can actually see it. i was just repeatedly thinking in my mind for you all to see the car, and sure enough, you did. it seems whether this car can be seen by others is controlled by my thoughts.¡±


    jiang xia was even more amazed. also, when the car was in stealth mode, it made no noise. this meant they could drive the suv without worrying about being noticed by others.


    it was jiang gu¡¯s first time seeing an suv. she had previously seen her dad take things out of thin air, and now she realized they were taken from this car. her dad was really amazing.


    to avoid wasting time, the four quickly got in the car and set off.


    on the road, jiang xia instructed jiang gu, ¡°xiao gu, we must never let others know we have a car, let alone that our car can be stored away at will.¡±


    jiang gu nodded vigorously, ¡°i understand. this is a unique ability of our family, just like how i have great strength. it¡¯s also a special ability. we can¡¯t let others find out about these abilities, or they¡¯ll be jealous.¡±


    jiang xia nodded, thinking that this child was worth teaching.


    but how did she know so much? she even knew about these special abilities?


    jiang xia looked at his mother, who was sitting in the front passenger seat. she was listening to her youngest daughter¡¯s conclusion with satisfaction. it was obvious she had taught jiang gu all this, perhaps even telling her many fantastic sci-fi stories.


    the suv, being more suited for rugged terrain, definitely traveled faster than a bus. a bus to the county town would take at least five hours, but jiang chuan sped along the country roads, reaching the iconic building at the entrance of the county town in just three hours.


    jiang chuan woke up the drowsy trio, and after a brief tidying up, they parked the car in a deserted area not far from the town, stored it away, and leisurely walked into the town.


    they didn¡¯t delay and quickly arrived at jia¡¯s residence to deliver vegetables.


    jia guang was already very familiar with jiang chuan and jiang xia. he didn¡¯t need to inspect the vegetables they brought. he paid them the agreed price and brought the vegetables into his home, concluding the transaction.


    watching jiang xia securely store the money, jia guang was about to close the door when jiang xia suddenly called out, ¡°wait, i have something else. take a look and see if you¡¯re interested.¡±


    saying that, jiang xia took out a few jars of meat sauce from the basket behind her and presented them to jia guang.


    jia guang looked at the dark-colored meat sauce and frowned in disdain. evidently, he wasn¡¯t interested in this unfamiliar product.


    jia¡¯s family was wealthy. when they wanted meat sauce, they would have it freshly fried, full of color, aroma, and taste, unlike the jarred sauce which was dark. so, he naturally thought this sauce wouldn¡¯t be tasty.


    jiang xia saw his hesitation and frown, but she didn¡¯t mind.


    she opened a jar to reveal the meat sauce, covered with a layer of fragrant oil. the alluring aroma immediately piqued his interest.


    without jiang xia saying much about the meat sauce, jia guang was already enticed. ¡°how much are you selling this meat sauce for?¡±


    ¡°you decide the price,¡± jiang xia replied. ¡°my mother made it for the first time, so 1 don¡¯t have a specific price in mind. but 1 trust you¡¯ll offer a fair price.¡±


    jia guang appreciated her words. he knew the cost of every ingredient, and if jiang xia had demanded a high price just because she regularly sold vegetables here, jia guang would¡¯ve dismissed her instantly.


    however, her approach gave him the decision-making power and also made it hard for him to haggle..

 Chapter 232 - Chapter 232: Selling Isatis Root

    chapter 232: selling isatis root


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jia guang was a prideful person and had never bothered to exploit the farmers. when jiang xia asked him to give them a fair price, so he would give them a higher price according to the market price for the sake of his pride.


    standing on the steps, jia guang looked down upon the family of four. he noticed a listless child, jiang gu, perhaps six or seven years old, holding a woman¡¯s hand. the girl hadn¡¯t even grown up yet and was already helping her family sell vegetables. jia guang felt pity for them.


    but what jia guang didn¡¯t know was that jiang gu was only listless because she had woken up too early and was simply tired.


    after a quick mental calculation, jia guang said, ¡°the vegetables were priced at five yuan a basket. seeing you all coming early in the morning, i¡¯ll raise it by another fifty cents. the meat sauce is two yuan a bottle. 1 want four bottles, which makes it eight yuan. in total, thirteen yuan and fifty cents. count it.¡±


    jiang xia happily received the money and stuffed it into her pocket together with the money that jia guang had given her. she did not even count the money. this satisfied jia guang¡¯s arrogant temper as a young master.


    as they turned to leave, jia guang quickly added, ¡°in the future, if you have other vegetables or meat sauce, bring them here. we¡¯ll buy them.¡±


    jiang xia smiled and said, ¡°okay, goodbye.¡±


    jiang gu held zhou lan¡¯s hand, and jiang xia held jiang chuan¡¯s. the four of them formed two rows and headed straight for the pharmacy.


    in this era, most pharmacies were family businesses with a deep heritage. not only did they have a deep family background, but they also had the stubbornness of an old scholar.


    the traditional medicine store they visited was no exception.


    behind the counter sat an old man who looked to be in his sixties. he had a white goatee and white hair. he wore a pair of presbyopia glasses on his nose and was looking at the medicine list on the counter. he had the unique aura of an old scholar.


    when someone came in, he didn¡¯t raise his head. instead, he looked up at them from the edge of his glasses and then lowered his eyes again.¡± if you¡¯re seriously ill, go to the hospital. if you¡¯re not, go to the village doctor. i¡¯m sorry that we don¡¯t serve you.¡±


    how interesting ¨C a shopkeeper refusing customers. though, jiang xia and her family weren¡¯t typical customers.


    if jiang chuan had spoken up in such a scenario, the old scholar would probably shoo them away with cold words. but children might receive a gentler approach.


    so, the group waited at the entrance while only jiang xia approached the counter. she looked up at the old scholar and asked, ¡°grandpa, do you buy medicinal herbs here?¡±


    ¡°medicinal herbs?¡± the scholar looked up suspiciously from his prescription, pushing his glasses up to get a better look at jiang xia.


    after such a long drought, there were fewer and fewer vegetables growing in the fields. who had the leisure to cultivate medicinal plants?


    he asked, ¡°what kind of herb?¡±


    jiang xia took out a isatis root from her basket and put it on the counter, ¡°isatis root!¡±


    the old scholar picked up the isatis root and put on his presbyopic glasses again. he took a closer look in the daylight. it was indeed isatis root. from its appearance to its color, it was of the highest quality. however, it wasn¡¯t a particularly valuable herb, and there was only one, so it wouldn¡¯t fetch much.


    people usually bore through minor fevers and colds without spending on medicines, so there wasn¡¯t much demand for isatis root. with low demand, the price naturally dropped.


    the old scholar placed the herb back on the counter, seemingly more engrossed in his prescription than any worldly affair. as an afterthought, he asked, ¡°how many food tickets do you want to exchange for it?¡±


    the old scholar was obviously a stubborn man who wouldn¡¯t change his mind. in an era where cash transactions wasn¡¯t allowed, he naturally chose to use food tickets to exchange for goods.


    jiang xia thought for a moment, fluttered her eyes, and in a cute tone said, ¡°grandpa, i don¡¯t know the price of isatis root. how about you name a price?¡±


    after a brief mental calculation, the old scholar picked up the herb again. one isatis root was too little. even if it was of better quality than most, it wasn¡¯t worth the hassle. he tossed the isatis root into jiang xia¡¯s arms, waved his hand dismissively, and said, ¡°i¡¯m not buying. you can go now..¡±

 Chapter 233 - Chapter 233: Successfully Sold

    chapter 233: successfully sold


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang xia had been to the county town many times and had seen many people judge a book by its cover. still, it was her first time encountering such a disrespectful old scholar who just threw the isatis root directly back into her arms.


    jiang xia instantly became angry. however, thinking that she still had half a basket of isatis root left unsold and her purpose hadn¡¯t been achieved, she suppressed her anger for the time being.


    jiang xia put on a wronged expression, her eyes teary, clutching the isatis root. ¡°grandpa, why won¡¯t you accept the isatis root? didn¡¯t you just ask me how many food tickets i wanted in exchange?¡±


    the old scholar was already growing impatient, but he couldn¡¯t bear to see the pitiable look on a child¡¯s face. it reminded him of his own young grandson, softening his heart slightly, and he wasn¡¯t as firm. ¡°little girl, you have too little isatis root. one plant won¡¯t even exchange for a pound of grain. what price do you expect me to give? 1 can¡¯t give one¡±


    jiang xia realized that he felt there was too little of the isatis root. she smiled, took the vegetable basket from behind her, placed it on the ground, and lifted the cloth covering the basket, revealing half a basket of isatis root.


    ¡°grandpa, isn¡¯t this enough for you to accept?¡±


    the old scholar looked at the vibrant green isatis root, which looked as if they had just been plucked from the ground.


    he sighed in surprise, took off his presbyopic glasses and placed them on the counter. then, he stepped out from behind the counter to personally check the half basket of isatis root.


    there were indeed many, and judging by their quality and quantity, they must have been grown in a professional medicinal field. he wondered, in these times when even vegetables could hardly grow, how could there be a medicinal field?


    ¡°little girl, do you have any other medicinal herbs besides isatis root?¡±


    ¡°no, only this one.¡±


    ¡°you only plant one type of herb in your medicinal field?¡± the old scholar was surprised.


    afraid that the old scholar would become suspicious, jiang xia fibbed, ¡°we don¡¯t have a medicinal field. these isatis root were all found by villagers in the mountains. this is all we found.¡±


    the old scholar didn¡¯t ask further, glancing at jiang chuan and the two others standing at the entrance.


    what could a child decide? certainly, there were adults behind her guiding the decisions. the old scholar addressed jiang chuan, the only man among them, ¡°the price for isatis root isn¡¯t high. seeing as you¡¯ve traveled all the way to the county town, i¡¯ll offer you twenty pounds of grain tickets and two pounds of meat tickets. what do you think?¡±


    jiang chuan, pulling zhou lan and jiang gu forward, thought the price was lower than expected. however, he always sought long-term customers in business, willing to take a slight loss initially to make a friend.


    ¡°alright.¡±


    jiang chuan smiled genuinely, quickly agreeing and even helping to place the ban lan gen where the old scholar directed. this added a lot of points to the old scholar¡¯s heart, and he even gave an extra five pounds of grain tickets.


    jiang chuan then inquired, ¡°sir, which medicinal herbs have higher prices and are easier to find?¡±


    the old scholar, now having a good impression of this family, willingly shared, ¡°when you¡¯re looking for herbs in the mountains, you might not find the volume as in a medicinal field. but the variety is your advantage. herbs like fleece flower root and tian qi are more common and priced higher than isatis root. if you find them, you can come and exchange them here for grain tickets.¡±


    after listening, jiang chuan also specifically asked about the appearance of these herbs to recognize them in the future.


    after getting the information, jiang chuan thanked the old scholar and left the pharmacy with his family.


    apart from the pharmacy, jiang xia sighed.¡± i thought medicinal herbs these days would be more expensive than wild vegetables. if they sold well, we could let the villagers also plant isatis root to exchange for grain coupons. who would¡¯ve thought they¡¯d be worth less than wild vegetables? i¡¯ve worked so hard for nothing.¡±


    jiang chuan comforted her, saying, ¡°it wasn¡¯t all for nothing. at least now we know which herbs are valuable. if we discover fleece flower root on the mountain and cultivate it in a dedicated medicinal field, finding a dedicated buyer could provide a significant source of income and become a pillar industry for our village.¡±


    after a busy morning, they still had a basket of wild vegetables and a few bottles of meat sauce left. jiang chuan decided to make one last trip to the restaurant, sell the remaining items, and head home.


    the previous night, xiao wu specifically told jiang chuan that he had arranged a dinner with chen xing from the production team at his house.


    although the dinner was at xiao wu¡¯s place, jiang chuan was the host and needed to prepare in advance..

 Chapter 234 - Chapter 234: Suggestion

    chapter 234: suggestion


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang chuan and his group brought wild vegetables and meat sauce to the restaurant. the restaurant was busier than their last visit. two tables were occupied: one with a couple ordering two bowls of noodles and the other with three men indulging in alcohol.


    upon seeing them, the waitress waved them over, leading them towards the kitchen.


    doing business often becomes smoother with repeated interactions. having previously purchased quality wild vegetables from jiang chuan, the chef didn¡¯t waste time and promptly accepted the basket of greens vegetables they brought this time.


    the chef stared at the basket on jiang chuan¡¯s back and asked tentatively, ¡°you didn¡¯t bring any rabbits today?¡±


    jiang chuan pretended to be obedient and scratched his head, ¡°rabbits are rare. how can we come across them every day? next time if 1 find some, i¡¯ll bring them to the city for you.


    the chef, knowing that quality goods aren¡¯t easy to come by, was satisfied with the answer. ¡°alright, bring a rabbit next time and i¡¯ll pay you an extra yuan.¡±


    the rabbit from their last visit was plump and tender, producing an exceptionally flavorful dish. coincidentally, he met the town leader who was in the city for business. they ordered two plates of rabbit meat. since then, they¡¯ve constantly expressed a desire to have it again.


    to win the favor of these leaders, the restaurant was eager to get its hands on more rabbits of the same quality.


    the chef, not being a fool, decided to offer jiang chuan an extra yuan, hoping this would incentivize him to bring in more rabbits.


    jiang chuan then pulled out several bottles of meat sauce from his basket, ¡°i might not have rabbits this time, but i brought some homemade meat sauce. it¡¯s delicious when used in dishes or even with pancakes. give it a sniff.¡±


    as he spoke, jiang chuan opened a bottle of meat sauce. the aroma of the meat combined with the fragrant oil was enticing. one whiff and the chef knew it would be delicious.


    without hesitating, the chef asked, ¡°how much for these bottles of meat sauce? i¡¯ll buy them along with the wild vegetables.¡±


    jiang chuan replied with a candid smile, ¡°it¡¯s meat sauce made with fried pork tenderloin. there are five bottles in total. how about two yuan a bottle?¡±


    the chef pondered internally. meat had always been an expensive commodity, and pork tenderloin was the most succulent part of the pig. once fried, it exuded a rich meaty aroma, making it ideal for zhajiang noodles. typically, a bowl of zhajiang noodles cost just a few cents. his jar of meat sauce could prepare several bowls, so the pricing seemed fair.


    ¡°alright, with the vegetables, that comes to fifteen yuan in total. we¡¯re friends now, so i¡¯ll throw in some salt as a bonus.¡±


    jiang chuan remembered that he still had to buy some food and wine, replied, ¡°i¡¯ll pass on the salt. instead, could you offer a discount on a couple of good bottles of liquor?¡±


    the chef thought about it and asked the waiter to bring them out to the front desk to buy wine.


    surveying the wine selection, jiang chuan felt uneasy. in the contemporary world, he would be knowledgeable about wines. but in this era, he was unsure which wines were considered good. choosing the wrong wine might upset chen xing, complicating matters.


    he asked the waiter, ¡°miss, could you introduce these wines to me?¡±


    the waiter was a little troubled.¡± sir, i don¡¯t really know much about these wine. the customers always choose their own wine. very few of them ask me to introduce them. why don¡¯t you take two bottles of wine that you like?¡±


    in this time, service standards were different. restaurant staff had steady employment, and as long as they efficiently served meals, their jobs weren¡¯t at risk. in the future, a lack of product knowledge might lead to dismissal.


    as jiang chuan weighed his options, a man from a neighboring table, flushed from alcohol and speaking with an exaggerated tone, piped up, ¡°brother, you can¡¯t go wrong with the five grain liquor. it¡¯s crafted purely from grains and has a delightful taste!¡±


    the waiter enthusiastically added, ¡°sir, that particular wine is excellent. it¡¯s two yuan a bottle!¡±


    five grain liquor was the priciest on display. selling two more bottles might earn her a meat dish from the boss, which explained her excitement.


    only then did jiang chuan and the others notice the people at the table.


    the three of them were all red-faced from drinking, and their seats were still shaking. the wine bottles on the table had already been emptied, but the dishes were barely touched..

 Chapter 235 - Chapter 235: What An Expensive Wine

    chapter 235: what an expensive wine


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    the man who spoke had a square face and a neat buzz cut, he appeared very stern. his facial features were small, and closely spaced. which seemed abit crowded on his broad face, as if a special effect had been activated to gather his facial features towards the center.


    jiang xia noticed the man¡¯s nose was significantly reddened, showing signs of rosacea, suggesting he loved drinking alcohol. continual drinking over time had likely led to this condition.


    on the table were a plate of peanuts and cold cucumber slices, simple and economical food choices. however, the wine was premium five grain liquor. it seemed this man not only loved drinking but also had a taste for the finer drinks.


    the liquor, priced at two yuan a bottle, wasn¡¯t cheap. jiang chuan felt a pinch in his wallet. yet, considering the importance tied to his eldest daughter¡¯s status, it was a necessary expense.


    with resolve, jiang chuan picked up two bottles of the five grain liquor, replaced them with two kilograms of meat, thanked the man with the rosacea nose, and then left with his wife and daughter.


    jiang xia had originally planned to go to the cotton mill to exchange some cotton to make quilts and cotton-padded jackets at home. but the cotton mill was to the east of the town. to get there, they would have to traverse the entire county, so they decided to purchase cotton on their next visit.


    the group made a quick trip to a nearby mall, bought a few imported chocolates for jiang gu, and didn¡¯t waste more time. they exited the town, hopped into their suv, and drove home.


    by the time they got home, it was only four o¡¯clock in the afternoon. since it was still early and convenient, jiang chuan drove the car to the foot of the mountain. there, he gathered a bunch of sturdy dried branches and tossed them into the trunk, planning to use them for jiang xia¡¯s fence later.


    when they arrived home and brought the ingredients to xiao wu¡¯s place, the sun had already set.


    xiao wu was a straightforward person. even though jiang chuan had told him not to prepare anything, xiao wu had still washed a basin of wild vegetables and specifically bought a small piece of marinated pig liver, which he had sliced and arranged on a plate.


    seeing this, jiang chuan expressed his gratitude, ¡°xiao wu, thank you so much for everything. if you ever need anything in the future, just let me know, and 1¡¯11 be there to help!¡±


    ¡°third brother, there¡¯s no need for formalities. you¡¯ve helped me plenty in the past. you and sister-in-law can get busy in the kitchen. i¡¯ll step out and tidy things up so 1 don¡¯t get in your way.¡±


    zhou lan was already very familiar with cooking. she started the pot and heated the oil to cook the dishes in one go. after a while, the aromas of the dishes wafted from the kitchen.


    smelling the delicious scent, jiang gu sneaked into the kitchen and asked, ¡°mom, what are you cooking? it smells so good and it¡¯s a little choking.¡±


    zhou lan, looking at her daughter¡¯s adorable expression, she picked up a piece of pork liver and blew on it to cool it before stuffing it into her hand, ¡°this is called stir-fried pork liver with chili. the choking smell you smell is from the chili.¡±


    jiang gu had never eaten chili before, so she didn¡¯t know how spicy it felt. she picked up the pig liver and stuffed it into her mouth. at first, she tasted only the meat¡¯s flavor, but as she chewed, the spiciness hit, making her eyes tear up.


    both jiang chuan and zhou lan laughed at her reaction. jiang gu looked at them with tears in her eyes.


    zhou lan wiped her daughter¡¯s face with her sleeve, ¡°you¡¯re too young for spicy food. don¡¯t pick up this dish later. go and get your sister to clear the table and prepare to serve the dishes.¡±


    just as the dishes were served, someone entered from outside. the person accidentally bumped the wooden door as he came in, letting out a muffled grunt.


    upon seeing the table filled with dishes, he exclaimed loudly, ¡°wow, such a feast!¡±


    with limited ingredients, zhou lan could only make a few different dishes. stir-fried pork liver with chili, stir-fried pork with shepherd¡¯s purse, stir-fried egg with shepherd¡¯s purse, grilled bread slices dipped in meat sauce, and wild vegetable porridge. the smell was so good that it made people¡¯s stomachs growl.


    the person appearing slightly unsteady on his feet, swayed a bit before sitting down. ¡°xiao wu,¡± he said, ¡°why go to such lengths for a simple meal?¡±


    he seemed a bit incoherent, continuing to talk to himself even as others had left the room to get bowls and chopsticks.


    xiao wu entered with a glass and liquor and, seeing the man, greeted him with a wide grin, ¡°oh, captain chen, you should¡¯ve announced your arrival! we didn¡¯t even hear you come in while we were in the courtyard..¡±

 Chapter 236 - Chapter 236: What a Coincidence

    chapter 236: what a coincidence


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    xiao wu often went to the production team to borrow a donkey cart, so he became familiar with chen xing.


    sometimes when xiao wu returned the cart after coming from town, it would be past dinner time. chen xing would often invite him to have dinner at the production team. the two got along quite well.


    upon seeing the five grain liquor in xiao wu¡¯s hand, chen xing¡¯s eyes widened. he let out a burp, ¡°oh, i thought it was just dinner. why is there alcohol too?¡±


    xiao wu settled down, poured the drink into the cups, and said, ¡°if i¡¯m asking for a favor, of course, i have to show some sincerity.¡±


    chen xing noticed three cups on the table and the rich spread of dishes, and asked, ¡°who else is coming?¡±


    before xiao wu could reply, jiang chuan¡¯s family of four walked in. jiang gu was fanning her mouth, and jiang xia told her, ¡°you¡¯ll be fine once you have a grilled bread slice.¡±


    jiang gu looked at the table in surprise and exclaimed, ¡°oh, isn¡¯t this the uncle we met at the county restaurant at noon today?¡±


    only then did the others realize that chen xing was the one who recommended the wine to them in the afternoon. it was quite a coincidence to run into him in the county earlier.


    chen xing was also an honest person. even though he had become the captain of the production team, he did not put on airs. fie recognized jiang chuan and said with a slightly dunken smile, ¡°what a coincidence. i didn¡¯t expect the wine you bought was for tonight. but 1 don¡¯t think 1 can drink anymore. 1 won¡¯t be able to go back tonight if 1 drink two more glasses!¡±


    he gave a hearty laugh, indicating he was already quite drunk.


    seeing his state, xiao wu realized it wasn¡¯t wise to pour more. if chen xing got too drunk and they discussed serious matters, he might forget everything the next day.


    so, xiao wu packed up the cups and started serving dinner.


    although chen xing was drunk, he was still conscious. he realized that xiao wu had made such an elaborate dinner because he had something important to discuss. he thought to himself that one should be careful when accepting gifts, as they might come with strings attached.


    with this in mind, chen xing directly asked, ¡°xiao wu, if you have something to say, just say it. i¡¯ll definitely help if i can. if you don¡¯t speak up, i won¡¯t be able to eat in peace.¡±


    hearing chen xing¡¯s words, xiao wu detailed the years of oppression jiang chuan and zhou lan had faced from old madam jiang, including selling their eldest daughter and then forcing them into the mountains, followed by stripping them of their possessions.


    upon hearing the story, chen xing was furious and slammed the table, ¡°this is outrageous!¡±


    jiang gu was eating a roasted bread slice when she was startled by the sudden noise. her body shivered, causing the bread slice to fall from her hand. she felt like crying out of fear, but she was worried about making the man even angrier, so she bit her lip to hold back the tears.


    this was a psychological trauma caused by being beaten and scolded by old madam jiang since she was little. even though her parents and elder sister loved her very much now, she couldn¡¯t shake off this trauma.


    chen xing, being a father himself, realized that the child was frightened. he quickly apologized to jiang gu, ¡°little girl, don¡¯t be scared. 1 wasn¡¯t angry at you. i just saw a bug on the table and slapped it.¡±


    after saying that, chen xing picked up another piece of grilled bread for jiang gu and dipped it in meat sauce.


    jiang gu widened her teary eyes and looked at the table doubtfully. after taking the bread slice, she finally felt better.


    the commotion sobered up chen xing completely. at that moment, he was filled with righteous anger, mostly directed at the wicked old madam jiang.


    being a father to a daughter, the mere thought of his own daughter being sold off, not knowing if she¡¯d marry well or if her husband might mistreat her, filled chen xing with rage.


    after comforting jiang gu, chen xing turned to jiang chuan, speaking generously, ¡°what should we do about this? i will do everything 1 can to help you find your eldest daughter!¡±


    once again, jiang chuan was moved by the genuine kindness of people from this era. he regretted not drinking tonight; otherwise, he would¡¯ve shared a few rounds with chen xing. he was determined to be friends with him!


    jiang chuan briefly explained his plan, hoping to leverage the upcoming population census to inquire in various villages about his daughter¡¯s whereabouts, or to directly confront old madam jiang.


    after some contemplation, chen xing felt that neither approach was very good, ¡°old madam jiang has kept your daughter¡¯s whereabouts a secret for so long, and she definitely won¡¯t tell me either. maybe we should have someone else inquire for us.¡±


    ¡°who?¡± both jiang chuan and zhou lan asked simultaneously..

 Chapter 237 - Chapter 237: Zhang Ling

    chapter 237: zhang ling


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    chen xing organized his thoughts and began, ¡°if jiang qing was exchanged to find a bride for the old madam grandson, then the bride must be from the same place where jiang qing was sold to. the bride and the old madam may not be of the same mind, so perhaps we can find a breakthrough from her.¡±


    jiang chuan thought about it and found that it made sense. jiang qing was exchanged to find a wife for the second son of jiang hua. simultaneously, the daughter from that family was sent to the jiang family.


    jiang chuan remembered that the original owner of the memory he had often sought opportunities to communicate with the girl, wanting to ask where she came from.


    however, the jiang family protected this daughter-in-law very well, never allowing jiang chuan to approach her.


    while jiang chuan and zhou lan were still in the old jiang household, they worked from sunrise to sunset and had no time at home. by the time he left for work, the girl was still asleep, and when he returned, she had already gone to bed. he wanted to ask, but he never had the chance.


    chen xing was the captain of the production team. it was completely reasonable to ask the girl¡¯s hometown during the census, and they would have to tell him.


    considering this, jiang chuan and zhou lan¡¯s moods lifted. the weight that had been pressing on their hearts since their arrival here seemed to finally lighten.


    after discussing the matter, chen xing began to eat with relief. the dishes zhou lan cooked not only looked appetizing but tasted even better. the wild vegetables still had a sweet taste, and it had been a long time since chen xing had such fresh greens. he ate heartily, and soon all the dishes and the soup were finished.


    knowing jiang chuan¡¯s urgency, chen xing took action the next day when the census order came. with the notice in hand, he approached the old jiang family.


    the one who opened the door for chen xing happened to be jiang¡¯s second son¡¯s wife, zhang ling.


    hearing that she was the one chen xing was looking for, she became wary, ¡°captain, what do you want to know from me?¡±


    chen xing noticed zhang ling¡¯s concern and explained in a formal tone, ¡°the country is planning to conduct a population census. to avoid any duplication, we need to know your hometown.¡±


    upon hearing this, zhang ling became even more anxious. she looked around, hoping someone would come to deal with chen xing on her behalf.


    ever since jiang chuan left, all the household chores fell on jiang hua family. during the day, they were all out working, including the two sons, leaving only the two daughters-in-law at home. so, there was no one to help answer chen xing.


    there was a reason why zhang ling was afraid. it was because she did not have a household registration. firstly, her family wasn¡¯t in the village, so registration wasn¡¯t strict, and her family never thought of registering her. secondly, due to the preference for sons over daughters, zhang ling was disliked in her family. life for her wasn¡¯t better than jiang qing¡¯s in the old jiang family. illegally selling individuals was a crime, and she feared her parents might blame and beat her if anything was exposed.


    life in the old jiang family was tough for zhang ling. old madam jiang treated her like a laborer expecting her to do all household chores, and any misstep led to scolding and deprivation of food.


    now, with the old madam having hurt her waist, her temper has become even more volatile. if zhang ling didn¡¯t respond to her calls immediately, the old madam would pinch her arm hard. zhang ling¡¯s arm still had blue and purple bruises to show for it.


    if anything else were to go wrong, zhang ling feared she wouldn¡¯t be able to endure her life any longer.


    chen xing could sense zhang ling¡¯s hesitations. after all, he had already learned about their family situation from xiao wu the previous night. he suspected that zhang ling¡¯s family might be unregistered residents in the mountains, having moved there to avoid the village grain taxes.


    so, chen xing gently tried to persuade her, speaking very politely, ¡°it¡¯s like this: we are simply conducting a population census to count the total number of people in the country. that¡¯s why we¡¯re asking where your family is from. you can rest assured, if your family members ask how we found them, we will not reveal anything.¡±


    ¡°you really won¡¯t mention me?¡± zhang ling asked, not entirely convinced..

 Chapter 238 - Chapter 238: Obtaining the Location

    chapter 238: obtaining the location


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    chen xing promptly said, ¡°rest assured, we won¡¯t mention it. it¡¯s just a simple population census; you don¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    at that moment, someone in the courtyard called out for zhang ling. by the sound of it, it seemed to be old madam jiang.


    zhang ling looked a little impatient, but she didn¡¯t dare to delay. ¡°if my family asks how you got our address, please make sure you don¡¯t say i told you.¡±


    she then gave a general direction, ¡°there aren¡¯t many homes up the mountain. if you search carefully, you¡¯ll find it.¡±


    before chen xing could respond, zhang ling had already closed the door and returned to the main house of the jiang family.


    old madam jiang lay on her bed and grumbled, ¡°you¡¯re so slow. it took you forever to answer. can¡¯t you be more efficient? who was at the door? are they here to mock me? did you send them away?¡±


    listening to the old madam¡¯s continuous rant without even pausing for breath, zhang ling secretly rolled her eyes. the way the old woman spoke with such energy didn¡¯t seem like she was ill at all. she just stayed in bed and avoided work. how could the old madam blame others and not expect anyone to talk about her?


    usually, if there¡¯s any gossip, she¡¯s the first to be nosy. now, she¡¯s afraid of becoming a laughingstock. how ironic!


    though zhang ling thought this, she placated the old madam by saying, ¡°it was the production team leader doing a population census. they just asked about the number of people in the house. don¡¯t worry, grandma. if anyone dares to gossip about us, 1¡¯11 be the first to chase them away.¡±


    of course, zhang ling didn¡¯t mention chen xing¡¯s questions about her hometown. this topic was a sore point for the old madam. even mentioning it would make her explode in anger. ¡°never tell anyone where your hometown is. if third jiang finds out where his eldest daughter has been married off to, he¡¯ll turn everything into chaos. that zhou lan isn¡¯t easy to deal with either. does she still want to get jiang qing back? dream on!¡±


    old madam jiang finally felt relieved but added, ¡°you didn¡¯t include third jiang in our household, did you? that unfilial son has no relation to us now. he uses everything from home but doesn¡¯t show gratitude. he even wants to separate the family. he¡¯ll starve out there sooner or later!¡±


    the old madam¡¯s nagging wasn¡¯t new, and zhang ling had long grown tired of it. using the excuse that there were still chores to be done in the yard, she quickly exited.


    upon stepping out, the old madam continued to grumble and complain, saying that zhang ling was not diligent and always dragged her feet while doing chores.


    zhang ling almost rolled her eyes to the heavens in exasperation. how dare they say she wasn¡¯t active in her chores? she had to wash the entire family¡¯s clothes by herself. how fast did they expect her to be?


    especially those men who worked all day, sweating profusely. after coming home, they would just throw their clothes aside without even airing them out. by the time zhang ling got to washing them, the clothes would already stink, requiring multiple washes to get them clean!


    and third uncle, before he separated from the family, didn¡¯t their house handle all the dirty and tiring tasks? she could enjoy some leisure back then. now that they had left, all the work fell on their household. who could zhang ling turn to for fairness?


    the old madam had the audacity to say that third uncle ate and used their resources. without him, would the family be able to enjoy such abundant meals?


    however, zhang ling didn¡¯t have a good impression of jiang chuan either. he was always meek and mild. when bullied, he would remain silent, only immersing himself in work. just seeing him was infuriating.


    zhang ling felt that trading herself to marry their family¡¯s daughter to her elder brother was a loss for her!


    but jiang chuan¡¯s insistence on separating from the family for the sake of his second daughter changed her perspective. a father willing to go to such lengths for his daughter showcased a depth of paternal love that was truly enviable.


    zhang ling couldn¡¯t help but recall her own experiences. thinking of her father¡¯s impatient expression when he spoke of exchanging her to another family as a bride saddened her. what hurt her the most, however, was her silent mother standing by.


    if only her mother hadn¡¯t¡­


    nevermind, it was best not to dwell on the past. what¡¯s done was done, so there¡¯s no point in thinking about it. wiping her moist eyes with her sleeve, zhang ling continued with her laundry..

 Chapter 239 - Chapter 239: Not Easy to Find

    chapter 239: not easy to find


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    it was really difficult to find zhang ling¡¯s house. the staff searched the mountain for an entire day before they found the place.


    jiang chuan and the others often climbed the eastern side of the mountain. her house was on the western side of the mountain. they couldn¡¯t go from the east side, they had to go around to the west side to go up.


    there were only two or three families scattered on the mountain. moreover, the mountain road was winding from east to west. even with a map, one might not be able to find the place. zhang ling only gave a rough location and did not draw a map.


    by the time the staff found the zhang family, they were already out of breath. even in the deep autumn season, their clothes were soaked in sweat.


    given the pretext of a population census, the staff didn¡¯t ask too many questions. after getting a basic understanding, they left and informed chen xing of the situation over the phone.


    chen xing rushed to jiang chuan¡¯s house that night after receiving the news.


    jiang chuan¡¯s family had just finished preparing dinner. when they saw chen xing¡¯s family, they hurriedly welcomed him in.


    from the two bottles of five grain liquor they bought last time, jiang chuan had kept one for xiao wu and brought the other home. with chen xing¡¯s arrival, it was the perfect time to share it.


    jiang xia went to fetch the alcohol, filling glasses for jiang chuan and chen xing.


    seeing the liquor, chen xing¡¯s eyes lit up, and the fatigue from running around the village all day seemed to vanish.


    the matter could be explained quickly, so he took a seat at the table, clinked glasses with jiang chuan, and downed the drink in one gulp.


    after drinking the good wine, chen xing felt much better.


    the two or three villages nearby were under the management of the production team. jiang chuan¡¯s village was assigned to chen xing this time. the census required detailed investigation of every family. he was exhausted after two days of work. now with a drink in hand, he was very satisfied.


    as chen xing was engrossed in his drink, zhou lan grew impatient. she handed him a wild vegetable pancake, ¡°captain chen, what about my eldest daughter¡¯s situation?¡±


    chen xing accepted the pancake and replied courteously, ¡°mrs. zhou, you don¡¯t have to be so formal. just call me chen xing.¡±


    since chen xing was two years younger than jiang chuan, addressing zhou lan as ¡°mrs.¡± was appropriate.


    ¡°we found her. she¡¯s on the western side of the mountain. the reason you couldn¡¯t gather any information from the nearby villages is that they aren¡¯t living in a village. they¡¯ve built a wooden house on the mountain; it¡¯s remote and hard to locate.¡±


    jiang chuan expressed his gratitude, ¡°thank you so much.¡±


    chen xing waved his hand and continued, ¡°i heard that their old man passed away two days ago. now, there¡¯s only an old madam left in the family. the eldest son and his wife, jiang qing, and two sons who are single and have reached the age to get married.¡±


    jiang chuan nodded. zhou lan, more concerned about her daughter¡¯s wellbeing, leaned in and quickly asked, ¡°how is xiao qing doing? does their eldest son treat my daughter well? do they¡­ do they have children?¡±


    scratching his head in embarrassment, chen xing replied, ¡°i¡¯m not sure.¡±


    they were only conducting a census, so it felt intrusive to ask such detailed questions. besides, the staff mentioned that this family didn¡¯t seem to like extended conversations. after giving minimal responses, they¡¯d close their door.


    zhou lan slumped in disappointment, eating her meal in silence.


    jiang xia, aware of her mother¡¯s worries, patted her hand and gave a comforting look.


    seeing jiang chuan¡¯s silence after listening, chen xing remained quiet, enjoying the meal before him.


    zhou lan¡¯s cooking skills were better than the chefs in the restaurants in the county town. it was the perfect pairing with alcohol.


    the table fell silent for a moment, each person lost in their thoughts.


    jiang gu, being young and straightforward, lacked the tendency to overthink common in adults. upon hearing about their eldest sister¡¯s location, he exclaimed, ¡°now that we know where big sister is, let¡¯s go get her!¡±


    jiang chuan¡¯s family had always shared a strong bond. even in the old jiang family, which typically valued sons over daughters, this particular family stood out for its warmth and affection.


    as the eldest, jiang qing was both mature and sensible. on regular days, she assisted her parents with chores, working both efficiently and diligently. she always treated her younger sisters with great care and affection..

 Chapter 240 - Chapter 240: Plan

    chapter 240: plan


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    in the first few years after jiang gu was born, zhou lan was exceptionally busy. besides engaging in farming activities, she also undertook sewing tasks to earn extra money for the family. it was jiang qing who took care of the daily needs of jiang gu and jiang xia, so they naturally shared a very close bond.


    furthermore, jiang qing was remarkably beautiful, the prettiest among the three daughters. her skin was fair, and no matter how much it was exposed to the sun, it never tanned. while others would be dripping with sweat and their faces oily after working in the summer heat, she always remained neat and clean.


    usually, she would wear two twisted braids, and even in modest clothes, her beauty was undeniable. many young men in the village hoped to marry her, and she was affectionately referred to as the village beauty. there were countless people who showed her special attention.


    yet, in the end, she was sold off to the mountains by old madam jiang, and no one knew which fortunate man got her as his bride.


    although jiang gu spoke these words casually, they resonated deeply with jiang chuan.


    reuniting with his daughter and having the whole family together was essential for him. after all, that¡¯s what families do.


    but he pondered over how to handle this son-in-law he had never met. he wanted to know about their marital relationship so he could decide on the next steps. if they were happy together, he would welcome the son-in-law¡¯s family to their village. given the financial means of their family, supporting a few more people wouldn¡¯t be an issue.


    however, if things weren¡¯t good and his daughter was being mistreated, jiang chuan wouldn¡¯t hesitate to intervene. he would ensure their separation and take care of his daughter for the rest of his life, rather than see her suffer.


    expressing his thoughts to chen xing, jiang chuan said, ¡°i want to bring my daughter and her family down from the mountains.¡±


    after pondering briefly, chen xing replied ambiguously, ¡°it might not be easy.¡±


    locating his daughter was doable, especially with the upcoming census. but relocating an entire family of five from the mountains to the village was a different matter altogether.


    just speaking about the issue of residency, their sudden move to the village requires various administrative procedures which are difficult to manage. if asked where they came from, surely they can¡¯t say from the mountains?


    then there¡¯s the issue of housing. it¡¯s said that jiang chuan and the others currently live in houses that used to belong to the village chief, built with the help of the villagers. where will this additional family of five live?


    beyond all these concerns, there¡¯s the question of whether the zhang family is even willing to move to the village. no one knows the answer to that.


    jiang chuan didn¡¯t expect chen xing to agree to help. it was impossible for him to make a big contribution to the relocation after treating him to a meal.


    however, jiang chuan had his own plans. in the modern era, he was a businessman, and making friends was paramount in business. jiang chuan believed he had some skills in this area and planned to leverage his connections in the coming days.


    after the meal, jiang chuan¡¯s family escorted chen xing out. before leaving, they handed him a cloth bag containing two jars of meat sauce and some preserved dried meat.


    meat was a rare commodity in the village. presenting chen xing with such a large quantity took him by surprise, and he was unsure whether he should accept the generous gift.


    jiang chuan insisted, pushing the bag into chen xing¡¯s hands and preventing him from returning it.


    jiang chuan gracefully said, ¡°i¡¯ve bothered you with tasks these past days, and i feel quite apologetic. please accept this meat sauce and dried meat as a token of gratitude. when you have some free time, let¡¯s have a good meal together.¡±


    the taste of the liquor was still lingering on chen xing¡¯s lips. now, after receiving the gifts, he felt a bit guilty for initially refusing to help them.


    before chen xing could respond, zhou lan spoke up, ¡°you address me as sister-in-law; that means we¡¯re family. there¡¯s no need for formalities among family. take the gifts and travel home safely.¡±


    feeling embarrassed to decline and sensing the sincerity of the family¡¯s gratitude, chen xing felt closer to them. he realized he might have misjudged them earlier. the villagers were very genuine and kind-hearted. he concluded that if they wished to bring their daughter back, he would certainly do his best to assist.


    chen xing was originally from this village. he later married a girl from the neighboring village whose family was quite well-off. they had only this one daughter and were unwilling to see her marry far away. as a result, they gave a generous dowry, making chen xing essentially a groom who moved into his wife¡¯s family home..

 Chapter 241 - Chapter 241: Coincidence

    chapter 241: coincidence


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    chen xing¡¯s parents passed away early. after getting married, he packed his belongings and moved to the neighboring village, living together with his wife and in-laws.


    their relationship had always been strong. after getting married, they had a daughter, and now, his wife was pregnant again. while chen xing verbally expressed indifference about the baby¡¯s gender, deep down, he hoped for a son to care for him in his old age.


    chen xing initially joined the production team thanks to the dowry from his wife¡¯s family. however, it was through his own diligence and hard work, recognized by leadership, that he rose to the position of team leader.


    after jiang chuan¡¯s family sent chen xing off, everyone was silent except for jiang gu.


    when they did not know jiang qing¡¯s whereabouts, they looked forward to reuniting as soon as possible every day.


    now that they knew, their worries multiplied; bringing her back wasn¡¯t just a matter of speaking it. they had to consider the complexities of relocation, housing, and various other concerns.


    what they urgently needed was someone to help initiate the process. this was currently jiang chuan¡¯s most pressing concern.


    during dinner, chen xing had clearly shown his reluctance to help. so, who else could jiang chuan turn to? the village chief? if the chief¡¯s words had weight, then jiang qing wouldn¡¯t have been sent away in the first place. given the circumstances, jiang chuan felt he could only rely on himself.


    luck seemed to be on the jiang family¡¯s side. just when jiang chuan was spending sleepless nights riddled with worries, he unexpectedly ran into an acquaintance in the village the next day.


    now that the autumn harvest was over, there was less farm work and more people leisurely wandering in the village. jiang chuan felt that it was not a good idea to worry at home. jiang chuan thought it best to take a stroll with his family by the riverside, hoping the waterside activities would lighten the mood.


    zhou lan decided to stay home to sew warm clothes for the family before winter¡¯s onset. thus, jiang chuan left with the two jiang sisters.


    jiang gu held jiang xia¡¯s hand with one hand and jiang chuan¡¯s with the other as they skipped towards the river. when they walked past a small dirt road, jiang xia suddenly stopped and looked at the two people walking towards them from afar.


    ¡°dad, do those two people look familiar?¡±


    preoccupied with watching over jiang gu¡¯s steps and fearing she might trip on the stones, jiang chuan didn¡¯t look up and casually replied, ¡°given the number of people wandering around the village these days, you probably recognize them.¡±


    ¡°no, they aren¡¯t from our village. i think it¡¯s zhou juan and her father!¡±


    zhou juan was a young girl who befriended jiang xia in the town. her father worked in the sugar factory in the county town, and jiang chuan¡¯s family had to rely on her help when they went to the county town for the first time.


    taking a closer look, jiang chuan realized it was indeed zhou juan and her father.


    as they approached, jiang xia waved at them, ¡°zhou juan!¡±


    carrying a paper bag, a listless zhou juan followed her father, kicking stones to alleviate her boredom. growing up in the city, she found these stony paths particularly annoying because the flying dust would dirty her shoes. hence, whenever she visited the village, she wore old shoes.


    engrossed in kicking stones and wondering how much longer it would take to reach their destination, zhou juan heard someone call her name. looking up, she was surprised to see jiang xia!


    it had been a long time since they met, especially after jiang xia¡¯s family¡¯s trip to the city. to be honest, zhou juan had missed her quite a bit.


    zhou juan admired jiang xia¡¯s way of talking and felt that her words were very thoughtful.


    zhou juan never thought of jiang xia as a mere country girl; in fact, she believed that jiang xia possessed many qualities absent in city folks. this made zhou juan eager to be friends with her.


    moreover, after their last visit, her father had always praised both jiang xia and her father, mentioning they should keep in touch more often. yet, they hadn¡¯t visited since then. it was a delightful surprise to encounter jiang xia in the countryside today.


    zhou juan jumped up and down happily. she raised her empty hand and waved at jiang xia.


    recognizing zhou juan, jiang xia ran towards her, and zhou juan did the same.


    ¡°how did you end up in the village? and why are you carrying so much?¡± asked jiang xia.


    ¡°my uncle lives in the village. my dad got a raise recently and bought some milk in the county town. we brought the milk especially for him!¡± zhou juan explained.


    as she spoke, she took out a milk candy from the pocket of her pleated skirt and offered it to jiang xia. due to the day¡¯s warm weather, the candy, which had been in her pocket for a while, was somewhat soft.


    ¡°the milk comes in a whole box, so i can¡¯t open it, otherwise i¡¯d let you try. but this candy is made of milk, and it tastes even better. try it!¡± she urged..

 Chapter 242 - Chapter 242: Bird Poop

    chapter 242: bird poop


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    when jiang xia was young, she often ate milk candies. now, she reacts negatively to them. just seeing a milk candy can make her nauseous. however, jiang gu has never tried one, so jiang xia wants to offer it to her.


    however, seeing zhou juan¡¯s expectant face, jiang xia originally intended to save the milk candy for jiang gu. she reluctantly tore the soft candy wrapper in half, put half in her mouth, and the other half in zhou juan¡¯s hand.


    at this moment, zhou juan¡¯s father, zhou yang, walked over and smiled amiably. he said to jiang xia,¡± xiao xia, you can eat it yourself. you don¡¯t have to share it with her.¡± if she can give you a candy, she must have another one in her pocket. otherwise, our stingy zhou juan wouldn¡¯t have offered it.¡±


    upon hearing her father tease her, zhou juan frowned and retorted, ¡°i¡¯m not stingy!¡±


    nevertheless, zhou juan still returned the candy to jiang xia. ¡°give the other half to your sister. i really don¡¯t have any candy in my pocket today, otherwise, 1 would¡¯ve offered two.¡±


    jiang xia smiled sweetly, saying, ¡°thank you,¡± and handed the remaining half to her younger sister jiang gu, who came rushing over.


    jiang gu savored the milk candy, letting its sweetness melt slowly in her mouth.


    jiang chuan stood nearby, having overheard their conversation. remembering how zhou yang had previously helped him, he asked politely, ¡°would you like to come over for some hot tea before you leave?¡±


    zhou yang shaded his eyes and looked up at the sun, replying, ¡°no, it¡¯s almost noon. we still have to visit her uncle¡¯s house. thanks for the offer.¡±


    ¡°alright, but remember to drop by in the afternoon. my home is right around that corner,¡± jiang chuan pointed towards his house. as they prepared to continue their walk by the river, zhou juan suddenly exclaimed, ¡°ah! something landed on me!¡±


    the group turned to look at her. jiang xia, standing close by, could see a lump of white-green, slightly moist substance on zhou juan¡¯s shoulder. she delicately mentioned, ¡°it¡¯s bird droppings.¡±


    ¡°bird droppings?¡± zhou juan repeated, somewhat dazed. realizing what it was, she stomped her feet, exclaiming, ¡°bird poop! ah, so disgusting!¡±


    worried that the droppings would touch her hair, zhou juan hesitated to move. holding back tears, she lamented, ¡°what should i do? i¡¯m visiting my uncle¡¯s house later.¡±


    at zhou juan¡¯s uncle¡¯s home, there were other cousins, and the girls inevitably compared themselves when together. zhou juan had dressed up specially for the visit, and now with bird droppings on her, she was certain her cousins would mock her.


    jiang xia offered, ¡°come to my house to clean up; it¡¯s easy to wash off.¡±


    seeing no better option, the group decided to go to jiang¡¯s home.


    at the house, zhou lan took zhou juan to jiang xia¡¯s room. zhou juan changed into some of jiang xia¡¯s clean clothes while zhou lan took the soiled ones to wash.


    jiang xia poured two cups of hot water for jiang chuan and zhou yang. in their village, there was no tea. sugar water was the best drink they could offer to guests. however, given zhou yang¡¯s job at the candy factory, jiang xia thought he might be tired of sweet drinks and thus served plain hot water.


    with nothing else to occupy them, jiang chuan and zhou yang chatted about recent events in the county. from discussions about the ongoing census to recent visits by county leaders, jiang chuan listened intently.


    as zhou yang spoke, he felt a hint of urban superiority. recognizing that jiang chuan wasn¡¯t trying to impress or flatter him but was genuinely engaged, zhou yang¡¯s respect for him grew. he believed jiang chuan was a worthwhile friend.


    furthermore, jiang chuan¡¯s demeanor didn¡¯t suggest someone content with lifelong farming.


    he still remembered the first time he met jiang chuan¡¯s family. they were still wearing patched clothes. even the younger daughter¡¯s clothes were ill-fitting, revealing their financial hardships.


    but in just a month, their situation seemed to have transformed. they now wore new outfits, and their home looked well-kept, even boasting wooden furniture rarely seen in rural households. they must¡¯ve found a way to earn after moving to the city.


    jiang chuan surely had talents. perhaps in the future, he might find opportunities in the county. who would be in a position to assist whom remained to be seen..

 Chapter 243 - Chapter 243: Chief Captain

    chapter 243: chief captain


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang chuan was just used to reading the news. in this era, newspapers weren¡¯t popular yet, and there was no internet. if he wanted to know the news in the city, he could only listen to others.


    as he neared the end of a conversation, jiang chuan asked nonchalantly, ¡°where does her uncle live in the village?¡±


    there were only one hundred households in the village, and jiang chuan had basically met all of them. if zhou juan¡¯s uncle was from the village,, he would recognize him by the address alone.


    ¡°it¡¯s to the north. after the house run by the production team, the first house is theirs.¡±


    it turns out, that house belongs to the production team¡¯s chief captain, zhou fang!


    no wonder people who live in town have relatives in pushan village. it seems zhou yang¡¯s elder brother is not an ordinary person.


    the location of his house alone revealed zhou fang¡¯s status. the house of the production team was the best building in the village, and it was also one of the few brick houses in the village. it was a house left behind by the rich in the past. out of fear of being labeled wealthy, no villager dared to live there. therefore, it became a public office.


    houses nearby once belonged to workers who served the wealthy. while not as fancy as brick houses, they were made of wood and bricks, far better than other village homes. conveniently located next to the production team office, even the village chief didn¡¯t have such a good house.


    however, zhou fang¡¯s family never tried to get close to the villagers, unlike the village chief who always thought about the village.


    zhou fang would sweep the snow in front of his house daily. except for major meetings, he attended no other village activities. he was always seen with a cold face, leading villagers to keep their distance.


    zhou lan finished washing the clothes and dried them with a stone that had been heated by the sun. although it was still a little damp but wearable.


    zhou juan thanked her gratefully and quickly changed her clothes before leaving.


    afraid of causing delays, jiang chuan did not keep the two guests for long. his family escorted them out.


    before leaving, zhou juan mentioned she¡¯d visit jiang xia in the afternoon. jiang xia happily agreed.


    once zhou yang and zhou juan had departed, it was nearing lunchtime. going to the river to fish would take too long, so jiang chuan decided to do that later in the afternoon.


    jiang xia entered the house and took a cup to the kitchen for washing. on her way out, she spotted a box of milk that zhou yang had left by the door. quickly, she brought it outside.


    having walked a considerable distance without looking back, they must¡¯ve forgotten the milk. without hesitation, jiang chuan picked up the milk and chased after them.


    by the time zhou yang and zhou juan reached her uncle¡¯s home, zhou fang had already prepared a meal.


    despite his stoic and seemingly cold demeanor, zhou fang hospitably said, ¡°come in and have some water to refresh yourselves.¡±


    zhou yang declined, ¡°no need. 1 ran into an acquaintance at the village entrance and had tea at his house. i¡¯m not thirsty. 1 had bought a box of milk from the city for the children, thinking it might help them grow taller.¡±


    it was only after saying this that he realized he¡¯d arrived empty-handed, having left the milk at jiang chuan¡¯s house.


    immediately after, there was a knock on the door. zhou yang went to open the door to welcome jiang chuan, who had rushed over to return the milk.


    zhou fang and jiang chuan had met before. they knew each other but had never spoken.


    zhou yang thanked jiang chuan for the milk, and zhou fang spontaneously invited him to stay for lunch.


    jiang chuan looked at the expressionless zhou fang, who did not look like he wanted to invite him over for a meal. jiang chuan was too embarrassed to stay.


    upon noticing jiang chuan¡¯s discomfort, zhou yang clarified as they saw him out, ¡°my brother suffered a stroke some time ago, which led to facial paralysis. that¡¯s why he always appears cold.¡±


    jiang chuan finally understood why the villagers said that chief captain zhou fang was not easy to get along with. he usually had a cold face when they met, as if he looked down on others. it was because he had a poker face.


    after knowing about this, jiang chuan no longer avoided chief zhou. sometimes, when they met in the village, he would greet him with a smile. even though zhou fang was expressionless every time, jiang chuan could hear his emotions from his tone.


    jiang chuan became the only person in the village who greeted chief zhou every time he saw him. zhou fang was looking forward to interacting with people. over time, the two of them even became friends, but that was all in the future..

 Chapter 244 - Chapter 244: Looking For Zhang Ling Again

    chapter 244: looking for zhang ling again


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    the news that jiang chuan had a good relationship with chief captain zhou¡¯s younger brother and had even brought a box of milk to chief captain zhou¡¯s house quickly spread throughout the production team, and chen xing also caught wind of it.


    upon hearing this, chen xing deduced that jiang chuan, being a perceptive person, might have a close private relationship with chief captain zhou. this would make any favor from jiang chuan more valuable than previously thought.


    with this thought in mind, chen xing became enthusiastic again. he took the initiative to look for old jiang¡¯s family and prepared to look for zhang ling again to ask about zhang ling¡¯s family indirectly.


    this time, it was old madam jiang who opened the door. she was too bored lying in bed and could not be bothered to pretend that her back hurt anymore. she started to walk around.


    upon seeing that the visitor was the captain of the production team, her attitude became enthusiastic. she eagerly invited chen xing inside.


    zhang ling was washing her clothes, but she couldn¡¯t get a piece of dirt off. she was struggling with the clothes and was ordered by the old madam to pour tea. reluctantly, zhang ling obeyed.


    once the tea was served, chen xing asked zhang ling to sit down, indicating he had questions for her.


    given zhang ling¡¯s unique status related to illegal human trafficking, mrs. jiang became anxious when chen xing wanted to speak to her. she said, ¡°whatever you want to ask her, you can ask me directly. her words don¡¯t carry much weight in this household.¡±


    chen xing took a sip of hot water and pointed to the seat next to her, insisting zhang ling to sit down. he said to old madam jiang, ¡°i¡¯m afraid 1 can¡¯t ask you about this. it¡¯s about zhang ling¡¯s family.¡±


    zhang ling¡¯s face turned pale, fearing the disclosure of some hidden matters.


    chen xing then said to zhang ling,¡± the staff went to your house to investigate. your father passed away a month ago. now, there is a problem. it is not suitable for your family to live on the mountain. have you thought about moving your family to pushan village?¡±


    both zhang ling and old madam jiang were stunned.


    zhang ling was shocked to learn of her father¡¯s death, but there was also an inappropriate sense of relief. she never had a good relationship with her father, who had always been abusive and even sold her off. however, she was close to her two younger brothers and her mother.


    with her father gone, she naturally hoped her family could move to pushan village. having her relatives close would strengthen her position in the old jiang household.


    old madam jiang was shocked from realizing that if zhang ling¡¯s family moved to pushan village, jiang qing would return!


    jiang chuan was living better and better now. jiang qing coming back now would mean she¡¯d be returning to enjoy the good life. old madam jiang thought, ¡°this simply cannot happen. that ungrateful girl shouldn¡¯t think of returning in this lifetime!¡±


    ¡°sounds good!¡±


    ¡°no way!¡±


    both voiced their opinions simultaneously. old madam jiang glared fiercely at zhang ling, who pretended not to notice and asked chen xing, ¡°when are they planning to move? where will they stay?¡±


    chen xing was surprised by zhang ling¡¯s eagerness, ¡°it¡¯s just a consideration now. we need to make arrangements. it¡¯s not a simple move. you also need to consult your family to see if they¡¯re willing to leave the mountains.¡±


    zhang ling was a little disappointed, but she didn¡¯t give up and asked many questions. chen xing answered them one by one. chen xing also took the opportunity to ask zhang ling many questions about the zhang family.


    the more old madam jiang listened, the more uneasy she felt. she annoyingly said, ¡°captain chen, you¡¯re here on behalf of jiang chuan, aren¡¯t you? is he trying to bring his daughter back? he was living a good life now. he didn¡¯t even think about how much his parents had suffered. he just wanted to bring that money-losing thing back! anyway, i won¡¯t allow it!¡±


    jiang chuan had already moved out of the family. it was none of old madam jiang¡¯s business if he wanted to bring his eldest daughter back. her disapproval was irrelevant.


    since he had achieved his purpose for coming here today, he could not be bothered to waste his breath on old madam jiang. so he left without further discussion.


    after chen xing left, jiang hong reluctantly walked out of the house. her triangular eyes narrowed into a line. ¡°grandma, is jiang qing coming back? 1 won¡¯t allow it! she¡¯s a sly fox. if she returns, she¡¯ll steal my limelight. when that time comes, the men in the village will only praise her for her beauty and won¡¯t be able to see me at all!¡±


    old madam jiang was furious and did not have the time to care about jiang hong. she waved her hand impatiently.¡± how can jiang qing compare to you? she¡¯s married! who would even glance at her? don¡¯t make things difficult for yourself, and don¡¯t bother me.¡±


    jiang hong felt even more aggrieved after hearing this. she did not dare to say anything and obediently returned to her room..

 Chapter 245 - Chapter 245: Visit

    chapter 245: visit


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    when jiang gui returned from work that night, he learned that jiang chuan wanted to bring the zhang family down from the mountain to the village. he slammed the table in anger. ¡°that won¡¯t do! does jiang chuan think he can do whatever he wants just because he¡¯s separated from the jiang family?¡±


    jiang gui¡¯s wife was also opposed to the idea. when jiang qing lived at home, she constantly flirted with the young men in the village. this behavior was the reason their daughter, jiang hong, couldn¡¯t find a suitable match. now, having finally married her off, they were thinking of bringing her back after only two years. this was sheer torment!


    the jiang family elders, along with the eldest son¡¯s family, began to complain and argue loudly, while the second son¡¯s family remained silent and listened.


    zhang ling is the daughter-in-law of the second son. the zhang family is related to the second son by marriage. with their family moving to the village, jiang chuan was taking care of all the arrangements, so they didn¡¯t have to do anything. what was there to oppose?


    the fact that her own family was moving to the village and her husband¡¯s family remained silent had already left zhang ling very discontented. however, compared to the strong opposition from the uncle¡¯s family, zhang ling¡¯s anger shifted.


    every member of this family seemed to be selfish. once her maternal family moved to the village, zhang ling was determined to find a way to have the second son¡¯s family live separately. she wanted to see how the old jiang family would fare without the second and third sons!


    from their discussion, zhang ling gathered that the zhang family¡¯s relocation to pushan village was strongly advocated by the third jiang son. jiang qing was her sister-in-law. regardless of the disagreements, zhang ling felt she should visit jiang chuan¡¯s house to understand their stance.


    zhang ling¡¯s father did not treat the family well, acting as if the entire family owed him. he constantly abused or yelled at the family, showing affection only to the youngest brother.


    although zhang ling hated her father, the rest of the family treated her very well. her elder brother would often secretly save some meat he hunted and exchange it for food in the village, later giving zhang ling and her younger brothers an extra meal.


    zhang ling was forced by her father to marry into the jiang family, but she thought of it as helping her elder brother find a wife. so zhang ling did not resist. she also hoped that she could find a gentle and understanding sister-in-law for him.


    after she came to the jiang family, she felt that jiang chuan family¡¯s were always submissive, and she looked down on them from the bottom of her heart. she also had a bad impression of jiang qing.


    however, when jiang chuan declared his intention to separate from the family, zhang ling began to see them in a new light.


    in this era where people couldn¡¯t even have enough to eat, the only way to survive was to work hard. jiang chuan, despite being more capable than his brothers, had previously been too meek. overshadowed by them, he was always submissive and couldn¡¯t stand up for himself. after splitting up, the family¡¯s life was better. this meant that they had the ability to let the zhang family live a good life in the village.


    of course, the zhang family would not rely entirely on him to support them. the three sons of the zhang family were skilled hunters, so their life in the village would not be bad.


    with the marriage between jiang qing and her elder brother, zhang ling and jiang chuan¡¯s family could be considered relatives, so their relationship should be closer. therefore, zhang ling decided to visit jiang chuan¡¯s family before the zhang family moved to pushan village. in the future, the two families would have a lot of interactions.


    the next morning, zhang ling sneaked out early, while the old madam was still in bed, and headed straight to jiang chuan¡¯s house.


    seeing zhang ling, they were momentarily surprised, then hurriedly welcomed her inside.


    considering that their daughter and son-in-law were about to be brought home, they viewed zhang ling as family, being their in-law.


    zhang ling was invited into the house. she sat on the brick bed and placed her hands on her knees cautiously. she could not help but look around the house.


    the structure of the house was simple, no different from other villagers¡¯ houses, but it looked brighter. the furniture was flat and smooth. it was brand new furniture made of pure wood. there were no wooden thorns that scratched one¡¯s fingers, and the paint did not peel off. it was enviable.


    after a while, zhou lan came in with a glass of sugar water and placed it on the table in front of zhang ling.


    despite feeling guilty, zhang ling put on airs again, trying to project an exterior of arrogance..

 Chapter 246 - Chapter 246: Not A Bad Person

    chapter 246: not a bad person


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang gu clung to the doorway, revealing a round head with two small buns tied up, and timidly called out, ¡°sister-in-law.¡±


    jiang gu did not deliberately try to please her, but genuinely felt that zhang ling was a good person.


    when jiang chuan was forced into the mountains by old madam jiang, jiang gu often went hungry. she would wake up in the middle of the night due to hunger and sneak into the kitchen to find food.


    one night in the kitchen, she ran into zhang ling, who was also up late. jiang gu thought she would be beaten up, but instead, zhang ling pulled out an egg hidden amongst the firewood. it was clear she had stashed it away secretly.


    with an impatient expression, zhang ling tossed the egg to jiang gu, saying, ¡°eat it and don¡¯t tell anyone, or i¡¯ll beat you!¡±


    jiang gu retracted her head in fear and ran out with the egg in her arms. she turned back after a few steps and carefully thanked zhang ling, who was rearranging the firewood pile in the house.


    the sudden voice startled zhang ling, and she even scolded her again.


    but as a child, jiang gu didn¡¯t understand the scolding. she only remembered zhang ling giving her an egg and concluded she must be a kind person, hence the friendly greeting.


    zhang ling was momentarily stunned. her lips twitched, as if she wanted to smile, but she quickly adopted a stern expression.


    a small table was set up on the kang, a heated brick bed. zhang ling sat on the right, while jiang chuan and zhou lan sat on the left. everyone remained silent.


    even though zhang ling wanted to see the attitude of jiang chuan¡¯s family, she felt awkward and refused to speak. she held a cup in her hand, continuously fidgeting with the colored patterns on the ceramic cup.


    seeing the ongoing silence, jiang xia walked in with a small stool, sat in front of them, and initiated conversation.


    ¡°sister-in-law, have you come for an early breakfast?¡±


    zhang ling was surprised. life at the third uncle¡¯s home had improved so much that they even had breakfast!


    in the village, it was rare for households to have three meals a day. most would eat one meal without knowing when the next one would be. even before the families separated, they never had breakfast!


    hearing this, zhang ling became more determined to separate from the old jiang family in the future.


    deep down, zhang ling wanted to eat.


    seeing her not respond, jiang xia continued, ¡°there are boiled eggs in the pot, and we made wild vegetable porridge. 1¡¯11 get some for you.¡±


    without waiting for zhang ling¡¯s reaction, she ran to the kitchen, scooped a bowl of wild vegetable porridge for everyone, and brought out all the eggs from the pot, cooling them with water before placing them in a bowl. she then brought the porridge and eggs into the room on a tray.


    smelling the fragrant wild vegetable porridge, zhang ling dropped her pretense and started eating. as she ate, she stubbornly said, ¡°you insisted i stay for the meal. that¡¯s why i¡¯m eating here. it¡¯s not because 1 want to!¡±


    zhou lan, as if comforting a child, replied, ¡°yes, yes, we forced you.¡±


    with her porridge, zhang ling ate three eggs without pause. she must have been hungry from the night before.


    considering the old jiang family¡¯s previous attitude towards jiang chuan¡¯s family, zhou lan guessed that jiang¡¯s second family might also be having a tough time. she felt pity for zhang ling.


    after finishing five eggs and the porridge, zhang ling put down her chopsticks satisfiedly, lifting her chin slightly, trying to hide her embarrassment.


    although she was usually sharp-tongued, she had a soft heart. being suppressed by her family and the old jiangs, she had developed some defensive attitudes, especially towards jiang chuan¡¯s family due to their past behaviors.


    after enjoying their hospitality and zhou lan¡¯s kindness, she clearly felt a touch of embarrassment. she mumbled, ¡°1 heard from captain chen that my family is moving to the village thanks to your help. i came to thank you.¡±


    after jiang xia heard this, she ridiculed her in her heart. how could zhang ling have such an attitude when she came to thank her? zhang ling was really stubborn. she wanted to be friendly and put on airs at the same time.


    however, the fact that she came over to thank them meant that she was a kind person who knew how to appreciate others. moreover, she did not bully the jiang family like the jiang family did, so jiang xia did not hate her.


    zhou lan, always warm-hearted towards those who showed kindness, was even more amiable towards zhang ling after her gesture. ¡°look at you, silly girl. we¡¯re family, no need for thanks. that¡¯s being too formal. are you full? we have wild vegetable pancakes in the pot. want one?¡±


    touching her full belly, zhang ling subtly shook her head, becoming even more envious of jiang chuan¡¯s current living conditions..

 Chapter 247 - Chapter 247: The Mountain Is Good

    chapter 247: the mountain is good


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    seeing the change in zhang ling¡¯s attitude, jiang xia mustered the courage to ask, ¡°sister-in-law, why did your family decide to live on the mountain? there¡¯s less food there, and it¡¯s inconvenient to go to the city. why not live in the village?¡±


    zhang ling said with a hint of pride, ¡°that¡¯s not the case. the mountains are teeming with wild animals. the food there is far superior to what¡¯s in the village. the wild rabbits and roe deer you all catch are considered minor catches. deeper in the mountains, you can find wild boars and even bears!¡±


    jiang xia was amazed. they considered the roe deer small, even though they had traded it for dozens of kilograms of grain? but hearing about wild boars and bears, the roe deer did seem less significant.


    it appeared that zhang ling¡¯s family lived quite well on the mountain.


    jiang gu, having never seen a bear, was curious. ¡°sister-in-law, how big is a bear?¡±


    zhang ling responded proudly, ¡°a large bear can stand as tall as a person. its claws are razor-sharp, able to shatter a massive rock with just one swipe. its fur is thick and ideal for making coats that shield against the harsh winter winds and snow.¡±


    jiang gu¡¯s eyes widened with envy. in winter, she could only wrap herself in several worn-out, thin cotton jackets. she often had to jump around just to keep warm. a warm coat was something she deeply desired.


    zhang ling added casually, ¡°jiang gu, when winter comes, i¡¯ll ask my eldest brother to send you a coat. that way, you won¡¯t have to shiver every day.¡±


    zhou lan asked curiously, ¡°is your eldest brother jiang qing¡¯s husband?¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    ¡°he can kill bears?¡± zhou lan exclaimed, visibly impressed. bears are formidable creatures, even more so than tigers. they¡¯re also quite intelligent. without proper weapons, defeating one would be a tremendous challenge. and yet, zhang ling¡¯s brother had done it.


    counting on her fingers, zhang ling elaborated, ¡°my brother hasn¡¯t just killed bears. he¡¯s also hunted tigers and wild boars. in fact, we have chairs draped with tiger skins at home.¡±


    zhou lan, ever so interested in matters concerning her son-in-law, listened intently. to ensure zhang ling was comfortable, she offered her a cup of sugar water. after she had taken a sip, zhou lan cautiously asked, ¡°how is the relationship between your brother and xiao qing?¡±


    zhang ling was well-versed on this subject.


    despite being married into the old jiang family for two years and having limited contact with her own family, her younger brother visited her in secret roughly once every month or two.


    each visit, zhang ling would discreetly meet him at the village entrance, ensuring the old jiang family remained unaware. during these meetings, her brother would bring her gifts ¨C sometimes meat, other times money. the two would also discuss their family¡¯s current circumstances.


    the last visit was precisely two months ago. her brother hadn¡¯t mentioned any illness concerning their father. this led zhang ling to believe that her father¡¯s death was sudden and unexpected, though she hadn¡¯t had the opportunity to delve deeper into the matter.


    from their discussions, zhang ling knew that the eldest brother and his wife shared a loving bond. jiang qing was both thrifty and diligent in handling household affairs. besides her beauty, she possessed a talent for sewing and crafts. it was her hands that transformed the tiger and bear pelts into clothing, boots, and cushions.


    after joining the zhang family, jiang qing cultivated a vegetable garden in the mountains behind their home. sadly, a prolonged drought caused the vegetables to wither, and the garden was eventually abandoned.


    jiang qing was also devoted to her parents-in-law, though her father seemed indifferent to everyone, making him an outlier in their family.


    zhang ling revealed that her eldest brother had even considered relocating to the village for the sake of his wife. however, for reasons zhang ling wasn¡¯t privy to, that move never materialized.


    seeing zhou lan¡¯s warmth and feeling a budding affection for her younger sisters, zhang ling began to harbor a fondness for this family.


    she answered zhou lan¡¯s inquiry about her eldest brother¡¯s marital relationship truthfully. zhou lan seemed slightly relieved after hearing zhang ling¡¯s account.


    feeling it was time to depart, zhang ling didn¡¯t linger. having shared her stories, quenched her thirst, and sated her hunger, she was anxious about the old madam waking up and potentially berating her for her absence. thus, she promptly excused herself and left..

 Chapter 248 - Chapter 248: Harmonious Relationship

    chapter 248: harmonious relationship


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    from zhang ling¡¯s words, it seemed that jiang qing¡¯s life after marrying into the zhang family was much better than when she was in the old jiang family. zhou lan¡¯s guilt towards her eldest daughter was slightly alleviated.


    jiang chuan and zhou lan had originally discussed that if their relationship was not good and the zhang family was unwilling to leave the mountain, they might as well get a divorce and bring jiang qing home.


    since the two of them were planning to have a child, their relationship was naturally good. it would be unlikely to separate them. therefore, jiang chuan wanted to reunite the whole family and planned to bring the entire zhang family down from the mountain.


    originally, jiang chuan was still hesitating whether he should personally visit the zhang family. however, with zhang ling¡¯s visit today, he firmly decided that he must go.


    he took out the map of zhang ling¡¯s home and studied it carefully. this map was given to him by chen xing in the morning. chen xing¡¯s attitude suddenly became proactive, which puzzled jiang chuan. however, this wasn¡¯t the focus, so he didn¡¯t dwell on it.


    while studying it, jiang chuan suddenly spread the map on the table, pointing to the zhang house, and said,¡± honey, look at this house. there¡¯s something wrong with it!¡±


    jiang xia, who was playing with jiang gu on the side, immediately set down jiang gu and leaned in, asking, ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    jiang chuan, fearing they wouldn¡¯t understand, gestured the routes on the mountain. ¡°look at the location of this house, it¡¯s strategically placed, perfect for military defense. 1 think the jiang family isn¡¯t just ordinary hunters!¡±


    zhou lan exclaimed, ¡°if they were soldiers, they wouldn¡¯t hide in the mountains. could they all be enemy spies? our daughter would be in danger!¡±


    jiang chuan pinched his wife¡¯s cheek, ¡°it shouldn¡¯t be that bad. but when something is abnormal, there¡¯s always a reason. i¡¯ll have to see for myself.¡±


    jiang xia and zhou lan had different opinions. jiang xia felt that zhang ling seemed to deliberately avoid mentioning her father when talking about the zhang family, as if hiding something. jiang chuan should be fully prepared to ensure his safety if he decides to visit!


    if they were to go, they should do so openly, not sneak in like they did the last time.


    without delay, jiang chuan packed up the map and headed to the village chief¡¯s house to get a permit.


    as soon as jiang chuan arrived at the village chief¡¯s house, he was informed about a change in national policy after the recent census. now, to get a permit, the official seal of the production team was required, and he couldn¡¯t issue it.


    jiang chuan had no choice but to head to zhou fang¡¯s house, who was the chief captain of the production team and held the official seal.


    the closer they were to the production team, the better the villagers ¡®houses were. although they were still mud houses, they were better than the houses on the periphery in terms of ventilation and lighting.


    as jiang chuan was about to reach the production team, he suddenly saw a large group of people running towards the eastern side of the village. leading them was chen xing.


    chen xing looked very anxious. he ran so fast that he didn¡¯t even notice jiang chuan as he passed by, and the group kicked up a cloud of dust.


    jiang chuan stopped a man trailing behind, gasping for breath, and asked, ¡°what¡¯s going on? why the rush?¡±


    the man caught his breath before replying,¡± 1 heard that the woman living alone in the village fainted from hunger!¡± she had two big dogs that ran next door and barked non-stop, scaring her fat son to tears. the little fatty¡¯s parents came to the door to demand an explanation. only then did they realize that the woman had fainted. there was no food at home. wasn¡¯t it because she had fainted from hunger?¡±


    if there was an incident in the village, the village chief would naturally handle it. now, they specially called the production team over to let the production team see the current situation of the villagers. food was scarce, and the vegetables in the vegetable fields could not grow. most of the wheat was empty shells. if there was no relief food, many people in the village would not be able to survive this winter. this solitary ¡®ice beauty¡¯ was just one of them.


    after hearing this, jiang chuan quickly let the man go and continued towards zhou fang¡¯s house.


    as he reached the entrance of zhou fang¡¯s house, he saw zhou fang rushing out, even his outerwear wasn¡¯t properly worn, and his collar was crooked.


    seeing jiang chuan, zhou fang paused, asking expressionlessly, ¡°what brings you here?¡±

 Chapter 249 - Chapter 249: Fainted

    chapter 249: fainted


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    although zhou fang was asking jiang chuan, he didn¡¯t stop walking. jiang chuan could only follow behind him. ¡°chief captain, 1 want a pass to go to the other side of the mountain to see my eldest daughter.¡±


    zhou fang didn¡¯t run without regard for his image like chen xing did, but his strides were large and he quickly headed east toward the village, ¡°here¡¯s the deal, i¡¯m busy now. wait at my place, and i¡¯ll help you when i return.¡±


    jiang chuan knew what it was about. it would be boring to wait at home, so he followed zhou fang to see the situation.


    not many people went to the ice beauty zhao xin¡¯s house. her house was much smaller than typical ones, making it seem crowded.


    there were many cases of people fainting from hunger these days. everyone was used to it. after the autumn harvest, everyone was idle, so they gathered outside to watch the fun.


    zhou fang and jiang chuan entered zhao xin¡¯s house. the vegetables in the courtyard had just sprouted, probably from the seeds jiang chuan and the others had found on the mountain. however, they grew slower than others¡¯. no wonder she had nothing to eat.


    her house had leaks but was kept very clean. there wasn¡¯t much furniture, but it had all the essentials for her to live alone.


    every item inside was neatly placed, showing that zhao xin had high standards for living.


    she lay on the bed, lifeless. her face was pale, and her body was so frail it seemed like a piece of thin paper that could be blown away by the wind. jiang chuan couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she was already beyond help.


    the village head said, ¡°try to feed her some water first. it looks like she might be beyond saving.¡±


    there were people searching the house, but they couldn¡¯t find a drop of water!


    jiang chuan felt pity for the woman. living alone for years, she didn¡¯t interact with villagers. no one helped her during the harvest season. if not for the two dogs barking next door, no one would¡¯ve discovered her fainting, and she would¡¯ve died in a few days.


    jiang chuan¡¯s car was stocked with food and water for travel convenience, including the interspace water from jiang xia.


    only the interspace water could help zhao xin now.


    while no one was paying attention, jiang chuan poured some water into a cup, mixed it with half a bottle of mineral water, and brought it into the room.


    ¡°i borrowed some water from next door. let¡¯s feed her.¡±


    no one questioned the truth at that moment; saving her was the priority.


    jiang chuan handed the water to a woman from the production team to feed zhao xin.


    zhao xin had fainted and was unconscious. her mouth was tightly shut, and she could not be fed at all. another woman walked over, pinched her chin, and opened her mouth. half of the glass of water was fed to her, and half of it was spat out, wetting her clothes and the bedding.


    after a while, just when everyone had given up hope, zhao xin exhaled weakly and opened her eyes, ¡°why are there so many people?¡±


    the woman who fed her water explained the situation to her.


    zhao xin, with barely enough strength to sit up, she said, ¡°thank you all for saving me.¡±


    her gaze swept over everyone, pausing momentarily when it landed on jiang chuan, before moving on.


    seeing that she was fine, everyone was relieved and left to do their own things.


    zhou fang, still expressionless, said to jiang chuan, ¡°let¡¯s go. i¡¯ll give you that pass.¡±


    jiangchuan nodded, recalling that someone who has fainted from hunger should not eat immediately. the best remedy would be to administer glucose. however, where could they find glucose here? fortunately, the spatial water was miraculously effective. as he was leaving, jiang chuan turned back, looked at the pitiful woman on the bed, and reminded her, ¡°make sure to drink all the water.¡±


    the woman nodded and glanced at jiang chuan.


    on the way back, zhou fang teased jiang chuan, ¡°1 heard that zhao xin always has a cold expression with everyone. but today, she looked at you with such tenderness. maybe she has feelings for you.¡±


    zhou fang had a poker face, which meant that even when joking, his expression remained unchanged. it looked a bit odd. fortunately, jiang chuan was used to it and simply rebutted, ¡°you shouldn¡¯t joke about such things. my wife would be unhappy.¡±


    ¡°men shouldn¡¯t be afraid of their wives!¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s about love and respect.¡± jiang chuan replied with conviction, obviously disagreeing with zhou fang¡¯s sentiment.


    jiang chuan and zhou fang talked and laughed along the way. although zhou fang appeared indifferent, he was quite talkative. the villagers saw this and thought that jiang chuan was getting closer to the chief captain of the production team. they thought that he might soon rise in ranks, possibly even joining the production team.


    the rumor became more exaggerated as it spread. by the time it reached the old jiang family, it had morphed into: jiang chuan was soon to be in charge of the production team¡¯s accounting..

 Chapter 250 - Chapter 250: Relief Food

    chapter 250: relief food


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    the accountant¡¯s job in the production team had been vacant for more than half a year. many people were desperate to get the job. it was a stable job and not tiring. they were usually in charge of the accounts and knew clearly how much food and how many people there were in the village. there were many people who fawned over the accountant.


    old madam jiang had made numerous trips to the village chief¡¯s house and the production team, wearing down her legs in the process, in an attempt to secure the position for her eldest son. however, to her surprise, the job fell into jiang chuan¡¯s lap. this infuriated her eldest son to the extent that he couldn¡¯t even chop wood properly.


    jiang gui complained, ¡°how can someone who barely went to school and can¡¯t even recognize characters be qualified for the accountant¡¯s job?¡±


    old madam jiang was even more upset, ¡°this ungrateful fellow, why didn¡¯t he mention this opportunity earlier? he always thinks of himself first!¡±


    in her anger, old madam jiang and jiang gui stormed into jiang chuan¡¯s house.


    on the other hand, jiang chuan had followed zhou fang back to his place. zhou fang¡¯s house was undeniably impressive. made of wood and green bricks, it might not be considered luxurious in the modern era, but in the village, it stood out as an opulent abode.


    within the yard was a small dried-up pond that once bore lotus stems, suggesting it was used for cultivating lotus roots and maybe raising a few fish.


    before the drought, almost every household in the village had their own farmland for growing extra vegetables without having to hand them over to authorities. but after a year without rain and increasing water scarcity, the county issued a notice prohibiting private farming. the dried pond in zhou fang¡¯s yard was a result of adhering to that directive.


    zhou fang led jiang chuan into the house and sat down. there was a bowl of leftover eggs on the table. he didn¡¯t clean it up and only covered it with a basket to prevent flies from crawling on it.


    jiang chuan looked around zhou fang¡¯s house and thought of zhao xin¡¯s shabby house. he knew that zhao xin¡¯s house was the majority in pushan village. there was almost no family like zhou fang who could afford breakfast, eggs, and have leftovers.


    jiang chuan didn¡¯t have such treatment in the old jiang family before. now, having been transported to this era and with the blessings of the golden finger, his life had improved significantly. but the villagers still struggled, with some on the brink of starvation. he wanted to do something for them.


    zhou fang quickly drafted a certificate, but when he tried to stamp it, he realized that the official seal was at the production team¡¯s office.


    ¡°come with me to the production team. after stamping, you can take the certificate and leave,¡± zhou fang told jiangchuan.


    at the production team¡¯s office, jiang chuan realized that compared to zhou fang¡¯s house, the official building was even more grand.


    made of green bricks and high tiles, it looked cleaner and more grandiose than the houses in the village. jiang chuan couldn¡¯t help but think that when conditions got better, he would build a similar house for his family. he didn¡¯t want his wife and children to suffer.


    while zhou fang was stamping the document, a man with a crew-cut hurried in, unable to suppress his excitement. he went straight to zhou fang, not even noticing jiang chuan, and exclaimed joyfully, ¡°chief captain, the grain has arrived! the state¡¯s relief grain is here!¡±


    jiang chuan didn¡¯t recognize the man with the crew-cut but remembered him from the original owner¡¯s memories. he was li qing, the vice-captain of the production team.


    the production team was responsible for multiple villages, each team overseeing one. among the neighboring four villages, pushan village was the largest, so the main production team was based there.


    li qing and chen xing were responsible for the pushan village team, while zhou fang was the overall head of the production team. upon hearing the news about the grain, zhou fang, despite his usual poker face, showed a hint of excitement by the slight trembling of his hand.


    zhou fang quickly stamped the certificate and handed it to jiang chuan. then, he followed li qing to inspect the relief food.


    li qing said, ¡°the grain for the other villages has been transported. this is for our village.¡±


    having nothing else to do, jiang chuan followed them out. the cart carrying the grain was pulled by a donkey jiang chuan often borrowed for trips to town. it seemed to recognize him, braying in his direction. but in reality, the donkey was probably attracted by the scent of the grain on jiang chuan..

 Chapter 251 - Chapter 251: Grain Distribution

    chapter 251: grain distribution


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    when jiang gu followed them to the town, he secretly fed the donkey on the way. ever since, the donkey has been very obedient to his family, never showing any temper halfway.


    jiang chuan estimated that there were about eight to nine hundred kilograms of grain on the donkey cart. there are over a hundred households in phushan village, with at least four to five people in each household. there are also many extended families, with around twenty people in each, adding up to about eight hundred people in total.


    according to li qing, this time, the grain distribution would be the same for everyone, young or old. each person would be counted, which means every household could receive at least ten kilogram of fine flour. that¡¯s a significant amount!


    the fine flour mixed with bran would be both filling and nutritious. the villagers should be able to make it through the winter with no issues.


    zhou fang looked around. the grain had just arrived, and the production team members had gone about their tasks. they were short of hands at the moment. zhou fang said to jiang chuan, ¡°go inform the village chief. tell him to gather the villagers so they can distribute the grain!¡±


    upon hearing this, jiang chuan immediately went to find the village chief. when the village chief heard that the country had finally distributed food, he was so touched that tears streamed down his face. he wiped his tears and snot and immediately went to gather the villagers.


    knowing the importance of the task, jiang chuan helped relay the message and also went home to inform zhou lan so she could prepare.


    unexpectedly, upon arriving home, he ran into old madam jiang and jiang gui.


    the two had just arrived at jiang chuan¡¯s doorstep, knocking furiously and waiting angrily. when they saw zhou lan answering the door, remembering her formidable reputation, their temper subsided a bit. even jiang gui didn¡¯t dare to act aggressively.


    zhou lan looked coldly at the two uninvited guests.¡± what? you want to snatch our house again?¡±


    jiang gui retorted.¡± tsk, who cares about your shabby house!¡±


    ¡°then why are you here?¡±


    old madam jiang stood proudly, hands on her hips, ¡°we¡¯re here to reason with you!¡±


    it was laughable. the most unreasonable people in the village were trying to reason with zhou lan. zhou lan couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    just then, jiang chuan returned and asked, seeing the situation, ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡±


    zhou lan laughed, ¡°the old madam says she¡¯s here to reason with us. i¡¯m curious what kind of reasoning she has!¡±


    old madam jiang didn¡¯t dare to bully zhou lan, but she had no reservations about berating her perceived ineffectual son. she glared at him, her swollen eyelids drooping so low they almost concealed her shrewd eyes.


    she remarked with biting sarcasm, ¡°i never thought i¡¯d work so hard to raise an ingrate for all these years. when he gets something new, he only thinks of himself. at home, he hides his possessions and refuses to share them with the family. at the slightest sign of trouble, he wants to move out. you might be living a carefree life now, but have you spared a thought for your elderly parents and brothers back home?¡±


    seeing her audacity, jiang chuan sneered, ¡°when 1 was at home, 1 worked tirelessly, providing food for everyone. after we parted ways, i didn¡¯t even take a single grain with me. aren¡¯t you ashamed to say such things, mother?¡±


    if jiang chuan hadn¡¯t known about his origins in the past, he might still have respected this nominal mother of his. however, ever since he found out he was adopted, his disdain for old madam jiang was immeasurable, not to mention jiang gui. every time he saw his arrogant demeanor, jiang chuan wanted to give him a beating!


    old madam jiang hadn¡¯t expected jiang chuan to suddenly become so sharp-tongued and was momentarily at a loss for words. however, she still straightened her back and said, ¡°tell me, if you¡¯re so close to the chief captain, why didn¡¯t you speak up for your brother when he was vying for the position of the production team¡¯s accountant? so all the benefits fell into your lap, and you wanted the accountant position for yourself?¡±


    jiang chuan frowned, ¡°1 don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, but even if 1 wanted to be an accountant, there¡¯s nothing wrong with that!¡± jiang chuan didn¡¯t bother explaining that he wasn¡¯t that close to zhou fang. let old madam jiang misunderstand if she wants to. the more she misunderstands, the angrier she¡¯ll become. it would be best if she gets so angry that it affects her health!


    jiang gui was tall and sturdy. he stood in front of his mother and said in a rough voice,¡± we all heard that you became the accountant of the production team! how dare you steal your brother¡¯s job!¡±


    jiang chuan was even more baffled. leaving aside the fact that he wasn¡¯t the accountant, even if he was, what did it have to do with him?


    jiang chuan¡¯s expression turned cold suddenly, ¡°whether he truly is my elder brother or not, mother knows best, doesn¡¯t you?¡±


    upon hearing jiang chuan¡¯s words, both old madam jiang and jiang gui¡¯s expressions changed, their faces darkening.


    not only did the two elders of the jiang family know of jiang chuan¡¯s origins, but even jiang gui was aware. they had kept it a secret all these years. but jiang chuan¡¯s words indicated that he knew something.. how could he possibly know?

 Chapter 252 - Chapter 252: Insider

    chapter 252: insider


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang chuan had said it casually out of anger, but judging by the reactions of the two people, it was clear that the jiang gui was well aware of the situation.


    jiang chuan was secretly delighted. if only jiang gui knew, it would be difficult for the two of them to get information out of him. but jiang gui was different. he was physically imposing but not very intelligent, so it would be much easier to make him talk.


    when jiang xia heard the commotion, she came out and stood with zhou lan, observing the reactions of the two clearly.


    the mother and daughter both sneered at the same time.


    zhou lan thought to herself: ¡°drag him up the mountain and give him a good beating, and he¡¯ll definitely tell the truth!¡±


    in jiang xia¡¯s heart, if she starved him for three days on the mountain, he would definitely tell the truth!


    poor jiang gui, he was now like a lamb ready for slaughter, yet he was completely unaware.


    as the standoff continued, xiao wu rushed over and said, ¡°third brother, most people have arrived, and it¡¯s time to distribute the grain. let¡¯s go!¡±


    jiang gui was confused, ¡°distribute what grain?¡±


    xiao wu, who didn¡¯t particularly like the jiang gui, said with a stern face, ¡°the relief grain has arrived. everyone who can work is now at the production team. with your strength, shouldn¡¯t you hurry up and help?¡±


    how could he trust others to distribute his food? what if he gets less than his share?


    jiang gui often participated in grain distribution and would always secretly add a few more pounds of rice for himself, deducting the excess from others.


    indeed, he projected his own deceit onto others. he was always cutting corners, so he assumed others would do the same with his share.


    jiang chuan and jiang gui followed xiao wu. zhou lan coldly looked at the old madam and asked, ¡°will you go home by yourself, or should i send you off?¡±


    old madam jiang felt a chill on her back, glared fiercely at zhou lan, and retorted, ¡°i wouldn¡¯t dare to trouble such a delicate lady like you. i¡¯ll walk home myself and let everyone see how filial the third son¡¯s wife really is!¡±


    people say that public opinion can be damning, but zhou lan didn¡¯t care about what others thought. her own happiness was paramount!


    she ignored the old madam, closed the door behind her, and left her in a cloud of dust.


    originally, she just had to stay at home and wait for the food to arrive. however, jiang gu insisted on going to the production team to see the donkeys. zhou lan had no choice but to bring jiang xia and jiang gu to the production team.


    the production team was in chaos. the accountant position had been vacant for a while. without an accountant, the grain couldn¡¯t be distributed, and everyone was grumbling, causing a ruckus in the square.


    seeing the situation, jiang chuan took the initiative to fill the accountant role.


    jiang gui and jiang hua stood aside, expecting jiang chuan, who was illiterate, to make a fool of himself.


    despite having attended school every day, these two brothers couldn¡¯t understand the accounting books. but jiang chuan, who had never been to school, was willing to try ¨C how ridiculous!


    however, to the brothers¡¯ astonishment, not only could jiang chuan write, but he also kept the accounts beautifully, even better than the previous accountant.


    jiang chuan, being a company owner, naturally understood the accounts. this shows that the eldest and the second jiang brothers were incapable and weren¡¯t cut out for studying. this was probably the normal level of intelligence for the jiang family.


    someone nearby exclaimed, ¡°jiang chuan, didn¡¯t you never attend school? how can you write so beautifully and even keep accounts?¡±


    caught off guard initially, jiang chuan quickly thought of a plausible explanation, ¡°when my elder brothers were attending classes, i secretly listened to a few lectures. so, i know just a little.¡±


    just a little?


    the faces of the two jiang brothers turned black with embarrassment. feeling humiliated, they looked for a place to hide, waiting for the work to begin.


    people whispered, ¡°the jiang family wasted their money. clearly, the third son is the smartest, but they sent the eldest and second sons to school. isn¡¯t that a waste of money?¡±


    ¡°yes, jiang chuan is so capable. no wonder everyone says he should be the accountant for the production team. he has the skills!¡±


    these discussions didn¡¯t escape zhou fang¡¯s ears. the speaker might not have had an intention, but the listener took note. he planned to talk to jiang chuan after the grain distribution to see if he¡¯d be interested in becoming the production team¡¯s accountant.


    the reason the accountant position had been vacant for so long was that the previous accountant moved to another village with his daughter. the accountants they tried hiring afterward kept making errors, so the position remained empty.


    now that jiangchuan proved his competence, why not give him a try?

 Chapter 253 - Chapter 253: Zhao Xin

    chapter 253: zhao xin


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    when zhou lan arrived with her two daughters, jiang chuan had just finished recording the accounts. chen xing and li qing were distributing food to everyone according to the account book.


    originally, jiang chuan intended to help carry the grain, but everyone said that hands used for writing shouldn¡¯t be worn out with heavy labor. they wouldn¡¯t let him work, so he could only chat with his wife and children on the side.


    jiang chuan told zhou lan about zhao xin fainting from hunger. jiang xia, listening attentively by the side, asked after hearing the story, ¡°dad, do you think zhao xin had some connection with our family before?¡±


    ¡°why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°people in the village say she is an ¡®ice beauty¡¯, indifferent to everyone. but when my mom organized everyone to search for wild vegetables in the mountains, she also joined. she even smiled at me. i also remember when 1 took xiao gu to apologize at little fatty¡¯s house, she was at the door looking after me. i feel she¡¯s particularly friendly towards our family.¡±


    jiang chuan remembered a joke zhou lan had made on the way back, suggesting zhao xin seemed different with them. when he thought about it, the way zhao xin looked at him seemed to have deeper meaning. however, when jiang chuan carefully went through his memories, he couldn¡¯t recall ever interacting with zhao xin, which was strange.


    interestingly, zhao xin wasn¡¯t a native of the village.


    about ten years ago, she arrived in the village with heavy luggage. villagers whispered among themselves that she might be carrying gold, as the clothes she wore looked too expensive for a villager.


    to everyone¡¯s surprise, instead of choosing a better house in the village, she bought a dilapidated one at the east end of the village. it had been uninhabited for years and collapsed just before she moved in, luckily not injuring her.


    she was very beautiful and had a unique presence, making other women in the village feel overshadowed, leading them to dislike her.


    however, the men, especially the single ones, flocked to help her rebuild her house. she always remained indifferent, not caring much about those helping her, and when invited by the village chief¡¯s wife, she stayed at their house.


    the village chief¡¯s wife might be the only woman in the village who was friendly towards her.


    after her house was rebuilt, countless men came to propose marriage, but she declined everyone. some even tried to sneak into her room at night but were chased away by her screams.


    she bought two large dogs to guard her house. the villagers, mostly familiar faces who still valued their reputation, stopped bothering her.


    although she led a secluded life in the village, rarely talking or causing trouble, she remained a hot topic of gossip, especially among the village women.


    zhou lan clapped her hands, ¡°honey, have you noticed that zhao xin¡¯s eyes look a lot like yours?¡±


    jiang chuan, thinking his wife was daydreaming about romance novels again, quickly stopped her, ¡°don¡¯t talk nonsense. in my eyes, there¡¯s only you!¡±


    ¡°what are you thinking? i mean, you two look alike. just like old madam jiang and jiang gui both have triangular eyes, could you and zhao xin be siblings?¡±


    both jiang chuan and jiang xia were shocked by this unexpected guess.


    but upon further thought, it seemed plausible.


    in terms of appearance, jiang chuan¡¯s family was considered the best-looking in the village. many gossiped, questioning how old jiang¡¯s family could have such attractive members.


    zhao xin was also exceptionally beautiful, described as stunningly cold. just by looks, the two could indeed be siblings!


    zhou lan¡¯s imagination ran wild, envisioning a story where the older sister, in search of her lost brother, comes to a remote village and stays for ten years, tirelessly searching, only to find out he was right beside her all along.


    ¡°stop!¡± jiang chuan, seeing zhou lan daydreaming, knew something was up. he quickly grabbed her arm, ¡°honey, can you rein in your imagination for a bit?¡±


    zhou lan playfully smiled and nestled into her husband¡¯s embrace.


    jiang xia was speechless, feeling like a third wheel in their romantic moment.


    ¡°wait, where¡¯s xiao gu?¡±

 Chapter 254 - Chapter 254: Superpowers

    chapter 254: superpowers


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    at this moment, the three of them realized that they were too engrossed in their conversation that they completely overlooked the absence of one person!


    the square was packed with people. considering jiang gu was still so small, if someone accidentally bumped into her, leading to a stampede, she could lose her life!


    the thought alone terrified zhou lan, and tears sprang to her eyes.


    jiang chuan comforted her, ¡°don¡¯t worry. xiao gu is smart and alert. she¡¯d definitely avoid the crowd. let¡¯s go look for her!¡±


    they searched the entire square, earning many glares from villagers bustling about with food, but they found no sign of her. zhou lan became even more fearful, squatting to one side and starting to cry.


    jiang xia, much calmer than zhou lan, left their mother with their father and went searching on her own.


    she had a plan. she kept a rabbit in her interspace because xiao gu adored it. she refused to eat it, leaving jiang xia no choice but to keep it in her interspace.


    the rabbit seemed to sense that xiao gu loved it, always sticking close to her. every time jiang xia let the rabbit out in the yard, it could find xiao gu by her scent.


    with so many people around, the scents were overwhelming. jiang xia wasn¡¯t sure if the rabbit could pick up xiao gu¡¯s scent, but it was worth a shot rather than searching aimlessly.


    considering they didn¡¯t find her in the square, jiang gu might have snuck off somewhere.


    jiang xia walked outside the square and, when no one was looking, secretly released the rabbit.


    the pure white rabbit, with not a single blemish, stood steadily on the ground. having been raised for a while, it didn¡¯t behave like a wild rabbit, but more like a pet, exuding an air of delicacy.


    jiang xia petted the rabbit, saying, ¡°it¡¯s up to you now. if you find her, i¡¯ll reward you with a carrot tonight!¡±


    the rabbit seemed to understand. it sniffed the ground and hopped in a certain direction. jiang xia quickly followed.


    it stopped beside a donkey cart, loaded with grain meant for the village. perhaps frightened by the donkey, the rabbit shivered slightly.


    jiang xia, picking up the rabbit, looked around but didn¡¯t spot jiang gu. she felt a pang of disappointment and regretted relying on a rabbit for such a crucial task.


    suddenly, a familiar voice rang out, ¡°mr. donkey, are you tired from pulling carts every day?¡±


    it was jiang gu!


    jiang xia quickly moved to the front of the cart and found jiang gu feeding carrots to the donkey. hidden behind the large creature, she hadn¡¯t been visible before.


    the rabbit in jiang xia¡¯s arms leaped out and darted to jiang gu, knocking her over. only after cuddling the rabbit did she notice her sister standing nearby. ¡°sis, come see! the donkey is talking!¡±


    relieved to see jiang gu safe, jiang xia chalked up her words to childish imagination. she walked over, pulled her up, and placed the rabbit back in her interspace.


    the donkey brayed.


    jiang xia led jiang gu back to zhou lan.


    as they walked, jiang gu turned to the donkey, ¡°goodbye. i¡¯ll come to see you again soon.¡±


    while they walked, jiang xia lectured her, ¡°xiao gu, you can¡¯t run off like that. do you realize how worried we were?¡±


    head bowed, jiang gu replied, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, sis. i won¡¯t do it again. and 1 know you let out the rabbit to find me and promised it a carrot.¡±


    stunned, jiang xia recalled her words to the rabbit. ¡°how did you know i was going to feed it a carrot?¡±


    jiang gu, eyes sparkling, said, ¡°the rabbit told me! don¡¯t forget the carrot tonight, okay?¡±


    it dawned on jiang xia; jiang gu could communicate with animals! before, she might have dismissed the idea. but now, after experiencing time travel and superpowers, nothing seemed impossible.


    however, this needed verification. she¡¯d discuss it after finding their parents..

 Chapter 255 - Chapter 255: Verification

    chapter 255: verification


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    after such a search, zhou lan was still shaken and had no mood to stay in the square anymore, so the family of four went home.


    after the relief grain was distributed, jiang xia locked the door and mysteriously returned to the yard, holding a small white rabbit in her arms.


    jiang chuan looked at his daughter, ¡°why are you holding a rabbit? do you want to eat rabbit meat for lunch?¡±


    ¡°no! you can¡¯t eat my little white rabbit!¡± jiang gu, upon hearing the rabbit might be killed, immediately stood up to block jiang xia, looking aggrievedly at jiang chuan.


    jiang xia comforted, ¡°don¡¯t worry, no one will eat this little white rabbit.¡±


    zhou lan was also curious, ¡°then why are you holding it?¡±


    jiang xia patted jiang gu¡¯s head, ¡°because i¡¯ve found out that my cute little sister seems to understand what animals are saying.¡±


    ¡°what!¡± both zhou lan and jiang chuan were shocked. it was already surprising that jiang gu inherited zhou lan¡¯s immense strength, and now she had an additional skill!


    jiang xia gestured for them to calm down, ¡°don¡¯t rush. i¡¯m not sure about this. it needs to verify it.¡±


    she then squatted down and asked jiang gu, ¡°xiao gu, can you understand what this little white rabbit is saying?¡±


    jiang gu nodded, ¡°yes, it says it¡¯s very well-behaved and begs us not to eat it.¡±


    ¡°alright, we won¡¯t.¡±


    jiang xia put the white rabbit back into her interspace and took out a chicken, ¡°can you understand what it¡¯s saying?¡±


    ¡°yes. it says it was sleeping. why did we suddenly wake it up?¡±


    jiang xia nodded, returned the chicken, and then took out all the animals from her interspace one by one to let jiang gu listen to what they said. jiang gu answered all of them, even repeating what the donkey that played with her in the morning said, ¡°the donkey says my second sister is weird and can make a rabbit disappear in the blink of an eye. i comforted the donkey not to be scared.¡±


    jiang xia had put the white rabbit away in front of the donkey in the morning. with jiang gu¡¯s words, she was completely convinced that she really could understand the animals.


    once verified, jiang chuan excitedly picked up jiang gu, tossing her into the air and catching her. the courtyard was filled with laughter.


    after jiang chuan set jiang gu back on the ground, jiang xia squatted down and asked her, ¡°xiao gu, when did you start understanding what animals say?¡±


    jiang gu thought seriously, ¡°it started today. before, small animals just liked me and wanted to be close to me. today when i walked to the square, 1 suddenly heard the donkey complaining about how tiring it was to pull the cart. out of curiosity, 1 forgot to tell you and sneaked away.¡±


    jiang gu sounded somewhat guilty as she said this.


    zhou lan pondered for a moment and then analyzed, ¡°initially, my husband could summon our suv. later, the suv could turn invisible and mute. xiao gu initially had immense strength, and then she could talk to animals. do you think there¡¯s a possibility that our abilities can evolve, but we don¡¯t know the trigger?¡±


    jiang xia strongly agreed with this idea, thinking that the romance novels her mom usually read were useful at critical times. ¡°whether or not our abilities can evolve, at least it¡¯s not a bad thing for us.¡±


    jiang chuan also agreed, ¡°i feel that since our family can start over and have superpowers that others don¡¯t have, it might be because we have a mission to accomplish. heaven must have wanted us to come to this era and do something for the people of this time.¡±


    jiang xia was silent. in the 1960s in z country, in their world, many families were torn apart and many people lost their lives due to drought and famine. that number still frightened jiang xia.


    since they could come here, they must help everyone through the famine. especially since the people here were simple and sincere. after spending so much time together, jiang xia had become deeply attached to them and wanted to help.


    after discussing this issue, jiang chuan began planning a visit to the zhang family.


    he took out the map for the mountain trip, ¡°1 went to the village chief¡¯s house this morning. he told me some information about this mountain when he heard 1 wanted to find jiang qing.¡±


    ¡°this mountain is called grand cloud mountain. the mountain range spans half the province. there are at least thirty villages living at the foot of the mountain. if we want to go to the back of the mountain, the fastest route is to go around from the south. walking would take at least four days, not counting the time spent on the mountain. so we need to be fully prepared..¡±

 Chapter 256 - Chapter 256: Grand Cloud Mountain

    chapter 256: grand cloud mountain


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang xia¡¯s expression turned serious.¡± we¡¯re unfamiliar with this place, so it¡¯s very dangerous. i think we should go find zhang ling again before we leave and ask her about the places we need to pay attention to along the way.¡±


    zhou lan agreed.


    being the head of the household, she managed many of the family¡¯s daily affairs. naturally, she was more thorough in her considerations. ¡°the weather is getting colder. we must dress warmly when we go out. we¡¯re going to pick up our daughter, so we must prepare clothes for her too. please give me at least one day to adjust the clothes at home.¡±


    jiang chuan said, ¡°let¡¯s make it two days. when we¡¯re traveling far, it¡¯s better to be fully prepared. i¡¯ll also take the opportunity to go to town to exchange some money and food tickets. it¡¯s better to travel with some money in hand.¡±


    jiang xia chimed in, ¡°we have a silly roe deer, a few wild rabbits, and over a hundred eggs in the interspace. that should be enough to barter for supplies.¡±


    jiang gu wanted to help, too. recalling what the little white rabbit told her today, she quickly informed jiang chuan, ¡°dad, the little white rabbit mentioned a hidden stream on the mountain. it doesn¡¯t flow much, but there are many small fishes in it. we can go fishing!¡±


    jiang chuan was overjoyed and praised,¡± xiao gu is awesome!¡±


    jiang chuan always talked about taking his daughters to the river for fishing. he knew very well that during droughts, the stream had little water, making it impossible for fish to survive. hence, a single fish in the market could fetch a lot more than a roe deer.


    knowing the location of the fish, jiang chuan took his two children up the mountain to fish after lunch.


    jiang xia had the ability to create a storage space, where she could instantly store fish. so, jiang chuan didn¡¯t bring a basket.


    zhou lan stayed at home to sew the clothes and pack.


    the mountain had many forks, and many places appeared desolate due to lack of foot traffic.


    upon reaching the mountain, they released the little white rabbit. jiang gu communicated with it, and the rabbit led them to the hidden stream.


    the rabbit led them not up the mountain but through untrodden paths at the base.


    after about twenty minutes, they found the place.


    the stream was roughly two meters wide, with a water depth of less than half a meter. however, the water was clear and cold ¨C definitely spring water.


    there were groups of two or three carps swam in the water. due to insufficient nutrients, they were very thin, nowhere near the size of mature crucian carps.


    after observing the terrain, jiang chuan realized that the stream flowed down from the mountain. he deduced there must be a water source up the mountain, which he could explore in the future.


    now he understood why many animals gathered here: there was water and wild grass, sufficient for herbivores to survive.


    jiang chuan was an experienced fisherman but had never tried catching fish barehanded. he removed his shoes and cautiously stepped into the water.


    jiang xia stood by the water¡¯s edge, ready to take the fish from him.


    catching the nimble fish proved challenging. every time jiang chuan attempted to grab one, it slipped away, often leaving him almost tumbling into the stream.


    seeing his frustration, jiang gu knelt by the bank. fascinatingly, the fish gravitated towards her. she playfully patted the water, drawing even more fish.


    jiang chuan and jiang xia exchanged glances, recalling that jiang gu had an ability to attract small animals.


    with the fish gathered, catching them became easier. in no time, jiang chuan had caught five fish, storing them in jiang xia¡¯s interspace.


    realizing they¡¯d taken enough from nature, they packed up to head home..

 Chapter 257 - Chapter 257: Getting Ready

    chapter 257: getting ready


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    on the way back, jiang chuan planned the travel route. this journey would pass through at least seven or eight villages, and some townships. even if he drove the whole way, it would take two days.


    not to mention the thriving towns. in order to avoid being discovered by the villagers, they would have to get off the vehicle in unpopulated areas and walk to the town.


    so, it was necessary to ask in advance which townships were suitable to live in.


    upon returning home, jiang xia quickly organized her interspace, took inventory of what she had in that space, and reported to jiang chuan.


    ¡°dad, go find some sturdy wooden sticks in the afternoon. i want to install a fence in my interspace. right now, small animals are running around in it. whenever i put something inside, 1 worry that the creatures will eat it.¡±


    jiang chuan¡¯s house was right next to a small forest, so finding wood wouldn¡¯t be difficult. ¡°alright, when are you going to meet zhang ling?¡±


    ¡°i will go in a while. we cannot let the old jiang family know about this. i will secretly call zhang ling out when fewer people are at home during the day.¡± when jiang xia arrived at the old jiang¡¯s house, she didn¡¯t knock immediately. she leaned close to the door to listen for any movement inside. after confirming that she didn¡¯t hear old madam jiang¡¯s voice, she started knocking.


    old madam jiang was talkative. if she stayed silent for a while, she¡¯d become anxious. the quietness confirmed she was probably taking her afternoon nap.


    the last time zhang ling came to jiang xia¡¯s house, they had agreed on a secret signal. so, when jiang xia knocked, zhang ling knew it was her. taking advantage of the empty yard, she sneaked out to talk with jiang xia in a secluded spot.


    after hearing jiang xia¡¯s revised travel plan, zhang ling thought for a moment, ¡°considering the distance, it will take at least five days on foot. among the towns you¡¯ll pass, two have good conditions, with cleaner hotels than other towns. remember them; you can stay there overnight¡­¡±


    zhang ling mentioned a few towns. jiang xia then considered the driving time and chose locust tree bay as the stopover.


    locust tree bay was originally a village. during the war, almost all of the villagers had joined the army and made contributions in the war. later, after the war ended, they received support from the government. more and more people came to locust tree bay to settle down. when the population reached a certain number, they were upgraded from villages to towns.


    locust tree bay was bustling with a high volume of travelers and was well-stocked. almost everything one might want to buy could be found there. additionally, with three markets each month, it was more accessible than other villages.


    jiang xia planned to stay there for a night to exchange goods, ensuring she wouldn¡¯t arrive at the zhang family¡¯s house empty-handed.


    upon her return, she found the courtyard neatly stacked with wooden sticks, ready for fence construction.


    zhou lan, with concern, said, ¡°xiao xia, building the fence by yourself will be tiring. why don¡¯t you try to bring us into your interspace again so we can help you?¡±


    jiang chuan also looked worriedly at the heavy sticks, ¡°yes, with our help, you can finish it faster.¡±


    after multiple failed attempts to bring them into her interspace, jiang xia could only shake her head in disappointment. she suddenly noticed some ropes and asked, ¡°mom, what are these ropes for?¡±


    zhou lan smiled, ¡°they¡¯re for making straw shoes. we can drive on the road, but the mountain paths aren¡¯t developed, so cars can¡¯t go. walking on the mountain is tiring, so these shoes will make it more comfortable.¡±


    as she spoke, she felt worried again.¡± if only i had put a few more pairs of sneakers on the suv back then. it would definitely be more comfortable than wearing straw shoes.¡±


    as they spoke, xiao gu rushed in excitedly, ¡°mom, dad! 1 borrowed two pairs of straw shoes!¡±


    in her hands were two pairs of smaller-sized straw shoes. ¡°1 borrowed a pair for my sister from xiao pang¡¯s house. his feet are too fat. they¡¯re a bit big for me, so i only took one pair. the other pair is from auntie zhao next door. she asked why i needed shoes, and i just told her we were going on a long trip. she gave me a new pair that fits mom!¡±


    the three were momentarily stunned, amazed at how thoughtful their young daughter was, even attending to such minor details..

 Chapter 258 - Chapter 258: Growth Speed

    chapter 258: growth speed


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang gu looked at the few people who remained silent. she thought they were worried about her father and herself having no straw shoes to wear. her mother had made several new cloth shoes from old clothes before, but going to grand cloud mountain would certainly involve a lot of walking. a single pair of shoes would wear out before they even arrived. in comparison, straw shoes are cheaper and more durable.


    moreover, if the new shoes were worn out, their family would be left without shoes.


    she quickly explained, ¡°1 actually wanted to borrow a pair of shoes for my father, but little fatty¡¯s family didn¡¯t have any, so i couldn¡¯t¡­ for me, you all don¡¯t need to worry. i will be careful when 1 walk to ensure my shoes don¡¯t wear out!¡±


    zhou lan looked at her sensible daughter, her heart ached, and she couldn¡¯t help but hug her, ¡°xiao gu, you don¡¯t have to worry about anything. your parents and sister will take care of everything for you. if your shoes wear out, your mother can remake them or buy new ones from the town. you just wear them with confidence.¡±


    only after hearing these words did jiang gu feel relieved, sitting next to her mother, watching her busy.


    jiang xia shared the news she had learned from zhang ling with her family. after hearing that they would pass through a large town and a market, jiang chuan decided not to go to town the next day.


    for the rest of the time, jiang chuan used a sickle to clean the thorns from the wooden sticks, making a fence for jiang xia¡¯s interspace.


    unlike her mother and jiang gu, who had superhuman strength, jiang xia needed to rest when she got tired. she worked until the next evening before she finished setting up the fence.


    at dinner, jiang xia shared her new discovery, ¡°i¡¯ve found that the fish in the interspace grow very quickly. now they are about one and a half palms long! and it seems they have laid eggs. starting from this morning, there are more and more fish in the water, both big and small. there are probably twenty or thirty of them now.¡±


    both jiang chuan and xiao gu stopped picking up food, their eyes wide and mouths agape, looking at jiang xia. they knew how big the fish were when they caught them ¨C only about half a palm long and very thin. it was incredible that in just a day, their size had doubled!


    zhou lan thought they were shocked by the increasing number of fish and explained, ¡°this is normal. fish lay about twenty or thirty eggs at a time. the water in your interspace is magical, so their growth rate is certainly faster. growing to a small size overnight is reasonable.¡±


    jiang xia then compared the growth rate in her interspace with the actual growth rate of plants and animals, and calculated their life cycle.


    resting her chin on her chopsticks, she said, ¡°based on my calculations, the plants in the interspace have a growth cycle of about seven days. but there are some differences between different plants. once mature, they will not grow anymore, and they won¡¯t overgrow. the soil just ensures they remain fresh.¡±


    ¡°as for the animals, because 1 have too few animals in my interspace, the ones 1 can currently calculate are chickens with a growth cycle of three days, ducks also three days, geese take five days. the rabbit 1 caught was already that size, so 1 couldn¡¯t calculate its growth rate, but the growth time for a rabbit is seven days. as for the fish, 1 think they can grow even bigger. let¡¯s see tomorrow.¡±


    after listening, jiang chuan, always the entrepreneur, began to think aloud, ¡°this is great, daughter! in the future, we can start a farm using your interspace. we can earn a lot without having to farm the land!¡±


    jiang chuan¡¯s last sentence was, of course, a joke. he believes that gaining without working is wrong. if heaven gave them these abilities, it was not for them to misuse or be lazy. they must use them wisely.


    however, jiang gu didn¡¯t catch the adult¡¯s humor and clapped her hands in excitement, ¡°yay! then in the future, mom and dad can stay at home with me and my second sister!¡±


    jiang xia immediately gave jiang chuan a reproachful look. jiang gu was still a child, in a crucial period of education. how could they impart such ideas carelessly?


    so, jiang xia immediately pulled jiang gu aside to explain and emphasized that she should have her own judgment and not take every joke seriously.


    since they were setting off early the next day, zhou lan cleaned up after dinner and made some pancakes with fine flour for the journey..

 Chapter 259 - Chapter 259: Set Off

    chapter 259: set off


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    while jiang chuan was making pancakes with his wife, zhou lan casually remarked, ¡°both our daughters are growing now, and these nutrients just can¡¯t keep up. it would be great if we had some calcium tablets.¡±


    jiang chuan chuckled, ¡°these days, only foreign countries sell calcium tablets. where can you buy them here?¡±


    ¡°at least we could have some cow¡¯s milk or goat¡¯s milk. didn¡¯t zhou juan and her father bring back a carton of milk when they entered the village last time?¡±


    jiang chuan pondered.¡± logically speaking, villages should raise dairy cows, but now every household struggles for food. who would raise them? the underdevelopment of the livestock industry leads to imbalances. let¡¯s see what¡¯s available in the market.¡±


    early the next morning, jiang chuan loaded the car and then woke up zhou lan and their two daughters.


    besides clothes and shoes, jiang chuan also brought along the twenty kilograms of relief grains that the village had just distributed.


    the journey only required two or three days, and there was no need to bring so much food. however, considering they were heading to zhang family¡¯s place in the mountains, they couldn¡¯t arrive empty-handed. in these times, food was the most practical gift.


    jiang chuan locked up the house securely, fearing the old jiang family might take advantage of their absence to seize their home. he left two rabbits with the neighbor, xiao li, and asked him to watch over the house during their absence.


    xiao li initially offered to return the rabbits, saying that house-watching was just a trivial task, but jiang chuan had already released the rabbits in his house.


    xiao li, being an honest man, didn¡¯t say much and packed his pickled vegetables for them to take along.


    after leaving the village, they walked until they were in a secluded area, and only then did jiang chuan bring out the suv. the family happily headed towards their destination.


    they didn¡¯t stop along the way. when they got hungry at noon, they ate the dry food they prepared the night before and drank water from their storage to restore their energy.


    while driving, jiang xia suddenly raised a concern, ¡°dad, this car has run at least two to three hundred kilometers since we got it. why is there still fuel?¡±


    jiang chuan realized he hadn¡¯t considered this, glanced at the fuel gauge and replied, ¡°right, but the fuel gauge has always shown it¡¯s full, not dropping even a bit.¡±


    jiang xia quickly understood that the suv vehicle had a unique feature-endless fuel.


    they drove until sunset before reaching near locust tree bay. they stopped in a desolate area, and after jiang chuan put away the vehicle, they took out baskets to look as if they had walked a long journey.


    once in the city, they found a hotel.


    the hotel¡¯s owner was a tall, skinny woman with a somewhat harsh appearance. she had a dark mole near her mouth and was not very pleasant to look at.


    after checking their identification, she glanced at the four of them and said with a slight frown, ¡°you¡¯ve been walking all day, but you all seem quite clean.¡±


    jiang chuan panicked, realizing he had forgotten to make themselves look travel-worn.


    they had been driving all day, so they weren¡¯t dusty. if they had been walking on the country roads, they would surely be dusty and have dirty shoes.


    while jiang chuan was panicking, not knowing how to explain, fortunately, the hotel owner didn¡¯t probe further. after assigning a room, she said, ¡°go to the third floor. i¡¯ve given you our largest room for the four of you.¡±


    jiang xia quickly thanked the hotel owner, who, despite her stern appearance, was quite kind and thoughtful.


    as they were about to head upstairs, the hotel owner called out, ¡°you came all the way from pushan village, how many days did you walk?¡±


    jiang chuan stiffened, grateful that their identification showed they had left two days ago. otherwise, it would have been hard to explain their swift journey.


    he turned to face the hotel owner, who was leisurely leaning against the counter, watching them. jiang chuan, with his honest face that seemed incapable of deceit, replied, ¡°two and a half days. along the way, we got a lift from a donkey cart, which is why we managed to reach locust tree bay before nightfall.¡±


    claiming they rode a donkey cart explained their cleanliness. the hotel owner nodded, not questioning further.


    after settling in, jiang chuan, lying on the bed near the window, said after a pause, ¡°1 forgot about the date on our identification. if we reach the foot of grand cloud mountain tomorrow, the people there would surely be suspicious after seeing the date. we might as well stay here for another two days..¡±

 Chapter 260 - Chapter 260: Going to the Market

    chapter 260: going to the market


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    the jiang family arrived at a very opportune time, just in time for the first day of the monthly market at locust tree bay, which lasted for three days in total.


    jiang chuan and jiang xia wanted to head to the market early to see what good items were available. zhou lan, having traveled by car all day, was too tired.


    jiang gu was still in bed, so they let the father and daughter duo go, planning to regroup for lunch.


    the geographical location of locust tree bay is excellent, serving as a transportation hub connecting three county towns. there was a high flow of people, and the items they brought for trade were varied and unique. many of these items couldn¡¯t even be found in the county towns.


    however, even though the place was quite open, direct buying and selling of goods was not allowed; bartering was the method of transaction.


    yet, the atmosphere was much more liberal than in the county town of pushan village. everyone openly displayed their goods without hiding anything.


    jiang chuan and jiang xia got up early, and by the time they reached the market, it was already crowded, showing the enthusiasm of the people towards the marketplace.


    the market spanned an entire street, and at the end of this street was the supply and marketing cooperative of locust tree bay. this meant that anything not bought or bartered at the market could be exchanged at the cooperative.


    jiang xia, looking at the vast array of goods on the street, discussed with jiang chuan about the must-buy items.


    the two stopped at a less crowded alley to take stock of their possessions.


    the fish in jiang xia¡¯s interspace grew rapidly, with a growth cycle of three days. after one day, they had grown into fat fish weighing two to three pounds, with other smaller fish reaching a pound, ready to grow further by the next day.


    moreover, these small fish had bred new ones. there were now at least a hundred fish in the stream.


    the more jiang chuan heard, the more he became convinced of venturing into animal husbandry.


    they planned to exchange thirty grown fish, seven wild rabbits, and fifty eggs at the market.


    they also had several baskets of wild vegetables to barter, ideally with a restaurant to save time and effort.


    if they couldn¡¯t barter everything at the market, they could head to the cooperative at the end of the street.


    after distributing the fish between their baskets, they decided to split up.


    jiang xia hoped to diversify the animal species in her interspace and looked for other animals, especially larger ones like cattle and sheep.


    while wandering, jiang xia¡¯s attention was caught by a small makeup box.


    the makeup box was of excellent quality, with smoothly polished wood and a layer of varnish. such craftsmanship must have come from a big city.


    rural folks didn¡¯t know much about makeup boxes. they hardly had any cosmetics, so most saw this box as a small storage container, inconvenient for home use. as a result, no one even gave it a second glance.


    but jiang xia liked it.


    she had realized just the day before that she had many small items scattered in her interspace, which made them hard to locate.


    she also planned to look for some moisturizing cream, considering the dry weather that made it hard for the skin.


    jiang xia squatted in front of the makeup box and asked the vendor, ¡°how much is this makeup box?¡±


    the vendor, a man in his forties with relatively fair skin, seemed younger than his peers, probably because he worked indoors and wasn¡¯t often exposed to the sun. however, his hands were rough, bearing marks from handling vines. he was weaving something with a vine, but jiang xia couldn¡¯t discern what it was.


    the man initially disregarded jiang xia, seeing her as just a child. but the scent of fish from her basket caught his attention, prompting him to ask, ¡°two dollars. you have fish in your basket, right?¡±


    the man glanced at jiang xia and decided to ignore her since she was a child. however, he suddenly smelled the fishy smell in her basket. he stopped what he was doing and said to her,¡± two yuan.¡± do you have fish in your basket?¡±


    given the strong fishy smell from jiang xia¡¯s basket, it wasn¡¯t surprising he noticed.


    ¡°yes, each weighs around two to three pounds. how many would you want in exchange for the box?¡±


    the vendor was surprised. fish were rare those days, and a fish weighing over a pound was unusual.. and her fish were even larger!

 Chapter 261 - Chapter 261: Obtaining the Box

    chapter 261: obtaining the box


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    the vendor¡¯s eyes flickered, and he raised two fingers.


    taking advantage of jiang xia¡¯s innocence as a child, he dared to ask for a sky-high price.


    he was a craftsman. when he got the makeup box, he immediately noticed its extraordinary craftsmanship. it must be valuable. however, he had displayed the makeup box in the market all morning, and no one had even inquired about it. his expectations for the makeup box had considerably lowered.


    seeing the child¡¯s keen interest in the makeup box, he initially wanted to price it at one and a half coins, but he quickly changed his mind to two coins. later, upon hearing the size of the fish offered in exchange, he audaciously raised the price to two fish.


    given the size and quality of the fish, they would be worth fifty cents per pound in the market. two fish would certainly be worth more than two coins. to hide his guilt, the man continued weaving his wicker products without making eye contact.


    jiang xia, being astute, immediately noticed the inflated price. still, she truly liked the makeup box. noting the scars on the shopkeeper¡¯s hand from weaving wicker, she didn¡¯t haggle and readily handed over two fish.


    upon seeing the fish, the vendor realized they were even bigger than described by jiang xia, with a thick layer of fat, indicating they were of high quality. one fish alone was worth two coins!


    feeling guilty about deceiving a child, the vendor pointed to some wicker toys on his stall, ¡°young girl, pick any two, i¡¯ll give them to you as a gift.¡±


    jiang xia was not initially interested, but then she noticed a large wardrobe nearby, which gave her an idea.


    the wardrobe¡¯s craftsmanship was not as exquisite as the makeup box, probably handmade by the vendor, but it looked sturdy.


    if a makeup box was worth two fish, the wardrobe should be worth five fish by her estimation. so, jiang xia pointed at the wardrobe and proposed, ¡°how about i give you five more fish in exchange for this wardrobe?¡±


    the vendor hesitated, not because he didn¡¯t want to trade, but because he wondered how the slender jiang xia could possibly carry such a large piece of furniture.


    seeing his hesitation, jiang xia wondered if she had offered too little. just as she was about to increase her offer, the vendor asked, ¡°where are your parents?¡±


    ¡°they¡¯re shopping nearby.¡±


    ¡°this is heavy. you can¡¯t carry it alone. go get your parents to help you. and since you¡¯re trading so many fish, you should get their approval. i¡¯ll keep this for you in the meantime.¡±


    the vendor had two concerns: he had taken a liking to jiang xia, and he also wanted to avoid any potential trouble if her parents discovered she had been spending without their knowledge.


    touched by his words, jiang xia went to find her father, jiang chuan.


    jiang chuan had complete trust in his daughter¡¯s judgment and never interfered with her purchases. so, when jiang xia brought him to the stall, he promptly traded the fish for the wardrobe, and they both moved to a less crowded area.


    once they were sure no one was around, jiang xia stored her acquisitions in interspace.


    ¡°dad, what did you buy today?¡±


    ¡°i changed four porcelain cups, two basins, and even bought a candy figurine for your sister, costing two fish in total. i think we¡¯ve seen enough of the market. let¡¯s go straight to the supply and marketing cooperative.¡±


    ¡°okay.¡±


    the supply and marketing co-ops are similar everywhere. they didn¡¯t need any essentials, so they exchanged their fish and rabbits for food ticket.


    jiang chuan kept five fish for future needs.


    after meeting up with zhou lan and her daughter, they casually chose a restaurant to dine in. given the variety of customers they serve, the waiter was quite relaxed around jiang chuan¡¯s family.


    jiang chuan easily negotiated a deal with the kitchen to sell all the baskets of wild vegetables they had.


    impressed by the quality of the vegetables, the chef offered a higher price than the county restaurant: 5.5 coins per basket, totaling 55 coins for ten baskets.


    considering their earnings, jiang chuan and zhou lan planned to spend the afternoon exploring with the kids. since they¡¯d be staying in the town for two more days, they might as well treat it as a vacation..

 Chapter 262 - Chapter 262: Shopping

    chapter 262: shopping


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    locust tree bay was bustling with activity. in the square, there were many toys for children to play with, such as tops and kites.


    such toys were only affordable to the children of wealthy families in the county. jiang gu had always stayed in pushan village and had never seen these toys.


    to make her happy, jiang chuan spent five coin to buy two kites and two tops. he let the two children compete to see whose kite flew higher and whose top spun longer.


    jiang gu was strong and had an advantage when playing with the top. she defeated jiang xia.


    jiang xia, being clever, skillfully flew her kite and outdid jiang gu.


    the family played until nightfall before packing up their things and heading back to the hotel.


    on their way back, zhou lan noticed a shopping mall.


    true to her reputation as a shopping queen, zhou lan spotted the store that jiang xia and jiang chuan had passed several times without noticing.


    through the clear glass showcase, jiang xia saw a variety of items, including imported chocolates and candies. there were also dazzling jewelry and ¡°flourishing era¡± brand moisturizing cream.


    but what attracted jiang xia more was the bookstore in another corner of the shopping mall. the displayed books were from foreign authors who had just won awards.


    jiang xia never expected to see works of famous foreign authors in a village. in this era where basic needs were hard to meet, materialistic needs often overshadowed spiritual pursuits, making books an overlooked commodity.


    jiang xia headed straight for the bookstore, but she hesitated at the entrance because of the lingering fishy smell on her. she didn¡¯t want to transfer the smell to the books.


    the bookstore owner, a gentle woman dressed in a cheongsam, approached jiang xia after noticing her eager gaze.


    ¡°little girl, do you want to buy a book?¡±


    she didn¡¯t show any disdain for jiang xia¡¯s smell or attire. instead, she bent down to meet jiang xia¡¯s gaze and gently patted her head.


    jiang xia pointed to a book in the display, ¡°can 1 have that book?¡±


    the bookstore owner, wan ping, looked in the direction jiang xia pointed at. it was ¡°the road to revolution¡±, a story about a married couple¡¯s struggles and mutual torment.


    she gently suggested, ¡°little girl, this book is quite negative. maybe you¡¯d prefer another, like ¡®the razor¡¯s edge¡¯ which is about a person¡¯s intellectual awakening.¡±


    jiang xia was instantly fond of wan ping, who recommended a philosophical book rather than a children¡¯s tale. it was rare for someone in a village to have such progressive views.


    ¡°can 1 buy the book with money? 1 don¡¯t have book tickets¡­¡± jiang xia whispered, fearing she might trouble wan ping.


    wan ping replied with utmost gentleness, ¡°the store policy requires book tickets. but 1 can give you this book as a gift.¡±


    jiang xia was overjoyed. she held the book tightly, wondering how she could repay the kind gesture.


    ¡°big sister, consider this book as borrowed. i¡¯ll return tomorrow with something to exchange for it.¡±


    wan ping was about to decline but didn¡¯t want to upset jiang xia, so she agreed.


    with her new book, all jiang xia wanted to do was return to the hotel and read. she was absent-minded as they continued shopping.


    jiang chuan, knowing his daughter well, bought some candies and creams and took her back to the hotel.


    that night, while everyone slept, jiang xia hid in a brightly lit space, surrounded by the sounds of a stream and wildlife. with the scent of fresh breeze, she read throughout the night and finished the book by dawn.


    despite the lack of sleep, she felt refreshed after washing her face with water from her interspace.


    upon exiting her interspace, jiang chuan asked,¡± xiao xia, have the fish in the interspace grown?¡±


    jiang xia nodded. she had just checked, and all the hundred fishlings had matured, continuously producing new eggs. however, she realized there¡¯s a threshold; once the total number of fish reached two hundred, they seemed to halt reproduction. otherwise, the interspace wouldn¡¯t be able to accommodate them all..

 Chapter 263 - Chapter 263: Rubber Shoes

    chapter 263: rubber shoes


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    yesterday, jiang xia was engrossed in her books, missing many details. taking advantage of the moment, jiang chuan discussed with her.


    ¡°i spoke with the sales assistant at the shopping mall yesterday. they sell shoes and clothes on the second floor. let¡¯s go shopping there today. if we can find the right cloth shoes, then your mother won¡¯t have to put in the effort to make them anymore. get the mature fish, and well exchange them for tickets at the cooperative.¡±


    jiang xia immediately packed two baskets of fish, a total of fifty, which was surely enough for the exchange.


    and she was still thinking about the bookstore owner, planning to visit the second floor of the shopping mall to find a suitable gift for wan ping.


    to have a price estimate, the four of them first went to the shopping mall, deciding to visit the cooperative after shopping.


    they wasted no time and headed straight to the second floor. only upon arriving did they realize there was a wider variety of goods, not only shoes and clothes but also milk cloth and cotton!


    jiang xia had always wanted to exchange for cotton to make cotton quilts and padded jackets at home. finally, the opportunity had come!


    the group wasn¡¯t in a rush and first checked out the shoes, their primary objective.


    the shoes on display looked similar; unlike modern times where there¡¯s a variety to choose from. most here were cloth shoes, categorized into men¡¯s and women¡¯s. women¡¯s shoes had a slightly wider variety, both floral and plain.


    jiang xia didn¡¯t expect to find shoes as comfortable as sneakers, but seeing only cloth shoes was somewhat disappointing.


    during her browsing, she spotted a unique pair of rubber shoes. they were army green with a rubber sole. although it was the only style available, what mattered was its comfort!


    the sole was softer than that of cloth shoes, perfect for hiking, while cloth shoes were better suited for regular walking.


    excited, jiang xia called over a sales assistant to inquire about the price.


    the sales assistant sized jiang xia up, probably thinking she couldn¡¯t afford it, but was still friendly, way more so than those they met in the county town.


    ¡°rubber shoes are two coin a pair. cloth shoes vary between men¡¯s and women¡¯s styles. men¡¯s are one coin a pair, women¡¯s are eighty cents, and children¡¯s shoes are sixty-five cents. however, you can¡¯t purchase with just money; you need shoe tickets.¡±


    the assistant kindly pointed out, ¡°the co-op is out of shoe tickets. you might have to wait another two days.¡±


    this was problematic.


    jiang chuan planned to set off early the next morning. seeing his daughter¡¯s eagerness, he didn¡¯t want to delay further.


    so he thought it wasn¡¯t urgent to get the shoes now. if needed, they could return after meeting his eldest daughter.


    as they prepared to leave, a portly middle-aged man called out to them, ¡°hello, are those fish in your baskets?¡±


    jiang xia observed him. he had a center-parted hairstyle, hair fixed with gel. his face wasn¡¯t particularly large and except for his belly, he wasn¡¯t fat. it looked like years of alcohol led to his protruding stomach.


    she couldn¡¯t help but compare him to her modern-day father. though he drank for business engagements, he always had it in moderation and took care of his body, maintaining a muscular physique.


    the man was dressed in a suit with a badge on his chest, likely the store¡¯s manager.


    jiang chuan, puzzled, responded, ¡°yes, what can 1 help you with?¡±


    the man explained, ¡°i¡¯m the manager of this shopping mall. i see you want our shoes. i can let you exchange them for the fish, but i need to check their quality first.¡±


    this suited jiang chuan perfectly as it would save a trip to the co-op, but the price would matter.


    this man seemed too slick, with sharp eyes revealing his cunning, the kind jiang chuan disliked dealing with.


    calmly, jiang chuan opened the baskets, revealing the plump fish inside.


    the manager¡¯s eyes lit up.


    he wanted the fish to build relationships. business socials often required gifts, and given the current scarcity of fish, gifting fish was far more valuable. especially these, weighing at least three to four pounds each, a rarity even in the city, let alone a small town.


    the man tried to charm jiang chuan, ¡°brother, how many fish do you have? i¡¯d like to buy them all.¡±


    jiang chuan remained composed, ¡°how much are you offering per pound?¡±


    the cunning man quickly responded, ¡°how about forty cents per pound?¡±

 Chapter 264 - Chapter 264: Great Purchase

    chapter 264: great purchase


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang xia had inquired about the market price of fish. the money the man offered was noticeably low. a difference of a dime per pound might seem insignificant, but for fifty fish, weighing at least two hundred pounds in total, that¡¯s a difference of twenty coins!


    jiang xia pretended to consult with jiang chuan and said hesitantly, ¡°dad, didn¡¯t we agree to deliver these fish to the restaurant? if we sell them now¡­¡±


    jiang chuan instantly understood his daughter¡¯s and added with a troubled face, ¡°my dear daughter, it¡¯s true we shouldn¡¯t break our promise, but we need to buy essentials for our life¡­¡±


    both spoke with hesitation, leaving the manager a bit nervous, unable to gauge if they wanted to sell the fish or not.


    the manager then looked at zhou lan, who was standing with jiang gu, and spoke as if they were close friends, ¡°big sister, i noticed you¡¯ve been looking around here for a while. how about this: whatever you fancy today, i¡¯ll sell to you in cash, so you can save the hassle of exchanging tickets.¡±


    this was an unexpected offer. exchanging different vouchers was not only a hassle but also uncertain in terms of availability. if they could buy things directly with cash, it would be the best.


    but zhou lan wasn¡¯t one to be taken advantage of.


    she laughed and mimicked the manager¡¯s tone, ¡°that¡¯s great! if you call me ¡®sister¡¯, then we¡¯re like family. why bother sending the fish to the restaurant when we can prioritize you?¡±


    the manager was delighted to hear this, thinking women were easier to deal with. however, zhou lan¡¯s next words wiped the smile off his face.


    ¡°since we¡¯re all family, after the great trouble we went through to bring the fish, we should make some profit. let¡¯s settle on 45 cents per pound, a compromise for both.¡±


    before the manager could react, zhou lan started selecting items from the shelves.


    jiang xia gave a mental thumbs-up to her mother, thinking, ¡°when it comes to bargaining, you can always count on mom!¡±


    with the deal set, the manager had no room for objections and let the sales clerk assist them.


    zhou lan chose four pairs of cloth shoes, four pairs of rubber shoes, three boxes of milk, a big box of cookies, and a delicate hairpin.


    jiang xia spotted a cheongsam on the ready-to-wear rack. it was sky blue with dark cloud patterns and looked very high-end, perfect for wang ping.


    she inquired about the price. at five coins a piece, it was expensive, but it was the best gift for wang ping. so, she made the purchase.


    zhou lan then went to the fabric section and found a material perfect for making quilts. she asked, ¡°can i buy this with cash too?¡±


    the clerk hesitated, glancing at the manager, who was weighing their fish.


    thinking zhou lan might just want a few yards for clothes, the manager thought, ¡°why not?¡±


    ¡°yes, you can.¡±


    without rushing, zhou lan pointed to some cotton and asked, ¡°and how about that cotton?¡±


    the clerk figured it was the manager¡¯s call and said, ¡°yes.¡±


    with a triumphant gleam, zhou lan ordered, ¡°give me twenty yards of that fabric and weigh out twenty pounds of cotton.¡±


    she had calculated it. the quilts at home were decades old ¨C heavy and thin with little warmth. she wanted to make a quilt with fifteen pounds of cotton and clothes for her family with the rest, including her married daughter.


    the clerk was taken aback. this was a huge request, maybe even too much for the manager.


    ¡°wait a moment; 1¡¯11 ask the manager.¡±


    the manager hadn¡¯t expected zhou lan to ask for so much. he couldn¡¯t explain this to his boss.


    jiang chuan sensed the manager¡¯s hesitation and timely added, ¡°i have thirty more fish. if you¡¯re interested, 1 can bring them tomorrow. the same price, 45 cents per pound, okay?¡±


    the manager hesitated. such fish were hard to come by, especially in such a quantity. he thought, ¡°it¡¯s a rare opportunity. 1 can use my own fabric tickets if needed.¡±


    after a moment, he agreed, ¡°okay! weigh the cotton for them.¡±


    the fifty fish weighed exactly two hundred pounds, totaling ninety coins. they used up the entire amount on their purchases. with their items packed, jiang chuan left with his wife and daughter, planning to return the next day with the remaining fish.


    at the ground floor of the shopping mall, jiang xia rushed to the bookstore to give wang ping the cheongsam. overwhelmed by the valuable gift, wang ping suggested, ¡°this cheongsam is too precious. why don¡¯t you pick out a few more books?¡±


    jiang xia agreed without being greedy, selecting four books recommended by wang ping, and then said goodbye happily..

 Chapter 265 - Chapter 265: Dowry

    chapter 265: dowry


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang gu has never been to the market, but after hearing her sister¡¯s description, she became very curious. so, instead of heading back immediately, they decided to take jiang gu to the market once more.


    today, the market had even more items on display and was even livelier than the first day. jiang chuan went with jiang gu, while jiang xia paired with zhou lan. the two groups went their separate ways to explore.


    zhou lan¡¯s shopping skills were impressive. in no time, she bought a lot of things: fabric for making steamed buns, star anise and cinnamon for stewing meat, and two boxes of matches.


    but what surprised zhou lan the most was the presence of yarn. however, there was only a bright red color available, and only two bundles of it¡ªenough to knit maybe two scarves. but it was perfect for her two daughters. so, zhou lan traded these yarns for thirty eggs.


    jiang xia, looking at the items her mother had bought, asked, ¡°mother, aren¡¯t you buying anything for yourself?¡±


    ¡°isn¡¯t this cooking material for me?¡± zhou lan replied. ¡°as long as 1 can cook delicious meals, 1 feel accomplished and happy.¡± saying this, zhou lan carefully packed the yarn and continued on.


    suddenly, she was drawn to a large rocking chair. the wood used wasn¡¯t of high quality, but it looked sturdy and well-made.


    bringing the rocking chair home and placing it in the courtyard to bask in the noon sun seemed like a wonderful idea.


    as zhou lan approached to ask the price, jiang xia realized that the vendor of the rocking chair was the same man who sold them two cabinets the day before.


    ¡°young girl, it¡¯s you again,¡± the vendor greeted with a warm smile, remembering their previous trade.


    ¡°how much for the rocking chair?¡± zhou lan inquired.


    seeing the interest in zhou lan¡¯s eyes, the vendor grinned, ¡°do you have more fish? it¡¯s the same price as the cabinet, five of them.¡±


    making a rocking chair involves more intricate work than a cabinet, bending the wood after heating, and thus should be more expensive. however, having profited well from jiang xia¡¯s fish the day before, the vendor offered a slight discount.


    jiang xia realizing the good deal. in addition, knowing that the vendor meant well and considering that this batch of small fish fry had not fully grown and might be about a pound less per fish, she gave the vendor an extra fish and exchanged it for the rocking chair.


    zhou lan still had in mind to supplement the dowry for her eldest daughter, so she traded for a pair of cloth shoes that looked even better than those in the shopping mall. along with the fabric she got the day before, she planned to make a quilt for her daughter.


    in those days, having good-looking cloth shoes and a quilt was a considerable dowry. however, when they sent off their eldest daughter, jiang chuan and zhou lan could barely afford meals, let alone anything for their daughter.


    jiang qing, being filial, wore clothes with patches and carried an empty basket. thinking of this made zhou lan somewhat melancholic.


    after the four of them regrouped, they planned to find a place to eat. suddenly, jiang gu tugged at jiang xia¡¯s trouser leg, pointing at an old woman nearby.


    following jiang gu¡¯s gesture, jiang xia saw an old woman with graying hair sitting on the street corner. she looked despondent and watched every passerby. in front of her was a bamboo basket covered with blue floral fabric, likely containing something like eggs.


    ¡°second sister, this old lady looks so pitiful. let¡¯s buy her stuff,¡± said jiang gu.


    in the past, their family didn¡¯t have money and couldn¡¯t afford to help others. but today, with the money from the fish, it seemed only right to lend a helping hand to the lonely-looking old woman.


    however, what warmed jiang xia¡¯s heart even more was witnessing the kindness in jiang gu¡¯s heart. she approached the old woman with jiang gu and squatted down, asking, ¡°granny, what¡¯s inside your basket?¡±


    seeing customers, the old woman happily lifted the floral fabric off the basket. to their surprise, inside wasn¡¯t eggs but two bottles of fresh milk.


    worried that they might think the milk wasn¡¯t fresh, the old woman said, ¡°this milk is from our own cow. i just milked it this morning. it¡¯s still very fresh having brought it all the way here!¡±


    jiang xia became interested upon hearing this. while the two bottles of milk were fresh, what she was more interested in was the cow at the old woman¡¯s home.


    ¡°granny, how much for the milk?¡± jiang xia asked.


    the old woman hesitated for a moment..

 Chapter 266 - Chapter 266: Buying a Cow

    chapter 266: buying a cow


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    the old women thought to herself, even though they have a cow at home, people are currently starving, where could they find enough grass to feed the cow? the cow had been raised for two months and only produced two bottles of milk.


    her husband was ill at home. if she sold the milk too cheaply, she wouldn¡¯t have money to treat her husband¡¯s illness, nor would they have funds to continue raising the cow. yet, if she asked for too much, what if the customers refused to buy?


    while the old women hesitated, jiang chuan approached and struck up a conversation, ¡°madam, is it easy to raise a milk cow in these times?¡±


    his words hit right where the old madam¡¯s worries were. her face creased with worry, ¡°don¡¯t even mention it. in these famine-stricken times, raising livestock is a drain without much return. if it weren¡¯t for my husband needing medical treatment, these two bottles of milk would be reserved for my daughter-in-law, who is pregnant. she mustn¡¯t go hungry.¡±


    upon hearing the old women¡¯s plight, jiang gu couldn¡¯t hold back her tears.


    zhou lan, who had been pregnant before, knew the hardships of expectant mothers, ¡°madam, how about we trade two fish for your milk?¡±


    the old women quickly declined, ¡°that won¡¯t do, two fish are too valuable, even more so than my milk!¡±


    jiang xia had already summoned the fish using her newfound ability, without having to access her interspace directly. she wondered if this was the evolved skill zhou lan had mentioned.


    ¡°granny, how about selling the milk cow to us?¡± jiang xia suggested.


    the idea sounded good to the old women. even though she had a cow at home, it hadn¡¯t produced milk. she couldn¡¯t make money from it, and if she slaughtered it, the meat would only last a few meals. so she kept it all this time, uncertain of what to do with it. now that this family was willing to buy, it was certainly a good thing.


    looking at their attire, which was clean and without patches, it appeared they were from a decent household. selling the cow to them wouldn¡¯t burden their livelihood.


    it must be said, the people here exhibited a genuine and kind-hearted nature. perhaps it was a product of the times. those living in this era were full of love, treating strangers with immense kindness.


    in the modern times, jiang xia, due to her intelligence, had skipped several grades in school. being younger than her peers, she had few friends and was indifferent to strangers. however, after arriving here, she distinctly felt the kindness emanating from different groups of people.


    jiang xia began to think: maybe they were transported to this era by destiny to redeem themselves, to reclaim the lost parts of their souls, and to become more whole as individuals.


    the old women, leading jiang chuan and his group, walked for over an hour before returning to the village.


    logically speaking, a village so close to the town should be thriving. however, this village was overly quiet. it was even smaller than pushan village with very few residents, so few that it was rare to see anyone strolling on the streets.


    yet, the houses in which the villagers lived were quite good, superior to those in pushan village.


    jiang chuan, making conversation, asked, ¡°madam, why are there so few people in the village?¡±


    the old women sighed, ¡°originally, our village had a decent population. but then, with the development of locust tree bay, people from surrounding villages were drawn there. the population in nearby villages dwindled, and one village even became deserted. the government has issued an order to abolish that village.¡±


    jiang chuan was somewhat familiar with this. he had researched the situation in locust tree bay upon his arrival, a habit formed from years of doing business. the more he knew, the less likely he was to make mistakes.


    moving from one village to another involved many formalities and was quite troublesome. this was also one of the reasons for stable populations in each village.


    however, for the development of locust tree bay, the village chief had liaised with the government to waive many unnecessary procedures. a simple change of registration was all it took. that became the primary reason for the population influx to locust tree bay.


    with most people relocating, there were surplus houses. the village head organized relocations to better homes, resulting in the current state of the village.


    the old women¡¯s house was spacious, comparable to jiang chuan¡¯s. there was even an additional cowshed, housing a skinny cow which seemed underdeveloped.


    the old women told them, ¡°given the circumstances, it¡¯s quite challenging for a cow to grow strong.¡±


    jiang chuan nodded in understanding. although the cow looked emaciated with barely any flesh on its bones, it didn¡¯t seem diseased. being skinny was better than having none at all..

 Chapter 267 - Chapter 267: Su Zhen

    chapter 267: su zhen


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang chuan exchanged the cow for fifteen fish and a basket of eggs.


    based on the market price, a healthy and plump cow is worth fifteen fish. for such a skinny cow, at most ten fish would suffice. however, jiang chuan felt that the old women was kind-hearted, and they didn¡¯t lack a few extra fish, so he decided to give her more than what the cow was worth.


    jiang xia inquired about the condition of the old women¡¯s husband. although she knew that the isatis root might not help, she still believed that they might find something useful at the pharmacy. so, jiang xia packed another basket of isatis root for the old women.


    the old women was deeply moved and was at a loss for words, not knowing how to express her gratitude.


    suddenly, a shout came from outside, ¡°granny liu, su zhen is in the village! send someone from your house to see him.¡±


    granny liu responded and prepared to escort jiang chuan¡¯s family out with an empty basket.


    zhou lan kindly said, ¡°if you have something to do, you don¡¯t need to send us off.¡±


    granny liu smiled, revealing her yellowed teeth, ¡°it¡¯s alright. there will be a line to meet him anyway. sending you off won¡¯t delay anything.¡±


    jiang xia was curious, ¡°why do you need to queue up to meet someone?¡±


    granny liu explained, ¡°su zhen is not from our village. he¡¯s from locust tree bay and often goes to grand cloud mountain to trade wild animals for grains. he then distributes a portion of the grains to nearby villages. he¡¯s a good man, often giving more to those in need. so, every time he comes, we line up to receive grains.¡±


    ¡°so, he¡¯s basically doing charity?¡± jiang xia blurted out.


    jiang gu asked, ¡°what¡¯s charity?¡±


    jiang xia took a moment to explain the concept to jiang gu. years later, whenever jiang xia looked back on that afternoon, she¡¯d marvel at how her actions that day led to the creation of the most prominent female philanthropist of the ¡¯90s.


    at the village entrance, a long queue had formed, consisting of around forty or fifty people. more than half were elderly, seemingly representing each household.


    walking further, they got a clearer view of su zhen. tall and thin, he wore a baggy shirt and had a unique hairstyle. he didn¡¯t look particularly friendly.


    granny liu sent them to the village entrance and went to line up.


    with two adults, two children, and a skinny cow, they naturally attracted su zhen¡¯s attention. after a brief glance, he approached granny liu and handed her some grains, ¡°granny liu, since your husband is ill, you shouldn¡¯t be waiting here. take these grains and go take care of him.¡±


    though not much grain, around five pounds, his gesture showed genuine concern.


    granny liu expressed her gratitude and left with a smile.


    jiang chuan suddenly became very interested in this man. considering the surrounding villages combined had nearly two hundred households, and each household got a few kilograms of grain, it seemed that su zhen¡¯s financial situation was very good.


    moreover, looking at su zhen, it appeared that he remembered the name of every individual, and knew in detail any incident that happened in their homes. his meticulousness was starkly different from the vibe he generally gave off.


    after seeing off granny liu, su zhen unexpectedly approached them for a chat, ¡°did you come to the village to buy granny liu¡¯s cow?¡±


    jiang chuan nodded, briefly recounting the events at the marketplace. after hearing the story, su zhen¡¯s attitude towards them became much friendlier. he probably felt appreciative because they had helped granny liu.


    he naturally stood next to jiang chuan, looking at the people lining up for grain and asked, ¡°which village are you from?¡±


    jiang chuan realized su zhen was probing them. with his memory, he would know everyone from these villages. his query was undoubtedly an attempt to determine their origin.


    without hiding anything, jiang chuan replied, ¡°we¡¯re from pushan village. our eldest daughter married a hunter on grand cloud mountain, and we came especially to visit her.¡±


    ¡°oh? which family did your daughter marry into?¡± su zhen was clearly intrigued by this topic.


    jiang chuan answered, ¡°she married into the zhang family, where the head of the household recently passed away.¡±


    su zhen¡¯s expression changed slightly. without saying more, he headed towards the crowd.


    zhou lan whispered to her husband, ¡°1 think there¡¯s something off about him.¡±


    jiang chuan nodded in agreement. su zhen had asked many questions about jiang chuan¡¯s family but had shared nothing about himself. clearly, he was a man with strong defenses.


    jiang xia also approached, ¡°and i believe his reaction earlier indicates he certainly knows the zhang family..¡±

 Chapter 268 - Chapter 268: Surprise

    chapter 268: surprise


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    if su zhen really interacted frequently with the hunters on grand cloud mountain as granny liu had said, then it wouldn¡¯t be surprising for him to be familiar with the zhang family.


    jiang chuan was indeed keen on interacting with him. given su zhen¡¯s knowledge of the zhang family, he must be aware of their current circumstances. jiang chuan wanted to ask about his daughter jiang qing, who had been married into the zhang family for two years without sending any news home.


    jiang qing was the most filial daughter in the family. even if she had moved to the distant grand cloud mountain, she should¡¯ve found a way to maintain contact. she never had the chance to go to school when she was younger, so she was illiterate. jiang chuan could understand that she wouldn¡¯t be able to write letters home, but her not visiting the village for two years was indeed odd.


    even zhang ling¡¯s two younger brothers visited the village every now and then to bring her gifts. by all accounts, jiang qing shouldn¡¯t have been absent for two whole years unless she was confined by the zhang family!


    jiang chuan decided to press su zhen for answers.


    however, he hit a wall. no matter how hard he tried to strike up a conversation, su zhen would dismiss them with the excuse of being too busy. while his demeanor remained friendly, he clearly did not want to engage in further conversation.


    this made jiang chuan even more curious. since he couldn¡¯t gather information from others, he decided to head directly to the zhang family¡¯s residence to assess the situation.


    before leaving, he noticed a bamboo basket next to the grains. it was filled with water, indicating it contained some aquatic creature.


    he asked su zhen, ¡°brother, what¡¯s inside this basket?¡±


    su zhen didn¡¯t hesitate and replied, ¡°green-tailed shrimp.¡±


    jiang chuan was both surprised and delighted to encounter green-tailed shrimp here. normally, even the most common fish had become rare.


    green-tailed shrimp, typically found in coastal cities, would be nearly impossible to come across here unless there was a large aquaculture farm, especially unlikely in the arid 1960s.


    he continued, ¡°can you sell these shrimps to us?¡±


    su zhen paused while distributing the grains and glanced at them and their cow. he noticed that this family seemed keen on collecting animals. after buying a cow, now they wanted shrimp. inspecting their attire, they appeared like ordinary villagers. yet, jiang chuan exuded an air of someone experienced. su zhen had met wealthy people in the county town who didn¡¯t possess the calm aura that jiang chuan had.


    he looked at the family¡¯s clothes again. they were indeed ordinary rural people, but from the aura that jiang chuan gave off, he looked like someone who had seen the world. su zhen had seen many rich people in the county town, but they did not have the calm aura that jiang chuan had.


    although su zhen was reluctant to discuss personal matters, he didn¡¯t mind selling the shrimp. ¡°there are twenty shrimps in this basket. i can give you ten. but 1 want¡­¡± either money or food tickets.


    public trading wasn¡¯t allowed, so su zhen gestured counting money without saying it out loud. jiang chuan understood his meaning.


    jiang chuan, not aware of the shrimp¡¯s price, whispered, ¡°we have cash, name your price.¡±


    su zhen¡¯s shrimp came from the county town, and they were very rare. hence, they were quite expensive, priced at two coins each.


    he was in the business of buying and selling, trading in wild animal meat and shrimp. he purchased them at a price and sold them at a markup. so, he set the selling price for the shrimp at three coins and fifty cents each for jiang chuan.


    three coins and fifty cents for a single shrimp was almost astronomical. jiang chuan and his family had worked hard for two days to earn fifty-five coins from selling a large amount of fish. now, ten of these shrimps were going to cost thirty-five coin. jiang xia felt that it was not worth the price. just as she was about to dissuade her father, jiang chuan, from buying them, he had already walked to a secluded spot with su zhen to count the money.


    when jiang chuan returned, he took the entire bamboo basket filled with shrimp.


    on their way back to locust tree bay hotel, jiang xia asked her father, ¡°we have at most fifty coins on us. how can we afford twenty shrimps? and from what i see, these shrimps are quite small, not at all worth the price. what a rip-off!¡±


    jiang chuan laughed, noting that his daughter was now being frugal. it seemed that even a small amount, like three or five coins, mattered to her. it truly shows how the environment can change a person.


    in the past, jiang xia never cared about the prices when shopping. their family was wealthy, so she always spent money lavishly. moreover, she was very picky about products and would disdain anything that seemed cheap. now, the price of three coins and fifty cents for a single shrimp could make her fret all the way..

 Chapter 269 - Chapter 269: Taboo

    chapter 269: taboo


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    as for how the shrimp were obtained, it was, of course, the result of negotiations between jiang chuan and su zhen.


    jiang chuan was a businessman, and he was adept at the process of buying on credit.


    he told su zhen that he had only fifty coins on him. he promised to pay the remaining twenty yuan after selling the fish the next morning, and would also pay an extra five coins as interest for the credit.


    su zhen, being a businessman himself, wouldn¡¯t miss out on a good deal, so he readily agreed.


    after distributing the food, su zhen also had plans to go to town. they agreed to meet the next day at noon at the only restaurant in town for the deal. since su zhen received extra money, he was willing to let jiang chuan take all the shrimp.


    su zhen wasn¡¯t worried about jiang chuan running off with the shrimp without paying. he bought the shrimp for two yuan each, totaling forty yuan. he had already made a profit of ten yuan. why not gamble and potentially make an extra twenty-five yuan?


    jiang xia didn¡¯t understand. ¡°dad, we don¡¯t have that much money. just ten shrimps in the interspace would be enough to breed. why did you get so many?¡±


    jiang chuan¡¯s expression turned serious as he explained, ¡°su zhen is clearly in the business to sell, not to eat these shrimp himself. taking all of them off his hands saves him trouble. given the money involved, he¡¯d likely want to befriend me.¡±


    zhou lan interjected, ¡°while su zhen seems more agreeable than other businessmen, we don¡¯t necessarily need his friendship. who knows if we¡¯ll even meet again? why go through all this hassle and unnecessarily spend thirty-five coins?¡±


    jiang chuan disagreed, ¡°having one more friend opens up another path. it¡¯s my basic business philosophy. but the main reason i want to get closer to him is to ask about the zhang family. 1 feel there¡¯s something both zhang ling and he are reluctant to speak about regarding the zhangs. why would an ordinary hunting family have secrets?¡±


    zhou lan grew concerned, ¡°you think when jiang qing married into their family, she might be mistreated? what if they hit her¡­¡±


    she couldn¡¯t bear to continue that thought. just the possibility of her daughter suffering was unbearable.


    jiang chuan comforted her, ¡°don¡¯t scare yourself with assumptions. these are just my speculations. we need to ask su zhen to get the specifics.¡±


    the next morning, jiang chuan sold thirty fully grown fish at a shopping mall, earning fifty-four coins. before leaving, he negotiated with the manager to buy a pack of cigarettes, spending one coins and fifty cents. then, with the remaining money, he headed to the agreed restaurant.


    zhou lan and their two daughters were already there, looking at the menu.


    jiang chuan met su zhen at the entrance, and they quietly settled their accounts outside. once inside, without giving su zhen a chance for pleasantries, jiang chuan said, ¡°please, don¡¯t stand on ceremony. i¡¯ll cover this meal. let¡¯s have another drink, brother!¡±


    when the two settled down, zhou lan confidently slid the menu over to su zhen, inviting him to make his choice.


    watching jiang chuan¡¯s actions, su zhen was thoroughly impressed by him. given the opportunity, he even thought about going into business with jiang chuan.


    jiang chuan¡¯s confident demeanor made it hard for su zhen to believe that he was merely a farmer.


    after ordering two meat dishes and accompanied by the clear spirit, jiang chuan felt the atmosphere was ripe to delve into the main topic, ¡°brother su, you often hunt on the grand cloud mountain. do you know the hunter zhang¡¯s family?¡±


    despite su zhen¡¯s decent tolerance for alcohol, after downing two large cups, his cheeks had turned noticeably rosy. his guard lowered, and he began to share, ¡°zhang¡¯s family catches the most wild animals on the mountain. the father drinks every day. they rely solely on the son¡¯s sharpshooting skills to hunt. without that, they¡¯d have starved long ago.¡±


    zhou lan, anxious, said, ¡°if their old man drinks daily, doesn¡¯t he hit people when he¡¯s drunk? he wouldn¡¯t hit my daughter, would he?¡±


    being a few years younger than jiang chuan, su zhen addressed zhou lan as ¡°sister-in-law¡±, reassuring her, ¡°that won¡¯t happen. zhang ping is very protective of his wife. anyone who dares mistreat her will face his wrath. he surely defends her at home, ensuring she¡¯s not bullied.¡±


    jiang chuan continued to probe, ¡°so, jiang qing must be having a good life there. why haven¡¯t we ever seen her come home? was she confined?¡±


    su zhen burst into hearty laughter, ¡°big brother, you¡¯re overthinking it. everyone in their family, except the old man, has good manners. they probably treat your daughter even better than you can imagine. as for why she hasn¡¯t come down the mountain, i¡¯m not entirely sure..¡±

 Chapter 270 - Chapter 270: Strange Cause of Death

    chapter 270: strange cause of death


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang chuan had just let his guard down when he remembered that zhang ling¡¯s father had recently passed away. he asked su zhen, ¡°do you know how old master zhang died?¡±


    half-asleep, su zhen frowned upon hearing the question. after gathering his thoughts, he said, ¡°it¡¯s not very clear. when i visited the mountain to see old master zhang, he was alive and well. but a week later, when i visited again, he was gone. the zhang family claims that he got drunk and fell off the mountain. but he walked that mountain path daily, and it wasn¡¯t his first time getting drunk. why did he happen to fall this time?¡±


    though su zhen was suspicious, he never doubted any other members of the zhang family. he respected everyone in the zhang family, especially zhang ping¡¯s mother, zhao wan. she had an air of literacy about her, which was not common for a hunter¡¯s wife. their three sons also seemed educated, not like typical rugged hunters. every time su zhen came to collect wild animals meat, zhang ping would keep a detailed account in a ledger.


    su zhen had seen that ledger; it was well-organized with neat handwriting. he¡¯d never seen anyone write so beautifully. on several visits, he noticed zhao wan teaching jiang qing to write. if it weren¡¯t for old master zhang, the family atmosphere would be quite harmonious.


    old master zhang was rough and had a ruddy complexion, and he looked mismatched with the delicate and fair zhao wan. moreover, zhao wan looked only in her thirties, around the same age as jiang chuan¡¯s wife, zhou lan. but old master zhang looked at least fifty.


    the only explanation su zhen could think of was that zhao wan was sold to old master zhang in the old days. how else could two people from such different worlds end up together?


    after listening, jiang chuan grew even more suspicious of the zhang family. zhang ling was hesitant to talk about her family. outsiders did not know much about them. such a mysterious family made jiang chuan even more worried about his eldest daughter¡¯s recent situation.


    su zhen¡¯s tolerance for alcohol wasn¡¯t particularly good, but it wasn¡¯t bad either. after drinking half a bottle, although he felt dizzy, it didn¡¯t hinder his travel.


    he said he was also heading to grand cloud mountain and insisted on accompanying jiang chuan¡¯s family. he had a horse-drawn carriage, which, if driven fast, could reach grand cloud mountain by tomorrow afternoon.


    jiang chuan had an suv, which was much faster than su zhen¡¯s carriage. however, considering the winding mountain roads of grand cloud mountain, they could easily get lost without a local guide. hence, jiang chuan didn¡¯t decline su zhen¡¯s offer.


    swaying slightly, su zhen led jiang chuan and his family out of the town. a horse-drawn carriage was tethered to a stone, and a farmer was feeding the horse nearby.


    su zhen approached casually, and the farmer took two coins, thanked him, and left. it appeared that the farmer had been temporarily hired by su zhen to look after the carriage.


    this carriage was drawn by a single robust horse. the carriage was essentially an open wooden board with two wheels, looking quite rudimentary and not at all like a proper carriage.


    jiang chuan loaded the luggage and lifted both his daughters onto the carriage, then helped zhou lan aboard. he and su zhen then took their seats on the edge of the carriage and set off.


    the bumpy journey on the carriage became a lullaby, putting them to sleep. su zhen, who had already drunk quite a bit, fell asleep uncontrollably, sprawling on the wooden board.


    jiang xia and jiang gu sat far away from su zhen, fearing he might roll over them in his sleep.


    jiang chuan alone drove the horse-drawn carriage. fortunately, he had learned horse riding in modern times; otherwise, he¡¯d be in trouble now.


    looking at the unreliable su zhen, he sighed. if he had known su zhen couldn¡¯t handle his alcohol, he wouldn¡¯t have spent two coins on that bottle of wine.


    around three in the afternoon, the sky suddenly darkened, and the sun was obscured by thick clouds. zhou lan looked up with a hint of concern, ¡°honey, it looks like it¡¯s going to rain.¡±


    jiang chuan also felt rain was imminent. they needed to find shelter before the rain started, or their open wooden carriage would get drenched.


    however, jiang xia believed that, given the year-long drought, the weather might just be bluffing and it might not really rain.


    if it did rain, it would be a blessing for the crops. the recently sown seeds in the fields would germinate, which would be a good thing for the farmers..

 Chapter 271 - Chapter 271: Shelter

    chapter 271: shelter


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    as night approached, darkness fell unusually early. a strong wind began to blow, and the few scattered leaves on the trees were blown off. then, a few raindrops started to fall from the sky, gradually turning into a heavy downpour.


    ¡°it¡¯s actually raining!¡±


    su zhen was awakened by the rain. the three women beside him were using their hands to shield themselves from the rain, but he was oblivious, excitedly sitting up and catching raindrops with his mouth.


    it¡¯s no wonder he was so excited. several provinces nearby hadn¡¯t seen rain for a year. he had almost forgotten what rain felt like.


    jiang chuan saw that the rain was getting heavier, and he hurriedly urged the horse forward.


    there were no villages in sight, and finding an hotel for the night seemed unlikely. they could only hope to find shelter along the road.


    fortunately, their luck was good. in the middle of nowhere, they found a dilapidated thatched hut. the hut was empty, with broken doors and windows, but the roof was intact. it couldn¡¯t block the wind but could shield them from the rain.


    jiang chuan and su zhen gathered the dry hay inside, laying it against a sturdy wall to block the wind. zhou lan spread out an old quilt they brought for appearances, making the place look somewhat livable.


    su zhen used to have the habit of bringing a raincoat when he went out, but it had not rained for a year. bringing a raincoat took up space, so he went out empty-handed.


    every time he went out, he would go to the town to find a hotel at night. he had never lived in the wild like today.


    feeling embarrassed, su zhen said to jiang chuan, ¡°brother jiang, i¡¯m sorry. i wanted to make things easier for you, but it seems i¡¯ve caused more trouble.¡± jiang chuan verbally reassured that everything was okay, but deep down he thought, if they hadn¡¯t traveled with su zhen, they could have driven throughout the journey. even if they ended up in such a shabby little house, they could at least take out the silk quilt from the car to cover themselves.


    it was almost winter, and the temperature at night was getting lower and lower. it was warm for a group of people to squeeze together, but without a blanket, they would definitely fall sick the next day.


    of course, while jiang chuan had these thoughts, he didn¡¯t resent su zhen. on the contrary, he felt quite fond of him.


    su zhen was a businessman. not only did he earn money for himself, but he also remembered the villagers around him. he generously distributed a lot of food to them. this was not only due to his kind-hearted nature but also because he had ample funds.


    in the neighboring villages, there were roughly two hundred households. if each household were given five catties of grain, he would distribute a total of one thousand catties. and this wasn¡¯t coarse grain mixed with sorghum rice, but pure wheat flour.


    for those who might not have a clear idea of how much money su zhen had, a simple conversion would clarify.


    one thousand catties of grain was equivalent to a hundred coins. jiang chuan had to sell fish for two days just to barely earn a hundred coins. after deducting the expenses of these two days, he probably had only twenty to thirty coins in his pocket.


    furthermore, su zhen paid for their lunch that afternoon. he handed the waiter five coins directly, without needing any change, leaving the rest as a tip. the waiter was overjoyed.


    su zhen spent money without batting an eye. clearly, he earned enough to spend generously and could casually donate a hundred coins for charity.


    this intrigued jiang chuan. just by buying wild animals meat from mountain hunters, could one earn that much? jiang chuan didn¡¯t buy it. he believed su zhen had other businesses he hadn¡¯t mentioned. he intended to ask him about it during their journey today, but su zhen, having drunk too much, had slept through. jiang chuan could only hope to inquire the next day.


    interestingly, while jiang chuan was curious about su zhen, su zhen was equally interested in jiang chuan.


    being in business, su zhen wasn¡¯t just limited to buying wild animal meat from the mountains. he had already received insider information that the government¡¯s policy would soon be implemented, requiring all mountain hunters to move down and settle in the villages.


    when there would be no hunters on grand cloud mountain, where would su zhen go to buy game? of course, he¡¯d have to rely on other businesses to make money..

 Chapter 272 - Chapter 272: Olive Branch

    chapter 272: olive branch


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    throughout their journey together, su zhen developed a favorable impression of jiang chuan. from his speech and demeanor, jiang chuan certainly didn¡¯t seem as simple as he claimed, merely a farmer tilling the land.


    instead, su zhen thought he resembled a businessman more, possessing the shrewdness and agility typical of merchants. he could effortlessly build rapport during conversations and then facilitate deals. aren¡¯t these the basic skills of a businessman?


    so, su zhen intended to partner with jiang chuan.


    after zhou lan had arranged the bedding, su zhen gathered the remaining straw into a pile and lit it with a match.


    they were fortunate. beside the broken house was a pile of firewood covered in thick ash. after lighting the straw, su zhen placed the firewood beside the burning pile, allowing it to slowly ignite, ensuring the fire would last throughout the night.


    the rain drizzled down, its sound gradually masked by the wind. the brief rainfall, lasting just over an hour, was hardly enough to drench the fields.


    su zhen slept beside jiang chuan. on jiang chuan¡¯s other side lay jiang xia and jiang gu, with zhou lan on the opposite side guarding her two daughters. the fire was near their feet.


    staring at the only intact roof in the room, su zhen rested his head on his arms, striking up a casual conversation with jiang chuan. ¡°brother jiang, 1 didn¡¯t see the milk cow and green-tailed shrimp you bought when we boarded the vehicle. did you sell them off so quickly?¡±


    detecting su zhen¡¯s probing tone, jiang chuan responded, ¡°yes, i got a good price when 1 sold the fish this morning, so 1 sold the cow and shrimp.¡±


    in reality, the cow and shrimp were bouncing around in jiang xia¡¯s interspace.


    the cow had been put in there the previous night. by morning, although it hadn¡¯t noticeably gained weight, it could already produce milk. jiang xia had tried milking it, just like she had seen on tv, and the milk they drank in the morning came from this cow.


    as for the green-tailed shrimp, even though they became livelier in the water of interspace, they didn¡¯t reproduce overnight. jiang xia speculated their growth cycle was twice that of the fish.


    su zhen continued his questioning, ¡°brother jiang, do you have a particular contact or connection? you managed to sell everything so quickly.¡±


    now, trading with money is strictly prohibited. if there¡¯s no market, even if you have a lot of valuable goods, you can only be stuck with them. if jiang chuan can sell everything in one morning, he must have buyers purchasing in bulk.


    jiang chuan isn¡¯t quite sure of su zhen¡¯s purpose in probing and is secretly on guard.


    ¡°just luck, 1 guess. i happened to meet a shopping mall manager who exchanged their goods for our fish, shrimp, and cow. isn¡¯t it all fate, just like when we bought the cow in the village and met you?¡±


    su zhen was skeptical but didn¡¯t say more. after a while, he drifted into a deep sleep.


    during the night, the wind began to blow, and the temperature dropped drastically. zhou lan and jiang chuan could distinctly feel the two children shivering between them.


    worried sick, zhou lan whispered, ¡°honey, should we take out the blankets? if discovered, we can just say they were exchanged at the shopping mall. being suspected is better than letting the kids catch a cold.¡±


    jiang chuan shared her sentiments. noticing that su zhen beside them seemed fast asleep, even softly snoring, he thought it should be safe to cover up now. as long as they put the blankets away before su zhen woke up, there should be no issues.


    with just a thought, jiang chuan conjured the two blankets from their car and, out of concern, covered su zhen as well.


    the next morning, the wind had already stopped. jiang chuan got up at dawn and put away the blanket. he then covered his two daughters with the torn clothes he had brought when he went out.


    before the fire started, zhou lan baked a few wild vegetable pancakes. then, she cut the wild vegetable pancakes open with a knife and filled them with the pickles and meat sauce that xiao li had given her before she left. then, she roasted the meat sauce over the fire.


    the remaining three were awakened by the enticing smell of food. after freshening up with the water jiang chuan fetched, they hungrily devoured the wild vegetable cakes.


    after tasting zhou lan¡¯s cake, su zhen found it so delicious that he didn¡¯t want to swallow. for the first time in his life, he savored every bite. a mere vegetable cake was this fragrant.. if they prepared other dishes, wouldn¡¯t just the aroma be enough to make one drool?

 Chapter 273 - Chapter 273: Beef Jerky

    chapter 273: beef jerky


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    su zhen took out a cloth bag from the bundle he carried with him. under the curious eyes of everyone, he took out a piece of dried meat from the bag. the aroma of the meat instantly overshadowed that of the meat pie, indicating that there was still a lot of dried meat inside the bag.


    su zhen first shared it with jiang gu, and then took out pieces to share with the others. the five of them sat around the fire, eating meat pies and gnawing on the dried meat.


    jiang xia, with her discerning palate, instantly recognized the dried meat as beef jerky. the quality was excellent, most likely sourced from the central plains region¡¯s yellow cattle.


    this beef jerky, in normal times, wouldn¡¯t be considered rare. there are cattle breeding bases in the central plains region. mature cattle are transported to factories and processed into products like beef in sauce or beef jerky, which are then distributed to shopping mall in towns and larger cities.


    it¡¯s not that the manufacturers were unwilling to sell in villages or small towns, but the consumption levels in these areas simply weren¡¯t high enough for them to break even. thus, jiang gu had never seen beef jerky before.


    jiang gu held the beef jerky tightly in one hand, relishing every bite. however, the jerky was quite tough, and she could only eat it slowly, strand by strand, savoring every bit.


    jiang xia thought to herself, given the current famine across the country and the likely reduced production at cattle breeding bases, the demand for beef jerky must exceed supply. the price of beef jerky is likely more than double its usual price.


    the bag su zhen had seemed quite full. if it was all filled with beef jerky, it would be enough to feed their family for a month.


    jiang xia¡¯s thoughts were mirrored by jiang chuan¡¯s. yesterday, su zhen had been probing him. today, the tables would turn.


    after their meal, jiang xia shared water from her interspace water flask with her family. since su zhen also had his own flask, she didn¡¯t offer him any.


    she was actually wary of doing so, fearing that the astute su zhen might notice the difference between the interspace water and regular water.


    su zhen glanced at the water flask, speculating that the jiang family might be living better than they seemed. although a water flask wasn¡¯t a luxury, trading it would require at least ten catties of grain.


    su zhen¡¯s guess was right. jiang chuan had bartered fish for this water flask at locust tree bay. along with the water flask, he had also acquired an iron pot, which had been on zhou lan¡¯s wish list since they had separated from their main family. she had always wanted an iron pot, but they were not available in the town near pushan village. jiang chuan had kept this in mind.


    had su zhen not been present, zhou lan would have taken out the iron pot and made some wild vegetable porridge or a warm milk and egg soup.


    before leaving, jiang xia discovered a few small mushrooms in a damp corner, barely noticeable. she quietly pocketed them into her interspace storage.


    on their journey to grand cloud mountain, jiang chuan and su zhen took turns driving the horse carriage. they chatted about various topics and gradually built trust.


    it was only then that jiang chuan learned that, although su zhen looked to be in his mid-twenties, he was only eighteen. his clear eyes held a cold depth, not the kind you¡¯d expect from someone his age.


    yet jiang chuan realized that times shape individuals. the fact that su zhen often provided food for neighboring villages indicated his mental age was much greater than eighteen.


    reflecting on this, jiang chuan asked su zhen, ¡°when you distribute food to the villagers, do you pick villages at random or specifically choose them?¡±


    su zhen replied, ¡°1 select them deliberately. as locust tree bay developed, the nearby villages started emptying out. young adults would move to locust tree bay after getting married, leaving only the elderly and children in the villages. they can only do limited work and struggle to feed themselves. i do my best to help them.¡±


    ¡°you seem to know locust tree bay very well. are you from here?¡±


    ¡°no, i¡¯m not. to be honest, my hometown is quite close to yours, located in the nearest county to pushan village. however, i frequently come here for business and have some understanding of the situation here. also, among the people who work with me, many are from locust tree bay. their parents and children are in nearby villages, so 1 feel it¡¯s only right to help out the villagers there.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯d make a great boss.¡± jiang chuan sincerely said this. the development of a company heavily depends on good leadership. only when a boss treats their employees well can the company¡¯s cohesion be enhanced, enabling the employees to work diligently.


    although su zhen is currently just doing business and hasn¡¯t yet evolved it into a full-fledged company, his sense of righteousness is the most critical quality for him to become a great boss.


    in a few years, once the country has developed further, he might just have the opportunity to become one of the first wealthy individuals to rise..

 Chapter 274 - Chapter 274: Joining the Team

    chapter 274: joining the team


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    upon hearing that su zhen lived in the county town, jiang chuan became even more interested and so they chatted a bit more about it.


    after the conversation, jiang chuan realized that his family had quite a connection with su zhen.


    it turned out su zhen and jia guang, the lavish-spending young master of the jia family in the town, were cousins. no wonder jiang chuan felt a sense of familiarity when he first saw su zhen; now, he could see the resemblance between the two.


    while jia guang was already quite handsome, su zhen had a more mature and grounded charm about him. if he didn¡¯t always have such a stern expression, there would probably be a line of girls trying to win his heart.


    not wanting to dwell on personal topics, su zhen changed the subject, ¡°brother jiang, i see that you¡¯re quite adept in business. interested in partnering with me?¡±


    ¡°oh?¡± jiang chuan had anticipated that su zhen would propose a business collaboration, but he feigned surprise, his demeanor appearing innocent and guileless. he asked, ¡°you mean the business of buying mountain goods to sell?¡± su zhen smiled, the gloominess on his face vanishing, making him appear more radiant. indeed, a smile is the best beautifier.


    ¡°it¡¯s not just that. selling to nearby villagers or restaurants for a mere few coins? there are definitely other avenues,¡± su zhen casually said, noting jiang chuan¡¯s keen interest in making money.


    he continued, ¡°brother jiang, have you heard of the black market?¡±


    jiang chuan straightened up. now they were getting to the heart of the matter.


    jiang chuan first heard about the black market when he went to the town¡¯s cooperative store. he wanted to purchase an iron pot but couldn¡¯t find one. someone at the cooperative informed him that the black market would have it, but the location and timing of the market were unpredictable.


    the wolf cubs that the jiang family¡¯s eldest son and sun li stole from the mountain were also sold in the black market. this showed the vast range of goods the black market accepted. there seemed to be nothing that couldn¡¯t be sold there.


    jiang xia had plenty of items in her possession. she once thought if she could sell them in the black market, she could earn a considerable income.


    but despite searching the town several times, father and daughter never stumbled upon the black market.


    su zhen¡¯s mention of the black market indicated he had inside access. no wonder he was so wealthy, which could also be related to the high prices on the black market.


    jiang chuan replied, ¡°i¡¯ve heard of it, but never came across one. do you have connections, young brother su?¡±


    instead of boasting, su zhen modestly answered, ¡°i¡¯ve attended the black market a few times and have some contacts with the organizers. i know when and where each market will take place and bring goods for trading.¡±


    jiang chuan and su zhen then discussed black market prices. sitting intently in the middle of the cart, jiang xia noted that the black market prices were at least double the regular market¡¯s.


    for instance, a fish that jiang xia could sell for two to two and a half coins in the regular market could fetch five coins in the black market.


    in her mind, jiang xia did a quick elementary math problem and immediately gasped. if they could trade in the black market, wouldn¡¯t they make a fortune?


    jiang xia pondered calmly and believed that su zhen¡¯s situation wasn¡¯t as simple as he described, being just a merchant on the black market. the way he eagerly invited her father to join suggests he had bigger plans for the black market. those who desire the black market to grow and prosper are likely its organizers.


    recalling various actions of su zhen, jiang xia ventured a bold guess: su zhen might very well be the organizer of the black markets in both the county and the town.


    this could explain why su zhen was so wealthy and why he could sporadically buy grain for the village. clearly, this man was never short of money!


    in fact, jiang xia¡¯s thoughts might have been too conservative. su zhen was not only the organizer of the county¡¯s black market, but he also secretly controlled all the black markets in the entire province.


    su zhen had access to a wealth of insider information, enabling him to timely understand market trends.


    although the government strongly suppressed private trades, they could only turn a blind eye to the black market.


    the existence of the black market provided many with an avenue to exchange goods for money. if the black market were to be entirely eliminated, even more people would starve..

 Chapter 275 - Chapter 275: Climbing the Mountain

    chapter 275: climbing the mountain


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    nowadays, the country and the black market are interdependent; what politics does not allow, the black market does.


    the government needs to maintain order and does not allow monetary transactions. now, there are many people with money but no grain tickets. meanwhile, the black market even sells grain tickets, albeit at a much higher price than the market. however, the black market is not a charity and this price hike is understandable.


    the continuous expansion of the black market is undoubtedly supported by government personnel. otherwise, how could the black market always appear when needed, addressing the biggest issues for local residents?


    currently, it¡¯s the black market, not the state, that can provide ample grain. the government has no choice but to tacitly allow the growth of the black market, leading to varied developments of the black market in different provinces.


    in some provinces, black market organizers, driven by greed, disregard human life, selling counterfeit and expired goods. since the black market is transient, deceived people have no recourse, fostering mixed feelings of love and resentment towards it.


    su zhen is mature beyond his years and has an ambition to centralize and control the black markets across the country, imposing principles and constraints even while seeking profit.


    he wants to streamline the order of the black market and believes he has the capability. however, he currently trusts too few people, making it hard to manage black markets in other provinces.


    but su zhen, of course, would not naively share this with jiang chuan, whom he had only known for two days. he merely extended an olive branch, leaving the decision to join up to jiang chuan.


    at this moment, no one realized that su zhen¡¯s impulsive idea¡ªinviting jiang chuan to join¡ªwould pave the way for a brighter future for him.


    with jiang chuan¡¯s support, his idea materialized, making him the most powerful underworld leader nationwide.


    later, as people¡¯s lives improved, the state aimed to severely punish the black market. but considering su zhen had controlled the black market for years without committing serious offenses, the government only arrested some minor figures and left this black market mogul untouched.


    jiang chuan¡¯s contribution was significant, but that¡¯s a story for another time.


    they continued their journey to the foot of grand cloud mountain, experiencing occasional rain showers. by noon, they reached the mountain. not wanting to delay, su zhen parked the carriage at a friend¡¯s house, and the group put on rubber shoes to start the climb.


    the group progressed smoothly, and by noon they had arrived at grand cloud mountain. in order to save time, su zhen parked the horse carriage at a friend¡¯s house. the group then changed into their rubber shoes, which they had bought earlier, and began their ascent.


    it must be said that the path on the mountain was genuinely hard to find. even with the map provided by chen xing, without a local guide familiar with the terrain, jiang chuan estimated that they¡¯d spend at least half a day just wandering aimlessly.


    there weren¡¯t many hunters living on the mountain. their dwellings were scattered here and there. on their way up, they encountered two households. the zhang family¡¯s residence was situated at the highest point, and it was the most secluded.


    as they climbed, jiang chuan voiced his concerns to su zhen, ¡°considering your understanding of the zhang family, do you think they would be willing to come back with us to the village?¡±


    su zhen paused to catch his breath and, after gauging the distance left to the summit, replied, ¡°if it were before, i couldn¡¯t say for sure. but now, they have no choice but to descend.¡±


    jiang chuan was taken aback and promptly responded, ¡°what do you mean? 1 don¡¯t want to force them to return with their daughter to pushan village.¡±


    su zhen, with a smile, clarified, ¡°big brother jiang, don¡¯t get me wrong. the government recently enacted a policy that requires hunters living on the mountains to move down to the villages. aunt zhao has been living on this mountain for over a decade. if it weren¡¯t for this government directive, she would undoubtedly refuse to leave a place she has called home for so long.¡±


    zhou lan, out of concern, asked, ¡°so, will these in-laws be particularly stubborn and difficult to communicate with?¡±


    women are often more perceptive, so zhou lan had even more worries than jiang chuan. jiang qing had been sensible when she left home and wouldn¡¯t be as easy to deceive as jiang gu. what if she notices significant differences in her parents from before and becomes suspicious? if they also had to deal with stubborn in-laws, things could get tricky.


    su zhen reassured them, ¡°not at all. you can rest assured, aunt zhao is the kindest person i¡¯ve ever met!¡±


    hearing su zhen address zhao wan as aunt zhao, jiang chuan realized the nuances in the way they were addressing each other. he said, ¡°i didn¡¯t know your age before, but now that 1 do ¨C you¡¯re only 18, two years younger than our eldest daughter. it feels a bit odd for you to call me ¡®big brother¡¯. plus, my two younger daughters might be unsure of how to address you. how about you just call me ¡®uncle¡¯ from now on?¡±


    su zhen responded with a shy smile, ¡°alright, uncle jiang..¡±

 Chapter 276 - Chapter 276: Meeting Her Daughter

    chapter 276: meeting her daughter


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    the zhang family¡¯s home was located past a forest. now in autumn, the fallen leaves made it look somewhat desolate. beyond this forest lay a bamboo grove. while bamboos are usually green throughout the year, some bamboos had turned yellow with dark patches.


    the entire forest was vast, and without guidance, one could easily lose their way.


    when the jiang family finally reached the place, they were stunned.


    the zhang family¡¯s home was much more luxurious than they had imagined!


    why? they had not one, but five houses! even though each was a small wooden house, having five of them arranged within a courtyard was still astonishing.


    between two of the houses was a vegetable garden and a chicken coop. a graceful woman wearing a headscarf and holding a basket was feeding the chickens. every now and then, they could hear her laughing, admonishing a chicken, ¡°da huang, stop snatching food from xiao bai; look, she¡¯s smaller than you!¡±


    even though they could only see her back and neither zhou lan nor jiang chuan had ever seen their eldest daughter, their parental instinct told them this woman was their daughter, jiang qing.


    ¡°xiao qing!¡± zhou lan was the most emotional. she couldn¡¯t hold back her tears and walked quickly towards her, stopping at the edge of the garden.


    having not heard her mother¡¯s voice for two years, jiang qing was taken aback. slowly, she turned to see her mother right before her, tears streaming down her face, nearly dropping the basket she held.


    quickly wiping away her tears with her sleeve, jiang qing, laughing through her tears, said, ¡°mom, why are you here?¡±


    zhou lan hugged jiang qing, being careful not to squeeze her too hard. ¡°my good girl, i¡¯ve finally seen you again! 1 missed you so much!¡±


    jiang qing paused, wondering if the woman embracing her truly was zhou lan.


    although she had been away from home for two years, she was still very familiar with her mother¡¯s personality. her mother used to be reserved and would never hug her so excitedly, especially in front of everyone.


    jiang qing hesitantly reached out to hug zhou lan. it was only then that she saw jiang chuan and her two younger sisters walking over. for a moment, she could not believe that the entire family would come to see her.


    after zhou lan calmed down and let go of her, the two younger daughters walked forward and hugged their sister.


    jiang qing rubbed the heads of her second and younger sisters who were hugging her waist and thighs. a surge of emotions filled her heart, overwhelmed by memories and affection for them.


    without realizing it, two years had passed since she left home. to her surprise, both of her younger sisters had grown taller and even more beautiful.


    zhou lan noticed that jiang qing¡¯s face had become rounder and her figure fuller, which somewhat eased her worries.


    when jiang qing had first left home, she was so thin that she looked like skin and bones. she seemed so fragile, as if a gust of wind could blow her away. but now, she had put on weight and could play with the chickens in the yard. it appeared that her days at the zhang residence had been good.


    zhou lan glanced around. all the rooms seemed quiet as if no one was around. she asked, ¡°why are you the only one at home? where has your husband gone?¡±


    a sweet smile spread across jiang qing¡¯s face. ¡°it rained today,¡± she explained. ¡°zhang ping said there might be fish in the streams up the mountain, so he took his younger brothers to catch some. it¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re here; i¡¯ll make fish head and tofu soup for dinner!¡±


    seeing the uncontainable happiness on his daughter¡¯s face, jiang chuan realized how blissful the young couple¡¯s life had been. all his previous worries had vanished like smoke.


    jiang qing, observing her joyful family, suddenly thought of the grandparents¡¯ usual attitude towards them and couldn¡¯t help but worry. ¡°mother, father,¡± she inquired, ¡°it takes almost half a month to travel here. didn¡¯t the grandparents make it difficult for you?¡±


    zhou lan nonchalantly scattered some chicken feed on the ground, her tone disdainful. ¡°them, trouble us? they must be dreaming! we¡¯ve separated from the main family now; we have nothing to do with them!¡±


    jiang qing was taken aback. how had her usually submissive parents suddenly become so assertive, even daring to split from the main family?


    in the past, when jiang qing was still at home, she had suggested separating from the main family several times. each time, her parents would scold her, always careful not to let the grandparents hear such discussions.


    furthermore, jiang qing knew the grandparents all too well. how could they possibly let their parents separate so easily?


    jiang xia noticed her elder sister¡¯s confusion and hurriedly recounted their journey up the mountain and the decision to separate from the main family..

 Chapter 277 - Chapter 277: Changes

    chapter 277: changes


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang xia watched as jiang qing¡¯s expression grew increasingly surprised. finally, she added, ¡°after we separated from our grandparents and uncles, our family life improved significantly without their control and suppression. we are no longer as easily bullied as before. my sister and i have become more cheerful. our parents spend more time with us, and our home is filled with warmth.¡±


    jiang xia¡¯s words explained why jiang qing perceived such a significant difference in their parents. however, jiang qing was most shocked to learn that their grandmother had even considered selling their younger sister!


    jiang qing stomped her foot in anger. ¡°that¡¯s outrageous! grandma had promised me that under no circumstances would she ever sell either of you. she also said that once the family¡¯s situation improved, she would send both of you to school. 1 agreed to marry into the mountains based on these promises. 1 can¡¯t believe she lied to me!¡±


    jiang qing had never wanted to move to the mountains. she was also worried about her younger sisters, fearing they would be bullied in a family that valued boys over girls. but the grandmother had assured her that if jiang qing married into the zhang family, they would treat her family better and not overwork her parents.


    as soon as jiang qing left, however, the grandmother¡¯s promises were forgotten.


    jiang xia quickly comforted her elder sister, ¡°don¡¯t be angry. now we¡¯re doing well, and nobody can bully us anymore. also, our parents have said that the coming spring, they will send both of us to school and will support us until we graduate from university.¡±


    jiang qing felt a deep sense of relief in her heart, not expecting such a significant change in her parents.


    in the past, their only desire was to have a son to continue the family lineage. the two younger sisters were raised single-handedly by jiang qing herself; their mother never even hugged them.


    after jiang qing moved to the mountains, her life improved significantly, and she was reluctant to return home. this reluctance stemmed from her resentment towards her parents for not valuing the present and consistently prioritizing sons over daughters, mistreating her sisters.


    she planned that once she and zhang ping settled their household matters, she would descend the mountain to fetch her sisters, vowing to provide them with education no matter the cost.


    however, a delay occurred when the old master of the zhang family suddenly fell off the mountain and passed away, setting them back a month. otherwise, they would have set off earlier.


    now, seeing her parents and sisters dressed in new clothes and looking healthier, she realized they were doing well, which put her mind at ease.


    jiang gu embraced her elder sister¡¯s legs, looking up with her round, gleaming eyes filled with joy. ¡°eldest sister, is school fun? mom said that second sister will accompany me and protect me in school so that no one bullies me.¡±


    hearing this, jiang qing lifted her youngest sister into her arms, shooting a subtle glance at their parents.


    in the past, their mother was most displeased with the youngest sister, always lamenting that if she were a boy, their family¡¯s status would have improved. every time their mother voiced such thoughts, jiang qing would cover her little sister¡¯s ears to shield her from the hurtful words.


    of course, jiang qing now preferred the changed demeanor of her parents, noticing their newfound love for their three daughters and their enhanced determination to protect them.


    as jiang gu was lifted, she joyfully cupped jiang qing¡¯s face and planted a big kiss on her cheek.


    jiang qing was momentarily stunned; her youngest sister¡¯s vivacious personality had grown to the point where she¡¯d take the initiative to show affection. she then happily reciprocated the gesture.


    realizing the transformation in her parents and their excellent upbringing of her sisters, jiang qing¡¯s past grievances melted away. she clung to the present happiness, forgetting all the hardships she once endured at home.


    holding jiang gu in her arms and hand-in-hand with jiang xia, she led her parents back to her home.


    su zhen didn¡¯t want to disturb their family reunion, so he quietly made his way to the house at the back to greet zhao wan.


    su zhen and zhao wan shared a close bond.


    one year, during su zhen¡¯s trip to the mountains, he was caught in a massive blizzard. as darkness fell, he lost his way and found himself trapped midway up the mountain, facing an impossible situation.


    it was his first time in the mountains, and he was unprepared, with nothing to shield him from the biting cold. there were no signs of human habitation nearby, and he was sure he¡¯d freeze to death that night.


    fortuitously, zhao wan, who was returning from the base of the mountain, rescued him. she brought him home, kindled a fire, and provided a warm shelter for the night. the following day, concerned he¡¯d lose his way again, she had zhang ping personally escort him down the mountain..

 Chapter 278 - Chapter 278: Zhao Wan

    chapter 278: zhao wan


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    feeling indebted for his life, su zhen had always treated zhao wan as a parent. when he was young, his parents passed away, and he grew up under the care of his grandmother. hence, in his heart, he saw zhao wan as a mother figure.


    no wonder su zhen knew so much about the zhang family.


    at the zhang residence, su zhen always referred to zhao wan as his godmother and politely called the old master zhang as his godfather. however, deep down, he didn¡¯t feel close to the old man.


    while traveling with jiang chuan, su zhen referred to zhao wan as aunt zhao, because he wasn¡¯t sure of the exact relationship between the two families. after all, despite being related by marriage, the two families hadn¡¯t seen each other for two years. what if there was a disagreement? it¡¯s always wise to tread lightly and not show all your cards at once.


    today, as su zhen brought the jiang family up the mountain, he was sure to inform zhao wan in advance to prepare her.


    zhao wan, staying in her room, opened the door upon hearing a knock. seeing su zhen, she greeted him with a playful smile, ¡°you¡¯ve been quite late this month.¡±


    zhao wan regarded su zhen as her own son. he was the same age as zhang ling, and she once hoped to matchmake them.


    however, after realizing that they saw each other more as siblings and had no romantic feelings, she gave up on that idea. especially after learning that zhang ling wanted to marry into the jiang family as a bride, in part to escape her own family, zhao wan didn¡¯t hold her back.


    seeing zhao wan in a white cheongsam adorned with white fox fur, probably a new outfit for the recent mourning in the family, su zhen expressed his condolences.


    when old master zhang passed away, su zhen had just descended the mountain. had zhao wan informed him, he would have rushed back immediately. but no one from the zhang family told him, and he only found out during a census later on.


    zhao wan smiled gently, seemingly not too upset, ¡°it¡¯s okay. we all have to face this day someday. i¡¯ve made peace with it.¡±


    su zhen could see that his godmother and godfather didn¡¯t share a strong bond, and he always wondered how they ended up married, especially since none of zhao wan¡¯s children seemed close to the old master zhang. but he refrained from asking.


    changing the subject, he said with a hint of mystery, ¡°godmother, guess who i came up the mountain with this time?¡±


    zhao wan couldn¡¯t figure who, as su zhen always went to the mountains alone. he seldom brought any companions with him. she had told him countless times that he hunted too much wild animal meat to carry down by himself and should bring more people next time.


    however, su zhen replied, ¡°the mountains are not safe. the fewer people who know your exact location, the less danger you¡¯re in.¡±


    so every time su zhen went to the mountains to hunt, zhao wan would have zhang ping help him carry the wild animal meat down the mountain.


    seeing the puzzled look on zhao wan¡¯s face, su zhen decided not to tease her any longer, and said, ¡°the jiang family of four.¡±


    zhao wan paused for a moment, then uncertainly asked, ¡°you mean jiang qing¡¯s maternal family?¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    this was beyond unexpected.


    zhao wan really disliked this family. she vividly remembered when jiang qing first came to their home. she was wearing clothes patched numerous times, and the two sleeves were of different lengths.


    the basket jiang qing carried was empty, indicating that her family hadn¡¯t prepared anything for her when she left, showing a clear lack of concern for their daughter.


    jiang qing had been married into the family for two years, and there had been no word or visits from the jiang family. they hadn¡¯t even inquired about how their daughter was doing. it was as if they regarded her as water that had been thrown away ¨C utterly heartless and callous.


    now that zhao wan had taken good care of jiang qing, making her plump and healthy, this family dared to visit at this time. zhao wan was determined to make them look foolish.


    in the two years since jiang qing¡¯s marriage, su zhen had occasionally heard zhao wan¡¯s comments about the jiang family and knew of her prejudice against them. he hurriedly explained to her, ¡°auntie, based on my understanding of them during our journey, i believe they may have had their reasons for selling their daughter. perhaps we should observe them more closely before making a judgment?¡±


    the last sentence had a hint of probing. zhao wan looked at him with a mix of belief and doubt.


    just then, jiang qing knocked on the door. seeing that it wasn¡¯t latched, she walked in directly, not having heard what su zhen had just said.


    jiang qing approached zhao wan, taking her arm affectionately. their close bond was evident. ¡°mother,¡± she said, ¡°my family has come. they would like to invite you to sit with them for a while and talk..¡±

 Chapter 279 - Chapter 279: Zhang Ping

    chapter 279: zhang ping


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    zhang ling had gotten married, leaving only jiang qing as the close and caring girl beside zhao wan, who doted on her immensely.


    gently patting jiang qing¡¯s hand, zhao wan said, ¡°okay, you two go out first. i¡¯ll change and be right there.¡±


    it was her first time meeting her in-laws, and wearing white was not suitable. plus, she was curious about their real intentions for visiting. so, she decided to wear something more formal.


    jiang qing and su zhen waited outside. just then, zhang ping and his brothers returned home. upon seeing his wife, an excited zhang ping quickened his steps towards her and proudly showed off a snow-white rabbit fur scarf.


    ¡°dear, do you like it?¡±


    jiang qing, thrilled, hugged the soft scarf, ¡°where did you get this?¡±


    zhang ping teased, ¡°guess.¡±


    zhang¡¯s second brother couldn¡¯t stand their public display of affection and blurted out, ¡°big brother made it himself! he caught wild rabbits in the mountains and secretly worked on this scarf for several days.¡±


    overwhelmed, jiang qing hugged zhang ping tightly in front of everyone, ¡°i love it! why did you suddenly give me this scarf?¡±


    wrapping his arm around his wife¡¯s waist, zhang ping replied, ¡°have you forgotten? today¡¯s your birthday. 1 prepared this gift especially for you.¡±


    pulling away from his embrace, jiang qing playfully scolded, ¡°fool! we¡¯re married now. who celebrates birthdays so religiously?¡± but she couldn¡¯t resist touching the soft fur.


    jiang chuan¡¯s family, curious about the commotion, came out and witnessed the scene.


    zhou lan, with stars in her eyes, romantically imagined the scene. leaning on jiang chuan, she commented, ¡°young people are so romantic.¡±


    ¡°am 1 not romantic enough for you?¡± jiang chuan retorted playfully.


    jiang xia rolled her eyes, thinking, ¡°can¡¯t these two stop showing off their love in front of minors?¡±


    recalling her parents, jiang qing quickly introduced them to her husband.


    zhang ping respectfully bowed, addressing them as father and mother. his brothers greeted them as well.


    zhou lan tapped zhang ping¡¯s shoulder, feeling his solid muscles. close up, despite his sun-tanned skin, his handsome features and charismatic appeal were undeniable.


    upon closer look at zhang ping, despite his skin being somewhat tanned from constant sun exposure, his handsome facial features were undeniable. there was a rugged charm about him, and his eyes shone brilliantly.


    zhou lan was puzzled. hadn¡¯t the matchmaker said that zhang ping had a big beard? and that he was an uncouth man who didn¡¯t care about personal hygiene? she had felt sorry that her beautiful daughter might have ended up with such a man. but those were all rumors! he was clearly a caring and ruggedly masculine man. this was precisely the kind of setting that was popular in romance novels!


    jiang xia tugged at her dress and signaled with her eyes, ¡°mom, don¡¯t drool! stop imagining scenes from novels!¡±


    indeed, no one knows a mother better than her daughter. zhou lan chuckled and retracted her hand.


    zhang ping spoke first, ¡°mom and dad, you came at the right time. i just caught four fish from the mountain. we can have a full fish feast tonight! we also picked some shiitake mushrooms from the mountain, which can be stir-fried with vegetables.¡±


    the latter part was meant for jiang qing since she usually did the cooking.


    zhou lan waved her hand, ¡°why stir-fry the vegetables with shiitake mushrooms? let me make a dish for you ¨C chicken stewed with mushrooms. i guarantee it will be so delicious that you¡¯ll drool!¡±


    su zhen nodded frantically on the side. he knew zhou lan¡¯s culinary skills. if she could make a wild vegetable pie taste so good, then the stewed chicken would undoubtedly be even better!


    jiang qing hesitated, ¡°mother, you¡¯ve traveled such a long distance to be here. how can we let you cook for us?¡±


    zhou lan boasted, ¡°what¡¯s the big deal? i want you to taste my improved cooking. i¡¯m really good at it now.¡±


    zhou lan genuinely wanted to cook the meal herself. the zhang family¡¯s meals were much better than theirs. if jiang qing were to cook with such premium ingredients, she might just quickly stir-fry them, not fully showcasing the ingredients¡¯ potential. but zhou lan, with her knowledge of modern recipes, could definitely create a more delectable dish.


    jiang chuan knew exactly what his wife was thinking and chimed in, ¡°xiao qing, today¡¯s your birthday. you don¡¯t need to worry about anything. just sit and wait for the meal.¡±


    only then did jiang qing stop protesting.


    zhao wan also emerged, having changed into a green cheongsam. autumn and winter attire often incorporated animal fur, making her outfit look warm and cozy..

 Chapter 280 - Chapter 280: Fleece Flower Root

    chapter 280: fleece flower root


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    zhao wan looked at the jiang chuan family with a scrutinizing gaze. she had heard their conversation from inside the house and slowly began to change her impression of them.


    zhao wan had always believed that those who would sell their daughters must be ignorant, gossipy country folk. however, the jiang chuan family didn¡¯t seem like that at all.


    on the contrary, their family had a very unique temperament ¨C approachable yet with a touch of nobility. only now did zhao wan realize that her impression of them had always been too one-sided.


    both jiang chuan and zhou lan felt the same about zhao wan. they had been wondering what kind of people the hunters were, but they never imagined someone like zhao wan, who emanated a gentle power.


    jiang chuan¡¯s first impression was that this woman must be the decision-maker in the zhang family, not the old master zhang.


    but would she accept their proposal to move their whole family to pushan village?


    as they were contemplating this, they suddenly heard jiang xia¡¯s voice asking, ¡°is this fleece flower root?¡±


    everyone¡¯s attention shifted to her. she was standing next to third brother zhang¡¯s vegetable basket, pointing at a plant that looked like a human figure stretching, topped with green leaves.


    third brother zhang, who had rarely been this close to any young woman other than his mother, zhang ling, and jiang qing, blushed and answered, ¡°yes.¡±


    jiang xia¡¯s eyes lit up. it seemed she could add a new species to her collection!


    she had felt that planting isatis root didn¡¯t yield enough benefits. moreover, after partitioning her interspace, she could only grow four types of vegetables. so, she had given all her isatis roots to the old granny.


    she had previously planted onions, ginger, and garlic in her interspace but never used them all. wild vegetables were also abundant. with the interspace¡¯s preservation function, she wasn¡¯t afraid of the vegetables going bad.


    currently, she had white radish, carrot, mushrooms, and an empty plot, which could now be used to plant fleece flower root! the local pharmacist had mentioned that its price was even higher than that of isatis root. she never expected to find it here !


    jiang xia excitedly asked, ¡°where was the fleece flower root harvested from?¡±


    third brother zhang gave her a general location, then shyly took his things and darted into the kitchen.


    jiang xia had already been considering how to go and harvest the fleece flower root. suddenly, jiang chuan grabbed her by the collar and pulled her into the room, quietly warning, ¡°you¡¯re not allowed to go by yourself. what if there¡¯s danger?¡±


    jiang xia could only obediently agree.


    dinner time was approaching, and zhou lan went into the kitchen to prepare. jiang gu was the first to follow her in to help start the fire.


    jiang gu was very considerate. whenever zhou lan cooked at home, jiang gu was always by her side to accompany her. it was the same now that they were at the zhang¡¯s.


    seeing her mother busily working, jiang qing felt guilty sitting idle, so she began to help by washing the vegetables.


    jiang xia was still thinking about the fleece flower root, but since jiang chuan wouldn¡¯t let her leave, she had to find her own way to sneak out.


    she looked at the vegetable garden in the yard. there were various vegetables, including chili peppers and baby bok choy. suddenly, she had an idea and said, ¡°i¡¯ll go help pick some vegetables. 1 know best what dishes mom wants to cook!¡±


    after saying this, she ran out and squatted by the vegetable patch. soon after, su zhen came out. he held a large pair of scissors in his hand, saying, ¡°use these scissors to cut them. it won¡¯t harm the roots.¡±


    jiang xia gratefully took them, thanking him. her mind was entirely focused on picking the vegetables, waiting for a chance to slip away unnoticed. she didn¡¯t realize that su zhen had been standing behind her the whole time, watching.


    su zhen was very interested in observing her. ordinary village girls would not say thank you; they were usually straightforward and would only keep their heads down working hard. they were not as sharp-tongued and quick-witted as jiang xia.


    soon, jiang xia had picked a basket of chili peppers and lettuce. she quietly placed it at the kitchen door. she then carefully watched the entrance of the room where jiang chuan was, avoiding his gaze, and stealthily sneaked out.


    jiang xia was very smart. she had checked the map she carried multiple times. so, she quickly found the location third brother zhang had mentioned where the fleece flower root grew.


    to her disappointment, fleece flower root wasn¡¯t found everywhere. she had to search among the dry grass and other green plants to spot any trace of fleece flower root.


    moreover, most of the fleece flower root was buried in the soil, with only its leaves exposed above ground. it was easily hidden by dry grass. she had to squat down and search meticulously to find it..

 Chapter 281 - Chapter 281: Digging the Fleece Flower Root

    chapter 281: digging the fleece flower root


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    while jiang xia was preparing to search, another question came to mind. how should she extract the fleece flower root? would it be like pulling out radishes?


    suddenly, she heard a chuckle from behind. startled, she whipped her head around to find that su zhen had been following her all along.


    with just the two of them present, jiang xia cautiously asked, ¡°why are you following me?¡±


    su zhen found the young girl amusing. he hadn¡¯t expected her to be so alert. lifting the shovel in his hand, he replied, ¡°1 brought this shovel for you. how else would you dig out the fleece flower root? were you planning to use your hands?¡±


    ignoring his teasing, jiang xia huffed, ¡°yes, 1 was going to dig with my hands. so what?¡±


    su zhen saw jiang xia as a porcupine, displaying all its quills in defense.


    he smiled, kneeling down to search for the fleece flower root and continued to tease her, ¡°alright, i¡¯ll use the shovel, and you use your hands. let¡¯s see who finds more.¡±


    not wanting to turn her back to him, jiang xia squatted at a spot not far from him to begin her search.


    the recent rain made the surface soil soft and moist, but the deeper layers were still hard. digging with her hands was near impossible, so jiang xia used a flat stone as a makeshift shovel.


    as darkness approached, making it unsafe to navigate the mountain paths, third brother zhang emerged from a distant forest, calling them back home. only then did jiang xia realize he had been watching over them all along, hidden from view.


    in fact, as soon as jiang xia left the zhang residence¡¯s courtyard, zhao wan had noticed her. while she had avoided jiang chuan¡¯s line of sight, zhao wan¡¯s room directly faced the courtyard entrance, offering her a clear view. she signaled third brother zhang, who then discreetly followed them, ensuring their safety.


    despite her efforts, jiang xia didn¡¯t find any fleece flower root. su zhen, however, managed to find one. offering it to her, she declined.


    originally, she had planned to secretly collect fleece flower root and plant it in her interspace. but with su zhen¡¯s constant presence, her plan was foiled. accepting his fleece flower root would be meaningless under such scrutiny.


    upon their return to the zhang residence, they were greeted by the tantalizing aroma of dishes being prepared.


    the scent of savory fish head soup immediately made jiang xia¡¯s stomach rumble. she quickly made her way to the kitchen.


    the zhang family¡¯s kitchen was quite expansive. it was housed in a separate building all by itself. inside, neatly chopped wood was stored for the hearth, distinctly different from the dried orange branches and leaves used in jiang xia¡¯s home, which emitted a pungent smoke when burned.


    the kitchen also boasted a full cabinet, adorned with finely crafted wooden bowls, chopsticks, and plates.


    on the stove were three iron pots, each containing a different dish: one had a stew of fish head and tofu, another was simmering with chicken and mushrooms, and the third was being used to fry a dish.


    jiang xia couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of envy at how well-equipped the zhang family¡¯s kitchen was. she silently resolved that, once she got back home, she would ensure that everything her home lacked would be procured.


    in pushan village, no more than five households owned an iron pot. while the old jiang family did have one, it was chipped and damaged, with rust at the bottom that wouldn¡¯t wash off. jiang xia feared that cooking with it might be harmful.


    but here, the zhang family owned three large iron pots, a testament to the fact that their living conditions were significantly better than that of the jiang family.


    jiang qing¡¯s decision to marry into the zhang family had indeed been a fortunate one. with this thought, zhou lan¡¯s guilt over jiang qing¡¯s distant marriage years ago somewhat lessened.


    zhou lan was in the middle of stir-frying pork intestines with chili, causing jiang gu to tear up from the spicy fumes. however, she still tried to keep her eyes open, keenly observing what seasonings her mother added, silently learning her techniques.


    jiang xia nodded in response. she gazed at the nearly overflowing dishes on the wooden table, her eyes lighting up. it had been a long time since she had such a sumptuous meal.


    there was stir-fried mushrooms with cured meat, stir-fried celery with meat, potato and green bean stew with ribs, sweet and sour fish cubes, steamed fish belly, and pickled cabbage fish. it was truly a feast focused on fish.


    even though they were all home-cooked dishes, each one was a tantalizing combination of color, aroma, and flavor that made one¡¯s mouth water.


    jiang xia tried not to take in too much of the aroma. she quickly collaborated with jiang qing to serve the dishes on the table.


    for the finishing touch, zhou lan sprinkled finely chopped spring onions over the chicken and mushroom stew and the fish head tofu soup, instantly enhancing their aroma.


    the round dining table at the zhang residence was sizable, comfortably accommodating ten people without feeling crowded.


    zhang ping even brought out the family¡¯s wine, pouring a glass for each of the gentlemen present..

 Chapter 282 - Chapter 282: Birthday Cake

    chapter 282: birthday cake


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    the two families sat together, enjoying a harmonious meal. naturally, when everyone¡¯s in good spirits, whatever they eat tastes wonderful, especially since the dishes zhou lan made were truly delicious. everyone couldn¡¯t help but praise the chef¡¯s cooking skills.


    the more zhou lan was complimented, the higher her spirits soared. a smile almost reached the back of her ears, but she feigned humility, ¡°it¡¯s nothing special, just some ordinary dishes.¡±


    jiang xia thought, ¡°my mother¡¯s smile is truly priceless.¡±


    jiang chuan chuckled, delighted that his wife was receiving so much praise.


    jiang gu thought, ¡°i should also learn cooking from my mother to prepare such delicious meals in the future!¡±


    jiang qing thought, ¡°i love my parents as they are now.¡±


    toward the end of the meal, there was a surprise.


    it was jiang qing¡¯s birthday, and zhou lan had specially made a birthday cake for her. zhou lan, with her strong hands, whipped the cream effortlessly. although she lacked food coloring, the cake still looked different from the various designs from the future.


    she used strawberries stored in jiang xia¡¯s interspace, crushing them into juice and mixing it with the cream, making the cake look pink. due to the lack of an oven and tools, the cake¡¯s shape was a bit off, but its taste was impeccable.


    everyone was astonished when zhou lan brought out the cake. third brother zhang shyly asked, ¡°what is this?¡±


    not just third brother zhang, aside from jiang chuan¡¯s family and su zhen, who frequently did business in the county town, no one else had ever seen a cake.


    su zhen explained, ¡°this is called a cake. the top layer is cream. foreigners eat cake on their birthdays. i¡¯ve seen it in stores in the county town. 1 never expected auntie zhou to know how to make one. impressive!¡±


    moved by the rare treat and her mother¡¯s efforts, jiang qing couldn¡¯t help but tear up. once the cake was set on the table, she rushed to hug her mother, tears streaming down her face.


    zhou lan comfortingly patted jiang qing¡¯s back, ¡°why are you crying on your birthday? you should be happy.¡±


    jiang qing sobbed, ¡°mother, 1 am crying because 1 am so happy today!¡±


    once jiang qing had calmed down, zhou lan handed her a small knife to cut and share the cake with everyone.


    upon tasting, everyone was amazed, ¡°it¡¯s so delicious! i want another piece!¡±


    su zhen sincerely commented, ¡°i¡¯ve had cake in the county before, and it was overly sweet and the cream was sticky, but auntie¡¯s zhou cake melts in the mouth and has a rich creamy taste. it¡¯s really delicious!¡±


    as zhao wan enjoyed the cake, seeing the warmth and affection jiang¡¯s family showed to jiang qing throughout the afternoon, she let go of her past grievances and began to accept her in-laws.


    the zhang family had plenty of rooms, so it was easy to accommodate the jiang family and su zhen. after a day of festivities, everyone rested, planning for the men to go hunting the next day while the women would pick wild fruits and vegetables.


    at the top of the mountain, there was a persimmon grove. this season, the persimmons had ripened and could be picked as dessert after meals.


    jiang xia couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, the location of the zhang family was nestled against mountains and close to water, with wild animal meat available. this lifestyle was nothing like the primitive life they had imagined. instead, it felt more like an idyllic paradise, evoking involuntary admiration from others. it was just the beginning of autumn, but the zhang family had already started burning charcoal. the warm kang bed-stove made people reluctant to leave their beds during the night.


    jiang xia remembered when the original owner was at the old jiang¡¯s house. during winter nights, it was too cold, so she went to seek some charcoal from old madam jiang.


    old madam jiang¡¯s room was warm and cozy. the moment she entered, she was greeted with warmth. in contrast, their own room was bone-chilling cold, making it impossible to sleep.


    however, old madam jiang scolded her and threw her out, saying that charcoal was expensive and their household wasn¡¯t allowed to use it!


    the more jiang xia thought about it, the angrier she became. she thought that this winter, old madam jiang should taste what it¡¯s like without any charcoal.


    moreover, jiang xia also noticed that even though the mountain ranges of pushan village and this place were both part of grand cloud mountain, this location was evidently more vibrant. compared to their barren and yellow mountains at home, this side of the mountain had a more diverse animal population and lush vegetation. no wonder the zhang family didn¡¯t wish to leave the mountain.


    however, she had more pressing matters to attend to and couldn¡¯t join the others in their activities..

 Chapter 283 - Chapter 283: Dig Gold

    chapter 283: dig gold


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    early the next morning, before the sun had even started its shift, jiang xia had already gotten up and freshened herself.


    she looked around to make sure everyone was still asleep and that no one would follow her. only then did she confidently step outside.


    the sky was just beginning to lighten with a dim blue, providing just enough brightness for her to barely see the road. jiang xia was worried she might get lost.


    the place where she had dug for fleece flower root the previous day was near the edge of the bamboo forest. however, there wasn¡¯t much of it. jiang xia planned to check the boundary between the bamboo and the tree forest, hoping for a pleasant surprise.


    both forests were vast, and getting lost inside could mean never finding a way out. so, as jiang xia proceeded, she marked her way by scratching crosses onto the bamboo with rocks.


    she noticed she wasn¡¯t the only one making marks. various scratches of different depths covered the bamboo, likely made by others to prevent themselves from getting lost.


    jiang xia didn¡¯t give it much thought. as long as she could find her way back, she confidently ventured deeper. by the time she reached the boundary between the two forests, daylight had fully broken, illuminating the ground.


    this time, she wisely brought a shovel, ensuring her efforts wouldn¡¯t be in vain.


    to jiang xia¡¯s disappointment, she hadn¡¯t come across any fleece flower root. she regretted not taking the one su zhen had found.


    however, she soon made a new discovery. it had rained yesterday, and due to the moist air, many wild mushrooms had sprouted today!


    she had read about these wild mushrooms in books. they tasted great, were good for the body, and crucially, were non-toxic when cooked. they usually grew in the yun nan region, and she hadn¡¯t expected to find so many here.


    if she couldn¡¯t find fleece flower root, wild mushrooms were a good consolation!


    jiang xia immediately began picking them diligently. once she had a handful of mushrooms, she threw them into her interspace.


    having become adept at the task, she couldn¡¯t help but hum a tune as she went along, picking and tossing the mushrooms into her interspace without even looking.


    having gathered a substantial amount, jiang xia noticed it was getting late and everyone would probably be waking up. she decided to organize her interspace and head back.


    upon entering her interspace, she realized she had inadvertently gathered a pile of wild mushrooms, almost half her height. they were piled next to the cow pen, almost eaten by the milk cow. luckily, she noticed in time, stopping the cow, otherwise, who knows if the wild mushrooms might have been toxic to it.


    jiang xia patted her increasingly plump milk cow, feeling the satisfaction of successful breeding.


    she carefully selected and picked the wild mountain mushrooms, placing them with green onions, ginger, and garlic. during the selection process, she suddenly noticed a glimmering golden substance within the pile of mushrooms. upon closer examination, it turned out to be gold foil!


    such a large piece of gold foil surely had an owner. given the value of gold these days, someone would be quite anxious if they lost this much!


    jiang xia contemplated returning all the gold foil found among the mushrooms but then realized something. the gold foil must have been unearthed along with the mushrooms, suggesting it was buried. could it be someone¡¯s hidden stash?


    she recalled that when su zhen went up the mountain, he mentioned that there were only seven or eight hunting families on the mountain, and only the zhang family lived at such a high location.


    so, did that mean the gold foil belonged to the zhang family?


    the zhang family had three sons. only zhang ping had a family of his own. the second and third sons, aged sixteen and thirteen respectively, where would they get gold foil from?


    it must belong to zhao wan.


    however, jiang xia soon dismissed this theory. she noticed the gold foils were irregular in shape, varied in size, and rough in texture. zhao wan was a refined individual and wouldn¡¯t use such coarse gold foil.


    the more jiang xia looked at the gold foil, the more she believed it seemed to have naturally grown from the earth. could there be a gold mine in this mountain?


    her father once mentioned that the zhang family¡¯s location was strategically advantageous for both offense and defense. could it be possible they were guarding a gold mine?


    after sorting out all the gold foil, it wasn¡¯t much ¨C roughly two or three grams. based on its distribution, jiang xia was increasingly convinced that there must be a gold mine here.


    if that was the case, it was highly unlikely the zhang family would agree to leave the mountain. their hopes of bringing their sister back might be challenging.


    having ascertained the presence of a gold mine, jiang xia wasn¡¯t in a rush to return the gold foil.


    it wasn¡¯t out of greed. the gold bars jiang xia took from the old jiang family were far more abundant and of much better quality than these gold foils.


    it was just that the distribution of the foil was too scattered. jiang xia couldn¡¯t precisely return it, and given the small quantity, it wasn¡¯t really necessary to do so..

 Chapter 284 - Chapter 284: A Cold and Quiet Room

    chapter 284: a cold and quiet room


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    when jiang xia returned, everyone had just woken up and was currently freshening up.


    she stood quietly to the side, waiting. zhou lan brought out a soft steamed bun from the kitchen. it was green and handed it to jiang xia.


    jiang xia was wary, ¡°mom, what kind of vegetable juice did you add to the bun this time?¡±


    no wonder jiang xia was so suspicious. as a child, she hated eating spinach. to ensure she got the nutrients, zhou lan would juice the spinach and add it to noodles, buns, and any food she could think of. this only made jiang xia more averse to spinach.


    zhou lan smiled guiltily, ¡°you don¡¯t have to be so scared. have 1 done that to you again since then?¡±


    so you admit it!


    ¡°so, what is it this time?¡±


    ¡°lettuce!¡± zhou lan proudly declared, ¡°don¡¯t you love lettuce? try it and see how it tastes!¡±


    it turned out that after zhou lan successfully made cream using strawberry juice the day before, she was inspired to experiment with other fruit and vegetable juices.


    jiang xia was speechless, realizing she was the lab rat¡­


    however, the bun did taste good, carrying the fresh aroma of lettuce and the sweetness of white flour.


    ¡°is it good?¡± zhou lan looked at jiang xia with anticipation. after receiving affirmation, she dragged her into the kitchen, showcasing a huge pot full of¡­ buns!


    jiang xia twitched her mouth, ¡°mom, why did you make so many buns? even if we ate them for three days, we couldn¡¯t finish them all! did you use up all the flour we brought?¡±


    zhou lan laughed awkwardly, ¡°i noticed our relatives had everything except flour, so i thought i¡¯d make some buns for them.¡±


    indeed, the mountain had everything. they could hunt wild animal meat, grow vegetables, but flour had to be traded from the foothills, which was somewhat inconvenient.


    zhou lan plated two buns and handed them to jiang xia, ¡°go give these to aunt zhao.¡±


    jiang xia sighed helplessly. she had to pamper her own mother¡­


    zhao wan had already tidied up and was waiting in her room. the door was open, so when she saw jiang xia approaching, she invited her in without waiting for a knock.


    jiang xia placed the buns on the table, ¡°aunt zhao, my mother made some vegetable buns. she especially wanted you to try them.¡±


    zhao wan, fond of girls and particularly of jiang qing, also liked the jiang family a lot.


    she smiled warmly, pulling jiang xia to sit down and then gracefully tasted the bun.


    as jiang xia watched, she felt a sense of familiarity in zhao wan¡¯s mannerisms, as if she had seen someone with a similar demeanor before, but she couldn¡¯t recall who.


    feeling idle, jiang xia glanced around zhao wan¡¯s room.


    the room was simply furnished, making it seem spacious, even a bit stark.


    but something was strange; the room didn¡¯t look like two people lived there. there were no belongings indicating a man¡¯s presence.


    didn¡¯t the old master zhang pass away just a month ago? why were his belongings cleared out so quickly?


    jiang xia thought of her parents. they were so attached to each other that even when her father traveled for work, he always kept an item belonging to zhou lan by his side, claiming it was for when he missed her.


    jiang xia had once joked, couldn¡¯t he just call her? with the advances in technology, isn¡¯t video calling available?


    both parents had simultaneously retorted, ¡°you¡¯re single. you wouldn¡¯t understand.¡±


    jiang xia was left speechless.


    now, seeing zhao wan¡¯s room, jiang xia recalled what su zhen had mentioned about the old master zhang notorious drinking and temper. it seemed incompatible with zhao wan¡¯s demeanor.


    back then, after listening to the story, jiang xia had assumed that zhao wan was a tragic woman, who either swallowed her grievances and wiped away tears daily or portrayed a pitiable image, constantly nodding in submission in front of her husband.


    but clearly, zhao wan wasn¡¯t like that. her inherent proud demeanor ensured that she would never bow her head in submission.


    then why did she marry the old master zhang?


    noticing jiang xia¡¯s daydreaming, zhao wan asked with a smile, ¡°did you go out to look for fleece flower root this morning?¡±


    jiang xia was taken aback. she was sure she had observed that no one was awake. how did zhao wan find out?


    jiang xia softly murmured in acknowledgment. fortunately, zhao wan didn¡¯t press further, and gently said, ¡°walking in the mountains, it¡¯s easy to get lost, especially for someone as young as you. don¡¯t go out alone next time. if you like fleece flower root, have third brother zhang collect and pack all of it for you, so you can take it home when you leave.¡±


    jiang xia was startled again, thinking to herself, ¡°she¡¯s so gentle!¡±

 Chapter 285 - Chapter 285: Moving?

    chapter 285: moving?


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    as soon as zhao wan had finished speaking, su zhen knocked and entered. jiang xia knew they had something to discuss, so she stood up and left.


    su zhen took the seat previously occupied by jiang xia and got straight to the point, ¡°godmother, the main reason i came to the mountain this time was to discuss something with you. the state has issued a policy requiring all mountain hunters to move down and settle in the villages. you all should prepare as soon as possible. otherwise, when the policy is enforced, the state will randomly assign a village for you to settle.¡±


    zhao wan trusted su zhen¡¯s information. although she wasn¡¯t certain of the extent of su zhen¡¯s influence in the black market, she was aware of his control over the local county¡¯s black market, which gave him access to many inside governmental updates.


    seeing zhao wan not responding immediately, su zhen tentatively asked, ¡°godmother, have you considered moving to jiang qing¡¯s maternal village, pushan village?¡±


    ¡°oh?¡± zhao wan recalled that jiang chuan had mentioned this during dinner the previous night. she had initially wanted to decline, but su zhen had distracted her, and jiang chuan never brought up the topic again.


    su zhen was eager to prevent her rejection, probably worried about any potential embarrassment if zhao wan refused and the matter was raised again later. hence, he wanted to discuss it first.


    zhao wan directly questioned, ¡°does jiang chuan know about the government¡¯s order?¡±


    ¡°he does, but he had already planned to invite you to pushan village even before he knew about it.¡±


    su zhen briefly explained the situation to zhao wan, who seemed intrigued.


    it appeared that not only was it jiang chuan¡¯s intention to invite them, but also the village chief supported the idea. if they really settled in pushan village, they would get to see zhang ling every day, and the villagers would not treat them as outsiders.


    moreover, what zhao wan valued most was jiang chuan¡¯s attitude. his trip to grand cloud mountain with his family was a genuine invitation, not a veiled threat using state policy. this spoke volumes about his character and how much he valued his daughter.


    zhao wan decided that if jiang chuan mentioned this again during lunch, she would discuss the specifics with him.


    after preparations, zhang ping went hunting on the mountain top with jiang chuan, armed with his hunting rifle. the second and third brothers of the zhang family joined su zhen halfway up the mountain where there was a cave that might house foxes.


    zhou lan took jiang gu up the mountain to pick persimmons, while jiang xia and her elder sister went to the riverbank to look for river shrimp.


    zhao wan stayed back to watch the house.


    actually, not many people would come to the mountain top, let alone easily find the zhang family¡¯s exact location. but considering zhao wan had just lost her husband and was in low spirits, zhou lan suggested she stay at home.


    on the way to the river, jiang xia finally had the opportunity to speak alone with her elder sister and couldn¡¯t help but inquire about the head of the zhang family.


    ¡°elder sister, 1 heard from su zhen that the old master zhang has a bad temper and likes to drink. zhang ling seems afraid of him. does he scold you when he¡¯s drunk?¡±


    jiang qing sighed deeply, warning jiang xia to be mindful of the stones underfoot so she wouldn¡¯t trip, and then responded, ¡°no. when he drinks too much, he mostly locks himself in his room. in fact, the old master is rather pitiable.¡±


    ¡°what do you mean?¡± jiang xia gazed at her elder sister¡¯s face, now more gentle and beautiful, and was entranced.


    just as it is said that the dragon has nine sons, each different from the other, the jiang family has three daughters, each with her own distinct personality and each beautiful in her own unique way.


    eldest sister jiang qing possessed a delicate beauty reminiscent of southern women. jiang xia was spirited and witty, her intelligence often outshining her appearance. the youngest sister, jiang gu, was adorable and irresistibly approachable.


    in modern times, jiang xia, being an only child, had always wanted a sibling. however, due to zhou lan¡¯s inability to conceive again, this was a forbidden topic in the jiang family. here, in the 1960s setting, jiang xia re-experienced familial bonds that she hadn¡¯t before, making her feel that life in the 60s had its merits.


    jiang qing pondered where to start the story, then began, ¡°i heard from zhang ping that the old master is not their biological father. their real father died in the war. after the war, the old master pursued my maternal mother relentlessly. for the sake of her four children, she eventually agreed to marry him and they moved to the mountains.¡±


    jiang xia inquired further, ¡°if he married aunt zhao, he should be very happy, right? why is he pitiable?¡±

 Chapter 286 - Chapter 286: Past

    chapter 286: past


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang qing pulled jiang xia¡¯s hand, leading her onto a large rock and slowly walked deeper into the mountains.


    ¡°he¡¯s pitiful because my mother never liked him. they¡¯ve always slept in separate rooms. there are so many houses in the courtyard, built according to my mother¡¯s wishes, just to leave enough space for each other.¡±


    jiang xia recalled that zhao wan¡¯s room had no men¡¯s belongings. she realized it wasn¡¯t because the room was cleaned well, but that old master zhang had never stayed in her room.


    ¡°the old master drinks every day to drown his sorrows. when drunk, he often scolds the children. zhang ling agreed to marry far away just because she couldn¡¯t stand his temper.¡±


    jiang qing blushed slightly and said, ¡°when zhang ping came of age, the old master got a matchmaker for him. he was reluctant to meet prospective brides, but zhang ling took the meetings on his behalf. after several meetings, aiming to find a pretty bride for her brother, she took a liking to me. to find a bride for my uncle¡¯s son, a marriage exchange was necessary. zhang ling, wanting to avoid the old master, therefore she agreed.¡±


    in fact, jiang qing didn¡¯t know much. the old master zhang indeed pursued zhao wan for a long time. but in reality, she never agreed, and they lived in the zhang family residence even without a marriage certificate.


    the children, not knowing the truth, called him ¡®dad¡¯. but zhang ping knew vaguely and never asked in detail. she referred him as old master zhang, and jiang qing followed her lead.


    during the war, the old master zhang was once under the command of zhao wan¡¯s husband. he was injured in the war and died shortly after it ended, leaving zhao wan alone.


    only then did zhao wan agree to move to the mountains with the old master zhang.


    though they lived as a couple, zhao wan never truly acknowledged him. she made all the decisions in the house, and old master zhang was like an invisible man to her.


    he drank to forget his troubles, trying to get zhao wan¡¯s attention by scolding the children. but she just let it be, leading the children to dislike him even more.


    until two years ago, as the children had grown and started to form their own judgments, zhang ping finally revealed the truth about the family¡¯s past to his younger siblings. this further eroded the already shaky status of old master zhang in the family.


    regarding his fall off the cliff a month ago, it was genuinely an accident.


    zhao wan had caught a cold, so the old man personally went down the mountain to the pharmacy to get her medicine. however, she showed no gratitude and refused to take it. distraught, the old man took to drinking from his wine jar, but was stopped by zhang ping.


    already upset, this confrontation made the old man even more furious. he stormed out of the house with his wine jar, headed up the mountain, and ultimately, tragically slipped and fell to his death.


    after hearing all of this, jiang xia did not dwell on the zhang family¡¯s matters. she changed the subject and said, ¡°sister, our parents are discussing the idea of having your whole family move back to the village. do you think aunt zhao would agree?¡±


    by the time the two of them reached the riverbank, jiang qing was keenly looking for river shrimps in the water. she casually remarked, ¡°although mother seems stern, she¡¯s actually quite easy-going. while it might be challenging to convince her to move back permanently, she¡¯d likely agree to live in the village for a month or two.¡±


    jiang xia, recalling the gold foil she had seen, probed further, ¡°sister, has the zhang family been living in the mountains to guard something?¡±


    jiang qing seemed perplexed, ¡°guard what? they initially moved to the mountains because there were no able-bodied men in the family, and with six mouths to feed, they couldn¡¯t meet the grain tribute. so, they were forced to relocate. there¡¯s plenty of wild animal meat in the mountains, and with the old man knowing how to shoot, they wouldn¡¯t starve.¡±


    seeing that her elder sister didn¡¯t seem to know much about this either, jiang xia did not press further. she focused on helping her sister search for shrimps instead.


    the stream at the mountaintop had a strong current. with the current drought, the water was already over a meter deep, indicating it would be even deeper in regular times.


    jiang qing rolled up her sleeves and trouser legs, fiddling with stones on the stream¡¯s edge, checking if any fish or shrimp were hiding beneath.


    luck was on jiang qing¡¯s side. she found a group of small shrimps hastily darting away. though each shrimp was only half the size of a pinky finger, their sheer number was enough to provide a sumptuous meal for everyone when taken home..

 Chapter 287 - Chapter 287: Matchmaker

    chapter 287: matchmaker


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang qing and jiang xia caught a basket full of river shrimps and a few small fish, and happily headed home.


    the hunters hadn¡¯t returned yet, and only a few women were busy at home.


    suddenly, they heard someone outside asking if anyone was home. jiang xia, being the most free at the moment, ran over to open the door.


    there were two women at the door, one old and one young.


    the older one had a red flower on her head and looked rather tacky. she wore bright red lipstick, which emphasized the wrinkles around her mouth.


    the younger one was probably only sixteen or seventeen, but she dressed maturely. she wore little leather boots and her clothes clearly looked like they were bought from the county town: a lace top with a small leather skirt. it seemed a bit cold to wear such clothes in this weather.


    jiang xia estimated that her outfit must have cost at least thirty coins.


    the boots were made of pure animal leather, snake skin to be exact. however, by looking at the craftsmanship and stitches, it was obvious they were handmade. the stitching was uneven, wasting the snake skin.


    jiang xia had seen the girl¡¯s clothes in a shopping mall. it was worn by a mannequin and priced at twenty-five coins. she remembered thinking how overpriced the outfit was, especially considering her family had bought an entire set of wooden furniture for just over thirty yuan. yet, on this girl, the outfit looked out of place and lacked the elegance it had on the store mannequin. however, it¡¯s her choice to wear whatever she pleases.


    noticing jiang xia¡¯s gaze, the young girl exuded an air of pride. she looked at jiang xia with disdain but still tried to be courteous, ¡°you¡¯re from sister-in-law maternal family right? such a polite young girl.¡±


    ¡°sister-in-law?¡± jiang xia frowned. having stayed a night at the zhang family home, she hadn¡¯t heard of any other family members. was this visitor being too presumptuous?


    seeing that jiang xia didn¡¯t reply, the young girl simply walked in, followed by the older woman, who even bumped jiang xia with her hip as she passed.


    annoyed, jiang xia brushed off her arm, feeling as if she¡¯d been tainted. she then went back to the kitchen to help jiang qing wash the vegetables.


    curiously, she asked jiang qing, ¡°who was that woman? why did she call you ¡®sister-in-law¡¯?¡±


    jiang qing casually responded while washing a radish, ¡°that¡¯s liu you, the eldest daughter of the liu family halfway up the mountain. she¡¯s the proposed match for my younger brother.¡±


    it seemed that liu you¡¯s visits were not a new occurrence.


    ¡°so, are they engaged?¡± jiang xia inquired.


    ¡°no,¡± jiang qing replied. ¡°old master zhang didn¡¯t approve. after he passed away, she didn¡¯t come for a month. today, you just happened to run into her.¡±


    jiang xia muttered, ¡°but she calls you ¡®sister-in-law¡¯, making it sound like you¡¯re close.¡±


    jiang qing just smiled, clearly not bothered by liu you¡¯s choice of words.


    liu you¡¯s demeanor had made jiang xia uncomfortable. comparing the two, jiang xia thought, no wonder old master zhang didn¡¯t approve.


    actually, liu you specifically chose today to visit because she had heard that jiang qing¡¯s maternal family members had come, so she hurriedly brought a matchmaker to the door.


    when jiang qing first married and moved up to the mountain, liu you had heard that jiang qing¡¯s family was not wealthy, and she came without any dowry, dressed in ragged clothes and carrying an empty basket.


    liu you thought to herself that jiang qing¡¯s maternal family members must have come to take advantage, being such a poor and destitute bunch.


    it had been raining on the mountain for the past two days, and the ground was covered in mud. no matter who went out, they would be covered in mud, but her little leather boots were not afraid of getting dirty.


    she wore her outfit today specifically to show off. with so many households in the mountains, who else could be wealthier than her family, able to afford clothing that costs tens of coins?


    and speaking of her little leather boots, they were made from a snake her father personally caught up the mountain. he skinned it, and her mother sewed the boots for her, making them waterproof and mud-resistant.


    the mountain had seen rain for the past few days, and the ground was full of mud. anyone who went out would come back covered in mud, but her leather boots weren¡¯t afraid of getting dirty.


    they went straight to the house used for entertaining guests and dining. seeing that there was no one inside, they casually took seats, and liu you even poured herself a glass of water, acting as if she wasn¡¯t an outsider.


    from time to time, liu you would swivel her head and gaze out the door, waiting for someone to come in and be the first to notice and compliment her outfit.. who would have thought that after waiting for so long, no one came to attend to her? she couldn¡¯t help herself and yelled out, ¡°how come there¡¯s no one in the house even though guests have been here for so long?¡±

 Chapter 288 - Chapter 288: Mocking

    chapter 288: mocking


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang xia heard everything clearly from the kitchen and sneered. now liu you realized she was a guest? based on her behavior, one might think she owned the place.


    jiang qing had just finished washing radishes. she put them in the basket and said to zhou lan, ¡°mother, the vegetables are ready. 1¡¯11 go greet the guests now and come back to help you later.¡±


    zhou lan, teaching jiang gu how to prepare river shrimps to remove their fishy taste, waved her hand after hearing jiang qing¡¯s words, ¡°both of you sisters go inside. we don¡¯t need so many people in the kitchen.¡±


    following jiang qing to the main house, jiang xia saw liu you and the matchmaker sitting there with crossed legs, looking very comfortable.


    jiang xia observed liu you¡¯s mannerisms, her constant adjustments to her leather skirt and lace collar, and realized she was intentionally drawing attention to her outfit.


    always willing to oblige, jiang xia thought if liu you wanted compliments, she¡¯d help her out.


    she sat next to liu you, exaggerating her tone, ¡°wow, sister, you look so pretty! if i didn¡¯t know any better, i¡¯d think a college student had entered the village. your outfit with those floral boots looks great.¡±


    liu you, failing to detect the sarcasm, took it as a genuine compliment and proudly said, ¡°of course! this skirt was bought for me by my younger brother from the city. it cost 25 coins, the same as a family¡¯s monthly expenses.¡±


    jiang xia rolled her eyes internally. how could someone be so tactless, boasting without any sense of propriety?


    no matter how good the clothing, if worn incorrectly, it¡¯s a waste. liu you¡¯s attire, paired with those flashy boots, made her look like a silly village girl trying too hard.


    seeing no one paying her attention, liu you tried to steer the conversation, ¡°don¡¯t be envious, sister-in-law. once i marry into the family, i¡¯ll take care of everyone. it¡¯s just an outfit, i¡¯ll ask my younger brother to buy one for you.¡± where did liu you get the idea that jiang qing was envious? she really overestimated herself!


    jiang qing, gentle by nature, chose not to respond. but jiang xia wouldn¡¯t stand for anyone bullying her sister. with a sweet smile, she remarked, ¡°it¡¯s just an outfit. it needs to fit right to look good. can a dog in a jacket ever rival the elegance of a fox?¡±


    ¡°you!¡± liu you¡¯s face darkened. she pointed angrily at jiang xia, ¡°so young, yet so insolent. you¡¯ll regret this in the future!¡±


    while jiang qing could tolerate ill-treatment towards herself, she wouldn¡¯t stand for anyone bullying her family. her gaze turned icy as she fixed liu you with a stare, ¡°whatever fate befalls her in the future is none of your concern. you¡¯ve yet to settle matters with second brother zhang. don¡¯t presume to call us family too soon. otherwise, you¡¯re the only one who will end up embarrassed.¡±


    liu you was taken aback by this retort. she had always perceived jiang qing as a kind-hearted soul and had never seen her show such ferocity. for a moment, she was at a loss for words.


    just then, zhao wan entered the room. seeing this, liu you immediately changed her expression, looking wronged, ¡°sister jiang, is this how you treat your guests? i came into the house and there was no one around. and when you finally arrived, you spoke to me harshly. if i¡¯ve done something wrong, please let me know. i will definitely take note in the future.¡±


    jiang xia was astounded. had this woman trained in the art of face-changing opera? she could shift her expressions in a heartbeat and manipulate the truth. and now she was addressing her as ¡®sister jiang¡¯? had she suddenly become too timid to use the term sister-in-law?


    upon spotting zhao wan, jiang xia deduced that liu you¡¯s words were meant for zhao wan¡¯s ears, hoping she would reproach jiang qing.


    how cunning!


    jiang xia wouldn¡¯t fall for it. immediately imitating liu you, she pretended to be on the verge of tears, ¡°it¡¯s all my fault. i heard you address my big sister as sister-in-law, and thought you were zhang hu¡¯s wife. 1 thought coming to our own home wouldn¡¯t need formalities, so i forgot to inform my sister that you had arrived. it¡¯s all on me, please don¡¯t blame her..¡±

 Chapter 289 - Chapter 289: Battle Between Mother

    chapter 289: battle between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    indeed, after hearing jiang xia¡¯s words, zhao wan and liu you both looked displeased. zhao wan was annoyed at liu you, while liu you looked pale, as if her attack had been deflected, not only missing the mark but also making herself uncomfortable.


    jiang qing was stunned. she hadn¡¯t expected that in the two years they hadn¡¯t seen each other, her originally reserved and reticent younger sister had developed a sharp-tongued and vengeful character. however, she quickly felt relieved. with such a personality, her sister wouldn¡¯t be bullied when she¡¯s out, which was great!


    jiang xia hadn¡¯t had enough and continued, ¡°it¡¯s my fault for not noticing how valuable your clothes are, sister. i forgot to compliment you, which probably angered you. 1¡¯11 pay more attention next time!¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s not what she meant¡­¡± liu you tried to explain, seeing zhao wan¡¯s face growing colder, but she was interrupted by zhao wan.


    ¡°when did the liu family become so impoverished that even a piece of cloth is worth showing off?¡±


    zhao wan¡¯s words were cold and pointed, leaving liu you speechless.


    for some reason, even though zhao wan appeared to have the best temperament in the zhang family, liu you always felt uneasy around her. she couldn¡¯t even speak properly.


    although zhang family¡¯s father had a renowned bad temper in the mountains, liu you wasn¡¯t afraid of him. she was always smiling, so why would he ever be angry with her? plus, liu you¡¯s father often drank with him. given that relationship, every time liu you visited, zhang family¡¯s father was always kind to her.


    while zhao wan might seem gentle, the way she looked at liu you made liu you feel as if she was being stripped bare. it was as if her ignorance was being exposed.


    liu you had mentioned to her father multiple times that she didn¡¯t want to marry into the zhang family. if she had to see zhao wan every day, she felt she might go mad.


    but every time she talked to her father, he would just placate her with a few simple words. seeing that cajoling her did no good, he would lose his temper and scold her for not appreciating what¡¯s good for her. he even laid down a family rule: if she didn¡¯t marry into the zhang family, she shouldn¡¯t think of returning to the liu family ever again. when she got married, the liu family wouldn¡¯t give her any dowry, making her as unfortunate as jiang qing.


    her father always kept his word. liu you didn¡¯t dare to argue and had no choice but to constantly visit the zhang family, trying to make her presence felt.


    what liu you despised the most was jiang qing!


    originally, there weren¡¯t many hunters in the village, and only a few families had daughters. among all the girls in the village, liu you was considered the most beautiful. however, her beauty was defined by her delicate features, not enough to be stunning, but it was enough for the villagers to praise.


    but since jiang qing married into the village, the neighbors stopped praising liu you. everyone said that jiang qing was beautiful, and some pregnant women even visited the zhang family daily to see jiang qing.


    they believed that looking at beautiful people while pregnant would result in a beautiful child.


    liu you¡¯s jealousy of jiang qing reached its peak. the thought of becoming in-laws with her made liu you¡¯s teeth itch with anger!


    what liu you couldn¡¯t understand the most was why her father insisted on her marrying into the zhang family. in terms of wealth, their family was the richest among the village hunters. geographically, the liu house was located midway up the mountain, convenient for hunting and descending. the zhang family lived at the highest point, where it was freezing cold, especially during the windy winters.


    liu you hated visiting the zhang family in cold weather. if it wasn¡¯t for her father¡¯s insistence, she¡¯d much rather stay in bed and sleep in.


    at this moment, as no one spoke, the atmosphere was awkward. an elderly woman who came with liu you tried to mediate.


    she appeared to be a matchmaker, and coming with liu you indicated that she was on liu you¡¯s side.


    she smiled, her face wrinkled like a crumpled piece of paper, and said, ¡°family shouldn¡¯t dwell on misunderstandings. what¡¯s said is said. it was just idle talk. the young girl misunderstood, leading to this comical situation.¡±


    the last sentence was obviously directed at jiang xia, and she even flashed jiang xia an annoying smile.


    jiang xia despised when adults blamed things on children, suggesting any conflict was solely the child¡¯s fault. what kind of logic was that?


    any other person might have kept quiet and let the matter slide, but not jiang xia.


    she pointed to the mud on her, looking aggrieved, ¡°but when you all entered the house just now, you almost knocked me over, splashing me with mud.. was that also a misunderstanding on my part?¡±

 Chapter 290 - Chapter 290: Demonstration

    chapter 290: demonstration


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    the mud spots on jiang xia¡¯s body were actually splashed on when she went out to pick wild mushrooms in the morning. but she didn¡¯t care, so what if she falsely accused the matchmaker?


    the matchmaker probably had never seen such a persistent young girl. she glared fiercely at jiang xia. not to be outdone, jiang xia glared back just as fiercely. it¡¯s just a contest of who has bigger eyes, and the jiang family¡¯s big-eye genes were never afraid of anyone!


    zhao wan found the young girl¡¯s assertive nature endearing and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    if they continued their glaring contest, they¡¯d both end up with dry eyes. zhao wan timely intervened, saying, ¡°jiang xia, come here, let me have a look.¡±


    jiang xia immediately looked away, approaching zhao wan with a hint of guilt.


    she knew that zhao wan was aware of her leaving the house this morning. would she expose her now?


    if she did, it would be utterly embarrassing in front of the matchmaker!


    unexpectedly, zhao wan merely brushed the mud spots off her body and said with a meaningful tone, ¡°in the future, watch your step and keep away from dirty things.¡±


    jiang xia paused, and upon realizing the implied message, she silently chuckled. zhao wan was truly cunning, managing to insult without using explicit words, making one feel as if they swallowed a fly.


    as expected, the matchmaker¡¯s face turned sour. she calmed herself and said, ¡°zhao wan, your second son is of marriageable age, and he and liu you are fond of each other. before, it was old master zhang who disagreed, and you didn¡¯t have a say. but now that he¡¯s gone, you can decide for him, can¡¯t you?¡±


    the matchmaker pulled liu you closer, patting her bottom and legs, ¡°look at this figure. she¡¯s sure to bear sons in the future. she¡¯s the last good catch on grand cloud mountain. hesitate any longer, and some other man will snatch her away!¡±


    heli no! jiang xia thought, this matchmaker is a woman herself. how can she look down on her own gender so much? her words were unpleasant to hear!


    women are not merely tools for bearing children. how can the ability to give birth to a son be a standard for judgment? one shouldn¡¯t even entertain such thoughts; hearing them is like dirtying one¡¯s ears!


    zhao wan ignored the matchmaker and instead looked at liu you as if asking, ¡°do you think the same?¡±


    liu you quickly shook her head, saying, ¡°madam sun, perhaps you should leave for today?¡±


    madam sun was dumbfounded. who was this silly girl siding with? why was she asking her to leave?


    madam sun was ushered out by liu you. by the time liu you returned, there were two more people in the room ¨C zhou lan and jiang gu. the two had come to discuss what to have for lunch.


    jiang xia suggested stir-frying river shrimp and then some preserved meat. they had brought two pieces of preserved meat when they set out from pushan village. the chili peppers grown by the zhang family were particularly fragrant, making them perfect for stir-frying with the preserved meat.


    jiang qing and zhao wan said they were easy-going. they commented that zhou lan¡¯s cooking was outstanding. even just stir-fried greens were delicious. they told zhou lan to cook whatever she felt like.


    flattered, zhou lan grinned from ear to ear. jiang xia tugged at the corner of her clothing and said, ¡°mom, you¡¯re over the moon!¡±


    zhou lan chuckled.


    jiang gu immediately boasted, ¡°not only are mom¡¯s stir-fried greens delicious, she can make a lot of other dishes too! she once made us lamb dumplings at home. they were so fragrant. it¡¯s a pity there¡¯s no lamb meat here, otherwise, she would have stewed some lamb for you!¡±


    jiang xia and zhou lan¡¯s expression change instantly. oh no, they had forgotten to tell jiang gu not to mention the lamb meat matter.


    jiang qing was curious, ¡°mom, do we have lamb to eat at home now?¡±


    she remembered jiang xia saying that their household was not well-off. when the family divided, they were given nothing. how could they afford lamb now?


    zhao wan felt more at ease upon hearing this.


    she had been worried about jiang¡¯s family, thinking they were struggling. if their big family moved to pushan village, life would become harder for them. the village, unlike the mountains, had many rules. if they ran out of food, they could hunt in the mountains, but in the village, they had to pay a portion of their crops. life would only get tougher.


    she didn¡¯t want to burden anyone.


    zhou lan explained, ¡°ever since we discovered wild vegetables in the mountains, we¡¯ve been going there frequently. occasionally, we come across a roe deer or two and exchange it for lamb meat at the town¡¯s cooperative.¡±


    jiang qing felt relieved. it seemed that jiang xia hadn¡¯t lied to comfort her; their household was indeed improving..

 Chapter 291 - Chapter 291: Flowers

    chapter 291: flowers


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    the few of them were chatting happily when liu you returned.


    she had coaxed and deceived the matchmaker into leaving, and the matchmaker reminded her on her way out, ¡°zhao wan is usually a silent woman. would zhang hu really be afraid of his mother? you must stay for lunch today. let zhang hu speak up for you. once that¡¯s done, everything will be settled.¡±


    liu you was speechless. the most formidable person in the zhang family was zhao wan. she had heard from zhang hu that although the old master zhang seemed to be the decision-maker in the household, it was really his wife, zhao wan, who had the final say.


    zhang hu was quite fond of liu you. he had often quarreled with his family for her sake, even coming to blows with old master zhang. after several dishes were smashed, it was zhang ping who intervened and ended the dispute.


    after the death of the old master zhang, liu you thought that there would be no barriers between them and they could be together smoothly. however, zhang hu¡¯s attitude became even more distant, and he didn¡¯t even dare to meet her secretly.


    before, they would meet every few days, but now it became once every week or so.


    liu you began to suspect that zhang hu¡¯s feelings for her had changed. after many arguments, zhang hu finally admitted that zhao wan did not agree with their marriage and forbade them to meet privately.


    actually, what zhao wan had said was, ¡°liu you is a girl and will have to get married one day. it¡¯s not good for her reputation if you two are seen too close. for her sake, you need to keep your distance.¡±


    zhao wan had never unleashed her fury or scolded the children at home, yet the zhang siblings fundamentally did not dare to refute her.


    the fear of contradicting her was different from fearing their father, the old master zhang. when faced with someone who has a short temper, they might still muster the courage to resist when pushed to their limits. however, in front of zhao wan, it was as if they lost their will to fight, resigning themselves to acquiescence.


    ever since liu you met zhao wan for the first time, she felt an innate unease. after hearing what zhang hu said, she genuinely didn¡¯t dare to brazenly seek him out anymore. the two could only secretly meet occasionally during hunting trips and then part ways hurriedly.


    on this particular visit, liu you had a frank conversation with zhang hu, saying, ¡°my father has made it clear. if we don¡¯t get married soon, you¡¯ll regret it! you always claim to love me, secretly leaving rabbits and roe deer at my doorstep. what¡¯s the point? if you don¡¯t marry me, it just shows you¡¯re not sincere. watch out, or 1 might not stick with you anymore!¡±


    zhang hu gritted his teeth, ¡°fine, even if it means having a row at home, 1 will marry you!¡±


    after liu you sent away the matchmaker, she returned to the house.


    zhao wan was playing with jiang gu. she found that the three girls from the jiang family were each more charming than the last. the youngest, jiang gu, was like a chubby little dumpling; anyone who saw her wanted to cuddle and pinch her. when she saw liu you come in, she pretended not to notice and continued to pinch jiang gu¡¯s chubby cheeks.


    seeing that no one was paying attention to her, liu you deliberately said warmly, ¡°aunt zhao, i heard that people from sister jiang¡¯s maternal home have come. 1 was worried she might be overwhelmed, so 1 came to help.¡±


    zhao wan paused her actions and looked at her lightly, ¡°today, it¡¯s a meal for family members. it might not be appropriate for you to be here.¡±


    jiang qing¡¯s maternal relatives and the zhang family were essentially family. this meal was a family feast. if she, an outsider, stayed, what would the village gossipmongers say?


    they might assume that her relationship with zhang hu was already a done deal.


    liu you hadn¡¯t expected zhao wan to be so blunt, not giving her any room to navigate. she stood there, at a loss, when she heard some noises from the courtyard. the hunting party had returned.


    the first to enter the house was zhang ping. he was holding a bouquet of wildflowers in white, yellow, and light pink shades, which looked very beautiful.


    although zhang ping was quite straightforward, he had good aesthetic sense. the bouquet, mixed with a few green leaves and tied with a grass rope, looked incredibly pleasing.


    after greeting the elders, he went straight to jiang qing, draped an arm around her shoulders, and handed her the flowers, ¡°i saw a field of wildflowers on the mountain today. they were in full bloom, so i picked some for you.¡±


    jiang qing smiled sweetly, her eyes curving like crescent moons, ¡°alright, i¡¯ll replace the flowers by my bed later. those flowers are still fresh, but the colors of today¡¯s flowers look better than the last time¡¯s.¡±


    no wonder zhang ping made bouquets. it wasn¡¯t his first time giving flowers, and it seemed he did so quite often..

 Chapter 292 - Chapter 292: Conflict

    chapter 292: conflict


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    zhou lan revealed a gratified smile. seeing her eldest daughter being treasured and pampered made her increasingly thankful. she was relieved that during her absence from this world, someone else was there to cherish her daughter jiang qing.


    zhang ping proudly bragged, ¡°today we encountered a huge wild boar on the mountain! my two younger brothers and i combined our efforts to kill it and brought it back. father and su zhen are now processing the pork in the courtyard. we can feast on wild boar meat for lunch, and use the bamboo shoots stored from summer to stew it into a soup.¡±


    jiang qing laughed and responded, ¡°the bamboo shoots are in the cellar; i¡¯ll fetch them shortly.¡±


    upon hearing about the bamboo shoots, jiang xia was elated. in her modern life, bamboo shoots were her favorite¡ªcrunchy and sweet, and they¡¯re especially delicious when stewed with meat.


    she eagerly proposed, ¡°should we get them now?¡±


    jiang qing affectionately tapped her nose and replied, ¡°alright, i¡¯ll lead the way.¡±


    liu you awkwardly stood aside, watching their joyful family interactions and felt she was rather out of place.


    she discreetly nudged zhang hu, hoping he would speak up for her. gritting his teeth, zhang hu bravely addressed, ¡°mother, since liu you is here today, let¡¯s finalize a date.¡±


    upon zhang hu¡¯s remark, everyone became aware of liu you, who had been inadvertently overlooked. the room fell silent. jiang qing and jiang xia, who were about to fetch the bamboo shoots, halted.


    jiang gu, sitting in zhao wan¡¯s lap, looked at zhang hu with big, curious eyes. after listening, zhao wan calmly placed jiang gu on the floor, signaling her to go play with zhou lan.


    zhao wan then stated, ¡°liu you, although our families rarely interact, i¡¯ve watched you grow since you were a child. as someone who¡¯s experienced life, i see things more clearly than you. you and zhang hu are not a good match.¡± ¡°why aren¡¯t we?¡± zhang hu challenged.


    ¡°we come from different backgrounds, and there are differences between the liu family and ours. it¡¯s not suitable for you two to build a life together.¡±


    liu you assumed zhao wan was referencing their wealth, especially since the liu family was the wealthiest in the mountain area and even considered rich in the nearby villages.


    she hastily interjected, ¡°my family doesn¡¯t mind. yes, your family might be less affluent, but my father promised a generous dowry of two chests and a box of jewelry when 1 marry. 1 can even share it with your family!¡±


    there was a hint of boastfulness in liu you¡¯s voice. in those days, a bride having two dowry chests was impressive, let alone an additional box of jewelry. most would consider having new clothes as satisfactory.


    jiang qing had arrived at zhang¡¯s household without a dowry.


    zhou lan frowned upon hearing this, thinking, ¡°this girl really doesn¡¯t use her brain.¡±


    those who knew her would think she¡¯s naive, but those who didn¡¯t might assume she was implying something. how could she speak in such a manner? she neither elevated herself nor put down others.


    furthermore, it didn¡¯t seem like liu you really loved zhang hu. it seemed more like an obsession. why was she so adamant about marrying into the zhang family?


    currently, all zhang hu could think about was being with liu you, and he wouldn¡¯t listen to anyone trying to dissuade him.


    perhaps teenagers at this age all have a rebellious streak. at first, he didn¡¯t think liu you was anything special ¨C just a potential match he was getting to know.


    but later, as the family strongly opposed their relationship, especially the adamant disapproval from the old master zhang, zhang hu¡¯s rebelliousness peaked. no matter what, he wanted to marry liu you. he would find every means possible to meet her daily, even sending gifts to her house, which frequently angered his father to the point of breaking things.


    the rest of the zhang family could only helplessly watch zhang hu act foolishly. despite their numerous attempts to advise him, both overtly and covertly, all was in vain. they eventually gave up and let the relationship develop.


    third brother zhang, was straightforward and didn¡¯t overthink things. liu you¡¯s words made him uncomfortable. he spoke without considering the feelings of liu you or zhang hu, saying, ¡°why should you care if our family is poor or not? we¡¯re content with our lives and don¡¯t need you flaunting your wealth here.¡±


    zhang hu, who would never defy his mother and couldn¡¯t stand up to his eldest brother, dared to lose his temper with third brother zhang. now, as third brother zhang spoke out, zhang hu¡¯s stubborn temper flared up, ¡°how can you speak to liu you like that? she¡¯s going to be your sister-in-law!¡±


    third brother zhang, known for his short temper, retorted, ¡°i don¡¯t want such a sister-in-law. if you two get married, i¡¯ll cut ties with you!¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t even want a younger brother like you!¡±

 Chapter 293 - Chapter 293: Beaten Up

    chapter 293: beaten up


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    the two were escalating their argument. zhang ping couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. he walked over, grabbed zhang hu by the back of his neck, and dragged him out.


    shortly after, muffled sounds of punches hitting a body could be heard from outside. zhou lan then realized that even though her son-in-law usually treated her daughter gently and listened to jiang qing in everything, he actually had a violent temper. when he disciplined someone, he did not hold back at all.


    the sounds frightened liu you. she feared that she might be the next one to be hit. moreover, the only person in the room who had spoken in her defense had been dragged out. she felt more unsteady.


    zhao wan saw liu you¡¯s predicament and said, ¡°liu you, our family¡¯s stance is clear. when you go back, tell your father not to waste any more effort.¡±


    liu you¡¯s face turned pale, then flushed. although she lacked social awareness, she still cared about face. being rejected after literally throwing herself at the family made her resolve not to proceed with this marriage at all.


    stomping her foot, liu you stormed out.


    with the main character of this drama gone, everyone resumed their activities.


    zhou lan headed to the kitchen to cook, assisted by jiang qing and jiang gu. with nothing to do, jiang xia planned to take a stroll.


    noticing this, zhao wan asked third brother zhang to accompany jiang xia to prevent her from getting lost.


    on their way up the mountain, jiang xia¡¯s family had taken a route through a bamboo forest. today, third brother zhang led her on a more secluded path, bypassing the bamboo forest.


    third brother zhang was shy and didn¡¯t know where to take jiang xia, so jiang xia suggested that they take another route.


    all along, third brother zhang remained quiet. jiang xia didn¡¯t push for conversation either but took note of each path and its surroundings.


    it was a habit of jiang xia¡¯s to familiarize herself with a new environment first, ensuring its relative safety before settling down.


    on the other hand, jiang chuan, upon arriving at a new place, would chat with locals to understand the area better, making sure he was well-informed in subsequent interactions.


    both their habits were cultivated from frequent travels and business dealings. on their trips, zhou lan only needed to prepare clothes and food; she didn¡¯t have to worry about anything else. the father-daughter duo truly pampered zhou lan.


    jiang xia noticed that although this path was remote, the traces of people having walked it were clear. it was obviously not an untrodden path. after walking for about a few hundred meters, she saw a chimney in the distance, smoking. she realized that there must be a house in the distance, which was why people were using this path.


    following slowly behind third brother zhang, even though the house was still quite distant, she could now clearly see its entire structure.


    she was surprised to find that the design of the house was very unusual. the house had three floors. the demarcation between floors was clear, indicating that the first floor was built first, and after several years, the next two floors were added. that¡¯s why there were differences in how the walls were eroded by the wind.


    moreover, jiang xia noticed that each of the three floors of the house was much taller than regular houses.


    whether in rural areas or in the modern era, personal residences typically have each floor measuring around three meters in height. however, this house appeared to have each floor more than four meters tall.


    as a result, the house looked like a deformed rectangle, quite strange.


    there seemed to be something installed on the top floor of the house, but it was too far for jiang xia to see clearly.


    the house was located halfway up a hill, but after having three stories, its line of sight could even reach the top of the mountain, capturing a view even from places much higher than zhang¡¯s house.


    pointing to the house, jiang xia curiously asked, ¡°whose house is that?¡±


    third brother zhang took a glance and said, ¡°oh, that¡¯s liu you¡¯s house.¡±


    he then looked up at the sky. the sun was hidden behind clouds, making the sky look gloomy as if rain was imminent.


    having grown up in the mountains, third brother zhang had always been accurate in predicting the weather, even more so than his two elder brothers.


    he said to jiang xia, ¡°this path is straight; it leads directly to liu¡¯s house. there¡¯s not much to see. it looks like it¡¯s going to rain soon. we should head back.¡±


    jiang xia took one last glance at the strange house, then obediently followed third brother zhang on their way home..

 Chapter 294 - Chapter 294: Visit Again

    chapter 294: visit again


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang xia kept thinking about the liu family¡¯s house all the way. she always felt that there was something strange about it, but she couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on it. this peculiar feeling started when she met the matchmaker, madam sun.


    throughout the journey, she replayed the entire scenario in her mind, analyzing the situation from beginning to end.


    she recalled when madam sun entered the zhang family house and looked around at the houses, a determined look in her eyes.


    she was just a matchmaker; even if liu you and zhang hu truly got married, these houses would have nothing to do with her, right?


    moreover, liu you was very proud. after facing several setbacks in the zhang family, with her personality, she would have likely given up on the marriage. yet she persisted, which was quite suspicious.


    what struck jiang xia the most was the liu family¡¯s house. the deliberate addition of two tall floors, from which they could monitor every move of the zhang family every day, made sense now. no wonder when jiang qing¡¯s family came over, liu you knew instantly and hurried over early in the morning.


    all these oddities gave jiang xia the chills.


    unable to contain her curiosity, jiang xia asked, ¡°third brother, do the liu family and ours interact frequently?¡±


    third brother zhang, fourteen years old, was just a few months older than jiang xia, so she respectfully referred to him as ¡°third brother.¡±


    with his head down, third brother zhang continued on the way home. usually a man of few words and one who disliked constant chatter around him, he had taken a liking to jiang xia due to her quiet demeanor during their walk. hence, his tone was friendly.


    he replied, ¡°not really. father chose this location near the mountain top to be farther from other hunters. occasionally, he¡¯d go to the village at the foot of the mountain with liu¡¯s father for a drink. however, it¡¯s not often, maybe once or twice a month, and it¡¯s mostly because liu¡¯s father has been very persistent in inviting him.¡±


    jiang xia felt that something was amiss. considering the zhang family¡¯s reclusive lifestyle and having such an overly enthusiastic neighbor like the liu family, they must have some hidden intentions.


    by the time jiang xia and third brother zhang returned home, zhou lan had almost finished preparing the meal. the courtyard was filled with the delightful aroma of food.


    third brother zhang had never smelled such appetizing dishes before, and his eyes were automatically drawn to the kitchen.


    in the past, before zhang ping got married, zhang ling was responsible for cooking. after the marriage, jiang qing took over. the dishes they made were similar, and third brother zhang would always politely eat them and give a few compliments, but deep down, he didn¡¯t find them particularly delicious.


    when zhao wan was teaching a few children how to read, she once introduced the phrase ¡°delicious dishes.¡± third brother zhang always thought this phrase was an exaggeration. he believed that no matter how the dishes turned out, they tasted like what his second sister and sister-in-law made.


    however, it wasn¡¯t until last night when he tasted the dishes prepared by zhou lan that he truly understood the meaning of ¡°delicious dishes.¡±


    the aroma alone was enough to make his mouth water uncontrollably. the meat was so tender it melted in the mouth, while the vegetables and chili were refreshingly crisp.


    lost in the memory of last night¡¯s dinner, third brother zhang¡¯s eyes were fixed on the kitchen. he couldn¡¯t help but swallow his saliva, which jiang xia noticed, prompting her to suppress her laughter.


    jiang xia didn¡¯t say much, but she deeply admired zhou lan¡¯s culinary skills. she believed that even chefs from five-star hotels in the future couldn¡¯t compare to zhou lan¡¯s cooking.


    ever since she was young and tasted zhou lan¡¯s dishes, jiang xia became very picky about food. after entering university, she couldn¡¯t stand the taste of the meals in the school cafeteria.


    jiang chuan and his wife doted on jiang xia. they specially bought a house near the university jiang xia attended. the family lived together, enjoying diverse meals every day.


    suddenly, third brother zhang felt someone tugging at his pant leg. he looked down to find the chubby-faced jiang gu. for a moment, he was taken aback.


    jiang gu said earnestly, ¡°third brother, you¡¯re drooling.¡±


    third brother zhang¡¯s face turned red. in a flustered manner, he wiped away his drool and quickly went into the kitchen to help.


    holding back her laughter until her face turned red, jiang xia finally let out a chuckle when he entered the kitchen. jiang gu looked at his second sister with a puzzled expression, having no idea his comment was so funny.


    as the dishes were being served, the liu family arrived again.


    this time, it wasn¡¯t just liu you but also her father, liu neng.


    without waiting for anyone to greet him, liu neng warmly took a seat at the dining table and, making himself at home, said, ¡°everyone, please, take your seats.¡±


    the saying goes, ¡°birds of a feather flock together.¡± it seems liu you¡¯s forwardness was something she learned from her father..

 Chapter 295 - Chapter 295: Discussion

    chapter 295: discussion


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    liu neng looked around the room and noticed that nobody was responding to his arrival. he didn¡¯t seem embarrassed at all. turning to liu you, he said, ¡°come, daughter, sit beside zhang hu and your father.¡±


    liu neng¡¯s words suggested as if this meal was a formal meeting between the parents of two families. upon hearing this, zhao wan¡¯s expression darkened.


    liu you reluctantly sat down, pulling zhang hu with her. she clearly wasn¡¯t in the mood. she had just been reprimanded by liu neng when she returned home and then forced to visit the zhang family. anyone would be in low spirits in her place.


    liu you even doubted if she was truly liu neng¡¯s biological daughter. she had clearly expressed her reluctance to come, but liu neng had sternly warned her, ¡°if things don¡¯t work out between the two of you, don¡¯t ever think about coming back home!¡±


    even though liu you was usually rebellious, she was afraid of her father and had no choice but to follow him.


    zhang hu, being clueless, didn¡¯t hesitate to sit down when liu you pulled him. with both liu neng and zhang hu now at the table in front of their prospective in-laws, jiang chuan and zhou lan, and considering it would be impolite to ask liu neng to leave, zhao wan reluctantly took a seat opposite him.


    the last seat next to liu neng was taken by su zhen.


    picking up his chopsticks, liu neng said, ¡°come on, start eating. the food will become cold.¡±


    zhou lan rolled her eyes. she felt it was a waste to serve her meticulously prepared dishes to this man. she clenched her fists under the table.


    jiang chuan held zhou lan¡¯s hand under the table, trying to console her. it was best to endure this for the sake of their eldest daughter.


    zhou lan smirked but, out of respect, began to eat.


    third brother zhang, a straightforward person who didn¡¯t understand the intricacies of adult dynamics, was simply excited about the feast in front of him and began eating.


    this was not the first time he had eaten wild boar meat. in the past, he had always felt that the meat was very hard and could not be chewed. today, the meat melted as soon as it entered his mouth. it was full of the fragrance of meat. it was delicious!


    the bamboo shoots, mixed with the salty cured meat, tasted fresh and delightful.


    third brother zhang had never tasted such delicious food before. after a few bites, he began to devour the dishes, oblivious to the tense atmosphere, especially between zhao wan and liu neng.


    zhou lan had gone through great effort to prepare the meal. it would be rude not to have a bite. out of respect for zhou lan, zhao wan picked up her chopsticks and took a couple of bites. then she straightforwardly asked liu neng, ¡°my husband has passed away. what brings you here?¡±


    the implication was clear: liu neng¡¯s interactions were only with the old master zhang, and with him gone, there was no longer a need for their two families to interact.


    liu neng seemed unperturbed. he picked up a piece of wild boar meat and savored it. his family wasn¡¯t lacking in wealth; they¡¯d often dine in the restaurants in the village at the foot of the mountain. however, the restaurant chefs were nowhere near zhou lan¡¯s culinary skills. the meat she cooked melted in one¡¯s mouth, making one crave another bite as soon as they had their first. just for this meat alone, liu neng felt it was worth visiting the zhang family to enjoy this meal.


    swallowing the meat, liu neng said with a chuckle, ¡°i¡¯ve just received a notice from the lower mountain, so i hurriedly came to inform you. the government has issued a directive for all hunters living in the mountain to settle in the village.¡±


    with su zhen around, zhao wan and jiang chuan were already aware of this matter, so they weren¡¯t surprised.


    seeing that none of the adults present, except for a few children, showed any reaction, liu neng was slightly taken aback, uncertain of their feelings on the matter.


    he continued, ¡°the government¡¯s intention is that each village can only accommodate one family. there are seven or eight families in the mountains. if we¡¯re too slow to act, the nearby villages might not accept us. rest assured, i¡¯ve already spoken to the chief of the nearest village at the foot of the mountain. 1 persuaded him to make an exception and accommodate both our families. this way, we can look out for each other.¡±


    liu neng¡¯s words caught jiang chuan off guard. he had initially planned to discuss the relocation to pushan village with zhao wan over lunch. he hadn¡¯t expected liu neng to bring it up first.


    the key issue was that their current relationships were a bit complicated. as both families were connected to the zhangs, it seemed biased for zhao wan to favor one over the other.


    though the match between liu you and zhang hu hadn¡¯t been finalized, liu neng kept addressing them as in-laws. zhao wan hadn¡¯t clarified her stance, which left jiang chuan unsure of her feelings.


    finally, zhao wan spoke up, ¡°liu neng, no matter what you discussed with old master zhang before, the two kids are not yet married. it¡¯s a bit premature for you to call me ¡®in-law¡¯..¡±

 Chapter 296 - Chapter 296: Embarrassed

    chapter 296: embarrassed


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    after hearing this, liu neng¡¯s face turned a bit unsightly. no wonder liu you was unwilling to come. this zhao wan was truly hard to deal with, like a slab of rock.


    su zhen also chimed in, ¡°uncle liu, you don¡¯t need to worry about this. i will definitely arrange everything for my godmother. how could the zhang family not find a village to settle in?¡±


    when su zhen spoke, liu neng had to give him some respect.


    su zhen was the largest buyer for all the hunters in the mountains. without him coming up every month to buy the wild animal meat, the hunters might not starve, but they wouldn¡¯t be as prosperous as they are now, occasionally affording to shop in the market.


    the first time su zhen came up the mountain to buy wild animal meat, liu neng looked down on him for being a kid, showing him a cold face, and even chased him away.


    su zhen remembered the grudge. the next times he came, he simply ignored liu neng¡¯s family, making them strangers.


    later, the merchant who usually bought from liu neng claimed he could no longer afford to buy all of liu neng¡¯s wild animal meat. only then did liu neng realize the scale of the market su zhen controlled, big enough to absorb the wild animal meat from all the households on the mountain.


    each family of hunters was quite skilled, and the wild animal meat they caught was about the same in quantity.


    liu neng was fortunate to find a buyer due to his good luck, which is why he became wealthier than other hunters first.


    now, su zhen has taken all the goods from other hunters, but liu neng couldn¡¯t find a buyer for his game. comparing the two situations, liu neng became anxious.


    he sought out su zhen and invited him for meals with lavish dishes and drinks. however, even though su zhen was young, he was mature in mind and didn¡¯t easily fall for traps.


    out of options, liu neng painstakingly invited him over for meals numerous times, treating him well and even offering gifts every time su zhen went to the mountains. finally, he managed to persuade su zhen, but he still had to accept a price slightly lower than what other hunters were getting.


    liu neng was extremely frustrated, but he felt helpless.


    moreover, it¡¯s worth noting that the day zhao wan saved su zhen was the same day liu neng had driven him out of his house. su zhen had gotten lost in a bamboo forest due to a snowstorm and the darkness of the night.


    as fate would have it, liu neng not only offended the most significant buyer but also inadvertently elevated the zhang family to the highest status among mountain hunters. whenever other hunters encountered men from the zhang family, they would courteously offer their wild animal meat to them.


    su zhen had said he would handle things; what else could liu neng say?


    this young man, although youthful, had profound insights and cunning. if he were to work against liu neng behind the scenes, the wild animal meat at liu neng¡¯s home would surely rot without a buyer.


    reversing his approach, liu neng shifted the conversation, saying, ¡°zhao wan, i know you¡¯re not keen on your son marrying my daughter. but now it¡¯s your son, zhang hu, who¡¯s fond of my daughter. as parents, our primary concern is our children¡¯s happiness, everything else is secondary.¡±


    such emotional manipulation! by saying this, if zhao wan continued to object, it would seem as if she didn¡¯t care about her son¡¯s feelings.


    zhao wan wouldn¡¯t be easily deceived. since liu neng came to discuss relocating, she wouldn¡¯t conflate the issues of marriage and moving.


    calmly, zhao wan said, ¡°i¡¯ve been considering moving to the village for some time. since our families are here today, why not discuss it? i plan to move to pushan village. this way, jiang qing would be closer to home and can visit us more easily. i wonder if you would agree?¡±


    after finishing, zhao wan looked towards jiang chuan.


    of course, jiang chuan was thrilled. his primary goal for visiting the zhang family on the mountain was to persuade them to relocate to pushan village.


    he had been concerned about zhao wan being difficult to negotiate with, but she took the initiative to bring up the move, so he gladly went along with it.


    ¡°in-law, to be honest, our trip to the mountains was to invite you to settle in pushan village. this is also the wish of our village. since zhang ling has married into pushan village, she can, by rules, bring her family over. don¡¯t worry about the paperwork; i¡¯ll make sure everything is taken care of.¡±


    jiang chuan¡¯s sincere words reassured zhao wan even more that her decision was right. she had previously resented the jiang family because jiang qing didn¡¯t have a dowry, but seeing their recent attitudes towards both jiang qing and the zhang family, zhao wan finally let go of her grievances and embraced them..

 Chapter 297 - Chapter 297: Dowry

    chapter 297: dowry


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang qing looked at zhao wan¡¯s partiality towards her, and was so moved that she couldn¡¯t help but tear up.


    seeing the atmosphere build up, zhou lan, her biological mother, didn¡¯t want to lose to zhao wan. she quickly pulled jiang xia out, taking out all the dowry prepared for jiang qing from her interspace.


    after a simple arrangement, they returned to the room. zhou lan placed the items in front of her daughter, ¡°xiao qing, when you got married, we couldn¡¯t prepare a dowry for you. this trip is to make up for it.¡±


    zhou lan presented embroidered cloth shoes, a new set of clothes, and a cotton quilt. these were items zhou lan had rushed to prepare on their journey, finishing only the night before.


    seeing these dowries, jiang qing could no longer hold back her tears and threw herself into zhou lan¡¯s arms.


    while these things might not seem like much in modern times, in that era, they represented the best a typical family could offer.


    furthermore, jiang chuan had plans. in that time, moving from a village to the city was not allowed by national policy, so he intended to improve their current village house.


    just like the communal house, he would eventually build a brick house.


    currently, their home was constructed using a mix of wood and mud. since it was the dry season and it hadn¡¯t rained in years, the shortcomings of the house weren¡¯t apparent.


    however, jiang chuan, when he was younger and lived in the countryside, knew that such houses easily became moldy in humid conditions. the mold could affect respiratory health when inhaled, and during heavy rains, the house would leak. it wasn¡¯t a suitable living environment at all.


    this was the primary reason jiang chuan wanted to start a business and earn money. only by making money quickly could he build a good brick house to accommodate his wife, children, and the zhang family.


    in the future, he also planned to move his wife¡¯s family in with them, ensuring everyone had a better life.


    seeing the harmonious scene of this family, liu neng felt a bit out of place and slipped away quietly after dinner.


    jiang qing and third brother zhang cleared the dining table, while zhao wan, su zhen, and the couple jiang chuan were discussing the village¡¯s resettlement issue.


    jiang chuan took it upon himself to handle this matter.


    with only a month left before the national deadline for relocation, the family would first return to the village to sort out their household registration, then find a house for the zhang family. once everything was arranged, they would move.


    later, the zhang family began discussing the division of the family¡¯s assets, and jiang chuan¡¯s family felt it wasn¡¯t appropriate for them to be present, so they returned to their own house.


    as they were about to leave, jiang xia had an idea, ¡°mom, dad, i noticed that the grand cloud mountain has richer resources than our area. why don¡¯t we take the opportunity to find more animals and seeds on the mountain? we might be able to sell them.¡±


    ¡°great idea!¡± zhou lan was the first to agree.


    jiang xia said mysteriously, ¡°i had a dream. 1 dreamt of a secluded cave on the mountain, and it seemed to contain a lingzhi mushroom!¡±


    ¡°lingzhi mushroom?¡± jiang chuan and zhou lan gasped.


    it was a prized item. before they had traveled to this time, they had visited a medicinal factory where they saw a variety of precious herbs including ginseng and lingzhi mushroom. zhou lan had set her eyes on a lingzhi mushroom and spent a significant amount to order one, which was to be delivered later.


    unfortunately, they arrived here before receiving the lingzhi mushroom.


    given that lingzhi mushroom would fetch a hefty price in later years, it was undoubtedly valuable here too. perhaps it could be traded on the black market for a good sum. in the 1960s, a lingzhi mushroom might even be worth an entire house!


    zhou lan enthusiastically said, ¡°then let¡¯s hurry and find it! i remember zhang ping mentioning a secluded cave at the mountain¡¯s peak. that¡¯s where he secretly made a rabbit fur scarf for jiang qing.¡±


    jiang xia, seeing her mother¡¯s excitement, quickly clarified, ¡°1 only saw an outline in my dream and am not certain it¡¯s a lingzhi mushroom. it¡¯s just a dream. even if it exists, it might have already been taken by my brother-in-law.¡±


    however, zhou lan was confident, ¡°that¡¯s not necessarily true. finding a lingzhi mushroom is about destiny. now that you¡¯re the heroine, you definitely have the protagonist¡¯s aura. maybe our family will strike it rich!¡±


    ¡°¡­ mom, this isn¡¯t a novel. don¡¯t get too excited.¡±


    ¡°1 won¡¯t listen..¡±

 Chapter 298 - Chapter 298: A Casual Walk

    chapter 298: a casual walk


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    the zhang family was in a discussion, including su zhen and an awkward zhang hu. jiang chuan figured that their internal family meeting might last for a long time, so he suggested, ¡°how about our family goes out to see if we can find the lingzhi mushroom?¡±


    zhou lan was initially eager to join but then suddenly remembered something. she said, ¡°never mind, you two go ahead. we haven¡¯t given any gifts since we came to the zhang family. i want to organize the things we bought from the shopping mall and give them to my mother-in-law later.¡±


    turning around, she warned jiang gu, ¡°xiao gu, it¡¯s easy to get lost in the mountains. make sure you follow your dad and second sister closely.¡±


    jiang gu, with wide innocent eyes and a serious expression on his young face, looked even more adorable, ¡°no, i want to stay and help mom organize! i¡¯m great at it and will definitely be of help!¡±


    such a considerate little girl! zhou lan couldn¡¯t help but hug jiang gu tightly. she felt incredibly fortunate in this life ¨C a loving husband, a smart daughter like jiang xia, and now, after the time-travel, a beautiful and generous elder daughter and an understanding younger one. her life was complete.


    jiang chuan and jiang xia had a clear goal and headed straight for the mountaintop after leaving the zhang¡¯s residence.


    the zhang¡¯s residence was not far from the mountaintop. after about half an hour, they reached their destination.


    unable to contain herself, jiang xia shouted into the vast sky. it felt as if all the stress was vented out with that shout, making her feel rejuvenated.


    unable to contain herself, jiang xia shouted into the vast sky. it felt as if all the stress was vented out with that shout, making her feel rejuvenated.


    even though the view from the mountain top was mesmerizing, it didn¡¯t have what jiang xia was looking for.


    both of them had come up the mountain in search of caves and wild vegetable seeds. however, there was no trace of any caves, nor any lush vegetables. the growth of the plants here was not even as good as in the zhang family¡¯s yard.


    jiang chuan was not as disappointed as jiang xia. he led her towards a barren grassland.


    he had been to this place in the morning while hunting with the three zhang brothers and su zhen. he was quite intrigued by this patch of land at the time.


    having grown up in the countryside, he was quite familiar with vegetable fields. even though this plot looked dry and all plants seemed dead, jiang chuan believed that there must be plenty of vegetable seeds in the soil, they just hadn¡¯t sprouted.


    the vegetables hadn¡¯t grown for two reasons. firstly, due to drought causing the plants to wilt. secondly, it was nearing winter, and the cold weather was not conducive to plant growth. however, these problems would be easily solved with jiang xia¡¯s interspace water.


    under jiang chuan¡¯s encouragement, jiang xia took out a bottle of the water from her interspace. just as she was about to pour it on the barren land, she remembered the time in pushan village when the use of this water attracted a large group of animals, including venomous snakes and weasels.


    jiang xia hesitated to pour the water and shared her concerns with jiang chuan.


    jiang chuan had an idea, ¡°what vegetables do you have in your interspace?¡±


    jiang xia, slightly puzzled, replied honestly, ¡°1 can only grow four types of vegetables in my interspace: white radish, carrots, mushrooms, and wild mushroom. the variety is limited, but the quantity is ample, with about fifty square meters for each type.¡±


    she continued with a slight complaint, ¡°1 realized that even though the space is vast, usable areas are limited. 1 tried clearing the grass to plant more crops, but as soon as i pulled out the old grass, new grass grew. so, there are only four plots with suitable soil.¡±


    jiang chuan wasn¡¯t too worried, understanding that every ability has its limitations. just as his car, while convenient, had a small storage space. so many things bought from the shopping mall had to be stored in his daughter¡¯s interspace. every convenience comes with its own set of challenges.


    he continued, ¡°the last time so many animals were attracted was because of the diversity of plants. some plant scents even attract snakes. this time, we¡¯ll use radishes to encircle this patch of land. then sprinkle the interspace water. it should attract herbivores. with them guarding the outer perimeter, we can let the land inside flourish..¡±

 Chapter 299 - Chapter 299: Strange

    chapter 299: strange


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang xia had a realization, ¡°that¡¯s right! 1 can also pull out the grass from my interspace to feed the animals, so the excessive food doesn¡¯t have to occupy space. moreover, these animals can all be stored in my interspace. when we pass through locust tree bay, we can trade them for money or items at the market. it¡¯s truly killing multiple birds with one stone! dad, you¡¯re so smart.¡±


    jiang chuan, praised by his daughter, smiled proudly. then, he helped jiang xia encircle the field with radishes and wild grasses about two meters away, forming a large ring.


    each of them held a bottle of interspace water. they dared not pour too much water in one spot, fearing an uneven density in the circle. so, they sprinkled the water bit by bit.


    after about half an hour of toiling, they finally finished. before they could rest, they heard the footsteps of approaching animals.


    the animals included wild rabbits, wild chickens, larger roe deer, porcupines, and mountain goats. the numbers were quite substantial.


    the sight of the mountain goats reminded jiang xia of the lamb dumplings and carrot stewed lamb she had at home, instantly making her drool.


    jiang chuan knew immediately what she was thinking. he patted her on the shoulder and said, ¡°i know you¡¯re craving. later, we¡¯ll use some ropes to tie up these animals and store them in your interspace. we can eat whenever we want, and your mother will prepare them differently every time!¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s great! when eldest sister returns with us, she can also taste these unique delicacies!¡±


    the father-daughter duo glanced at the circle of vegetables. concerned the animals might consume them too quickly, jiang xia took out all her radishes. with the assistance of the interspace water, these vegetables should last the animals for about an hour. they then turned their attention to the barren grassland.


    the grassland wasn¡¯t large, covering just about three to four square meters.


    jiang xia cautiously sprinkled some interspace water in a corner and waited.


    the result was disappointing. instead of flourishing growth, only a few small trees sprouted a couple of green leaves. it was far from what they had imagined.


    they looked at each other with bitterness. could it be that the seeds had frozen due to the cold mountain top?


    undeterred, jiang xia increased the range of the interspace water, covering the entire barren land.


    as they waited for the interspace water to take effect, the two chatted.


    jiang xia took out the gold foils she found in the bamboo forest to show jiang chuan.


    she had stored them in her makeup box, fearing she might lose them in her interspace. apart from the gold foils, there was just a bottle of lotion in the box, making it look somewhat pitiful.


    jiang chuan carefully examined the foils and judged their weight.


    based on the foils¡¯ roughness and impurity content, he confirmed jiang xia¡¯s suspicion, ¡°there¡¯s definitely a gold mine in grand cloud mountain. no wonder the zhang family guards this place.¡±


    jiang xia was puzzled, ¡°dad, do you mean they moved here because they knew of the gold mine, rather than discovering it after moving here?¡±


    jiang chuan nodded, ¡°over the past few days, i¡¯ve observed zhao wan and the zhang brothers. their demeanor doesn¡¯t match the simple-minded hunters, at least not like liu neng. upon probing, i found that the brothers have a good grasp of idioms.¡±


    jiang xia instantly understood. this era was not like the future, where compulsory education is universal, and everyone can attend school. in this time, merely having enough to eat was already a significant challenge. how could families have spare money to send every child to school?


    especially the hunters who moved to the mountains to avoid handing over their grain to the village, they didn¡¯t even have a registered place in school. how could they possibly be literate?


    if they didn¡¯t even know how to read, let alone understand higher-level idioms.


    furthermore, jiang xia noticed a detail. the map drawn by zhang ling was created based on geographical conventions, with the north on top, south at the bottom, and symbols for west to the left and east to the right.


    when they first saw the map, they thought the mountain paths were confusing. but after a field inspection, they realized that every direction marked by zhang ling was accurate.. how could someone who never attended school have such geographical knowledge?

 Chapter 300 - Chapter 300: Various Herbs

    chapter 300: various herbs


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    it was impossible for an intellectual to be willing to live in seclusion in the mountains, so it must be a huge interest.


    the zhang family has too many secrets. jiang chuan worries that this trip down the mountain might not go as smoothly as he imagined.


    besides, jiang xia also mentioned the peculiarities she noticed about the liu family. she asked, ¡°dad, do you think the liu family might be eyeing this gold mine too?¡±


    jiang chuan shook his head, ¡°based on what i know about the zhang family, if there¡¯s a gold mine in grand cloud mountain, they would definitely hide it from everyone. liu might just know that the zhang family has a secret and wants his daughter to marry into it to share the profits. but he might not know that the secret is a gold mine.¡±


    regardless of who owns the gold mine, it has nothing to do with them. thus, the father and daughter didn¡¯t dwell on this matter. jiang chuan put away the gold foil and turned to observe the barren grassland.


    the grassland, under the influence of interspace water, finally showed signs of life. the plants around the grassland were mostly dead, with only a few green leaves.


    however, the closer to the center, the more green leaves there were. compared to the plants in the interspace, they were sparse, but jiang xia was content. the soil here lacked nutrients and couldn¡¯t compare with the soil in the interspace. as long as they could find a few crops to plant in the interspace, it would be worth it.


    jiang xia carefully examined the crops in the grassland. to her surprise, she found the fleece flower root she couldn¡¯t find yesterday. it was effortless, and sometimes luck was just mysterious.


    jiang xia took out a shovel and carefully dug up the fleece flower root, putting it with a bit of soil directly into the spatial realm.


    additionally, she found rehmannia, motherwort, and wild mint.


    seeing so many varieties of herbs, jiang xia was delighted. even if they didn¡¯t sell these herbs in the pharmacy, bringing them back to the village to plant them would be a great choice.


    ever since her last visit to the county pharmacy, jiang xia had an idea to plant several acres of medicinal herbs in the village, turning pushan village into a base for herb production, leading villagers to a better life.


    jiang xia noticed that this grassland had a lot of herbs and almost no vegetables, but she was grateful.


    after all, there were many variety of vegetables in the zhang family¡¯s yard. once she returns, she planned to stealthily get some chili seeds to plant in the interspace. on the way down the mountain, she could visit the bamboo forest and maybe find some bamboo shoots.


    this mountain trip was very fruitful.


    seeing that the animals would continue grazing for a while, jiang xia told jiang chuan and went into the interspace to organize the crops.


    to her surprise, the available space in the interspace had expanded, looking more like¡­ a farm!


    previously, there were only four plots for planting, now there were six. moreover, there were fences and sheds, with four fenced-in areas.


    these fences, made of sturdy wood and painted white, gave a very british ranch feel.


    the fences that appeared in the interspace were far more aesthetically pleasing and neater than the crooked wooden ones jiang xia had made herself. upon comparison, jiang xia only wanted to tear down the ones she made, feeling they marred the view too much.


    given the changes in the land and fences, would there also be changes in the fish in the river?


    with this thought, jiang xia hurried to the riverbank to check on the fish and green-tailed prawns.


    the green-tailed prawns, which had been introduced into the interspace three days ago, had just matured, with a count of exactly twenty. they didn¡¯t appear to have started breeding yet.


    in addition to the green-tailed shrimps, jiang xia had secretly added small river shrimps to the interspace.


    these small river shrimps were tinier in size and greater in number. even though their taste was far inferior to the green-tailed shrimps and they had a strong fishy smell, they could be used as gifts or for bartering, so jiang xia kept them.


    the growth rate of the small river shrimps was much faster. the seven or eight shrimps she had introduced in the morning had already multiplied to over fifty.


    based on their growth rate, jiang xia deduced that the small river shrimps had a growth cycle of one day, with a maximum population of around three hundred.


    the number of fish seemed to have increased as well. jiang xia made a rough estimate and noticed an addition of about fifty small fish, likely recently born. this meant that the space could now accommodate up to two hundred and fifty fish..

 Chapter 301 - Chapter 301: Upgrade System

    chapter 301: upgrade system


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang xia was now certain that her interspace had leveled up.


    it seems that all the novels zhou lan read weren¡¯t completely useless. at least her speculation about the power upgrade was right.


    but what was the mechanism of this power upgrade?


    as jiang xia was planting the newly acquired herbs in the land, she recalled her actions over the past few days.


    she had merely planted a few more vegetables and added a few more animals. could it possibly be related to the variety of flora and fauna?


    while jiang xia was contemplating this, suddenly the clouds in the sky transformed into words: ¡°achieved cultivation of ten crops and breeding of five animals, interspace upgraded.¡±


    it seemed she was right. the upgrades were indeed related to the variety, and both flora and fauna needed to meet the requirements!


    this means that as long as she had a sufficient variety of flora and fauna in her interspace, it would upgrade again. how wonderful!


    however, there was one downside. the interspace did not inform her of the number of species needed for the next upgrade, so jiang xia could only keep experimenting.


    after planting the vegetables and wiping the dirt off, jiang xia washed her hands in the river.


    currently, the six types of vegetables she had planted in her interspace were wild mint, fleece-flower root, motherwort, rehmannia, wild mushrooms, and regular mushrooms.


    jiang xia decided to go out and inform jiang chuan of her discovery.


    after listening, jiang chuan pondered for a moment, ¡°it¡¯s very likely that there were hints during our ability upgrades as well, but we may have overlooked them. we need to be more attentive in the future.¡±


    now that there was a fence in the interspace, they didn¡¯t have to worry about small animals roaming around and eating the crops. after putting all the animals inside, jiang xia looked around, satisfied with her work.


    ¡°dad, what should we do with the remaining radishes and wild grass?¡±


    jiang chuan glanced indifferently, ¡°don¡¯t worry. other animals will come and eat them soon. you must believe in the attraction of the water in your interspace.¡±


    ¡°good point.¡±


    after the father and daughter cleaned up, they planned to return to the zhang family home.


    suddenly, the sky turned gloomy, and a cold wind blew, making them shiver.


    jiang xia involuntarily tightened the thin cotton coat she was wearing. the cotton inside, worn for many years, barely provided warmth anymore. she couldn¡¯t withstand the cold mountain wind. ¡°the weather is so strange. it was clear just now, but now it¡¯s overcast.¡±


    jiang chuan, also shivering, looked up, ¡°this isn¡¯t good. it¡¯s so cold on the mountain; it looks like it¡¯s going to snow!¡±


    jiang xia loves watching snow. hearing this, she became excited, ¡°i didn¡¯t expect to see snow during a drought!¡±


    jiang chuan took out two thick clothes from the car and draped them over himself and his daughter.


    thankfully, the z country is vast, with varied climates across different regions. some areas experience a wide temperature range, necessitating clothing for all seasons during a single day. whenever they went out, zhou lan would always prepare clothes for all four seasons, just in case.


    ¡°don¡¯t get too excited,¡± he warned. ¡°if it snows heavily on the mountaintop and visibility decreases, we might get lost.¡±


    hearing this, jiang xia became disheartened, ¡°let¡¯s get off the mountain quickly. we just upgraded our interspace ability; we can¡¯t afford an accident here.¡±


    they had accidentally traveled to this place while on a trip in the modern outskirts. although jiang xia didn¡¯t mention it, she still felt uneasy about it.


    but the snowfall was faster than they expected. soon, the sky turned dark, and fog formed, causing them to lose their direction.


    jiang chuan, who always claimed to have a great sense of direction, doubted that he could lead his daughter safely back now.


    looking around at the grey surroundings, jiang chuan said, ¡°we can¡¯t continue. it¡¯s too windy. it¡¯s dangerous on the mountaintop. we should hide in our interspaces for now.¡±


    jiang xia nodded in agreement but then realized a problem. ¡°what if my brother-in-law comes looking for us on the mountain? if we¡¯re both hiding in our interspaces, how will he find us? plus, i can¡¯t hear outside noises or feel the weather from my interspace.¡±


    jiang chuan reassured her, ¡°i can hear noises from inside the car. you can sit with me, and if zhang ping comes looking for us, we¡¯ll come out..¡±

 Chapter 302 - Chapter 302: Discovering Lingzhi

    chapter 302: discovering lingzhi


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang xia nodded and followed jiang chuan, taking refuge in the car.


    suddenly, a cold wind blew, dispersing some of the thick fog. jiang xia seemed to recognize a familiar cave in the distance.


    ¡°dad, do you see that? isn¡¯t there a cave over there? it looks just like the one in my dream!¡±


    jiang chuan looked through the car window and indeed, it appeared to be a cave. and it was not far from them. given the current visibility, they could easily reach it.


    ¡°let¡¯s go and check it out.¡±


    saying that, jiang chuan led jiang xia out of the car towards the cave.


    luck truly is unpredictable. the cave wasn¡¯t deep. by jiang chuan¡¯s measure, it was only about six steps from one end to the other, with signs of frequent human visits.


    yet, in such a small cave, jiang xia managed to find a lingzhi mushroom!


    jiang xia carefully dug out the lingzhi and showed it to jiang chuan, who was visibly elated. ¡°this lingzhi is of excellent quality. it must¡¯ve grown for at least seven or eight years. keep it safe!¡±


    jiang xia promptly placed the lingzhi in the interspace and planted it in the grass.


    though the grass didn¡¯t allow for plant growth and fruition, it had a preservation function. plants planted there remained as fresh as when they were first uprooted, without excessive growth.


    just as jiang xia finished planting the lingzhi and emerged from the interspace, he heard zhang ping calling them from outside the cave.


    it turned out that zhao wan was worried about their safety in the storm, so she had sent the zhang brothers to find them.


    jiang chuan and jiang xia followed the zhang brothers back. zhao wan shared her decision with jiang chuan and zhou lan.


    ¡°dear, after discussing with the children, we decided that zhang ping¡¯s family and third brother zhang will accompany you to the village.¡±


    zhou lan, puzzled, asked, ¡°aren¡¯t you and zhang hu coming with us?¡±


    zhang hu was still upset, but he looked much better than at noon, seemingly in agreement with zhao wan.


    zhao wan explained, ¡°i¡¯ve lived on this mountain for almost twenty years. i can¡¯t bear to leave now. su zhen said he¡¯d find a solution, so i¡¯ve decided to stay. second brother zhang will stay with me.¡±


    zhou lan didn¡¯t press further.


    su zhen had connections in the government, ensuring that a hunter didn¡¯t have to relocate was not a big deal. given zhang hu¡¯s stubborn nature, it was better he didn¡¯t go to the village to avoid any potential trouble.


    as long as jiang qing could return with them, and the family could be reunited happily, jiang chuan¡¯s family would be satisfied.


    in the end, it was decided that jiang chuan¡¯s family would head back first to handle the residency paperwork, while zhang ping, jiang qing, and third brother zhang would stay with zhao wan until the government¡¯s deadline.


    this meant they had one month to prepare.


    after discussing the matter, zhou lan took out something she had bought from a department store¡ªa pair of floral fabric shoes.


    she carefully observed the size of zhao wan¡¯s feet and found them to be roughly the same size as her own, although a bit slimmer. taking advantage of jiang chuan¡¯s absence, zhou lan made some adjustments to the shoes to make them a perfect fit for zhao wan.


    she then brought out five jars of meat sauce she had made herself, three strips of cured meat, and a piece of blue cotton cloth.


    she said, ¡°this is the first time our two families have met, so i prepared some gifts. 1 hope you won¡¯t find them too modest.¡±


    zhao wan knew that these items must not have come cheaply given the current circumstances of the jiang family. she was touched even before she could think of refusing.


    ¡°you are too kind,¡± she said. ¡°1 also prepared some gifts for you to take back.¡±


    what zhao wan had prepared was a complete tiger pelt.


    the pelt had been cleanly peeled starting from the neck down, with not a single wound or tear anywhere on it.


    it is important to know that tigers are extremely fierce. in those days, killing a tiger was difficult enough, let alone ensuring that the animal¡¯s body wasn¡¯t damaged. aiming precisely for the vital spot without harming the rest of the body was even more challenging.


    skinning the animal wasn¡¯t an easy task either. to peel off the skin intact required a lot of effort, showcasing the value and rarity of this tiger pelt.


    such a valuable gift, if sold on the black market, could easily fetch over a hundred dollars. yet, zhao wan gifted it without a second thought.


    moved by the gesture, jiang chuan grew even more curious about the zhang family.


    moreover, on this trip up the mountain, he discovered just how close the relationship was between su zhen and the zhang family..

 Chapter 303 - Chapter 303: Descending the Mountain

    chapter 303: descending the mountain


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    throughout his interactions with su zhen, jiang chuan realized that su zhen was a young man with a strong sense of caution, finding it hard to fully trust anyone.


    zhao wan wasn¡¯t the type to easily consider someone as family either. however, the trust between them seemed even stronger than that between a mother and child. su zhen even attended internal meetings of the zhang family, indicating their close relationship.


    this was something jiang chuan hadn¡¯t anticipated.


    in the future, when jiang chuan and su zhen collaborate in business, it was uncertain whether their relationship would prove beneficial or problematic.


    the snowstorm came suddenly and departed just as abruptly. after less than an hour, it stopped without even wetting the ground.


    third brother zhang glanced at the sky and calmly remarked, ¡°tomorrow will be a sunny day.¡±


    third brother zhang had a knack for predicting the weather, and jiang qing trusted his forecasts. so, she began to pack their belongings. although saddened by her family¡¯s departure, she looked forward more to their reunion in a month.


    on their journey back, without su zhen accompanying them, jiang chuan could drive the entire way. for the sake of time, they still planned to stay a day in locust tree bay.


    early the next morning, they descended the mountain. zhang ping and jiang qing accompanied them to the foot of the mountain, only turning back when they were out of sight.


    in a secluded spot, jiang chuan brought out his car and smoothly drove to locust tree bay, arriving just in time for lunch.


    they visited the same hotel they had stayed in before. the landlady looked cold, as if she had just had an argument. while others might have been deterred by her demeanor, jiang chuan and his family knew it was just her usual expression.


    indeed, the landlady gave a small, not particularly warm smile upon seeing them, still assigning them the largest room upstairs.


    before heading up, zhou lan asked, ¡°madam, do you have a kitchen we could use?¡±


    pointing with her chin to the left corridor, the landlady responded, ¡°go straight to the end. start the fire yourself and remember to wash the pots and dishes after.¡±


    the landlady was straightforward. others might have worried about guests damaging the dishes or dirtying the kitchen and charged zhou lan for the use. but the landlady was unconcerned.


    she had a good impression of this family. when they last left, they gave her a basket of wild vegetables and a fish as a token of gratitude for offering them the best room. if converted, it¡¯s almost enough to pay for a second room.


    especially those vegetables and the fish, one was fresh and the other was fatty. even if they tried to exchange them at the supply and marketing cooperative, they couldn¡¯t get ones of this quality.


    the landlady didn¡¯t politely decline, and with her usual cold face, she glanced at the basket of vegetables and said, ¡°safe travels.¡±


    she really has a cool personality.


    zhou lan pulled jiang gu into the kitchen to get busy, while jiang chuan and jiang xia sat on the sofas on the first floor of the hotel.


    at this time, not many people were checking into the hotel. the landlady, having nothing to do, chatted with them, ¡°you just left three days ago and are already back. couldn¡¯t find the person on grand cloud mountain?¡±


    the landlady¡¯s question made sense because the journey from locust tree bay to grand cloud mountain takes at least a day and a half. so if they traveled there and back in three days, it seemed they didn¡¯t find the person.


    jiang chuan politely explained, ¡°we found them. on our way there and back, we were fortunate to hitch rides on kindly-offered carts. we only stayed a day at our relative¡¯s place. seeing that it rained, we were eager to return to the village and replant.¡±


    after the autumn harvest in rural areas, fields are replanted with crops like maize, which will mature by the next spring. but this year, due to drought, there¡¯s a shortage of seeds and the soil lacks nutrients. while distributing grain, the government also allowed fields to remain unplanted with grain before spring. farmers wishing to plant grains can temporarily cultivate their own vegetables.


    jiang xia had interspace, and the vegetables grown there were much better than those from the land. hence, jiang chuan, looking for a shortcut, decided to leave the land fallow.


    he said all this just to appease the landlady.


    the landlady looked wistfully outside at the clear blue sky, ¡°it¡¯s a pity that it only rained for a day. it¡¯s not enough to irrigate the fields. your family is quite lucky. wherever you go, you always find a cart.¡±


    jiang chuan felt guilty and didn¡¯t continue the conversation.


    after a while, zhou lan came out again, ¡°landlady, do you have any flour here? we¡¯ve run out of ours and would like to exchange for some..¡±

 Chapter 304 - Chapter 304: Knife

    chapter 304: knife-sliced noodles


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    as soon as zhou lan lit the fire and took out the vegetables, she realized that all the food jiang chuan had exchanged at the zhang family¡¯s place had been used to make vegetable buns. now, they didn¡¯t have any flour left for the main dish.


    thinking that the landlady was straightforward, zhou lan decided to borrow some flour from her.


    the landlady followed zhou lan into the kitchen and promptly scooped out two bowls of flour, asking, ¡°is this enough for your family?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s enough!¡± zhou lan quickly replied.


    these two bowls of flour weighed over a pound; even if they added another person, it would be sufficient. smiling, zhou lan holding the basin asked, ¡°do you want food tickets or money?¡±


    ¡°just eat it. every family faces difficulties when they¡¯re out,¡± the landlady said.


    she mentally compared the value of this flour to the delicious fish they had given her earlier, realizing the flour paled in comparison.


    using the flour, zhou lan made knife-shaved noodles with bacon, bamboo shoots, and chili. after cooking, she added a spoonful of meat sauce to each bowl, and the aroma immediately filled the entire ground floor.


    she served five bowls in total. after her family of four was served, there was still one bowl left which she offered to the landlady, ¡°1 noticed no one has used your kitchen during mealtime, so you probably haven¡¯t eaten. have a taste of my cooking.¡±


    this showed the genuine relationship between them. if the landlady was kind to them, zhou lan naturally wanted to repay the favor.


    tasting the delicious aroma, the landlady didn¡¯t refuse and began to eat.


    during the meal, the landlady mentioned something that made jiang xia see a business opportunity.


    she said, ¡°from the beginning of this month, the supply of alcohol has been decreasing. the demand is higher than the supply, and the price is soaring. the price of ordinary quality wine has increased from a few cents to more than a coin. high-quality wines have risen by more than two coin per bottle.¡±


    for example, the five grain liquor that jiang chuan had offered to chen xing, considered a high-quality wine, used to be two coin per bottle but now had surged to five coin. the price was exorbitant!


    jiang xia contemplated that five grain liquor was brewed from grains. she remembered reading about brewing using sorghum, millet, and rice. these grains were common in the countryside. if they cultivated a large quantity in their interspace, they could have enough to brew alcohol ¨C a potential business.


    after dinner, jiang chuan and jiang xia cleaned up, and the group went upstairs to put away their luggage.


    the market in locust tree bay had ended, and staying any longer was meaningless. jiang chuan planned to spend the night here and drive to the county town pharmacy the next day. by evening, they would return to pushan village.


    this itinerary would maximize their time on the road, avoiding suspicions from the villagers.


    in the afternoon, bored, jiang chuan wanted to visit the cooperative store to exchange some goods.


    jiang xia entered her interspace to prepare the items for exchange. there were about ten baskets each of white radishes and carrots. she took out three baskets of each. there were twelve baskets of mushrooms and wild fungi, of which she took out five baskets each.


    what they exchanged wasn¡¯t important. even if they got food tickets, it would be alright.


    in these times, as long as you had food, there was hardly anything you couldn¡¯t get in exchange.


    the medicinal herbs were still growing. jiang xia estimated that after one more night, the herbs would be mature.


    in a corner, the lingzhi mushrooms emitted a refreshing fragrance. every time she saw them, jiang xia felt a surge of pride, thinking about how improbable it was to dream of lingzhi and then find them in reality.


    oh, and the fish! jiang xia suddenly remembered, rushing to the river¡¯s edge to check.


    the green-tailed shrimps had twenty more offspring, and the river shrimps had proliferated.


    jiang xia caught some shrimps in a fishnet and took out fifty fish before leaving her interspace.


    on this trip to locust tree bay, although the market was closed, they unexpectedly encountered a black market.


    the black market was similar to the regular market, but due to concerns about government inspections, there were usually guards who charged entry fees. free entry was typically for familiar faces or through introductions.


    this black market was on their way to the cooperative store, located just a street away from the previous market¡¯s location.


    jiang chuan noticed two people standing on the street, vigilantly watching the passersby. on both sides of the street were vendors with baskets on their backs. unlike a typical market, they didn¡¯t display their goods. instead, they wandered around the black market, just like other customers..

 Chapter 305 - Chapter 305: Black Market

    chapter 305: black market


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    a table was placed in the middle of the street, with nothing on it. in front of the table sat a man. merchants and pedestrians would approach him with questions. he would look around, then point in a certain direction. the questioner would then head in that direction.


    jiang xia guessed that because merchants dared not display their wares openly, pedestrians didn¡¯t know who to approach for purchases. the man with the table served a purpose akin to modern-day customer service.


    mischievously, jiang xia wondered if this ¡°customer service¡± would be of any help if one had complaints.


    jiang chuan and his group, each carrying a basket, stopped at the entrance of the street. they intended to enter, but were stopped by a man, ¡°sorry, there¡¯s an event taking place on this street. it¡¯s not convenient to pass now. please go around.¡±


    the man was surprisingly polite, jiang xia thought.


    jiang chuan grasped the situation and pointed to his basket, asking, ¡°are there any requirements to participate in this event?¡±


    the man glanced at jiang chuan¡¯s basket and asked, ¡°are you here to buy or to sell?¡±


    ¡°both.¡±


    ¡°to trade, you need to pay. three coins per person.¡±


    so expensive! jiang xia was shocked. the four of them would have to pay twelve coins just to enter. what if they couldn¡¯t sell their goods?


    jiang xia tugged at her father¡¯s sleeve, hinting they should leave. however, her father had already taken some money from his pocket.


    seeing she couldn¡¯t dissuade him, she quickly asked before her father could pay, ¡°uncle, do you have a child ticket?¡±


    jiang chuan and zhou lan exchanged glances, taken aback.


    the gatekeeper, unfamiliar with the term ¡°child ticket¡±, said impatiently, ¡°per person, three coins.¡±


    after paying, they entered.


    although jiang xia made a few remarks about her father¡¯s spending habits, her curiosity quickly shifted to observing the black market¡¯s operations.


    she noticed a man with a basket talking to a woman. after a short conversation, the woman inspected the contents of the man¡¯s basket. subsequently, she handed over a bead to the man, who then gave her his basket.


    this seemed to be the trading process.


    jiang xia observed that the bead was actually a pearl. although not of the best quality, it was still valuable.


    what jiang xia didn¡¯t know was that the entire country was facing a drought. aquaculture farms lacked sufficient water, and many had already gone bankrupt. with no clams, the production of pearls had greatly decreased. as the saying goes, ¡°what is rare is precious,¡± so the pearl the woman had was worth thirty coin.


    the reason for the high entrance fee to the black market is that one can exchange items here that aren¡¯t typically seen in regular markets, and they can sell their goods at a much higher price.


    jiang chuan was good at doing business, and even though it was his first time at the black market, he was navigating it with ease.


    he observed that there were unwritten rules on the black market. different vendors had their designated areas. for instance, those selling vegetables were mostly concentrated near the entrance of the black market.


    jiang chuan deduced this because he smelled the fresh scent of vegetables, as well as the fishy odor of fish and meat. but as he ventured deeper into the market, these scents faded, clearly indicating he was moving farther from the vendors.


    with zhou lan and his two daughters in tow, he approached the man sitting beside the table and politely asked, ¡°brother, we have some white radishes and fish that we¡¯d like to exchange. where should we go?¡±


    jiang chuan¡¯s guess was right; the man pointed towards the entrance of the black market.


    expressing his gratitude, jiang chuan headed towards the vegetable-selling area.


    in reality, their initial intent for visiting the black market was to buy items ¨C to see if there were rare commodities that were hard to find elsewhere. however, after spending twelve coin just on the entrance fee, the group lost the desire to shop. they were now focused on selling their goods and making some money first.


    despite standing there for quite a while, not a single person approached jiang chuan¡¯s group. jiang xia was a bit disheartened, ¡°dad, look at the other vendors. several groups of people have approached them in just this short amount of time. we haven¡¯t had even one. do you think we won¡¯t be able to sell our vegetables?¡±


    jiang chuan frowned in thought. ¡°that¡¯s not the case. there must be some details we overlooked. don¡¯t worry, 1¡¯11 go and ask around.¡±


    he approached one of the busiest vendors in the area.


    the man was wearing a cloth hat, and his clothes were stitched from wolf pelts, clearly signifying his affluence..

 Chapter 306 - Chapter 306: Deal

    chapter 306: deal


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    from the moment they arrived at the black market, jiang chuan noticed people constantly inquiring about vegetable prices.


    walking over, jiang chuan instinctively reached for a cigarette to offer the man, only to remember that he hadn¡¯t smoked for a long time since arriving here and didn¡¯t have a cigarette pack on him. while jiang chuan didn¡¯t really have a smoking habit, lighting one up was often a necessary social ritual when doing business.


    without cigarettes, he decided to offer some water instead.


    moving closer, jiang chuan noticed the man had finished the last drop in his cup. before the man could close the lid, jiang chuan tried to strike up a conversation, ¡°brother, i see you¡¯ve finished your water. would you like a refill?¡±


    the man, seeing a new face, regarded jiang chuan with suspicion, but still handed over his cup. having stood there all noon and talked so much, he was genuinely thirsty. even if he was wary of strangers, he couldn¡¯t resist the allure of water at the moment.


    while pouring the water, jiang chuan asked, ¡°brother, to be honest, i also want to sell some vegetables, but no one has inquired about the price. i see that you always have many customers. do you have any tricks?¡±


    after drinking the water, the man felt suddenly refreshed. he didn¡¯t attribute it to the water, simply assuming he had been extremely thirsty. in reality, it was because the water had properties from jiang xia interspace, making him feel rejuvenated.


    the man, after benefiting from jiang chuan¡¯s water, felt it¡¯d be rude to ignore him. glancing at jiang chuan¡¯s vegetable basket, he asked, ¡°what are you selling?¡±


    jiang chuan replied with a smile, ¡°white radishes, carrots, some mushrooms, and a few fish.¡±


    ¡°oh, that¡¯s quite a lot.¡±


    thinking that he had almost sold all his goods, the man decided to give jiang chuan some tips, considering it a gesture of friendship.


    ¡°you can¡¯t sell vegetables like this,¡± the man pointed out, ¡°you¡¯ve covered your basket so tightly. how will people know what vegetables you¡¯re selling or whether they¡¯re fresh?¡± he twisted around, revealing his own open basket. ¡°in the black market, we use these kinds of baskets. yours won¡¯t work.¡±


    jiang chuan¡¯s basket had a lid, while the man¡¯s did not, clearly displaying its contents. jiang chuan noticed only a small bundle of celery remained in the man¡¯s basket, indicating he was almost done for the day.


    seeing the fresh celery, jiang chuan expressed his interest, ¡°brother, how much for your celery? i could trade with you.¡±


    eager to head home, the man quickly agreed, ¡°i heard you mention mushrooms. i want some. let¡¯s barter. this small bundle of celery, by black market standards, is worth three coins. show me your mushrooms.¡±


    jiang xia, upon hearing the price, mentally criticized the man for overcharging. such a small bundle of celery, probably just a hundred grams, and he dared ask for three coins? that could buy 1.5 kilograms of food outside!


    the mushrooms were in zhou lan¡¯s basket. opening the lid, jiang chuan said, ¡°this is our first time here. we don¡¯t know the market rate for mushrooms. you name a price.¡±


    the man noticed the large size of the mushrooms and assumed they were wild. such large mushrooms couldn¡¯t be cultivated in regular farms.


    having just benefited from jiang chuan¡¯s water, the man didn¡¯t want to take advantage. ¡°let¡¯s keep it simple: same price for mushrooms and celery. i¡¯ll take 1.5 kilograms of your mushrooms in exchange for my celery. how does that sound?¡±


    jiang chuan readily agreed, even throwing in an extra mushroom as a bonus.


    the man, seeing jiang chuan¡¯s accommodating manner, took a liking to him and proceeded to explain more about the distribution of goods in the black market.


    pointing to a zone deep inside, he said, ¡°money is mainly useful within the black market. once you step outside, everything needs to be exchanged for food tickets or other types of tickets. that particular area is specifically for buying and selling food tickets. after you finish selling your vegetables, you might want to check it out.¡±


    it seemed that offering the mushroom was a good move. jiang chuan then asked, ¡°what else is available in this black market?¡±


    the man began listing with his fingers, ¡°there¡¯s a wide variety. clothes, fabric, cotton, and even beverages like alcohol and milk. in short, anything you¡¯d find in a shopping mall, you can find here.¡±


    jiang chuan was not curious about common things. they came to the black market to find things that were not available elsewhere.. ¡°don¡¯t you have any rare items?¡±

 Chapter 307 - Chapter 307: Jade Bracelet

    chapter 307: jade bracelet


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    the man sized up jiang chuan with a glance. while jiang chuan appeared modestly dressed, his demeanor and speech exuded a grandeur that hinted at wealth. the man gestured towards an area he usually didn¡¯t dare to casually stroll, ¡°yes, there are rare items there, but it¡¯s all about luck. you¡¯ll have to go and see for yourself what¡¯s available. just make sure you bring enough money.¡± jiang xia recognized the area as the same one where she had earlier spotted a pearl transaction. it seemed the items in the black market were indeed rare, and the twelve coins entry fee might be worth it after all.


    after the man left, jiang chuan imitated the way the man sold vegetables, and as expected, more customers approached him.


    jiang chuan¡¯s vegetables were fresher, larger, and reasonably priced not exorbitantly high. hence, many were eager to buy from him.


    unlike regular markets, where prices were negotiated in the open and items were often uniformly priced, in the black market everything was more covert. regardless of your price, there would be a buyer. the key was how ruthless the vendor wanted to be in setting the price.


    aware of the many watchful eyes, jiang xia dared not recklessly bring out vegetables from their secret storage. they only sold what was in the basket: ten green-tailed shrimps, forty fishes, and a basket of river shrimp.


    every vegetable was priced at three cents per half a kilograms. wild mushrooms were more expensive, six cents per half a kilogram. a basket of white radishes weighing 20 kilograms sold for twelve coins a basket of carrots weighing 17.5 kilograms sold for ten and a half coins; mushrooms weighing 12.5 kilograms for seven and a half coins; wild mushrooms weighing 12.5 kilograms for fifteen coins.


    while fish usually sold for five cents per half a kilogram, they sold them at the black market for a coin per half kilogram. each fish weighed approximately 2 kilogram, selling in total for one hundred and sixty coin. the shrimps were sold at five coin each, amounting to fifty coin.


    in total, they earned two hundred and fifty-five coin. deducting the entrance fee, they still made a good profit. overnight, jiang chuan¡¯s family seemed to become wealthy.


    the entry fee seemed more worthwhile in jiang xia¡¯s eyes.


    with money in their pockets, they felt more at ease to explore. they were not curious about what regular shopping mall offered, so they headed straight to the special area the man had mentioned.


    in that area, jiang xia noticed that many people seemed to possess nothing. oddly, there were more buyers than sellers.


    noticing jiang xia¡¯s confusion, jiang chuan explained, ¡°these people might be carrying small, inconspicuous but valuable items, possibly items like jade pendants or pearls.¡±


    jiang chuan thought that since they were at the black market, they might come across some good-quality jade.


    as he was pondering this, someone approached, ¡°you seem to know your way around. what are you interested in buying?¡±


    jiang chuan sized up the man, who seemed rather square in every feature. he countered, ¡°what do you have?¡±


    the man gave a mysterious smile, ¡°exactly what you just mentioned.¡±


    jade?


    ¡°show me.¡±


    the man carefully looked around and said, ¡°one shouldn¡¯t flaunt their wealth. how can i show it here? come with me.¡± he pointed towards a withered tree nearby where there were fewer people, and led jiang chuan and his family towards it.


    once they reached the tree, the man mysteriously pulled out an object wrapped in tattered cloth. to create an ambiance, he deliberately unfolded the cloth slowly, layer by layer, like peeling an onion, finally revealing a jade bracelet inside.


    jiang gu hadn¡¯t seen jade before and was extremely curious, stretching her neck and standing on her toes to get a better look. zhou lan simply lifted her up to give her a clearer view.


    jiang chuan examined the jade bracelet and then glanced at zhou lan¡¯s bare wrist.


    on their modern wedding anniversary, jiang chuan had spent hundreds of thousands on a jade bracelet for zhou lan. it had a greenish-white hue, was transparent and free of impurities. zhou lan loved it so much that she never took it off. however, after arriving here, the bracelet disappeared. jiang chuan had always been thinking of buying her another one.


    the quality of this jade bracelet, although not as good as the one he gave zhou lan and not as finely crafted as modern craftsmanship, was still among the upper echelons of jade pieces.


    jiang chuan, not one for beating around the bush, directly asked, ¡°how much are you selling it for?¡±


    the man held up two fingers, gauging jiang chuan¡¯s reaction.


    jiang chuan knew it wouldn¡¯t be cheap, so he didn¡¯t guess twenty, and directly offered a price, ¡°two hundred?¡±

 Chapter 308 - Chapter 308: Deal

    chapter 308: deal


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang gu gasped when she heard that. how many vegetables would her family have to sell to earn such an expensive bracelet? no, no!


    zhou lan and jiang xia, however, seemed nonchalant. both had seen luxurious items before and shared jiang chuan¡¯s sentiments upon seeing the jade bracelet. thus, the price was within their expectations.


    the man waved his hand, indicating a number two twice.


    jiang chuan was all too familiar with this tactic. it was an old trick he had used before, to try and increase the price. ¡°dream on,¡± he thought.


    jiang chuan straightforwardly said, ¡°two hundred, no more, no less. take it or leave it.¡± he then prepared to leave.


    with that, he turned around and prepared to leave.


    seeing this, the man panicked. ¡°who negotiates like this?¡± he thought, feeling cornered with no room for negotiation. he originally hoped for 220, but now was possibly going to miss out on an extra 20.


    had jiang chuan genuinely not been interested, the man would have let it go. however, jiang chuan was clearly keen on the bracelet but wasn¡¯t willing to pay more. if he missed out on this customer, who knows how long it would be before another potential buyer came along.


    the black market in locust tree bay isn¡¯t as thriving as the county¡¯s. most participants are laborers and farmers, primarily concerned with basic needs, viewing jade bracelets as luxuries.


    so, while locust tree bay¡¯s black market had many rare items, there were few who could afford them. only once or twice had someone from the county specially come to buy such items.


    the man gritted his teeth and grabbed jiang chuan. ¡°deal! but 1 want cash, now!¡±


    jiang chuan wasn¡¯t fazed. he had just sold their vegetables and certainly had the cash on hand.


    the two counted the money on the side. the man, clutching the cash tightly as if fearing it might be stolen, vanished quickly.


    jiang chuan took the bracelet and walked over to zhou lan. he first took jiang gu from her arms and placed her on the ground. then, he took his wife¡¯s hand and slid the jade bracelet onto her wrist. ¡°dear, 1 love you.¡±


    reacting quickly, jiang xia covered jiang gu¡¯s ears and eyes, ¡°look away and listen nothing it¡¯s inappropriate.¡±


    blushing, zhou lan nestled into jiang chuan¡¯s embrace. ¡°we¡¯ve been husband and wife for so long, yet you¡¯re still so romantic.¡±


    however, the joyous smile on her face was unmistakably radiant.


    200 coins was no small amount in this era. more crucially, there were many needs for money in jiang chuan¡¯s household currently. ideally, such an amount should be spent on more essential needs.


    but, a jade bracelet of this quality isn¡¯t something one encounters often. perhaps when they have more money in the future, they might not find a bracelet as beautiful as this. that¡¯s precisely why jiang chuan was determined to purchase it no matter what.


    jiang chuan converted the remainder of his money into food stamps. after all, money was only useful in the black market; outside of it, even if one had money, it couldn¡¯t be spent.


    unexpectedly, jiang xia found out there were also book tickets available on the black market. he exchanged five coin for book tickets, intending to buy books from the shopping mall later on.


    with a thought, jiang xia quickly filled up a few baskets with vegetables. soon after, the group headed directly to the shopping.


    upon their arrival, the store manager, with a face full of excitement, couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°do you have more fish to sell? i¡¯ll buy them all!¡±


    he had previously purchased all of jiang chuan¡¯s fish, even leaving a few for himself.


    after tasting them, he realized just how delicious the fish jiang chuan sold were. even the fish bones were few, and the soup made from the fish head was even whiter than milk!


    he had gifted some fish to the store owner and other government officials. the very next day, his salary was increased, making up for the shortfall he had after purchasing cotton from jiang chuan and his family.


    after the jiang family left, he was worried about where he would get more fish. but then, they returned.


    however, jiang chuan had his reservations. he had previously sold him over a hundred fish, and now, just three days later, he had dozens more. anyone would be suspicious of where the fish were sourced from.


    this year had been a drought year, and nearby villages didn¡¯t have any fishponds. the sudden appearance of these fish was very puzzling.


    brushing it off, jiang chuan said, ¡°1 sold all my fish to you last time. where would i get extra fish from?¡±


    the manager looked a bit disappointed. following up, jiang chuan said, ¡°however, we went to the mountains and collected a lot of wild mushrooms. they¡¯re also valuable and good for health. would you be interested in buying?¡± ¡°of course!¡± the manager brightened up immediately. in the countryside, there¡¯s a saying that wild mushrooms are as precious as ginseng, and presenting them as gifts would definitely not be looked down upon..

 Chapter 309 - Chapter 309: Going Home

    chapter 309: going home


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    after all, who gives fish as a gift every day? there must be variety in the gifts to show sincerity.


    the manager looked at jiang chuan with anticipation, ¡°how many wild mushrooms did you bring this time? i¡¯ll take them all!¡±


    wild mushrooms aren¡¯t heavy, and jiang gu¡¯s strength is considerable. so each of the four of them carried a basket.


    jiang chuan pointed to everyone¡¯s baskets, ¡°four baskets, 50 kilograms. how about four cents per half kilograms?


    prices on the black market are always higher than usual. although the mushrooms could be sold for six cents per half kilogram, the store manager found four cents a bit expensive.


    the manager neither agreed nor disagreed but instead asked, ¡°do you want to barter for items from the shopping mall again instead of taking money?¡±


    jiang chuan nodded. seeing the manager¡¯s hesitation, he was prepared for a price negotiation.


    as expected, the manager said, ¡°you know the rules of the shopping mall. we can¡¯t use cash. since we know each other well, let¡¯s compromise. instead of four cants per half kilogram, give me a discount of one cents. you can choose anything you like from the shopping mall, same as last time. how does that sound?¡±


    jiang chuan readily agreed, ¡°deal.¡±


    this time jiang chuan only took 25 kilograms of cotton and two bolts of cotton fabric.


    after experiencing the blizzards on the mountain peak, jiang chuan realized just how thin their cold-resistant clothing was. it was wholly inadequate for the harsh winter. once they returned home, they would need to make new clothes and quilts.


    moreover, jiang qing¡¯s family was about to visit, so preparations were made to provide them with winter clothing and blankets.


    before leaving, jiang xia selected 7 pairs of cotton gloves. every family member received a pair, and an extra pair was gifted to the bookstore owner downstairs, named wan ping.


    jiang xia, with her five coins book tickets and the cotton gloves, went to the bookstore and exchanged them for ten books. among them was a book dedicated to brewing and another one about plant cultivation.


    wan ping took a liking to this young girl and gave her an additional calligraphy practice book and a set of fountain pens.


    jiang xia¡¯s eyes sparkled when she saw the pen and the calligraphy book. she kept the pen for herself, and the calligraphy book could be used by jiang gu to practice writing. after all, when they returned, they would need to address their education, and these stationery items would undoubtedly be useful.


    upon leaving, wan ping wrote a booklist for her, saying, ¡°you love to read. in the future, you can use this list to buy books.¡±


    jiang xia thanked her and left joyfully.


    on this trip, both jiang xia and zhou lan received something. even though jiang gu didn¡¯t purchase anything, she was delighted for her sister and mother, bouncing around cheerfully all the way.


    after returning to the hotel, jiang chuan suddenly remembered that they had run out of food. he took a basket of radishes to the cooperative to exchange for food. with the radishes and the food tickets combined, he got 15 kilogram of refined flour and 10 kilogram of rice.


    as for the celery they bought from the black market, jiang xia, following the instructions in a book, removed the roots and water-cultivated them in a bottle filled with interspace water. if the celery rooted, then it could be planted and grown.


    the remaining celery was used for noodles that very night.


    eager to read, jiang xia spent the entire night hidden away in her interspace without sleeping. when she woke up the next morning, she checked the celery and found it had rooted. it had truly grown.


    so, she pulled out all the mushrooms and planted the celery instead.


    the other herbs hadn¡¯t matured yet. jiang xia, drawing from the book on plant cultivation, deduced that these herbs had reached their growth phase. their maturation cycle in this interspace was approximately three days.


    jiang chuan¡¯s initial plan was to drive directly to the county town to exchange things at the pharmacy. however, that morning, a downpour began. this rain, unlike the light drizzles of grand cloud mountain, could be described as torrential. with low visibility and poor road conditions, jiang chuan dared not drive fast and chose to pull over and wait out the rain.


    this delay meant they couldn¡¯t make it to the county town.


    however, jiang xia felt this was for the best. the herbs weren¡¯t matured yet, so there was no point in going to the county town. it was a good time to return home.


    after discussing their return arrangements, jiang xia lay down in the car to rest. when she woke up, it was nearly evening. the rain had stopped, and the car was parked not far from the village entrance.


    jiang chuan observed the muddy ground and took out the rubber shoes they bought from the shopping mall for everyone to wear.


    ¡°after the rain, the village¡¯s dirt road is hard to navigate,¡± he warned. ¡°be


    cautious when walking and avoid getting stuck in the mud pits..¡±

 Chapter 310 - Chapter 310: Gifts

    chapter 310: gifts


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang chuan pondered for a moment. he really couldn¡¯t bear for his wife to walk on this muddy road. he added, ¡°dear, 1¡¯11 carry you so you won¡¯t get all muddy from the ground.¡±


    jiang xia responded, ¡°dad, why don¡¯t you show the same concern for your two precious daughters?¡±


    zhou lan playfully stuck out her tongue and said, ¡°then you should hurry up and find a boyfriend to pamper you.¡±


    jiang xia retorted, ¡°i¡¯m only thirteen! how can you push me to have a relationship at this age?¡±


    jiang chuan carried zhou lan into the village. it was dinner time, and every household was cooking. the air was filled with the aroma of food.


    they immersed themselves in this familiar atmosphere. the fatigue from days of travel gradually faded, giving them the warm feeling of finally coming home.


    before entering their home, jiang chuan set zhou lan down at the entrance. he placed the prepared dishes and fish into the basket, slung it over his shoulder, and headed straight to zhou fang¡¯s house.


    after a while, when zhou lan starts cooking, the villagers will know that the jiang chuan family has returned. by the time the news of jiang chuan¡¯s return reaches zhou fang, it wouldn¡¯t seem that genuine if jiang chuan hadn¡¯t made a pointed effort to visit zhou fang directly.


    when jiang chuan arrived, zhou fang¡¯s family was just starting dinner. their eldest daughter answered the door. upon seeing jiang chuan, she greeted him without any hesitation, ¡°uncle jiang,¡± and then ran back inside to eat.


    knowing jiang chuan had returned, zhou fang, with half a bun in his hand and a piece of meat in his mouth, came out to greet him.


    setting the basket on the ground, jiang chuan politely said, ¡°captain zhou, we¡¯ve just entered the village, and i¡¯ve brought you some souvenir from grand cloud mountain.¡±


    such words were heartwarming, showing jiang chuan had zhou fang in mind, as he visited even before entering his own home.


    zhou fang, known for his poker face, didn¡¯t react much. his wife, wan fang, expressed gratitude on his behalf. excitedly, she took the basket from jiang chuan. inside were two pieces of cured meat, a box of wild mushrooms, and two large, plump fish, each appearing to weigh about five pounds.


    the gifts were so lavish that wan fang hesitated, looking at her husband for guidance.


    in the village, zhou fang was notorious in the village for his cold demeanor. therefore no one dared to approach zhou fang with gifts, so wan fang wasn¡¯t used to receiving such offerings.


    after some contemplation, considering his relatively good relationship with jiang chuan. they would greet each other when they met in the village, and jiang chuan even knew his younger brother. he thought it wouldn¡¯t be inappropriate to accept gifts when jiang chuan visited. he signaled to wan fang to accept.


    only then did wan fang placed the basket in the courtyard and warmly welcomed jiang chuan into the house. she added a set of chopsticks for him and poured wine for both of them. she said, ¡°you¡¯ve just returned, and surely you haven¡¯t started cooking at your home. why not eat here?¡±


    without declining the offer, jiang chuan sat down with a smile.


    zhou fang, being one of the wealthiest in the village, had a meal that was more lavish than what most could afford. two meat dishes, one vegetable, porridge, and white buns ¨C who wouldn¡¯t be envious?


    everyone clearly understood the purpose of jiang chuan¡¯s visit, so there was no need for further pleasantries. zhou fang asked first, ¡°how has your daughter¡¯s family been since your trip to grand cloud mountain?¡±


    jiang chuan replied, ¡°they¡¯re doing alright, but the conditions in the mountains are challenging, certainly not as good as our village. i¡¯ve discussed with my son-in-law about bringing them to the village.¡±


    jiangchuan tried to depict life in the mountains as grim, hoping to persuade zhou fang to expedite the procedure.


    zhou fang took a sip of wine and asked expressionlessly,¡± have you thought of a place for them to stay?¡±


    jiang chuan emptied his cup, nervously rubbing his hands, ¡°there¡¯s a plot of land next to our house. could it be allocated to me? it would be nice to have my daughter closer.¡±


    zhou fang seemed troubled, ¡°it¡¯s hard to say. in the ten days since you left, a lot has happened in the village. the plot you¡¯re interested in is also desired by your elder brother.¡±


    jiang chuan was taken aback. why was jiang gui suddenly interested in that plot? was he planning to move out?


    that seemed improbable. in the jiang family, jiang gui was the most favored. if there were any divisions, it should be the second son, not him.


    noticing jiang chuan¡¯s confusion, wan fang explained, ¡°jiang hong is about to get engaged, and jiang gui wants to build a house for her.¡±


    this revelation left jiang chuan even more confused.. given the jiang family¡¯s traditional values of favoring sons over daughters, how could they be willing to construct a house for a daughter about to marry off?

 Chapter 311 - Chapter 311: Getting The Land Plot

    chapter 311: getting the land plot


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    furthermore, jiang mong had a rugged appearance, resembling her father. she was already twenty and still hadn¡¯t married off. flow is it that they only left for ten days, and jiang hong was already engaged?


    however, it wasn¡¯t appropriate to probe deeply into this matter here, so jiang chuan first addressed the issue of the land plot. ¡°captain, to be frank, on this trip to grand cloud mountain, i gathered some wild mushrooms and found some fish. i happened to exchange them for money at the locust tree bay market. now i have some money on me. as soon as the land plot is in hand, i can start building right away. how can i get this plot?¡±


    jiang chuan¡¯s decision not to inquire about jiang gui¡¯s affairs was wise. zhou fang¡¯s family was not close with the villagers, so wan fang only knew that jiang hong was getting engaged but didn¡¯t understand the specifics.


    she learned about it because jiang gui just came to her house that morning to talk about it.


    whether for public or personal reasons, zhou fang naturally hoped jiang chuan could secure the land plot. he had managed to put off jiang gui in the morning, but it might be hard to justify if he just gave it to his younger brother that evening.


    jiang chuan knew zhou fang¡¯s predicament, so he suggested, ¡°captain, this land plot isn¡¯t actually for me, but to respond to the national call.¡±


    ¡°oh? how so?¡±


    ¡°you see, the country has issued an order that all hunters on the mountains have to leave the mountain to settle down. if a village accepts the hunters on the mountains, isn¡¯t that doing something for the country? the zhang family now wants to settle in our village. if they don¡¯t have a place to stay, they might consider other villages.¡±


    zhou fang thought about it and felt that it made sense.


    this could be an opportunity to shine in front of the leaders. if another village acted first, wouldn¡¯t the praise go to them instead?


    initially, zhou fang had been chastised in the commune team leaders¡¯ meetings because the village chief had kept grain for pushan village. if this achievement was also taken by others, it would be truly unjust!


    ¡°alright, you can prepare then. this land plot is yours. i will provide you with a document later. but since you already have a plot under your name, this new one cannot be registered under you. use your son-in-law¡¯s name.¡±


    jiang chuan had been through many property disputes in the modern world, jiang chuan was somewhat sensitive about housing matters. however, considering the stable relationship between his daughter and son-in-law, he wasn¡¯t too worried about future disputes. what¡¯s important now was to secure the land plot.


    ¡°okay, my son-in-law¡¯s name is zhang ping!¡±


    once the matter was settled, the two started to drink at ease.


    when zhou lan just started cooking, the noise alerted her neighbor, xiao li, who thought it was a thief. he rushed over with a flashlight. seeing it was zhou lan¡¯s family, he relaxed.


    ¡°sister-in-law, you were gone for a long time. many things happened in the village. don¡¯t bother cooking now, come over and eat at my place. we can chat.¡±


    grateful for the kind gesture, zhou lan, feeling a bit lazy to cook, took her two daughters and went over.


    considering xiao li had been looking after their house, zhou lan brought along a basket of river shrimps and some mushrooms as a token of appreciation.


    these were inexpensive little gifts, meant to foster good relations with neighbors without making the other party feel uncomfortable.


    the meal at xiao li¡¯s house was much more modest compared to that of zhou fang¡¯s. they only had stir-fried wild vegetables and a pot of coarse grain porridge. when zhou lan¡¯s family arrived, they were offered some vegetable pancakes and meat sauce to satisfy their hunger.


    after some small talk, xiao li got to the point.


    ¡°sister-in-law, just last night, jiang gui sneaked over to your house. i heard some noises and went out to see. he was about to climb the wall, but luckily i stopped him in time. that¡¯s why i rushed over when 1 heard sounds earlier, thinking it might be him again.¡±


    zhou lan clenched her fists in anger, ¡°he still dares to covet my house! next time 1 catch him, i won¡¯t hesitate to give him a good beating.¡±


    xiao li believed her words. zhou lan had made a name for herself with a previous incident, and nobody in the village dared to provoke her.


    xiao li continued, ¡°i suspect he¡¯s trying to find a house for jiang hong.¡±


    ¡°oh? why for jiang hong?¡±


    xiao li was more informed on the matter than wan fang, so he explained.


    a few days ago, a matchmaker from the town visited, speaking of a suitor with decent family conditions. he was an employee in a shopping all in the county town and was rumored to be fairly handsome.


    given such attractive prospects, villagers would undoubtedly vie to marry their daughters to him..

 Chapter 312 - Chapter 312: Xiao Wu’s Wife

    chapter 312: xiao wu¡¯s wife


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    no one knows what tricks jiang gui used to get the matchmaker¡¯s attention on jiang hong. when the matchmaker returned to tell the man about her, he surprisingly agreed but had one condition: jiang hong must have her own house in the village.


    for the sake of climbing the social ladder and associating with city folks, jiang gui, of course, was willing to build a house for his daughter.


    he had an idea in mind: if he could claim jiang chuan¡¯s house for himself, he would save a considerable sum of money. that¡¯s why he sneaked into jiang chuan¡¯s house at night, trying to steal the deed.


    when that failed, he came up with another scheme, going to zhou fang¡¯s house in the morning to request a plot of land.


    xiao li, being a man, wasn¡¯t particularly privy to the intricate details of the jiang family¡¯s internal affairs. in reality, jiang gui¡¯s wife and jiang¡¯s second brother¡¯s wife even had a quarrel over this.


    the second brother¡¯s wife believed that since jiang hong was not very attractive, when the potential suitor eventually saw her, he would surely reject her. it would be better to marry off her own daughter instead. hearing this, jiang gui¡¯s wife, of course, wasn¡¯t pleased, leading the two to have a heated argument in the courtyard.


    old master jiang wouldn¡¯t tolerate their antics and directly drove both women out of the house, declaring that if they continued to quarrel, they would be asked to divorce and go back to their families.


    this finally made the two quiet down.


    but the second brother¡¯s wife couldn¡¯t stomach this humiliation. every day, she whispered in jiang¡¯s second brother¡¯s ear, trying to persuade him to separate from the family.


    jiang hua had the same thought.


    ever since jiang chuan left the family, the second branch of the old jiang family had taken over all the responsibilities of the jiang family. jiang hua finally realized how badly third brother was bullied every time. however, jiang hua was different from jiang chuan. at least they would resist and seek benefits for themselves, unlike jiang chuan, who was meek and resigned.


    now with the opportunity to marry into the city, old master jiang didn¡¯t consider jiang hua¡¯s beautiful daughter, but instead intended to marry off the unpleasant-looking and hot-tempered jiang hong. this made jiang hua see the true colors of his elderly parents.


    in their hearts, only the eldest son, jiang gui, was their true son. jiang hua and jiang chuan were just tools for work. staying in the jiang family would eventually lead to the same fate as jiang chuan: exploited to the last drop, even selling off his daughter.


    thus, there was a tumult in the old jiang family these days, with the eldest and second brothers quarreling about whose daughter should be married off, and the second brother wanting to separate from the family.


    now, zhang ling¡¯s heart was entirely on the side of jiang chuan¡¯s family. she eagerly hoped that the second household would split soon. once the zhang family moved in, she felt hopeful about her future days.


    after xiao li finished sharing that story, he brought up another matter. ¡°sister-in-law, the day before yesterday, xiao wu¡¯s wife gave birth to a boy. the village chief granted xiao wu leave. i¡¯m covering for him these two days, so 1 might not be at home during the daytime. 1 wanted to inform you in advance.¡±


    zhou lan exclaimed in surprise, ¡°that¡¯s wonderful news! it¡¯s a pity we were away and missed it. we¡¯ll visit them in person tomorrow.¡±


    xiao wu, xiao li, and jiang chuan had a close relationship. when they used to go to the supply and marketing cooperative to exchange items, xiao wu had often helped jiang chuan. a birth is a significant event in someone¡¯s life, and it¡¯s customary to pay a visit.


    zhou lan had met xiao wu¡¯s wife before but not frequently, probably because she deliberately avoided zhou lan.


    zhou lan¡¯s impression of her was of a pretty woman from the countryside with a sharp tongue.


    there were many gossipy women in the village who enjoyed discussing other families¡¯ affairs. zhou lan had also heard some rumors, saying xiao wu¡¯s wife, yang liu, had always looked down on jiang chuan¡¯s family. she frequently argued with xiao wu at home, forbidding him from interacting with jiang chuan.


    houses in the countryside aren¡¯t soundproof. if an argument becomes heated, the neighbors can hear it.


    moreover, xiao wu wasn¡¯t articulate. when yang liu scolded him, he often didn¡¯t know how to retort and would silently endure. once yang liu vented her frustrations, she would naturally stop. therefore, village women often said that xiao wu was henpecked.


    that night, zhou lan and jiang chuan discussed what gifts they should bring for their visit. after pondering, jiang chuan called over jiang xia.


    ¡°daughter, how are the medicinal herbs in your interspace growing?¡±


    jiang xia replied, ¡°they are still in the growth phase, but they¡¯re doing well. they can now thrive when planted in the village¡¯s soil.¡±


    true to jiang xia¡¯s nature, with just one sentence, she guessed jiang chuan¡¯s intention. he probably wanted to gift the medicinal herb saplings to xiao wu for planting.


    moreover, jiang chuan had always harbored the idea of developing medicinal fields in the village. by turning the village into a medicinal herb production base and having a pillar industry, so the village could develop.


    it was raining heavily in the village today, and the soil had been watered thoroughly. it was the most suitable place to grow vegetables.


    ¡°money shouldn¡¯t be wasted. even though giving milk to children is the most appropriate, people in the village have rarely seen milk. suddenly producing a box of milk might arouse suspicion. it¡¯s best to give herbal medicine instead..¡±

 Chapter 313 - Chapter 313: Wild Peppermint

    chapter 313: wild peppermint


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    the next morning, jiang xia kindly transplanted half of the wild mint from the interspace and replaced it with the yellow soil from the field. she had jiang chuan and zhou lan take it to xiao wu¡¯s house.


    upon seeing jiang chuan, xiao wu affectionately called him ¡°third brother¡± and pulled him into the house.


    jiang chuan stopped xiao wu, ¡°i need to leave soon, 1 brought you something, take a look first.¡±


    in the past, the soil was of good quality, and wild mint was everywhere on the mountains. xiao wu, of course, recognized this herb. however, due to the current drought, there was no wild mint on the mountains.


    xiao wu was a bit excited, ¡°third brother, 1¡­¡±


    xiao wu didn¡¯t know what to say for a moment.


    in these times, the most valuable things are seedlings and seeds. the first time jiang chuan returned from the mountain, he gave xiao wu and xiao li many seeds. now he brought wild mint seedlings for him. xiao wu was deeply moved.


    ¡°no need for words, i understand.¡± jiang chuan said. ¡°i brought this back from grand cloud mountain, so it¡¯s hard to say whether it can be planted or not, so don¡¯t thank me yet.¡±


    ¡°it will definitely grow!¡± xiao wu said, his nose tingling.


    yang liu was still in confinement after giving birth. zhou lan went in to chat with her, and xiao wu followed jiang chuan to plant the wild mint in the field.


    originally, yang liu had a big issue with jiang chuan¡¯s family because she thought jiang chuan was weak. even when his daughter was sold, he didn¡¯t resist. so, she didn¡¯t allow xiao wu to interact much with their family.


    however, people notice changes, and yang liu could feel that jiang chuan treated xiao wu very well. thus, she slowly accepted jiang chuan¡¯s family.


    seeing her in postpartum confinement, the jiang chuan family specially came to visit, which deeply touched yang liu.


    she is a straightforward person and doesn¡¯t like to beat around the bush. holding zhou lan¡¯s hand, she let her sit beside the bed and said directly, ¡°sister-in-law, 1 was narrow-minded and careless in the past. please don¡¯t take my words to heart.¡±


    zhou lan, having a very carefree personality, responded, ¡°look at what you¡¯re saying. our two families have a good relationship, let¡¯s not mention these things anymore.¡±


    as the adults chatted, jiang xia took jiang gu to see the baby.


    the child¡¯s face was wrinkled, with a yellowish complexion, clearly malnourished. seeing that the baby was asleep and not playful, jiang xia felt bored and took jiang gu outside.


    once in the courtyard, jiang gu suddenly looked outside as if she sensed something. ¡°second sister, 1 think i heard a cat meowing.¡±


    ¡°did you hear wrongly?¡± cats are hard to raise, so rural families rarely keep cats, opting more for dogs. jiang xia instinctively refuted, but then remembered that if jiang gu said she heard it, she probably did, especially since she has a natural perception of animals.


    jiang xia grabbed jiang gu¡¯s hand, ¡°let¡¯s go and check.¡±


    jiang gu¡¯s face lit up with excitement as they followed the sound in search of the cat.


    they walked all the way to a withered grove and didn¡¯t see any sign of a cat. just as they were about to give up, they heard a pitiful meow.


    jiang xia heard it too.


    she looked back and saw a pitiable little white cat trapped in a tree.


    the cat was snow white, with two eyes of different colors; one blue and one yellow. it looked very aggrieved and was so skinny it looked like skin and bones.


    jiang xia was afraid that it would be too dangerous for jiang gu to climb the tree, so she asked her to wait under the tree while she carefully climbed up the tree.


    the cat was very alert. seeing jiang xia approaching, it became increasingly alarmed and meowed loudly, hoping to scare her away.


    jiang xia was also scared because a stressed cat could easily scratch someone, but she couldn¡¯t just watch the cat fall, so she bravely moved closer.


    ¡°meow!¡± as the cat was held by jiang xia, it instinctively let out a loud cry and scratched her hand. fine beads of blood immediately surfaced.


    the pain made jiang xia want to let go, but if she did, the cat would fall. so she held on and carefully descended the tree.


    jiang gu quickly came over to check jiang xia¡¯s injury. after ensuring she was fine, she tried to hold the struggling cat.


    jiang xia wanted to warn jiang gu about getting scratched, but surprisingly, once the cat was in jiang gu¡¯s arms, it became very docile, even lowering its voice.


    jiang gu gently stroked the cat¡¯s head, ¡°second sister, the cat says it¡¯s sorry for scratching you.¡±


    seeing the cat¡¯s remorseful eyes, jiang xia forgave it and took jiang gu and the cat back to xiao wu¡¯s house.


    when jiang chuan returned and saw the scratch on jiang xia¡¯s hand, he became concerned.


    in later generations, domesticated cats were vaccinated, so a scratch wasn¡¯t a major issue. however, this was a wild cat, and if the wound wasn¡¯t treated, there might be a risk of rabies..

 Chapter 314 - Chapter 314: 314 Getting a Vaccine

    chapter 314: 314 getting a vaccine


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang chuan had zhou lan take jiang gu back home first while he took jiang xia to the hospital in town.


    as the two walked towards the village entrance, jiang xia reminded jiang chuan, ¡°dad, we need to get a pass to enter the town or county.¡±


    only then did jiang chuan remember. he couldn¡¯t help but say,¡± it¡¯s so troublesome to travel in this era!¡±


    if they were just going to town for trade, they could just secretly drive there. however, they were going to the hospital to get a vaccine. without pass, they really couldn¡¯t enter.


    jiang chuan was anxious. he pulled jiang xia toward the production team. after they received the certificate, chen xing warmly suggested, ¡°jiang chuan, take my donkey cart. it¡¯s faster.¡±


    to their surprise, the donkey seemed scared upon seeing jiang xia and refused to move.


    chen xing grumbled, ¡°of all times for this donkey to be stubborn!¡±


    jiang chuan was about to decline, since he had the huv, which was much faster.


    however, chen xing had another idea. ¡°take my bicycle. it¡¯s a bit tiring, but it¡¯s fast!¡±


    this was the bicycle chen xing had saved up for over three months to buy. he treasured it so much that he usually didn¡¯t allow anyone to touch it. yet today, he was willing to offer it. he¡¯d heard that jiang chuan had visited zhou fang¡¯s house as soon as he returned. knowing the two shared a special bond, he acted even friendlier toward jiang chuan.


    seeing that he couldn¡¯t refuse such kindness, jiang chuan reluctantly accepted.


    chen xing¡¯s bicycle had a bar in front of the seat. jiang chuan placed jiang xia on it, expressed his gratitude, mounted the bicycle, and rode off.


    jiang chuan rode for two miles until there was no one around. he then stopped, took out his car, stored the bicycle in the trunk, and then drove towards the county town.


    given they were heading to a hospital, the county town¡¯s resources were certainly superior to those in the smaller town.


    the county hospital was bustling. jiang chuan went to register, letting jiang xia wait in the main hall.


    there was a mix-up during registration. the nurse at the registration desk had an accent, which jiang chuan couldn¡¯t understand. the nurse told him to go to the third floor, but jiang chuan kept asking where to go. finally, the nurse became angry, slammed the desk, stood up, and shouted, ¡°third floor!¡±


    jiang chuan had a short temper, and getting shouted at made him even angrier. ¡°do you know that the patient is in a hurry to get an injection? if you don¡¯t speak clearly and then get angry at others, tell me your name, i¡¯m going to complain about you right now!¡±


    jiang xia had rarely seen jiang chuan lose his temper. it was the first time she witnessed jiang chuan getting so angry on her behalf. deep down, she felt touched, realizing her dad truly loved her!


    jiang xia tugged at jiang chuan, trying to calm him down, and he eventually relented.


    the two continued towards the third floor. along the way, jiang chuan kept grumbling, ¡°she cant speak clearly and still getting angry at me. i¡¯m going to complain!¡±


    ¡°dad, there¡¯s no such thing as complaining in this era.¡±


    ¡°¡­ hmph, 1 won¡¯t come next time!¡±


    it¡¯s not like the hospital will miss one patient¡­


    jiang chuan glanced at the back of jiang xia¡¯s hand, his eyes filled with concern. jiang xia had prepared comforting words for her dad, things like ¡®it doesn¡¯t hurt, don¡¯t worry.¡¯


    but all jiang chuan remarked was, ¡°if it were any later, the wound might have already healed.¡±


    jiang xia thought,¡±¡­ is it illegal to hit my dad?¡±


    after jiang xia received her injection, jiang chuan finally felt relieved. as they leisurely made their way out, he suddenly stopped and backtracked, standing in front of an office door.


    curious, jiang xia asked, ¡°what¡¯s the matter, dad?¡±


    jiang chuan stared at the doctor sitting inside the office and asked jiang xia, ¡°doesn¡¯t this person look familiar?¡±


    thinking about it, jiang xia agreed. upon closer examination, she realized the doctor resembled the old scholar from the pharmacy, just younger with black hair and no white strands.


    jiang xia curiously mused, ¡°could they be father and son?¡±


    jiang chuan nodded, ¡°perhaps. since we¡¯re already in town, why not go to the pharmacy and exchange our herbs?¡±


    jiang xia agreed. they found a secluded spot and took out the matured fleece-flower root, motherwort, and prepared rehmannia, placing them in a basket, and headed directly to the pharmacy.


    the old scholar remembered the duo well. this time, instead of being indifferent like before, he greeted them with a warm smile, ¡°are you here to exchange for the isatis root again?¡±


    jiang xia flashed a sweet smile, ¡°grandpa, we¡¯re here to exchange different herbs this time!¡±


    the old scholar¡¯s curiosity was piqued. he came around the counter to inspect the herbs they brought.


    to his astonishment, there was a basket full of fleece-flower root and half a basket each of prepared rehmannia and motherwort.


    the old scholar asked uncertainly, ¡°are you sure you aren¡¯t from a herb production base? this many herbs doesn¡¯t seem like something you¡¯d find on a mountain..¡±

 Chapter 315 - Chapter 315: Scar Removing Ointment

    chapter 315: scar removing ointment


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang chuan knew that suddenly presenting so many herbs would make the old scholar suspicious. therefore, he had already prepared an explanation. ¡°a couple of days ago, we went to grand cloud mountain. all these herbs were found there. it rained yesterday, and we took the chance to plant the herbs. but whether they¡¯ll grow well is uncertain.¡±


    the old scholar, having conducted research in grand cloud mountain, was aware of its rich soil and diverse plant species. hence, he didn¡¯t doubt jiang chuan¡¯s words.


    while the old scholar was inspecting the herbs, jiang xia casually chatted with him. ¡°grandpa, does your family come from a lineage of medicine?¡±


    the old scholar replied with a hint of pride, ¡°of course! starting from my ancestors, we have been practicing medicine. this pharmacy has been passed down for a century.¡±


    jiang xia expressed her surprise, ¡°what about your next generation? why are you the only one looking after the pharmacy now?¡±


    the old scholar¡¯s demeanor changed, clearly reluctant to broach the topic. jiang xia had a hunch it was related to traditional versus modern medicine.


    she recalled that this era was marked by a clash between traditional and advanced medical practices. the old scholar¡¯s definitely did not care about advanced medicine. jiang xia had noticed this when they first came to the pharmacy.


    therefore, jiang xia carefully avoided the topic of advanced medicine in their conversation.


    feeling a rapport with jiang xia, the old scholar began sharing his heroic tales. he had once treated a woman with facial injuries during a war, curing her scars with a family secret formula.


    he mentioned that jiang xia could use this ointment on her cat scratch to remove the scar.


    jiang xia¡¯s interest was piqued. while she wasn¡¯t concerned about the scar, the idea of a scar-removing ointment was fascinating.


    ¡°grandpa, can i take a look at this ointment?¡±


    the old scholar proudly presented his ointment¡ªa white paste with a faint medicinal aroma. he applied some to jiang xia¡¯s wrist, which gradually diffused.


    jiang xia felt a warmth around her wrist, as if the ointment was taking effect. in no time, it became cool and soothing.


    jiang xia looked intently at the old scholar, ¡°grandpa, can you sell me your ointment?¡±


    the old scholar replied with a smile, ¡°if you want it, 1¡¯11 give it to you.¡±


    jiang chuan, being there to sell herbs, felt they couldn¡¯t just take the ointment without compensation. he quickly said, ¡°that¡¯s not acceptable. this is a valuable item. please name a price, or we could trade it for some herbs.¡±


    the old scholar waved off the suggestion, ¡°the ointment lacks its most essential ingredient, which is also the most expensive one, hence diminishing its efficacy in treating scars. the other ingredients are not pricey and are quite common. it won¡¯t take much effort to make, so you can just use it.¡±


    jiang xia, driven by curiosity, asked, ¡°what ingredient is it missing?¡±


    adjusting his glasses, the old scholar replied, ¡°lingzhi spore powder. when the lingzhi matures, it produces a layer of spore powder on its cap. using this powder in medicine greatly enhances its efficacy. but these days, where can you find lingzhi?¡±


    the old scholar sounded regretful. jiang chuan and jiang xia exchanged glances. what a coincidence! jiang xia had a lingzhi in her interspace, though she hadn¡¯t checked if it had spore powder.


    regardless of whether it had the spore powder or not, she couldn¡¯t possibly take out the ganoderma now. what if she startled the old scholar?


    after storing the ointment, the old scholar handed jiang chuan the written bill.


    it had to be said that the old scholar was meticulous. despite jiang chuan having sold so many items, no one ever provided him with a receipt, except for the old scholar, who always kept a record.


    among the herbs, fleece-flower root was the most expensive, costing twenty yuan for a basket, followed by motherwort for three yuan for half a basket, and prepared rehmannia for two yuan for half a basket.


    the old scholar took out twenty-five yuan from his cash drawer, saying, ¡°as usual, cash transactions. take it.¡±


    as jiang chuan accepted the money, he discreetly left behind a yuan while the old scholar wasn¡¯t looking. he felt uneasy about taking something from an elder without paying.


    after leaving, the father-daughter duo headed straight out of the city, preparing to drive back as soon as possible.


    on their way, jiang xia specifically entered her interspace to check for lingzhi spore powder and, to her surprise, found a thin layer of it. using a handkerchief, she carefully collected the spore powder and stored it in her makeup box before continuing their journey..

 Chapter 316 - Chapter 316: Looking for Trouble

    chapter 316: looking for trouble


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang chuan took jiang xia back to the production team to return the bicycle. taking advantage of the encounter with chen xing today, he took the opportunity to ask about jiang xia and jiang gu¡¯s schooling.


    there is a starlight elementary school in pushan village. only families with decent conditions in the village can afford to send their children there.


    only the male children and the eldest daughters of the jiang family had attended school.


    jiang gui¡¯s family had three boys. the eldest was twenty-two years old. old master jiang used his connections to send the eldest to the county cotton mill as a temporary worker. although it was different from a formal job, it could still support the family.


    the other two sons were 19 years old and had been married for more than a year. they had just given birth to a daughter, and the other was 10 years old and studying at a boarding elementary school in town.


    because jiang gui¡¯s wife had given birth to many sons, her status in the jiang family was much higher than the other two daughters-in-law.


    she also had two daughters. jiang hong was about to get married when she was nineteen, and jiang cheng was fifteen years old, a few months older than jiang xia.


    jiang gui was the most favored at home. all three of his sons had been sent to school since they were young. even his two daughters had the opportunity to study in the old jiang family, which valued sons over daughters.


    the second son of the jiang family was a little lacking. he only had one son. to get him a wife, they married off jiang qing.


    jiang hong is a year older than jiang qing. in both appearance and character, she is overshadowed by jiang qing, which is why she hasn¡¯t been married off yet. this situation further fueled the resentment of the jiang gui¡¯s wife towards the third house and amplified her dislike for jiang qing.


    if old madam jiang hadn¡¯t heeded the advice of the eldest house and insisted on marrying jiang qing off further away, which involved exchanging daughters with the zhang family, she wouldn¡¯t have cared if the second son could find a wife.


    the second house has two daughters: the elder one is already married, while the younger one, who¡¯s fifteen, works daily at home and has never had the opportunity to attend school.


    in terms of status in the village, the old jiang family is considered upper-middle-class. thanks to the diligent efforts of jiang chuan¡¯s family, they are well off, and both the first and secondary houses live comfortably.


    however, the elderly jiangs are harsh on jiang chuan, depriving him of food and clothing. the family looks malnourished, their faces sallow, and are thus not pleasant to look at.


    on the contrary, jiang gui can eat two meals in one sitting. every month, his household receives the most money. if jiang chuan had gotten any share, their three daughters wouldn¡¯t have been neglected.


    now, things have changed. with jiang chuan¡¯s family replacing the original occupants of the third house, they are doing better and are naturally keen on providing for their daughter.


    jiang xia did well in her studies in modern times. whether she attends elementary school or not isn¡¯t the main concern; the priority is to arrange schooling for jiang gu.


    chen xing has been particularly attentive to jiang chuan recently and is always ready to help.


    he mentioned that getting the two children into school is straightforward. they only need a certificate from the team leader.


    next spring marks the start of a new academic year. with sufficient funds and the required documentation, they can send the two girls to school.


    on the way home, jiang xia hesitantly asked jiang chuan, ¡°dad, do you think 1 still need to attend school? i might as well become a teacher.¡±


    jiang chuan shrugged helplessly, ¡°it¡¯s your mother¡¯s arrangement, and 1 don¡¯t dare to oppose it. if jiang gu goes to school alone, won¡¯t you be worried? what if she gets bullied in school? your mom will be heartbroken.¡±


    jiang xia retorted, ¡°considering our little girl¡¯s strength, she is more likely to bully others. it¡¯s more about ensuring she doesn¡¯t hurt anyone.¡±


    he replied, ¡°either way, you need to be there for her.¡±


    jiang xia felt exasperated, thinking, ¡°in other families, the dads get duped.


    why is it in our family that the daughter is the one getting duped?¡±


    upon arriving home and before jiang chuan could even sit down for tea, there was a series of aggressive knocks on the door. the force seemed strong enough to shatter their entrance.


    the knocker shouted, ¡°jiang chuan, don¡¯t hide inside! i know you¡¯re home! if you dared to snatch the land plot, come out and face me!¡±


    oh, it was jiang gui. he must have heard that the land now belonged to jiang chuan¡¯s son-in-law, and he came to confront them.


    zhou lan, thinking they were under attack, emerged from the kitchen wielding a rolling pin. recognizing jiang gui, she was furious, ¡°coming here again and again, causing trouble! does he think he can bully me? if i don¡¯t break one of his arms today, i¡¯ll take his surname!¡±


    while jiang gui¡¯s aggressive knocking didn¡¯t scare jiang chuan, zhou lan¡¯s outburst certainly startled him.

 Chapter 317 - Chapter 317: 317 Starting A Fight

    chapter 317: 317 starting a fight


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang chuan quickly rushed up to hold back his wife, ¡°no, no! listen to me, darling. killing is a crime, and so is injuring someone. it¡¯s not worth it to get into trouble for people like him.¡±


    with zhou lan¡¯s strength, even ten jiang gui probably wouldn¡¯t be enough for her to vent her anger on!


    previously, when zhou lan had hit someone, she had consciously controlled her strength, trying to teach the old jiang family a lesson. but now, with her anger so apparent, what if she didn¡¯t hold back and seriously hurt jiang gui?


    zhou lan calmed down for a moment and looked seriously at jiang chuan, ¡°don¡¯t worry, dear, i¡¯ll be gentle.¡±


    jiang chuan was speechless.


    as jiang chuan opened the door, jiang gui, seeing zhou lan with the rolling pin standing next to him, instinctively cowered back.


    jiang gui wasn¡¯t alone; his second son, jiang lai, was with him.


    among jiang gui¡¯s three sons, only jiang lai resembled him the most and was also the most favored. he had a triangular gaze, puffy eyelids that made his eyes look small, and a rather large face, giving him an oily and sleazy appearance.


    jiang lai had never seen zhou lan hit someone before, so he was not afraid of this third aunt who used to have no status in his family. he stood in front of zhou lan with his chest out, taller than zhou lan by a head and a half.


    looking down at zhou lan through his nostrils, he said arrogantly, ¡°third aunt, even if our households are separated, we¡¯re still family. why are you greeting us with a rolling pin?¡±


    zhou lan was adept at sarcastic remarks, especially when addressing immature young brats. she managed to leave them speechless, ¡°oh, i thought some short-sighted bandits had entered the village. but on closer look, it turns out to be my triangular-eyed second nephew. have you been living as a savage in the mountains for the past few months?¡±


    the implication was that jiang lai appeared even rougher than before.


    although jiang lai had attended school, he never really listened in class. whether it was creating disturbances or sleeping during lessons, he couldn¡¯t differentiate between good words or bad. regardless of what others said, he always held his head high with an air of superiority.


    jiang gui got the insinuations, pulling his son aside and confronting zhou lan¡¯s disdainful gaze, ¡°an ignorant woman¡¯s mouth is truly venomous. you should speak with more kindness, or you might not be able to have a son.¡±


    she scoffed, ¡°what a joke! having three useless sons like yours is worse than having my three daughters, who are as beautiful as flowers.¡±


    as she spoke, zhou lan raised her rolling pin, ¡°tell me, what are you here for?¡±


    seeing zhou lan¡¯s fiery temper and realizing he could neither out-talk nor out-fight her, jiang gui shifted his anger towards jiang chuan, ¡°you ungrateful brat! the jiang family worked hard to raise you, and behind our backs, you schemed against us, snatching away our family¡¯s land plot intended for jiang hong!¡±


    while jiang chuan used to show restraint out of respect for family ties, now that he knew he was adopted by the jiang family, he made no attempt to hide his disdain.


    he sneered, ¡°how did it become jiang hong¡¯s land plot? do you have any documentation? is there an official stamp on it?¡±


    jiang gui clenched his fists, ¡°if you hadn¡¯t cozied up to the captain, would he have given this land to you? i didn¡¯t expect such a sly move from you!¡±


    jiang xia couldn¡¯t stand jiang gui¡¯s distorted words and stepped in, ¡°from what you¡¯re saying, uncle, it sounds like you¡¯re describing yourself. isn¡¯t being lazy and seeking petty advantages your daily routine? why are you also adding blatant distortions now?¡±


    jiang gui hadn¡¯t expected this once-meek girl, who used to be so submissive in the jiang family and spoke so softly, to now dare to talk back with sharp words.


    raising his hand, jiang gui tried to slap jiang xia.


    she looked up at his massive palm, showing no fear whatsoever.


    jiang gui felt that jiang xia was provoking him, and he flew into a rage out of humiliation. he raised his palm high up and slammed it down heavily.


    however, the slap did not land on jiang xia¡¯s face. instead, it landed on his son, jiang lai¡¯s face.


    jiang lai¡¯s face instantly swelled, turning as red as an apple. from the force of the slap, it was evident that such a rugged face couldn¡¯t bear it.. had that slap landed on jiang xia¡¯s delicate face, wouldn¡¯t it have swollen for days?

 Chapter 318 - Chapter 318: Falling Out

    chapter 318: falling out


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang gui was stunned. he was aiming at jiang xia, so how did his slap land on his son¡¯s face?


    rubbing his eyes in disbelief, he stared at jiang lai, who had suddenly appeared in front of him. ¡°why did you move in front?¡±


    with a pitiful look, tears started to form in jiang lai¡¯s eyes. ¡°dad, why did you hit me?¡±


    jiang gui quickly comforted his son, blowing on the swollen spot with concern.


    zhou lan watched the two of them with a hint of cold amusement. if she hadn¡¯t quickly moved jiang lai in front of jiang xia, that slap would have landed on her beloved daughter¡¯s face. if he had dared to hit jiang xia, zhou lan was ready to make sure jiang gui wouldn¡¯t get up today.


    thankfully, jiang gui and jiang lai were too busy tending to the injuries to notice how zhou lan had managed to move the hefty jiang lai so swiftly.


    jiang chuan also lost his temper. he was willing to tolerate jiang gui¡¯s arrogance, but daring to raise a hand against his daughter? did he think jiang chuan was a pushover?


    jiang chuan stared them down. ¡°big brother, if you feel wronged, go talk to the captain. the documents were approved by him. or are you suggesting he took bribes? everyone in pushan village knows he doesn¡¯t accept gifts. are you questioning the captain¡¯s integrity?¡±


    jiang gui was taken aback, struggling to find a counterargument.


    confronting the captain was a line he didn¡¯t dare cross. but he quickly pivoted, ¡°stop with the nonsense. you hurt my son, so you need to compensate for that!¡±


    jiang gui was already prepared to extort jiang chuan jiang chuan. he had heard that jiang chuan¡¯s family had become wealthy, dining on meaty dishes with every meal, a luxury even the old jiang family couldn¡¯t afford.


    zhou lan wasn¡¯t going to put up with his antics. ¡°big brother-in-law, always quick to play the victim. compare the handprints. look at your son¡¯s face and tell me whose hand left that mark. jiang chuan doesn¡¯t have such thick hands.¡±


    jiang gui, enraged, rolled up his sleeves, preparing to fight. however, zhou lan quickly smacked him with her rolling pin, hitting his arm and wrist. he grimaced in pain, retreating several steps.


    zhou lan stood at the doorway, hands on her hips, ¡°our home welcomes only kind-hearted individuals. those looking for trouble? i¡¯ll deal with each and every one of them. now, leave!¡±


    with that, she slammed the door shut.


    jiang gui and jiang lai were left embarrassed outside, with a couple of villagers occasionally glancing their way, clearly entertained by the scene.


    the laughter echoing from the house added to jiang gui¡¯s humiliation.


    once the laughter died down inside, jiang gu addressed her parents and elder sister with a stern expression, ¡°you all went overboard!¡±


    the trio looked at her, puzzled, expecting a moral lecture. jiang xia even prepared herself for a debate with jiang gu. however, jiang gu¡¯s next words sent them into another fit of laughter.


    ¡°mom, you started hitting people without waiting for me! next time, let me throw a few punches too before chasing them out! if anyone dares to bully my family, i¡¯ll fight back!¡± she declared, waving her tiny, delicate fists.


    it was evident jiang gu had fully adopted zhou lan¡¯s spirit. anyone attempting to bully her in the future would have a tough time.


    in the following days, jiang gui steered clear of any trouble. rumors spread that he was fixing up a dilapidated house in a more desolate area of the village for jiang hong.


    no matter how he renovated it, it would undoubtedly pale in comparison to the beautiful house jiang chuan¡¯s family was building.


    jiang chuan also used this time to organize school admissions for jiang xia and jiang gu. he bought textbooks and workbooks for them, with jiang xia teaching jiang gu in advance at home.


    once that was sorted, jiang chuan mobilized the villagers to help construct a new house on their land, ensuring there would be a place for jiang qing¡¯s family and third brother zhang when they relocated from grand cloud mountain.


    following recent rains, pushan village¡¯s mountain was abundant with mushrooms. the village chief¡¯s wife even organized a mushroom-picking event, attended by almost all the women in the village, including the aloof beauty, zhao xin.


    zhou lan had a favorable impression of zhao xin. before their trip to grand cloud mountain, zhao xin had gifted zhou lan a pair of cloth shoes. thus, during the mushroom-picking trip, zhou lan took special care of zhao xin.


    feeling empathetic towards zhao xin¡¯s tough life, zhou lan secretly slipped a fish into her basket while she wasn¡¯t looking..

 Chapter 319 - Chapter 319: Help

    chapter 319: help


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    it had only been a week since jiang gui caused a scene at their doorstep when another visitor from the old jiang¡¯s family arrived.


    it was jiang gui¡¯s second daughter, jiang cheng, who came early in the morning just after breakfast.


    she closely resembled her sister, jiang hong, both in looks and temperament both were inherently bossy. as she entered, she looked around jiang chuan¡¯s house as if she was inspecting it like some sort of official.


    zhou lan was sitting in the courtyard, leisurely enjoying sunflower seeds. these seeds were a result of jiang xia trading wild vegetables for them on a passenger bus when she was on her way to the county town. after acquiring them, they were planted in the interspace where they grew into sunflowers and produced seeds. however, later on, to make room for other vegetables in the interspace, the sunflower was removed.


    in a whimsical mood that morning, zhou lan decided to roast the raw sunflower seeds with star anise, fragrant leaves, and cinnamon bark. she was having a delightful time munching on them when jiang cheng arrived. without greeting her, zhou lan simply waited for jiang cheng to initiate the conversation.


    the two daughters of the jiang gui family were known for their inability to contain their words. the slightest matters could become their bragging topics for days. since jiang cheng had specially come over today, she¡¯d surely feel stifled if no one acknowledged her.


    jiang chuan had left early in the morning. he had heard that there was a black market in the county town that day. hoping to try his luck, he wanted to check if there were any good wood or furniture available to buy for the new house he was building. he also planned to buy two desks for his daughters.


    jiang cheng noticed that the three women in the house were engrossed in their respective tasks and weren¡¯t paying any attention to her. unable to contain herself, she finally said, ¡°auntie zhou.¡±


    ¡°yes?¡± zhou lan replied, continuing to enjoy her sunflower seeds.


    caught off guard, jiang cheng momentarily forgot her reason for visiting. after pondering for a moment, she said, ¡°my sister is getting engaged today. the groom¡¯s family is coming over with betrothal gifts. grandmother said you should come and help.¡±


    jiang cheng had heard about zhou lan¡¯s tendency to resort to physical confrontation. coming alone today, she felt apprehensive inside but put on a bold front to hide her unease, cautiously choosing her words.


    in truth, old madam jiang¡¯s exact words were, ¡°even if the third daughter-in-law doesn¡¯t kneel and apologize to me, i wouldn¡¯t possibly meet her. but she can¡¯t escape her share of the work. bring her over to help!


    everyone is extremely busy today; she cannot be idle.¡±


    old madam jiang wasn¡¯t even afraid that others would hear her say this. when she needed help due to being short-handed, she still wanted to take advantage of jiang chuan family.


    zhang ling, after hearing this, couldn¡¯t help but comment sarcastically, ¡°others would probably prefer not to see you at all.¡±


    the old madam jiang stood in the yard and started giving orders. no one paid any attention to her. everyone was busy with their own work and acted as if they hadn¡¯t heard her. her pride wounded, she pointed out a random person standing idle. and so, jiang cheng was sent to deliver the message.


    after jiang cheng finished speaking and received no response, she became impatient, ¡°did any of you even hear what i just said?¡±


    zhou lan, acting as though she had just realized jiang cheng spoke, replied nonchalantly, ¡°an engagement is a happy occasion. we¡¯ll join the celebration. you can go first; we¡¯ll come over in a bit.¡±


    jiang cheng, still feeling uncertain, emphasized, ¡°come early to help!¡±


    jiang xia, clearly annoyed, said, ¡°understood.¡±


    jiang cheng then left in a huff.


    watching her go, jiang xia turned to zhou lan, ¡°mom, are we really going to help them?¡±


    zhou lan continued enjoying her sunflower seeds, ¡°i said we¡¯d go and see, not that we¡¯d work.¡±


    indeed, zhou lan had a way with words.


    she continued, ¡°the groom¡¯s family is from the city. they will surely want to impress. there¡¯s bound to be delicious food at lunch. we can time our visit, chat a bit, and then join them for the meal.¡±


    as zhou lan pondered, she thought that going empty-handed for such an occasion wouldn¡¯t look good. but she also wasn¡¯t keen on gifting something too valuable.


    after some consideration, she said to jiang xia, ¡°let¡¯s prepare two baskets of radishes and mushrooms to bring over. make sure we use baskets without lids so the villagers can see how generous we are. but once inside, remember to transfer the vegetables back into the interspace. i don¡¯t want to give those away to the old madam jiang for free.¡±


    jiang xia chuckled, ¡°don¡¯t worry, i¡¯ll select the longest and best vegetables to place on top, ensuring the envy of the entire village.¡±


    while jiang xia was organizing the vegetables, she unexpectedly discovered another layer of spore powder on the lingzhi mushroom. she guessed this powder might regenerate. she wondered if combining this spore powder with her scar removal cream might enhance its effectiveness..

 Chapter 320 - Chapter 320: Argument

    chapter 320: argument


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    the mother and her two daughters, carrying baskets full of radishes and mushrooms, swaggered their way to old jiang¡¯s house. along walked swaggeringly towards the old jiang¡¯s house. along the way, they told everyone they met that they were preparing for jiang hong¡¯s engagement.


    those who liked to chat and were on good terms with them responded, ¡°your family is truly kind-hearted. when you separated, the old madam was so unpleasant, yet you still set aside past grievances and come to help.¡±


    zhou lan hesitated and said, ¡°in the end, we¡¯re all family. we can¡¯t offer money, so we can only offer our help.¡±


    those who knew better could tell that the old madam jiang must have caused some trouble, prompting zhou lan¡¯s family to assist the old jiang household. in no time, the village would be buzzing with gossip.


    jiang xia admired and joked, ¡°mother, if you didn¡¯t go into acting, the entertainment industry would surely suffer a loss!¡±


    jiang gu asked, ¡°what¡¯s the entertainment industry?¡±


    jiang xia replied, ¡°it¡¯s like putting on a play.¡±


    today was jiang hong¡¯s engagement day. jiang gui¡¯s wife was the center of attention. early in the morning, she went to town and had her hair done. her curly hairstyle made her look like a pekingese dog, very outdated.


    upon her return, feeling proud of her new hairstyle, she was spotted by old madam jiang. discovering that the hairdo cost one yuan, the old madam began to berate her in the courtyard, ¡°you spendthrift! look at the people working tirelessly in the yard, and you¡¯re wasting money on frivolities. zhou lan is more useful than you!¡±


    although zhou lan couldn¡¯t bear a son, she was diligent at home, ensuring the house was always tidy and meals were always prepared on time. in her spare time, she¡¯d also take up sewing jobs.


    old madam jiang, although not fond of zhou lan, found her preferable to the lazy jiang gui¡¯s wife.


    jiang gui¡¯s wife deeply despised zhou lan. because of zhou lan¡¯s decent looks, she received lots of praise when she first married into the jiang family, overshadowing jiang gui¡¯s wife.


    in the days that followed, jiang gui¡¯s wife continually found ways to trouble zhou lan, burdening her with chores and tasks. as a result, zhou lan lost weight and her complexion turned sallow.


    every meal, the third household had to wait until they finished eating before they could have the leftovers. jiang gui¡¯s daughter-in-law would rather stuff herself until her belly was bulging than leave a little extra food for them. as a result, zhou lan, in order to ensure her husband and daughters had enough to eat, tried to eat as little as possible, leaving them more food. in less than two months, she became thin and pale, without a hint of color, not to mention how unattractive she looked.¡±


    old madam jiang comparing zhou lan to her was like hitting her weak spot, and she wasn¡¯t afraid of old madam jiang. with her hands on her hips, she retorted, ¡°1 dress up to bring honor to our family. what if the in-laws come and see me looking disheveled? how would they perceive our jiang family?¡±


    jiang gui¡¯s wife proudly added, ¡°if you liked zhou lan so much, you shouldn¡¯t have kicked her out.¡±


    with the jiang house bustling with activity and the gate left open, the quarreling attracted the villagers¡¯ attention.


    old madam jiang didn¡¯t want to embarrassed herself and waved her hand impatiently, saying, ¡°get out of here and stop bothering us!¡±


    jiang gui¡¯s wife retorted, ¡°i didn¡¯t want to be here in the first place.¡±


    she had just stepped out when she ran into zhou lan and her two daughters. already in a huff, she was taken aback by their improved appearances. having not seen them for several months, zhou lan and her daughters seemed even prettier. their complexions were rosier, their lips naturally red without any lipstick, and their faces were clear without any oily shine. instantly, jealousy welled up within her.


    jiang gui¡¯s wife shot them a glance, ¡°you show up just in time for meal. are you here to freeload?¡±


    when old madam jiang had sent jiang cheng to jiang chuan¡¯s house, jiang gui¡¯s wife wasn¡¯t around, leading her to assume that zhou lan and her daughters had come uninvited, hoping to get a free meal.


    jiang xia, in front of the onlooking villagers, retorted loudly, ¡°wasn¡¯t it aunt who asked jiang cheng to personally invite us? why are we being turned away at the doorstep now?¡±


    a neighboring villager chimed in, ¡°exactly, 1 saw your jiang cheng going to invite them. why are you now denying it?¡±


    jiang gui¡¯s wife, with a dark expression, glared at her, ¡°what¡¯s it to you? always having so much to say!¡±


    the neighbor, not wanting to stoop to jiang gui¡¯s wife¡¯s level, waved dismissively and went back to her home..

 Chapter 321 - Chapter 321: An Engagement

    chapter 321: an engagement


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    people also noticed the basket of vegetables zhou lan was carrying and began to tease, ¡°oh, zhou lan, you¡¯ve brought back quite a lot of goodies from grand cloud mountain! these white radishes look so fresh and juicy, they must be sweet just by the look of them!¡±


    zhou lan immediately took out several white radishes from the basket and handed them to the onlookers, ¡°take these home and try them. the white radishes from grand cloud mountain are indeed delicious! these are grown by my eldest daughter¡¯s family. she specifically asked me to bring them as a tribute to her grandmother. my eldest daughter said that without her grandmother¡¯s match-making, how could she have married so far away and found such a good husband? in a few days, when my daughter and her husband move back to the village, everyone should come to their relocation banquet!¡±


    zhou lan¡¯s move was brilliant. she indirectly criticized old madam jiang for favoring boys over girls and marrying off her granddaughter so far away. she also informed everyone that jiang qing¡¯s family would soon be returning to the village, pleasing the villagers in the process. with just a few radishes that they had in abundance, she earned the goodwill of the villagers ¨C such a worthwhile exchange, especially since these radishes were meant for the jiang family. they were giving them away without any loss.


    the villagers who received the radishes smiled sincerely, ¡°jiang qing is so considerate. she¡¯s from our village after all. we¡¯re like her family. if she ever needs help, well be there. have they chosen their house? does it need repairs? we can help with that too.¡±


    jiang gui¡¯s wife grew even more upset. when they were renovating the house for jiang hong, not many villagers were willing to help, even with the promise of payment. yet, zhou lan managed to bribe them with just a few radishes. the stark contrast upset her greatly.


    she said resentfully, ¡°aren¡¯t you going inside yet? are you waiting for mother to come out and greet you?¡±


    upon hearing this, jiang xia knew that jiang gui¡¯s wife was about to stir up trouble. when their families lived together, she often caused problems. unable to surpass zhou lan, she¡¯d badmouth zhou lan to the old madam, getting zhou lan scolded and punished, while she sat back and enjoyed the show.


    as expected, as soon as they entered the house, jiang gui¡¯s wife said sarcastically, ¡°mother, you wouldn¡¯t believe how grand zhou lan was today. she was distributing our white radishes to the villagers right at the door.¡±


    upon hearing this, old madam jiang became furious. seeing only half a basket of radishes and mushrooms left, she was livid, ¡°you three money-wasters, giving away my stuff to win favors! you¡¯ve really grown bold! just because you¡¯ve left the house doesn¡¯t mean i can¡¯t deal with you!¡±


    zhou lan looked indifferent, ¡°from the way you spoke, i almost thought this basket of radishes was taken from this yard. isn¡¯t this what i painstakingly carried over? mother, what era are we in now? can¡¯t you think before you speak? don¡¯t be used as a pawn by others, thinking you¡¯re all mighty.¡±


    the old madam was taken aback. zhou lan was talking back? was this the same submissive zhou lan she knew?


    jiang gui¡¯s wife¡¯s face contorted even more, making her look even more like a pekingese dog. ¡°what did you just say?¡±


    the old madam¡¯s expression darkened. neither of these women was easy to deal with. if she couldn¡¯t handle zhou lan, couldn¡¯t she still handle jiang gui¡¯s wife?


    either way, someone had to bear the brunt of her anger, and she¡¯d pick the easier target.


    madam jiang raised her cane and struck jiang gui¡¯s wife on the back. the pain made her bend over, her face turning red.


    only then did jiang xia notice the thick layer of powder on her face. the powder had now cracked, making her face look like a painted cat ¨C utterly comical. moreover, there was a strong smell coming from her, as if she had slathered on a whole bottle of scented cream, mixed with the odor of sweat ¨C a complex fragrance.


    she had been rushing around since the morning, getting her hair done, and then hurrying back before noon. even in this cold weather, she had sweated profusely, no wonder she stank.


    jiang xia stifled a laugh, covering her mouth.


    jiang gui¡¯s wife shouted in anger, ¡°don¡¯t you dare laugh, you worthless thing!¡±


    jiang xia looked at her with innocent eyes, ¡°aren¡¯t you a woman too, auntie? are you calling yourself worthless?¡±


    whatever jiang gui¡¯s wife said seemed to be backfiring on her, so she chose to remain silent..

 Chapter 322 - Chapter 322: Acquaintance

    chapter 322: acquaintance


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    seeing jiang gui¡¯s wife so upset that she couldn¡¯t speak, jiang xia kindly said, ¡°auntie, your makeup is smudged. when your brother-in-law¡¯s family arrives, you¡¯ll be embarrassed looking like this.¡±


    startled, jiang gui¡¯s wife quickly touched her face. her panicking expression made her look even uglier.


    at that moment, jiang hong also came out of the house. seeing this mother-daughter pair, jiang xia thought: from their appearance to their attire, no one would doubt they¡¯re from the same family.


    their foundation was so thick it seemed thicker than a city wall. it made them look ghostly. the blush on their cheeks was so intense it almost matched the red lanterns hanging at the door. their eyes were tiny, like small slits, and their overall makeup looked greasy!


    jiang hong had all her hair tied back, leaving a thick, straight fringe in front. she wore a red hairband.


    jiang xia wondered, ¡°city girls dress this way and look good. why does it look so awkward on jiang hong?¡±


    jiang gui¡¯s wife quickly approached jiang hong and asked, ¡°jiang hong, is my makeup smudged?¡±


    ¡°ah! it really is! mom, you better go inside and fix it quickly; they¡¯ll be here soon!¡±


    upon hearing this, jiang gui¡¯s wife rushed inside.


    old madam jiang realized these three weren¡¯t here to help but to cause trouble and freeload.


    she began to shoo them away, ¡°if you three don¡¯t want to help, just go home and don¡¯t be in the way.¡±


    ¡°oh? i heard old madam jiang scolding someone as soon as i enter. who is she talking about now?¡± a voice interrupted. zhou lan looked and saw it was the village chief¡¯s wife.


    without a doubt, she was here to back up zhou lan.


    today was jiang hong¡¯s engagement day. the old jiang family, known for showing off, would have surely sent invitations throughout the village given their daughter was marrying into the city.


    the village chief was busy farming in the fields that morning and asked his wife to wait for him so they could go together. however, the chief¡¯s wife, worried that zhou lan might be bullied by the old jiang family, so she came by herself since the chief didn¡¯t return by midday.


    in front of the village chief¡¯s wife, zhou lan didn¡¯t want to cause a scene and harm her image. she played the peacemaker, ¡°you¡¯ve misunderstood. my mother was just telling me to find a table to sit at and wait for lunch. isn¡¯t that right, mother?¡±


    after saying this, zhou lan looked maliciously at old mada jiang.


    in front of the village chief¡¯s wife, the old madam couldn¡¯t deny it. she could only watch as the three women, without lifting a finger to help, not only angered everyone but also took their seats, ready to freeload off the meal.


    the old madam grunted from her nose, sounding very reluctant. zhou lan didn¡¯t care and, taking the village chief¡¯s wife by the arm, sat at a table to the left of the main table.


    apart from the main table, this one received dishes the fastest. it was in line with the status of the village chief¡¯s wife and also elevated the status of the third household.


    the main table was reserved for the engaged couple and their parents. the eldest household¡¯s children and the second household sat on either side of the main table. the third and second households dined together, giving them an appearance of hosts in the eyes of outsiders.


    just as they had settled, a clamor of gongs and drums was heard from outside; it seemed the groom¡¯s side had arrived.


    the old madam quickly put on a smile and hurriedly went out to greet them. jiang gui¡¯s wife also rushed out of the house at top speed, assisting the old madam outside.


    thinking that she was also part of the family, zhou lan felt it wasn¡¯t appropriate to just sit idle. so she, along with her two daughters, moved closer to the door.


    upon looking, jiang xia recognized a familiar face. it was lin xia, the haughty woman from the city they had met on the bus their first time. the young woman who loved to be flattered and looked down on everyone.


    judging by her expression, lin xia had also recognized jiang xia.


    however, both pretended not to know each other and didn¡¯t reveal their connections. jiang xia didn¡¯t want others to know about their trips to sell vegetables in the city, and lin xia didn¡¯t want to bring up the embarrassing incident from the bus ride.


    the groom¡¯s side brought five people: lin¡¯s parents, the groom lin yi, the matchmaker madam wu, and the groom¡¯s younger sister, lin xia.


    jiang xia noticed that the expression on lin¡¯s mother¡¯s face wasn¡¯t too pleased; she probably didn¡¯t think highly of jiang hong.


    madam wu kept whispering praises in lin¡¯s mother¡¯s ear, ¡°look at her figure, such wide hips; she¡¯ll surely bear sons!¡±


    only then did lin¡¯s mother stop her displeased murmurs. after all, it was she who had agreed to the marriage without meeting the bride, leading to this awkward situation..

 Chapter 323 - Chapter 323: Lin Yi

    chapter 323: lin yi


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    when jiang xia heard everyone praising lin yi like a hot cake, she thought he must be very handsome. however, seeing him today proved the praises were exaggerated.


    villagers had a certain bias when it came to city folks. it was as if being from the city was synonymous with being superior. no matter how average or even unattractive a city person might be, in the villagers¡¯ eyes, they were seen as handsome, wealthy, beautiful, and graceful.


    although lin yi had a fair complexion, he looked quite sly. his eyes, small like jiang hong¡¯s, frequently emitted judgmental glances, which was very off-putting.


    he was dressed in a city-style cream-striped suit, the latest fashion, along with leather shoes. on others, this attire might look tall and handsome, but on him, it made him appear more like a stumpy dwarf, emphasizing his short stature.


    jiang xia estimated he was at most 1.7 meters tall.


    jiang hong, being well-fed and taken care of at home, was the tallest among the jiang family¡¯s daughters, standing at an impressive 1.69 meters and looking robust. when the two stood together, lin yi seemed even less spirited than jiang hong.


    but jiang hong seemed satisfied. as long as she was marrying someone from the city, it was better than jiang qing, who married someone from the mountains. jiang hong¡¯s sole hobby for her 19 years was to outdo jiang qing. as long as she could surpass jiang qing, she¡¯d be happy marrying anyone, even if he were as unattractive as a weasel.


    with a blush on her face, jiang hong constantly tried to get close to lin yi. lin¡¯s mother clearly disliked what she saw, especially after noticing the daughter of the second jiang household, which further soured her mood.


    she whispered to madam wu, ¡°doesn¡¯t this family have another daughter of marriageable age? why did you specifically choose this robust and older girl?¡±


    madam wu explained softly, ¡°madam, jiang hong is the daughter of the eldest household and thus inherits a house. if you chose the other daughter, you¡¯d lose the house.¡±


    the lin family originally hailed from the countryside. a few years ago, they suddenly became wealthy and, taking advantage of relaxed policies, moved to the city. they enjoyed putting on the airs of city folks. when out and about, they preferred to keep people at arm¡¯s length and insisted on being addressed as ¡°lord¡±, ¡°madam¡±, and ¡°young master¡±.


    madam wu had often gossiped about the lins behind their backs. however, since the lin family was generous and paid a handsome commission, madam wu humored them as if they were children.


    when lin¡¯s mother learned of the house that came with marrying jiang hong, she held her tongue. after some formalities, she sat at the main table with the old madam, and the meal began in the courtyard.


    the old jiang family really went all out this time, setting up five tables in the courtyard. apart from their family, they had invited the wealthier families from the village.


    zhou lan, eyeing the dishes on the table, noticed they even had braised pork belly with preserved mustard greens. given the old madam¡¯s usual frugality, the fact that she was willing to spend on meat to treat everyone indicated just how much she valued this city-bred son-in-law.


    once everyone started eating, old master jiang emerged from the house. his eyes were lifeless, circled with dark rings, and he was not keen on talking. he sat down at the head of the table, looking tormented as if possessed by a malevolent spirit.


    the villagers were shocked seeing the old master like this. he was always vibrant and brisk in his movements. however, after the bed in their house collapsed, he had disappeared for a month.


    now, he looked gaunt, his back hunched as if he had been seriously ill.


    a few kind-hearted villagers tried to chat with him about his health, but he responded coldly, and eventually, no one tried to converse with him.


    zhang ling, sitting next to zhou lan, couldn¡¯t help but whisper, ¡°grandpa stays in his room all day, doesn¡¯t come out. meals are brought to him, and once he¡¯s done, someone takes the empty plates out. it¡¯s as if he can¡¯t bear any light, and he never eats with us. even grandma moved to our room and doesn¡¯t stay with him.¡±


    zhou lan, curious, asked, ¡°didn¡¯t the bed in the main room collapse? where does dad sleep?¡±


    ¡°on a plank of wood. we suggested he move back once the bed was fixed, but he refused vehemently, even yelling at us. he found a wooden plank from somewhere, placed it on the broken bed, and made do. he often mutters, til stay right here, waiting for someone to return my box.¡¯¡±


    zhou lan and jiang xia immediately realized: the old master must have discovered the missing box of gold. now, he¡¯s lost his appetite, consumed by thoughts of that gold.


    the old man¡¯s behavior seemed foolish. whoever stole the gold wouldn¡¯t return it. yet, he guards the broken bed every day, torturing himself over it..

 Chapter 324 - Chapter 324: Jiang Nan

    chapter 324: jiang nan


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    zhou lan returned from grand cloud mountain and brought something for zhang ling. seizing the opportunity of their meeting today, zhou lan handed it over to her, now stuffing it into zhang ling¡¯s embrace.


    zhang ling looked at the cloth bundle on her lap and asked, ¡°aunt zhou, what¡¯s this?¡±


    zhou lan replied, ¡°your mother and younger brother said winter is coming and they¡¯re worried you¡¯d be cold here. so they prepared some warm clothes for you. there are also two pairs of insoles made by jiang qing for you. i saw this little hair clip at locust tree bay and thought it would suit you, so i bought it for you.¡±


    zhou lan treated zhang ling as family, so when shopping, she not only thought of jiang qing but also considered buying something for zhang ling.


    moved by the gesture, zhang ling was momentarily at a loss for words. she held the cloth bundle tightly, continuously offering zhou lan some meat to eat.


    ¡°how is jiang qing doing over there?¡±a woman entered from the doorway and walked straight to their table, overhearing their conversation and chimed in with her question.


    zhou lan glanced at the woman, her face was familiar, but she couldn¡¯t recall who she was. jiang gu had already risen to offer her a seat.


    jiang gu joyfully greeted the woman, ¡°auntie!¡±


    the woman gently tousled jiang gu¡¯s hair, ¡°such a good kid.¡±


    the woman took jiang gu¡¯s spot, lifting her onto her own lap, and looked at zhou lan, awaiting her answer.


    ¡°everything¡¯s fine. her husband treats her well, and they are now planning to have a child,¡± zhou lan responded, trying to recall who the woman was. jiang gu¡¯s shout of ¡®auntie¡¯ jogged her memory ¨C this woman was jiang chuan¡¯s elder sister, and the only daughter who lived in the old jiang family, named jiang nan.


    jiang nan was a year younger than jiang gui. she was the first daughter of the jiang family. although the old madam jiang didn¡¯t like her, she begrudgingly took care of her.


    before having jiang hua, old madam jiang had given birth to two daughters. due to the prevailing thought that boys were preferred over girls, and believing that raising a girl was a waste of resources, the second daughter was given away shortly after her birth. the third daughter was taken by old master jiang to the riverside and drowned.


    at that time, the law was not strict. drowning a child in the dead of night, especially a girl, drew no attention. no one cared or inquired about the child¡¯s family. hence, a life vanished silently from this world.


    when old master jiang dealt with his two daughters, jiang nan was already old enough to understand. she was aware of the jiang family¡¯s discrimination against daughters and their favoritism towards sons. disappointed with them, she never returned to her parental home after getting married. today, with jiang hong¡¯s engagement, she was returning for the first time.


    before jiang nan got married, she was always good to jiang chuan. whenever their family had nothing to eat, she would secretly save a bit of her ration for them. she often gave him the money she saved up privately to help out with household expenses.


    in zhou lan¡¯s memory, jiang nan only favored this one younger brother. she was indifferent to the second brother, jiang hua. zhou lan wondered if it was because jiang chuan was more likable since childhood.


    three years after jiang chuan got married, jiang nan wed a widower with a child. this marriage brought a substantial dowry to the old jiang family. observing her attire now, although her clothes were simple, they were new, suggesting her life wasn¡¯t too bad, but neither was it luxurious.


    sitting beside zhou lan, jiang nan ate a few bites of food before taking something from her pocket. she held it tightly, so zhou lan couldn¡¯t see what it was.


    without saying much, she stuffed it into zhou lan¡¯s pocket, whispering, ¡°i heard your family is going through tough times. i¡¯ve saved some money over the days. take it and buy some clothes for the children since winter is coming.¡±


    feeling the bulging pocket, zhou lan realized there must be a substantial amount of money. she hurriedly declined, ¡°sister, we can¡¯t accept your money.¡±


    jiang nan glanced at the main table, ¡°keep it. our mother is looking this way. it won¡¯t be good if she sees.¡±


    zhou lan turned around and, sure enough, the old madam was suspiciously watching them. thus, she silently kept the money.


    throughout the meal, zhou lan kept pondering. jiang nan was seven years older than jiang chuan. when jiang chuan came to the jiang family, jiang nan was already of understanding age. she must have known that this younger brother was adopted. why then did she treat him exceptionally well?


    considering the cautious nature of the jiang family elders, they probably wouldn¡¯t let their daughter in on such a significant secret.. so how did they keep it from jiang nan?

 Chapter 325 - Chapter 325: Strange Encounter

    chapter 325: strange encounter


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    zhou lan couldn¡¯t figure it out and decided not to dwell on it. after the meal, she invited jiang nan to come over to her house, but jiang nan declined.


    ¡°1 arrived late for the banquet today and haven¡¯t greeted my parents yet. it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate to leave without saying hello. i¡¯ll visit another time.¡±


    considering the situation, zhou lan thought that made sense. even though her family had a falling out with the old jiang family, jiang nan didn¡¯t. given jiang nan¡¯s kindness towards them, zhou lan wouldn¡¯t want to put her in a tough spot, so they all left.


    on the way home, zhou lan finally had the chance to check the money in her pocket. it was ten coin.


    along the way, zhou lan also learned something new. the production team¡¯s captain had been transferred to the town, essentially receiving a promotion.


    with the captain¡¯s position now vacant, everyone speculated that chen xing would take over, and a new deputy team leader would be appointed to fill chen xing¡¯s former role.


    additionally, the production team¡¯s accounting position was also vacant. thus, there were two coveted positions open in the production team.


    the captain could recommend people for these roles, and in no time, the number of people coming over with gifts was overwhelming, practically wearing out his doorstep.


    normally, the captain had a poker face, and no one dared approach him. but today, everyone was rushing over, causing quite a scare for his family.


    today, half the villagers were at the old jiang¡¯s house for the festivities, and the other half were lining up at the captain¡¯s door, with the queue stretching to the commune¡¯s entrance.


    meanwhile, jiang chuan, who was in town, had his own bit of luck.


    his purpose for coming to the town was to visit the black market. but, being unfamiliar with the vast county, he didn¡¯t know the exact location of the black market. he hoped to stumble upon it while exploring.


    unexpectedly, while he didn¡¯t find the black market, he ran into a familiar face: auntie tian, the woman who had bought vegetables from him on the bus.


    auntie tian was very interested in his wild vegetables and had mentioned back on the bus that jiang chuan should find her when he comes to the city to sell the wild vegetables. however, since jiang chuan already had a steady customer base, he had forgotten about it.


    coincidentally, auntie tian saw jiang chuan carrying a basket full of white radishes and carrots that day, each one looking fresh and juicy. it was evident they were freshly dug up.


    auntie tian promptly said, ¡°jiang chuan, when you come to the city to sell vegetables, why don¡¯t you come to me? how much vegetables do you have in total? i¡¯ll take all of it.¡±


    seeing that jiang chuan only carried one basket of vegetables, she assumed that was all he had. given that radishes can be stored for at least half a month during winter, she believed she could consume all that he had to offer.


    however, in reality, jiang chuan had three baskets of radishes and mushrooms in the trunk of his suv. furthermore, he had four wild chickens and five wild rabbits contained in a cage, which he could retrieve using his special ability.


    jiang chuan felt fortunate to have purchased an suv. its trunk had ample space, something other cars might not offer.


    jiang chuan could tell that auntie tian was affluent. given that he couldn¡¯t find the black market yet, selling to auntie tian seemed like a good idea, especially as a way to repay her favor. after all, she had helped him out when he faced trouble from lin xia on the bus. it seemed fitting to sell her a basket of radishes.


    straightening up, jiang chuan said, ¡°auntie tian, i didn¡¯t come to the city by bus this time but brought a horse cart instead. i was concerned that bringing it directly into the city would attract too much attention, so 1 left it outside the town. there¡¯s about one and a half baskets each of radishes and mushrooms on it. if you want them, 1 can bring them over.¡±


    auntie tian was surprised. she hadn¡¯t expected jiang chuan to have so many radishes. yet, she inwardly commended jiang chuan for his cleverness. given that the country doesn¡¯t allow covert money transactions, driving a cart full of vegetables into the city would clearly indicate he intended to sell them. it made sense not to bring it into the city.


    however, auntie tian realized that even with her appetite, she couldn¡¯t consume all those radishes. not wanting to pass up on the high-quality vegetables, she came up with an idea, ¡°how about this: jiang chuan, you come with me and sell the vegetables at my place. there are many buyers where 1 live, and i suspect your three baskets might not even be enough.¡±


    ¡°that sounds great, auntie tian. where do you live?¡±


    ¡°in the residential area for sugar factory workers in the middle of the city.¡±


    oh, a hidden wealthy individual.


    hearing this, jiang chuan understood the situation. those who worked at the sugar factory had stable jobs. although they weren¡¯t incredibly rich, each family was well-off. as the saying goes: ¡°if one person is full, the whole family isn¡¯t worried.¡± even if he priced his radishes a bit higher, he believed he could sell them..

 Chapter 326 - Chapter 326: Selling Vegetables

    chapter 326: selling vegetables


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang chuan had made up his mind. on the black market, radishes and mushrooms sold for three cents per half a kilogram. in a regular market, they¡¯d fetch at most one cent per half a kilogram. with his four baskets, he had about 40 kilogram of radishes and 25 kilogram of mushrooms. if he priced them at one and a half cents per half a kilogram, he¡¯d not only make a profit but could also win repeat customers.


    jiang chuan, with his basket of vegetables on his back, said to auntie tian, ¡°auntie, please wait for me here. i¡¯ll get the horse cart, and then we can head back together.¡±


    jiang chuan worried that if he went to the sugar factory¡¯s residential area on his own, he might be stopped by the security guards. hence, he asked auntie tian to wait for him.


    after confirming this, jiang chuan rented a horse cart in the town. he found a secluded spot and secretly transferred the vegetables from his suv to the cart. then he went to find auntie tian.


    just as jiang chuan had expected, the people working in the sugar factory were not short on money. so, they didn¡¯t question the price of the vegetables. and since regulations on buying and selling weren¡¯t very strict back then, as soon as they set up their stall in a vacant spot in the courtyard, many came to ask for prices. however, most bought in small quantities. to attract repeat customers, jiang chuan offered a free mushroom with every half a kilogram of radish purchased.


    in no time, he had sold out, making a total of nineteen coin.


    after selling the vegetables, auntie tian invited jiang chuan to her house.


    on the way, jiang chuan saw zhou yang with his daughter zhou juan going out. unexpectedly, their family had moved from the town to the sugar factory¡¯s residential area in the county.


    however, seeing that they seemed busy, jiang chuan didn¡¯t greet them and just followed auntie tian.


    auntie tian lived on the fourth floor. there were no elevators back then, making it quite a task to climb up, especially with a basket weighing more than 10 kilogram. knowing she couldn¡¯t manage on her own, jiang chuan helped her carry it up and was offered tea at her home.


    only then did jiang chuan find out that auntie tian used to be the director of the county town¡¯s office. now retired, her daughter had taken over her position, while her son was the manager at the county sugar factory. his wife also worked there. the entire family had good jobs.


    auntie tian currently lived with her son. the family had arranged to stay three months at her son¡¯s place and then three months at her daughter¡¯s.


    after sharing all this, auntie tian sighed deeply, ¡°however, i suspect 1 won¡¯t have the chance to stay at my daughter¡¯s place much longer.¡±


    jiang chuan wasn¡¯t particularly curious about other people¡¯s family affairs but still prompted her, ¡°why? is it because your daughter is moving somewhere else?¡±


    auntie tian said with a hint of melancholy, ¡°yes, my daughter is as capable as any man when it comes to work. the higher-ups think highly of her and want to assign her as the captain in the village production team. she¡¯s set to take up the position in a month.¡±


    jiang chuan responded, ¡°that¡¯s great news, auntie! being appointed as the captain in the production team is a promotion. why do you seem so concerned?¡±


    pouring jiang chuan another cup of hot tea, auntie tian continued, ¡°while the promotion is good, the thought of her relocating to the village worries me. it¡¯s so far away. it would be inconvenient for me to visit her. moreover, life in the village isn¡¯t as comfortable, and i¡¯m unsure if she can adapt.¡±


    indeed, transportation back then wasn¡¯t as advanced. unlike today, where even a relatively far-off place can be reached in a day¡¯s drive, back then, even a bus trip from the county to the village would take at least half a day. this was why jiang chuan¡¯s family had to stay overnight the first time they visited the county.


    additionally, the living conditions in the villages were poor. many households didn¡¯t even have a proper toilet, which was one of the initial challenges faced by jiang chuan¡¯s family when they first moved there.


    jiang chuan then tried to comfort auntie tian, saying, ¡°don¡¯t worry, auntie. as the captain, she¡¯ll be allotted a house. she can choose a relatively good one, which might not be much different from what she has in the county.¡±


    after listening, auntie tian couldn¡¯t help but boast about her daughter¡¯s strong-willed nature and how she¡¯s even more proactive than many men. this was also the reason she hadn¡¯t married, even in her thirties.


    growing more distressed, auntie tian continued, ¡°i regret sending her to university. she met a man there, and they decided to be together. she refused to marry anyone else. later, that man moved to the provincial city and hasn¡¯t returned since. my daughter¡¯s life got held back because of this..¡±

 Chapter 327 - Chapter 327: What a Coincidence

    chapter 327: what a coincidence


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    auntie tian, being the director of the country town street office, should be among those with a relatively progressive mindset. however, she still struggled to accept the idea of an unmarried woman.


    jiang chuan didn¡¯t feel it was his place to comment much on this. in his understanding, getting married at the age of thirty is normal, and even choosing not to marry in one¡¯s lifetime isn¡¯t an issue. but such notions weren¡¯t widely accepted in the 1960s.


    he once again realized how feudal the mindset of this era was.


    unsure of how to respond, jiang chuan changed the subject, ¡°auntie, to which village is your daughter being assigned? i¡¯m quite familiar with the village situations and might offer some advice.¡±


    auntie tian paused to recall, ¡°i believe it¡¯s puhshan village.¡±


    puhshan village? jiang chuan was taken aback. he hadn¡¯t heard about the current captain resigning. why was there a new one being appointed?


    it wasn¡¯t jiang chuan¡¯s fault for being out of the loop. he had left early and naturally missed out on some village updates.


    based on her knowledge, auntie tian explained, ¡°the current captain of that village wishes to reunite with his younger brother in the county town. he applied for a transfer back to the county, which took about six months to get approved. he¡¯ll be returning next month.¡±


    no wonder jiang chuan saw zhou yang at the residential area of the county¡¯s sugar factory. it turned out he had moved there to reunite with the captain¡¯s family.


    this news was quite unexpected, and jiang chuan needed a moment to digest it.


    he initially hoped that his relationship with the current captain would help make the zhang family¡¯s move to puhshan village smoother. but now, with the captain¡¯s impending departure, he must settle matters before he leaves.


    at this point, jiang chuan didn¡¯t suspect that the personnel changes had anything to do with him.


    after leaving the sugar factory¡¯s residential area, jiang chuan aimlessly wandered the streets, unsure of where to find the black market. he decided that if he couldn¡¯t find it by nightfall, he¡¯d give up.


    he had kept fifteen wild animals to exchange for money on the black market. if he couldn¡¯t find it, his only option would be the supply and marketing cooperative.


    jiang chuan had come to the county using a permit, so even if he was eager to return, he could only do so the next morning.


    his mind preoccupied with the change in the team leader¡¯s position, he had no mood for leisurely strolls. but inadvertently, he stumbled upon the black market.


    the entry fee to the black market in the county was slightly more expensive, costing three coin and fifty cents. without hesitation, jiang chuan paid and entered.


    this was his third time visiting the black market. familiar with the layout, he headed straight to the ¡°customer service¡± to inquire about furniture. since winter was approaching, he also inquired if they sold charcoal.


    it has to be said that the black market offers a wide range of items, catering to almost every conceivable need.


    the charcoal on sale cost five coin per basket, two coin more than what¡¯s available in the regular market. although it¡¯s pricier, the quality of the charcoal in the basket is commendable. it appears long-burning with large, dark chunks.


    jiang chuan purchased three baskets of charcoal, making arrangements to pick them up from the seller¡¯s place once the black market closed for the day.


    buying furniture followed a similar principle. vendors couldn¡¯t possibly display large pieces of furniture on site. instead, they had blueprints ready. jiang chuan could select based on these designs or accompany the vendor to choose from available pieces.


    jiang chuan wasn¡¯t very familiar with the measurement standards of this era, so he decided to visit the vendor¡¯s place to examine the actual furniture before making a choice.


    he intended to explore the black market a bit more, selling the wild animals meat he had brought with him, before heading out with the vendor to select furniture.


    selling the wild animals meat went smoothly. wild rabbits, which usually sold for four coin each, fetched six coin apiece on the black market. wild chickens were cheaper, doubling in price from one coin to two coin each, earning him a total of fifty coin.


    having made his money, jiang chuan was ready to leave with the vendor when he unexpectedly stumbled upon another vendor selling seeds.


    the seller had a handful of seeds in his pocket, which he was showing to a potential buyer. jiang chuan happened to catch a glimpse of them.


    after the buyer left, jiang chuan approached the vendor and asked, ¡°how do you sell these seeds?¡±


    the vendor eyed jiang chuan from head to toe before asking, ¡°which kind do you want?¡±


    jiang chuan recognized the seeds he had seen earlier as corn and inquired, ¡°how much for the corn seeds?¡±


    the vendor didn¡¯t mention a price but instead said, ¡°corn seeds can only be exchanged for other seeds. we don¡¯t accept money.¡±


    jiang chuan was amused by this. judging by the vendor¡¯s tone, it seemed he not only had corn seeds but also other varieties on hand..

 Chapter 328 - Chapter 328: Buying Seeds

    chapter 328: buying seeds


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    to know that the biggest convenience of the black market was that cash that cannot be spent elsewhere can be spent here .however, this person only accepts exchange and doesn¡¯t take cash. it was equivalent to breaking the rules. he was indeed capricious.


    jiang chuan asked, ¡°what seeds do you want to exchange for your corn seeds?¡±


    ¡°radishes, cabbages, bok choy, any crop that can grow in winter will do.¡±


    seeing the white radish stems on the basket jiang chuan was carrying on his back, the merchant added, ¡°if you have enough white radishes, you can exchange them.¡±


    oh, so this person was interested in the white radishes.


    after the autumn harvest and once the required grain quota to be handed over to the nation was met, farmers could decide what to do with their land. they needed to plant seasonal crops to ensure they could get through the winter.


    recently, pushan village has been busy with farming. however, due to significant changes in the commune, the expected vegetable seedlings hadn¡¯t arrived. those with means had already traded for seeds in the city, while others could only wait and watch their fields dry.


    the village chief had also approached jiang chuan several times, proposing to plant cabbages in his field. however, jiang chuan wasn¡¯t worried about food and preferred to take a break during winter, so the village chief borrowed jiang chuan¡¯s land for cabbage planting.


    but upon inspecting the crops, jiang chuan found that their growth was mediocre. even with the recent heavy rains, there was only enough moisture for the cabbages to sprout but not enough for them to thrive.


    jiang chuan asked the merchant, ¡°how many white radishes would you like to exchange for corn seeds?¡±


    the man¡¯s eyes shifted, revealing a probing look. he seemed to be assessing whether jiang chuan was in dire need of grain. if so, he¡¯d accept the standard market price. after all, he had already made a good profit, and since it was getting late, there was no need to waste time.


    but if jiang chuan wasn¡¯t desperate, the merchant thought he might earn a bit more from the trade.


    given jiang chuan¡¯s demeanor and the way he speak ¨C suggesting he had already sold all his vegetables ¨C the merchant didn¡¯t hold much hope for the deal. he casually stated his price, ¡°2.5 kilogram of white radish in exchange for half a kilogram of corn seeds.¡±


    in those times, seeds were far more valuable than vegetables. however, even if jiang chuan had been prepared for this, he was still shocked by the price ¡ª a five-fold difference.


    usually, buying half a kilogram of corn in the market costs only one and a half coin, yet the seeds are so expensive.


    seeing jiang chuan¡¯s hesitation, the merchant impatiently said, ¡°if you don¡¯t want it, hurry up and leave. it¡¯s getting dark, and i need to get home.¡±


    jiang chuan quickly stopped him and said with a smile, ¡°of course i want them. wasn¡¯t i just wondering how many corn seeds you actually have?¡±


    the man¡¯s interest was piqued upon hearing this. he looked at jiang chuan with a mixture of doubt and belief, ¡°do you have a lot of white radishes?¡±


    jiang chuan¡¯s thought process was as follows: according to the size of his daughter¡¯s plot of land, planting it would require about 10 kilogram of seeds, taking into account the germination rate of the seeds.


    however, the village¡¯s land is currently unoccupied, and the villagers are eagerly hoping that the government will distribute seedlings to plant. if this merchant had enough seeds, jiang chuan could exchange them all and distribute them to the villagers in the name of the commune.


    but the prerequisite is that this merchant must have more than 50 kilogram of seeds.


    jiang chuan said, ¡°i not only have white radishes but also carrots, mushrooms, and some wild fungi. i definitely have enough to trade for your seeds. can you tell me exactly how many seeds you have?¡±


    the merchant had ulterior motives as well. although he didn¡¯t have many seeds, he knew someone who had a lot and wanted to trade them. if he could help find a buyer for that person, he might receive support in the future and secure a place in the black market.


    after pondering, the merchant gestured a number two with his fingers.


    jiang chuan was skeptical. a small merchant might have 10 kilogram at most, but the man¡¯s confident demeanor suggested he had more. so jiang chuan boldly guessed, ¡°one hundred kilogram?¡±


    the merchant playfully shook his finger, ¡°guess again..¡±

 Chapter 329 - Chapter 329: Buying Furnitures

    chapter 329: buying furnitures


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang chuan involuntarily took a sharp breath. if the merchant was as confident as he seemed, he must have at least one thousand kilogram of seeds. one thousand kilogram! what does that mean? it would be enough for the entire land of puhua village!


    having been in business for so many years, jiang chuan inferred that such a large quantity of seeds couldn¡¯t possibly belong to this single merchant. so, he directly asked, ¡°are you the sole decision-maker for these seeds?¡±


    as expected, the merchant hesitated, indicating that the seeds weren¡¯t solely his.


    seeing that the merchant couldn¡¯t make the decision alone, jiang chuan offered a suggestion, ¡°1 will return here tomorrow morning. you can discuss it with the actual owner today. if he agrees, we¡¯ll meet here tomorrow and make the exchange. any seed variety works.¡±


    the merchant felt this was feasible, and quickly packed his things to leave. given his urgency, he was probably off to discuss with the seed owner.


    jiang chuan then went to meet the person he had previously agreed to buy furniture from and proceeded to view the furniture.


    upon arrival, jiang chuan couldn¡¯t help but marvel. although the black market was pricey, the quality of the products was unmatched. among the furniture, there were even pieces made from pearwood, each meticulously crafted and worth the price.


    jiang chuan desired every piece of furniture, but his vehicle had limited space. at that moment, he envied jiang xia¡¯s ability to fit anything into her interspace, so he wouldn¡¯t have to make tough decisions like he was currently facing.


    suddenly, an idea struck jiang chuan. he could bring jiang xia with him the next day to choose more furniture!


    if he sneaked back to the village under the cover of darkness and left early the next morning, nobody in the village would know he had returned.


    with this thought, jiang chuan selected two wardrobes, two desks, one large and one small for jiang xia and jiang gu, and a cabinet.


    after making his selections, he told the carpenter, ¡°master, i can¡¯t transport ail these pieces at once. can i take some today and return for the rest tomorrow?¡±


    the carpenter was busy calculating the price of the furniture. once done, he responded, ¡°which nearby village are you from? we can also deliver to your village, but we¡¯d charge an extra two coin for transportation.¡±


    this was even more convenient. jiang chuan immediately agreed, ¡°okay, when will the furniture be delivered?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s too late today. we¡¯ll send them over tomorrow morning and they should arrive by evening. you can pay half the amount as a deposit today, and the balance when the furniture arrives tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°alright, how much is the total?¡±


    ¡°the furniture is thirty, plus two for transportation, that¡¯s thirty-two.¡±


    jiang chuan paid him, provided his address, and then went to buy three baskets of charcoal for fifteen coins.


    when he got home, zhou lan was taken aback, ¡°didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d be gone for two days? why are you back tonight?¡±


    jiang chuan sat down and took a sip of water before saying, ¡°1 encountered someone selling seeds in the city. i plan to go back with jiang xia tomorrow to have a look.¡±


    jiang xia perked up, ¡°what kind of seeds do they have?¡±


    ¡°i know they have corn, but we¡¯ll have to see tomorrow for the rest. what vegetables do you have in your interspace right now and how much?¡±


    jiang xia did a quick calculation, ¡°1 have one hundred kilogram of mushrooms, fifty kilogram of wild fungi, and fifty kilogram each of white radish and carrot.¡±


    jiang chuan frowned, ¡°that might not be enough.¡±


    jiang xia was surprised, ¡°not enough? dad, how many seeds are you planning to buy? two hundred fifty of food isn¡¯t sufficient?¡±


    jiang chuan recounted the events, and after listening, jiang xia reminded him, ¡°dad, if you intend to get all those seeds, won¡¯t the seed seller become suspicious? where would he think we got so much food from? how would you explain?¡±


    ¡°you have a point,¡± jiang chuan pondered for a moment, ¡°so what¡¯s your plan?¡±


    ¡°buy on credit. the village can pay half of the amount upfront as a deposit, and once the seeds mature, we can repay the remaining half with the produce. we can even give a bit extra as interest.¡±


    jiang chuan understood. this was a form of lending. however, such an arrangement would require the village accountant¡¯s approval. but currently, there wasn¡¯t an accountant in the village. who could handle this matter?


    after father and daughter discussed this, zhou lan shared with jiang chuan what she had overheard on the road, concluding with, ¡°everyone¡¯s plans have fallen apart. higher-ups are assigning a new captain, so chen xing won¡¯t get that position. the deputy leader¡¯s position won¡¯t remain vacant either, which means the village is still short of an accountant..¡±

 Chapter 330 - Chapter 330: Entering the City

    chapter 330: entering the city


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang chuan suddenly became interested. if there were many types of seeds for his daughter to plant, wouldn¡¯t it be possible to upgrade her interspace?


    what made jiang chuan even more curious was that there were merchants on the black market who didn¡¯t take cash.


    only then did jiang xia remember to ask jiang chuan why he returned tonight.


    jiang chuan explained, ¡°1 believe that man has more than just corn seeds. there must be other types too. 1 plan to bring you with me to take a look. perhaps it could offer an opportunity for your interspace to acquire more crops and get an upgrade.¡±


    upon hearing this, zhou lan seemed even more excited than jiang xia. ¡°it would be best if we could get some fruit seeds. we have plenty of vegetables at home but lack fruits. without a sufficient supply of vitamins, you see, your hair has lost its shine.¡±


    it was true. over the past month, with the abundant food and water from the interspace, the family had been looking healthier. they weren¡¯t skinny anymore, and their appearance improved significantly. however, their hair was dull, yellowish, and split ¨C clearly lacking nutrients.


    jiang gu looked at her own hair, listening attentively to the conversation. she didn¡¯t understand what vitamins were but kept repeating ¡°hair lacks shine¡± with a solemn expression that was quite adorable.


    seeing the three staring at her, jiang gu thought she missed part of the conversation and looked at them with a puzzled expression.


    jiang chuan teased her, ¡°xiao gu, do you want to go to the county town with dad tomorrow?¡±


    ever since her trip to grand cloud mountain, jiang gu had seen the bustling world outside and had always been eager to visit the city. however, fearing she might cause trouble for her parents, she never voiced this desire. now that her father was suggesting it, of course, she was eager to go.


    initially seated on a small stool, she jumped up in excitement after hearing the proposal, ¡°go! xiao gu wants to go!¡±


    zhou lan held down the excited jiang gu by the shoulders, ¡°we¡¯re only going tomorrow morning. why are you so excited now? go to sleep early so we can set off early tomorrow. your dad can also buy you a box of milk to bring back.¡± in fact, the cow in jiang xia¡¯s interspace had been growing fatter, producing a bucket of milk every day ¨C enough for the four of them. but zhou lan always felt that this milk, without proper pasteurization, wasn¡¯t safe for the young jiang gu and jiang xia. hence, she would heat it every day before letting them drink. packaged milk was certainly more convenient.


    in any case, they weren¡¯t short on money now, so buying a couple box of milk to keep at home wouldn¡¯t hurt.


    the four of them agreed and went to bed early.


    before falling asleep, jiang chuan carefully contemplated the seed exchange.


    due to the lack of an accountant in the village, distributing the seeds among the villagers wasn¡¯t an easy task. however, jiang chuan wasn¡¯t worried. even if they really exchanged one thousand kilogram of seeds and planted them all in jiang xia¡¯s interspace, they could plant and mature them all in one winter. they would still be able to proceed with their agreed-upon plan and exchange the one thousand kilogram of seeds with that person.


    with that thought, jiang chuan could rest peacefully.


    the next morning, the three of them set off early. it would be conspicuous if all four family members disappeared, so zhou lan stayed home.


    by the time jiang chuan and his party arrived in the county town, it was still early. they first went to the shopping mall to buy milk. the salesperson recognized the father and daughters. perhaps due to their previous patronage, the salesperson was much friendlier.


    seeing that they bought two boxes of milk, the salesperson even gave jiang xia and jiang gu two milk candies as extras. jiang gu was so happy that she clutched the candy in her hand all the way, intending to save it for zhou lan when she got home. however, by the time she got home, the candy had melted into a sticky mess.


    the black market was closed today, but the seed trader was still waiting at yesterday¡¯s spot. when he saw jiang chuan approaching with two little girls, each carrying a vegetable basket, he surely thought that three baskets of vegetables wouldn¡¯t be enough for one thousand kilogram of seeds!


    the man hastily approached, ¡°brother, you¡¯re not trying to fool me, are you? i¡¯ve prepared the seeds on my end. where are your vegetables?¡±


    jiang chuan responded calmly, ¡°what¡¯s the rush? we haven¡¯t even seen the seeds yet. just lead me to the place, and i¡¯ll discuss the seeds with the person in charge..¡±

 Chapter 331 - Chapter 331: Meeting Su Zhen

    chapter 331: meeting su zhen


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    the seed trader had specially visited the black market organizer¡¯s house last night, even bringing along a dish and half a bottle of wine. he thought that he could negotiate better while sharing drinks. however, to his surprise, the organizer did not touch the wine. after hearing the seed trader out, he was promptly shown the door.


    the seed trader had initially believed the deal was off. he had hoped to gain favor with the organizer, hoping for a better position in the black market in the future. but the organizer wasn¡¯t swayed, even kicking him out ¨C utterly humiliating.


    yet, to the seed trader¡¯s astonishment, the organizer sent someone the next morning, instructing him to bring the seed buyer to his house so they could discuss face-to-face.


    it was a roller-coaster of emotions for the seed trader. after regretting a lost deal and wasting half a bottle of wine the previous night, now a potential deal awaited him. he hurriedly packed his things and waited on the street for jiang chuan.


    the seed trader had expected jiang chuan to arrive with carts full of grains in exchange for seeds. instead, he showed up empty-handed, accompanied by two young girls. was jiang chuan planning to trade his daughters for seeds?


    it was well-known that daughters were not considered valuable in these times. families who had daughters often kept it a secret as if they had been cursed. however, if a son was born, a grand feast would be organized, and the entire village would be invited to celebrate.


    as a result, many daughters were sold in exchange for money or food. it had sadly become a common occurrence.


    the seed trader¡¯s wife had been sold when she was a child. he dearly loved his wife and held disdain for parents who could do such a thing.


    with that thought, the seed trader began to view jiang chuan with contempt. he no longer wanted to make the deal and wore a frown, asking, ¡°are you planning to exchange your daughters for seeds?¡±


    seeing the seed trader¡¯s expression, jiang chuan realized the misunderstanding. however, he appreciated the seed trader¡¯s sense of righteousness.


    he explained, ¡°young man, you¡¯ve misunderstood. i am buying seeds for our village. as you know, years of drought meant no seeds or saplings were distributed. now, with the recent rain soaking the fields, wouldn¡¯t it be a waste if we don¡¯t plant seeds immediately? 1 happened to encounter you selling seeds yesterday and thought 1 could collect some for the village.¡±


    the seed traders, appearing to be in his late twenties, had thinning hair, suggesting a risk of balding in middle age.


    upon hearing jiang chuan¡¯s intent for the village, the seed trader¡¯s suspicion eased, and his demeanor softened, saying, ¡°alright then, follow me.¡±


    leading the way, he guided them through the town¡¯s alleyways and onto the main road, eventually stopping in front of a rather luxurious mansion.


    on their journey, they had circled half of the mansion¡¯s compound. jiang xia estimated that the mansion had two courtyards. by the standards of the era, the original owner must have been a landlord. however, a couple of years earlier, landlords were publicly criticized, their properties confiscated and sold off. thus, the current residents of such estates were wealthy individuals who had bought the houses.


    since he was a rich man, it was not surprising that he could take out two thousand catties of seeds.


    since he was wealthy, being able to produce one thousand kilogram of seeds wasn¡¯t particularly surprising.


    the seed trader went up and knocked on the door. he knocked for a long time, but no one answered.


    scratching his head in confusion, revealing even more of his balding scalp, the seed trader muttered, ¡°that¡¯s strange. they specifically told me to bring people over; there¡¯s no way no one¡¯s home.¡±


    just as he was saying this, footsteps could be heard from inside, and the door opened in response.


    upon seeing who it was that opened the door, jiang chuan was taken aback.


    the few of them exchanged surprised glances, only the seed trader was left in the dark.


    the person who came to open the door was none other than su zhen, whom they hadn¡¯t seen since they parted ways at grand cloud mountain!


    jiang chuan quickly approached him. considering the relationship between su zhen and the zhang family, and between the zhangs and jiang chuan, su zhen and jiang chuan could be considered as in-laws.


    ¡°when did you get back? have arrangements been made for our mutual family? when do they plan to leave?¡±


    su zhen let out a hearty laugh, ¡°uncle jiang, you¡¯re bombarding me with so many questions all at once. how am i supposed to answer them all? come inside, and we can talk.¡±


    the seed trader was completely baffled. so, these two knew each other?


    after ushering jiang chuan and the two young girls inside, su zhen glanced at the seed traders, ¡°thank you for facilitating this matter today. you can leave now. later, i¡¯ll have someone send a token of appreciation to you..¡±

 Chapter 332 - Chapter 332: Changing Seeds

    chapter 332: changing seeds


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    ¡°you¡¯re too kind.¡± the seed trader politely responded and then left.


    although the seed trader was a few years older than su zhen, when he first found out that a young man was in charge of the black market, he looked down upon it and dismissed the county¡¯s black market. however, as time went by, su zhen¡¯s methods of operation and his adherence to principles, which were even stricter than those in other provinces, made the seed trader change his opinion about him.


    the seed trader had heard about black markets in other provinces where almost anything could be bought and sold, even human trafficking. such places had no moral boundaries. yet, none of these atrocities occurred in su zhen¡¯s black market.


    he had once seen a man trying to bring a young girl into the black market, only to be driven away by the guards. while they did not prevent wrongdoing outside, they absolutely did not allow any wicked deeds on their own turf. this made the seed trader trust the black market and, over time, he frequented it whenever he heard news about it.


    as time passed, he wasn¡¯t content just trading in the black market; he wanted to follow su zhen to find more profitable opportunities, which led to today¡¯s events.


    given that the two knew each other, the seed trader wondered if his matchmaking had been successful or not. regardless of its success, he pondered if his plans to work with su zhen would fall through. with these thoughts, he left in confusion.


    it was only after jiang chuan entered su zhen¡¯s courtyard that he realized su zhen hadn¡¯t deliberately ignored the knocking at the door; he genuinely hadn¡¯t heard it. in the expansive two-section courtyard, su zhen was the sole occupant, and he was deep inside, counting seeds, hence he couldn¡¯t hear the knocking.


    su zhen said politely, ¡°uncle jiang, had i known earlier that you needed seeds, you could¡¯ve come straight to me. why go through so much trouble?¡±


    jiang chuan knew that he was just being polite, so he played along.¡± she didn¡¯t know you were back, did she? how¡¯s the matter with the in-laws?¡±


    understanding that su zhen was merely being polite, jiang chuan played along and said, ¡°i wasn¡¯t aware that you had returned. how did things go with our in-laws?¡±


    su zhen briefly recounted the events at grand cloud mountain. only two people from the zhang family wished to remain on the mountain. given his connections in the government, arranging for those two to stay was not difficult for him and only required a little money.


    the others, as previously agreed upon, would move to the village in about twenty days.


    after they finished chatting, the two of them began to discuss serious matters.


    su zhen said,¡± uncle jiang, 1 heard that you want to exchange five catties of grain for one catty of seeds. i have two thousand catties of seeds here. where did you get so much food from?¡±


    blood brothers had to settle accounts. su zhen couldn¡¯t lose his food just because of uncle jiang.


    this meant that jiang chuan needed to prioritize building the house. the house they currently lived in was built on an existing foundation, and even though it had collapsed, they¡¯d managed to make simple repairs in just a few days. building a new structure from scratch would definitely take more than ten days to complete. moreover, this timeline could only be achieved if people were willing to help with the construction.


    jiang chuan had already planned that once he took the seeds back, he would arrange for everyone to help build the house.


    after their casual chat, the two began discussing the main matter.


    su zhen remarked, ¡°uncle jiang, i heard you are offering two and a half kilogram of grain in exchange for half kilogram of seeds. with one thousand kilogram of seeds here, where will you get that much grain from?¡±


    clear accounts make for good friends. su zhen couldn¡¯t possibly compromise his own grain just because of the familial term ¡°uncle jiang¡±.


    this one thousand kilogram of seeds wasn¡¯t a small amount. su zhen had rallied the resources of an entire province to gather all the seeds available. his intention was to use these seeds to negotiate with the government, enabling him to extend his reach into the black market of the neighboring province.


    unexpectedly, the provincial government already had this idea, wanting to disrupt the neighboring province¡¯s business, so they were very supportive of su zhen¡¯s idea.


    this resulted in su zhen¡¯s one thousand kilogram of seeds not being spent. now he was left with them, uncertain about whom to sell to.


    jiang chuan smiled, sensing trouble, ¡°xiao su, here¡¯s what i was thinking. let me take these seeds on credit for now. i¡¯ll have the villagers plant them, and when they yield crops, i¡¯ll pay you back at a rate of three kilogram of grain for every half kilogram of seeds. the extra will be considered as interest.. what do you think?¡±

 Chapter 333 - Chapter 333: Deal

    chapter 333: deal


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang chuan understood su zhen¡¯s concerns, six thousand kilograms of grain was not a small amount, so it was only natural for su zhen to have reservations. however, jiang chuan had already considered this issue the previous day, so he was not worried.


    jiang chuan assured him, ¡°xiao su, rest easy. even if we can¡¯t grow the full six kilogram, i will ensure that you¡¯re compensated, either in grain tickets or in cash. i won¡¯t let you suffer a loss.¡±


    this promise acted like a reassuring tonic for su zhen. nonetheless, su zhen still insisted on a down payment.


    knowing that jiang chuan didn¡¯t have the necessary funds at the moment, su zhen took the deed to jiang chuan¡¯s house as collateral. he handwrote a note detailing the terms, and only then was the deal finalized.


    the two agreed that su zhen would deliver the seeds to pushan village in three days.


    once this matter was settled, su zhen rubbed his hands together and leaned in closer to jiang chuan, ¡°uncle jiang, didn¡¯t we previously discuss going into business together? now, there¡¯s a ready opportunity. are you interested?¡±


    ¡°oh?¡± jiang chuan, who had been a businessman even in modern times, had always intended to engage in trade in this place. ever since the two had discussed the business prospects at locust tree bay, it had been on his mind. however, other matters had kept him occupied at zhang¡¯s residence, and he hadn¡¯t had the opportunity to discuss details with su zhen.


    jiang chuan inquired, ¡°what kind of deal?¡±


    su zhen elaborated, ¡°recently, there has been trade between our province and the black market in the neighboring province. i want to get a feel for the market there, but 1 can¡¯t go empty-handed. i need to bring something they¡¯d be interested in. the neighboring province specializes in medicinal herbs, and almost everyone has a prescription or two. i plan to exchange for these prescriptions, but i need something of equivalent value. do you have anything suitable, uncle jiang?¡±


    su zhen believed that jiang chuan could manage this because, for one, jiang chuan had a keen business sense and knew the concept of bartering. the fact that he was able to sell his blue-tailed shrimps overnight indicated he had various channels.


    secondly, as su zhen intended to expand his operations into the neighboring province, he wouldn¡¯t have enough time to oversee the black market within his own province. he needed a reliable person to manage it, and jiang chuan was obviously the best choice.


    however, su zhen wasn¡¯t someone who blindly trusted others. even with their close relationship, he still wanted to test jiang chuan¡¯s abilities.


    their meeting today about buying and selling seeds made it evident what role su zhen played in the black market. however, jiang chuan speculated that su zhen only managed the black market in the county town and had not linked this young man to the entire province¡¯s operations.


    at only eighteen, su zhen indeed seemed unlikely to control such a vast black market.


    upon hearing su zhen¡¯s proposal, jiang chuan¡¯s first thought was of the scar-removal ointment he had obtained from the county town¡¯s pharmacy some time ago.


    the old scholar at the traditional medicine shop got along very well with jiang xia. he once clearly stated that the scar-removal ointment lacked an essential ingredient: the spore powder of the lingzhi mushroom. and jiang xia had plenty of this in her interspace.


    if she were to use the lingzhi powder for bartering, could she possibly obtain the old scholar¡¯s prescription?


    however, they would first need to evaluate the benefits that su zhen was offering jiang chuan to determine if it¡¯s worth their effort to obtain the prescription.


    su zhen carefully observed the expressions of jiang chuan and jiang xia. it was evident to him that they truly had a solution. he was right in his judgment of them.


    su zhen was generous by nature, and he wanted to win over capable individuals. he handed jiang chuan some cash, ¡°uncle jiang, rest assured, if this deal is successful, i will reward you handsomely. here¡¯s fifty coin as a down payment. once the job is done, 1¡¯11 give you another hundred.¡±


    jiang chuan and jiang xia exchanged glances. true to his reputation, su zhen was indeed lavish. offering a total of one hundred and fifty coin without batting an eyelid showed that he was financially well-off and lacked nothing.


    jiang chuan didn¡¯t beat around the bush and asked directly, ¡°when do you need the item?¡±


    ¡°in a month.¡±


    a month was ample time. jiang chuan was confident that he could finalize the deal within that timeframe, so he agreed.


    of course, he wouldn¡¯t have committed so easily if he wasn¡¯t certain of his capability.


    while the three of them were discussing business, jiang gu was in the courtyard counting seeds. having grown up in farmlands, she was familiar with many seed varieties.. as she counted, she discovered that not only were there corn seeds, but there were also sorghum, wheat, cabbage, and watermelon seeds!

 Chapter 334 - Chapter 334: Watermelon Seeds

    chapter 334: watermelon seeds


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang gu once had watermelon rind at the old jiang family home. it was given to her only because jiang hong really couldn¡¯t eat anymore and decided to share. her two elder sisters didn¡¯t eat the rind, so they passed it to jiang gu.


    to jiang gu, it felt like a treasured gift. she held onto the watermelon rind, eating every bit of the red flesh until there was none left, before she reluctantly threw it away.


    ever since then, she always had watermelon on her mind, hoping to taste the sweet and juicy fruit again.


    however, there was a severe drought later on, making it difficult even to grow crops, let alone watermelons.


    upon seeing watermelon seeds, jiang gu excitedly shouted, ¡°dad, second sister, look, there are watermelon seeds here!¡±


    the three people inside the house looked out, seeing jiang gu holding a small bag of watermelon seeds, smiling happily.


    the bag of watermelon seeds wasn¡¯t big, about the same size as jiang gu¡¯s face. she held it high in her palm, shining golden in the sunlight, looking incredibly cute.


    su zhen was the first to approach, spontaneously pinching jiang gu¡¯s tender cheek. her round face was squeezed out of shape by su zhen¡¯s hand. frowning, jiang gu carefully held onto the watermelon seeds before slapping su zhen¡¯s hand away.


    jiang gu said fiercely, ¡°if you pinch my face again, watch out, i¡¯ll hit you!¡±


    su zhen was taken aback, rubbing his reddened hand, surprised at the young girl¡¯s strength.


    jiang gu had been told by zhou lan about keeping distance between males and females. if someone tried to touch or bully her, she should fight back. at such times, there was no need to hold back her strength. she could give it her all to hit that person.


    jiang gu was an obedient child. if her mother said it was okay to hit someone, she would certainly not hesitate to hit su zhen!


    upon witnessing this, jiang chuan didn¡¯t find it odd. instead, he felt relieved that his daughter had such a strong sense of self-defense, knowing she wouldn¡¯t be bullied in the future.


    protecting jiang gu behind him, he said, ¡°xiao su, 1 see you have many other types of seeds here, but not many of each. can we trade?¡±


    rubbing his hand again, su zhen hid his hand behind him and replied with a smile, ¡°of course. uncle jiang has helped me a lot. if you like these seeds, i¡¯ll give them all to you. no need for formalities.¡±


    jiang chuan didn¡¯t stand on ceremony either. sometimes, building relationships requires the giving and taking of favors. when doing business, relationships are essential. thus, jiang chuan accepted the seeds directly. before leaving, he reminded su zhen to remember to deliver the seeds to pushan village in three days. only then did he head home with his two daughters.


    the group only arrived home around one or two in the afternoon. it was past mealtime in the village, but zhou lan anticipated their late return and had just finished preparing the meal. as soon as they entered the house, they were greeted by the fragrant aroma of freshly cooked rice and the scent of winter bamboo shoots stewed with cured meat soup. just smelling it warmed their bodies.


    after washing their hands, jiang xia and jiang gu hurried to the kitchen to help zhou lan serve the food. jiang xia took a deep breath, savoring the aroma of the winter bamboo shoots, ¡°mom, this winter bamboo shoot dish is so fragrant. i¡¯ll have two big bowls of rice later!¡±


    usually, rice was made into porridge because it was more filling when swollen with water, saving rice grains. now, jiang chuan¡¯s family was well-off with food supplies. they no longer needed to make wild vegetable porridge to conserve grains. every noon, they enjoyed white rice.


    at the dining table, zhou lan kept serving dishes to the three family members. watching them eat heartily brought her more joy than eating herself.


    while eating, zhou lan suddenly remembered something, ¡°dear, the son of the captain came by earlier. he said the captain has something to discuss with you and asked you to see him this afternoon.¡±


    jiang chuan, taking a bite of the cured meat, nodded and replied, ¡°i have something to discuss with him too. i¡¯ll go after the meal.¡±


    zhou lan continued, ¡°today, when 1 went to see the child from the yangliu family, she chatted with me. she mentioned that wang xing wants to be the village accountant. lately, he¡¯s been constantly giving gifts to the chief captain¡¯s family and even visiting the village chief, offering many items. it¡¯s quite a display; he seems determined to get that position.¡±


    jiang chuan didn¡¯t think much of it, serving himself another bowl of soup. drinking it warmed him up, ¡°then let him have it. it¡¯s better to confirm the accountant position earlier so that the one thousand kilogram of seeds can be sown by the villagers as soon as possible.¡±


    zhou lan was worried, ¡°that¡¯s true, but i¡¯m afraid that once wang xing becomes the accountant, he might cause us troubles openly or secretly..¡±

 Chapter 335 - Chapter 335: Accountant Position

    chapter 335: accountant position


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    regarding such topics, jiang gu never paid much attention and only wanted to focus on eating. only jiang xia, zhou lan, and jiang chuan would seriously discuss it.


    after listening to zhou lan, jiang xia looked up from her bowl and asked, ¡°why would he try to hinder us? i remember we don¡¯t have much interaction with their family. even when we led everyone to forage for wild vegetables, the women from his family were among the most enthusiastic.¡±


    zhou lan explained, ¡°wang xing¡¯s wife and jiang gui¡¯s wife came from the same village and got married into our village the same year. they are very close. before the sun family was driven out, sun li¡¯s wife and the other two were often seen together.¡±


    hearing this, jiang xia understood. birds of a feather flock together. if she is so close with jiang gui¡¯s wife, she must have had some grievances against the jiang family and must have bad-mouthed them in private.


    if wang xing becomes the accountant, the proposal by jiang chuan about exchanging the grains for the one thousand kilos of seeds would surely be denied.


    jiang chuan now looked worried, ¡°we are short on accountants in the village. many who tried made mistakes after just a day or two. the position has been vacant for a month. now that someone is eager to fill the role, we don¡¯t really have much choice, do we?¡±


    the dining table fell silent as the three pondered on how to resolve the issue.


    suddenly, zhou lan had an idea, ¡°hubby, why don¡¯t you become the accountant? last time, you managed the grain distribution so well. you¡¯d definitely be a better accountant than wang xing!¡±


    jiang xia chimed in, ¡°yes, dad, having a position in the village makes it easier to benefit the villagers. otherwise, people always think you have ulterior motives when you do good.¡±


    hearing this, jiang chuan was indeed tempted. his business aspirations were always tied to the village¡¯s development, ensuring a better life for the villagers. becoming an accountant would aid his plans.


    ¡°after 1 finish eating, i¡¯ll go speak with the captain to see the best way to arrange this.¡±


    jiang chuan prepared half a basket of wild mushrooms, two big fish, and a basket of river shrimps to bring to the chief captain¡¯s house.


    at this time, jiang xia was planting different seeds in the vegetable field.


    after the last trip to the city where they exchanged herbs for money, jiang xia cleared the vegetable field. they now had plenty of grains, so she hadn¡¯t planted any vegetables, leaving the field empty. with the new seeds she purchased, it was the perfect time to plant.


    remembering the past, jiang xia knew jiang gu loved watermelons, so she dedicated two plots for watermelons and planted sorghum, wheat, and cabbages on another plot.


    with one plot still vacant, jiang xia planned to search the mountain in a couple of days for more seeds.


    since the last upgrade of the interspace, there hadn¡¯t been any notifications, leaving jiang xia clueless about how many more plants or animals were needed to complete the interspace mission and upgrade again.


    when jiang chuan knocked, wan fang, the chief captain¡¯s wife, answered the door.


    initially, she only opened a crack to peek out, probably cautious due to the daily gift-bearing visitors. they had never experienced such attention in all their years in pushan village.


    seeing it was jiang chuan, she sighed in relief and fully opened the door. upon seeing the basket jiang chuan carried, she courteously remarked, ¡°why bring things when you visit?¡±


    jiang chuan stepped into the courtyard, which was empty, showing they hadn¡¯t accepted gifts from anyone. however, wan fang didn¡¯t refuse jiang chuan¡¯s basket, perhaps the previous gift had an effect.


    placing his basket down, jiang chuan replied, ¡°i was in the city recently and saw these fresh fish and shrimps, so i thought of bringing some for you.¡±


    at this moment, the chief captain stepped out, ¡°jiang chuan, don¡¯t be busy. come inside; i have something to discuss with you.¡±


    to jiang chuan¡¯s surprise, the chief captain wanted to discuss the accountant position. the chief captain had expressed wanting jiang chuan to be the accountant before, but jiang chuan had forgotten.


    instead of immediately showing his interest in the position, jiang chuan said, ¡°captain, hold on. i also have something important to discuss. on my trip to the city, i found someone selling seeds. this person has one thousand kilos of seeds, and i want to buy them and distribute them to the villagers..¡±

 Chapter 336 - Chapter 336: Position

    chapter 336: position


    translator: dragon boat translation     editor: dragon boat translation


    chief captain zhou fang pulled jiang chuan to sit down on the brick bed. wan fang served them two cups of hot tea. ¡°it¡¯s getting colder. have some hot water to warm up first.¡±


    after expressing his gratitude, jiang chuan took the hot water. steam was still rising from the cup. although he had been carrying stuff and walking for a while, he wasn¡¯t cold. nevertheless, he gently blew the steam away and took a sip.


    wan fang sat nearby, listening intently to their conversation.


    black markets were, after all, not allowed by the government. so jiang chuan didn¡¯t say that he had found the seeds on the black market. instead, he mentioned that he met a wealthy individual in the county town who had stocked up on a lot of seeds and was now worried about not being able to sell them.


    chief captain was intrigued. the government had allowed private land use recently, but seeds and seedlings hadn¡¯t been distributed. in contrast, neighboring villages had already started sowing. the delay in the seed distribution was due to the previous village chief¡¯s reluctance to hand over the grains to ensure villagers had food. as a result, the higher-ups were displeased and had given seeds to other villages first. chief captain was anxious and distressed, but jiang chuan¡¯s suggestion seemed like a great solution to him.


    ¡°when can these seeds be delivered?¡± chief captain asked immediately.


    jiang chuan pretended to be troubled and replied, ¡°they should arrive in the village in three days. captain, i¡¯ve agreed with that person to pay him in grains once the seeds mature, which will take at least three months. we should give him a deposit to reassure him.¡±


    in truth, jiang chuan and su zhen had already agreed on terms, but jiang chuan wasn¡¯t naive. he wasn¡¯t going to simply give away his house for the village¡¯s benefit. since he had found the seeds for the villagers, it was only right that the collective should pay the deposit.


    ¡°fair point,¡± chief captain nodded in agreement. ¡°however, as you know about our village¡¯s situation, we currently don¡¯t have an accountant. without a professional to record the seed transactions and deposits, there might be errors.¡±


    chief captain had invited jiang chuan over with a job offer in mind. he had prepared an employment letter stamped with an official seal. it was momentarily sidelined by the seed discussion. giving wan fang a meaningful look, she quickly retrieved the employment letter from the study.


    chief captain presented the letter to jiang chuan. ¡°jiang chuan, everyone saw how well you handled the grain distribution. i trust your abilities. we have an opening for an accountant, and 1 think you¡¯re perfect for it. would you be interested?¡±


    this was precisely what jiang chuan had hoped for.


    seeing chief captain straightforward approach, jiang chuan didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°if you trust me, i¡¯m more than willing to contribute to the village!¡± as he spoke, he signed the employment letter.


    once jiang chuan had signed, chief captain said, ¡°get ready to start work tomorrow. the accountant¡¯s position has been vacant for a month; the books are a mess. you¡¯ll have your work cut out for you.¡±


    jiang chuan took his leave shortly after.


    as soon as jiang chuan left, the phone in chief captain house rang.


    in those days, not every household had a phone. a village typically had only one public phone in the collective office. although chief captain had a phone because of his position, installing one wasn¡¯t simple and cost a fair amount of money. this highlighted that chief captain was wealthier than the average villager.


    answering the call, chief captain found out it was tian zao, the person set to replace him soon.


    tian zao got straight to the point, ¡°captain, i heard there¡¯s an accountant vacancy in pushan village. i have someone suitable for the role.¡±


    chief captain looked troubled. how did the previously overlooked accountant position become so sought after all of a sudden?


    chief captain responded, ¡°director tian, your timing isn¡¯t great. we did have a vacancy, but i¡¯ve just offered it to jiang chuan from our village.¡±


    tian zao persisted, ¡°he was just offered the job and hasn¡¯t started yet, so there¡¯s still time to switch. my candidate can start work tomorrow..¡±

 Chapter 337 - Chapter 337: Who Will Be the Accountant?

    chapter 337: who will be the accountant?


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    tian zao¡¯s words sounded bureaucratic, making people uncomfortable when hearing them. still, captain zhou decided to find out who she was talking about.


    ¡°who do you recommend, director tian?¡±


    after a slight pause, tian zao couldn¡¯t remember the person¡¯s name right away. ¡°uh¡­ wang xing! yes, it¡¯s wang xing.¡±


    it wasn¡¯t surprising that tian zao couldn¡¯t remember wang xing. she had just met him and received gifts from him, implying she needed to do a favor for him in return.


    wang xing was one of the few in the village who knew that tian zao would soon replace the chief captain. this knowledge was obtained after navigating through multiple connections and inquiries.


    upon learning tian zao was to become the new chief captain, wang xing prepared gifts and rushed to tian zao¡¯s home in the county town. initially puzzled by the gift of milk and eggs, tian zao understood his intentions when wang xing introduced himself and stated his purpose.


    remembering that her mother needed milk for calcium and liked eggs, and given it was merely a recommendation for an accountant role, tian zao felt it wasn¡¯t a difficult task and agreed.


    soon after sending wang xing away, she called the chief captain, only to find she was a step too late.


    the chief captain seldom communicated with the villagers and wasn¡¯t familiar with their personal feuds and grievances. he had selected jiang chuan for the position, and it would be an embarrassment to retract the official appointment after issuing it.


    moreover, jiang chuan had just resolved a seed shortage for the village. it would be unjust to strip him of the accountant role now.


    privately, the chief captain considered jiang chuan a friend. jiang chuan always greeted him, brought gifts back from trips, and this time even brought fish and wild mushrooms. for various reasons, both personal and professional, jiang chuan deserved the accountant position.


    the chief captain began to argue, ¡°director tian, the appointment letter has already been issued. it¡¯s not appropriate to take it back now. moreover, jiang chuan¡¯s abilities are recognized by all. he handled the accounting when the national grain was distributed. wang xing has no experience in this. what if he doesn¡¯t do well?¡±


    tian zao thought about it. indeed, she didn¡¯t have much of a relationship with wang xing, only receiving two boxes of gifts from him. if it came down to it, she could simply return the gifts. there wasn¡¯t really a need to vouch for wang xing.


    however, this was the first task she had arranged before taking office. if she didn¡¯t see it through, the villagers would undoubtedly gossip when she became the chief captain.


    what if others then doubted her capabilities and didn¡¯t heed her instructions in the future?


    she was, after all, an outsider, without any emotional bond with the villagers. the village was a place where group mentality was strong. if even one person stirred up trouble and disobeyed orders, the subsequent tasks would become incredibly challenging.


    considering this, tian zao was unwilling to be lenient. her tone became sharp, ¡°chief captain, i will manage the commune in the future. i certainly want to appoint people 1 trust. i¡¯ve met wang xing. i believe he¡¯s dependable, swift in action, and intelligent. accounting isn¡¯t difficult; he can certainly master it easily and would be better than jiang chuan.¡±


    the captain wasn¡¯t impressed. her management of the commune was something for a month later, not now.


    if wang xing was genuinely better, why didn¡¯t he step forward when there was chaos and grain piled up without any distribution? why didn¡¯t he handle the accounting then?


    now, it was simply because the captain was leaving, and the standards for accounting might become lower, making wang xing see the position as a lucrative opportunity.


    the captain was always very meticulous about accounting. even minor mistakes were taken seriously, which is why many accountants were criticized and reprimanded if they made a mistake. over time, they naturally became reluctant to hold that position.


    but now, with the captain departing, they were betting that the next leader would be less strict, thus making many eager to try for the role..

 Chapter 338 - Chapter 338: Bad Words

    chapter 338: bad words


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    the chief captain continued, ¡°jiang chuan has already had experience with accounting matters, and he¡¯s certainly more familiar than wang xing. the accounting records have piled up for a month, and starting from scratch now would definitely be too late. 1 suggest jiang chuan handles it.¡±


    by saying this, the chief captain left no room for tian zao to refute. reluctantly, tian zao had to agree. however, she had developed a negative impression of jiang chuan, believing it was because of him that the chief captain disagreed with her proposal.


    since things didn¡¯t go her way, tian zao had no choice but to send the gifts back to pushan village to return them to wang xing.


    the next day, when jiang chuan reported for his accounting position at the commune, wang xing had yet to receive the returned gifts. he still held hope for the job, badmouthing jiang chuan and mockingly claiming jiang would soon be replaced, and he¡¯d be the next accountant.


    however, those who heard this knew what kind of person wang xing was ¨C lazy and lacking capability. no one believed he could handle the accountant¡¯s responsibilities, so they simply brushed off his words. only a few gossip-loving women would chat about it during their leisure time.


    indeed, the accounting job was simple. in just one morning, jiang chuan had sorted everything out and began working on the latest accounts. the first task was, of course, to properly arrange the one thousand kilos of seeds, ensuring they were distributed once delivered.


    by the third day¡¯s noon, as promised, su zhen delivered the seeds to pushan village. the one thousand kilos required ten horse carts, a grand procession that attracted the whole village¡¯s attention.


    seeing such an organized delivery, jiang chuan decided not to let the horse carts into the commune. instead, he distributed the seeds to villagers at the village entrance. with about a hundred households in the village, each received an average of 10 kilogram of seeds.


    having achieved such a significant task immediately upon taking office, the villagers began praising jiang chuan¡¯s competence. his deserved appointment as the accountant was recognized, which angered wang xing. infuriated, he went directly to the county town to confront tian zao.


    tian zao was surprised to see wang xing, ¡°weren¡¯t the gifts already returned to you? why are you here again?¡±


    wang xing was perplexed, ¡°what gifts? i haven¡¯t received anything.¡±


    it turned out that the person tian zao had entrusted with returning the gifts had become greedy. along the way, he consumed a box of milk and a box of eggs, thinking neither side would investigate since they were merely gifts for favors.


    when the task wasn¡¯t accomplished, those who delegated responsibilities didn¡¯t expect to be confronted directly. holding on to this optimistic belief, the person took the items and went home.


    wang xing¡¯s face contorted like a bitter melon. ¡°director tian,¡± he said, ¡°even if the items were returned, you had already promised me the accountant position. why have you reneged on your promise?¡±


    tian zao was taken aback to find herself being questioned in this manner and was not pleased. ¡°the position should be given to the right person. if someone else is more capable, then they should be the one to take on the role. what do you have to complain about?¡±


    hearing this, wang xing was obviously upset. however, he felt helpless, unable to counter tian zao¡¯s argument. he left, disgruntled and downtrodden, and redirected all his anger towards jiang chuan.


    later, wang xing somehow discovered that the one thousand kilos of seeds were not from the state but were bought by jiang chuan. once the seeds were harvested, they would have to return eleven thousand kilos of grain to the suppliers.


    seizing this information, he began spreading rumors throughout the village. he told anyone who would listen that jiang chuan was using his position to trade seeds for his personal gain.


    some villagers defended jiang chuan, asserting that he was an honest man who wouldn¡¯t engage in such activities. to this, wang xing retorted, ¡°if jiang chuan is so honest, then how come his family was so poor initially? when the family assets were divided, he got nothing. yet after the division, his circumstances dramatically improved, and he quickly became one of the wealthier families in the village.¡±


    hearing this, even those initially without doubts began to ponder wang xing¡¯s words. gradually, rumors that jiang chuan was abusing his power for personal gain spread like wildfire, tarnishing his reputation in the village..

 Chapter 339 - Chapter 339: Visit

    chapter 339: visit


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang gu, having cooled down under zhou lan¡¯s influence, got enraged once again by wang niu¡¯s words and raised his fist. ¡°say that again, and i¡¯ll hit you!¡±


    wang niu, frightened, shrunk her neck and stopped speaking, tugging sadly at her floral dress.


    zhou lan didn¡¯t want to stoop down to a child¡¯s level, especially when the farmers from the fields began to gather around. if the adults saw her bullying a child, it wouldn¡¯t look good.


    ignoring the crowd, zhou lan, with one hand gripping jiang gu and the other holding a wooden stick, headed towards wang xing¡¯s house. ¡°i won¡¯t bicker with a child, but i¡¯ll confront your parents! they always avoid real work and only spread rumors. i¡¯ll see to it that they get their mouths shut.¡±


    seeing zhou lan¡¯s furious demeanor, the onlookers weren¡¯t worried about her fighting; instead, they feared she might be bullied.


    after all, zhou lan¡¯s former submissive image was deeply etched in their minds. it was already surprising to see her confronting someone.


    they followed her both to enjoy the spectacle and to support zhou lan if things got out of hand.


    but they underestimated her.


    upon reaching wang xing¡¯s house, zhou lan kicked the door open. wang xing¡¯s wife was in the courtyard while wang xing was inside. without hesitation, zhou lan grabbed wang xing¡¯s wife and struck her back with the stick.


    the woman cried out in pain, rubbing her back, ¡°zhou lan, have you gone mad? you dare to assault someone in their own home?¡±


    zhou lan replied fiercely, ¡°i¡¯m hitting you for a reason. if you¡¯ve done no wrong, why fear? not being able to hold an accountant position shows your incompetence. what right do you have to spread rumors?¡±


    realizing her guilt, wang xing¡¯s wife stopped arguing and shouted for wang xing to intervene.


    however, zhou lan¡¯s fury was indiscriminate. even when wang xing, a tall, strong man, tried to stop her, she struck him on the leg with her stick, causing him to nearly kneel in pain.


    teaching jiang gu, zhou lan shouted, ¡°watch closely, dear. this is how you hit someone. if they¡¯re taller, go for their legs!¡±


    jiang gu observed attentively, mimicking the moves. with her natural talent, her punches were even more precise than kids who¡¯d been taking taekwondo for months. no wonder zhou lan wanted her to learn martial arts.


    wang xing¡¯s family also had an elder brother. seeing his younger brother and sister-in-law being chased and beaten by a woman, he hurriedly ran out to try to stop zhou lan. however, it was to no avail. he was also forced to join the ranks of those getting beaten.


    the villagers were utterly shocked by the scene. when did zhou lan become so formidable? she was able to beat two men and a woman without them being able to fight back. was this the zhou lan they once knew?


    some felt that the situation was getting out of hand, so they quickly went to find jiang chuan and the chief captain. however, since wang xing¡¯s reckless words had implicated the chief captain, they were concerned that calling only the chief captain might seem biased. as a result, someone else went to fetch the village chief.


    by the time the village chief, the chief captain, and jiang chuan arrived, zhou lan was still chasing and beating the three individuals.


    zhou lan gave jiang chuan a look of affirmation. it was clear that her husband understood her, knowing to step in when she was exhausted. zhou lan stood to the side, catching her breath, and continued to glare at the three members of wang¡¯s family.


    the chief captain, with an expressionless face, showed a certain dignified authority, ¡°what has this group come to, causing such a ruckus? what on earth happened?¡±


    wang xing¡¯s wife, with a wronged tone, said, ¡°how would i know what happened? i was just peacefully staying at home when this woman rushed into our house without saying a word. not only did she break our door, but she also started beating us as soon as she saw us. on what grounds?¡±


    feeling that the truth was being twisted, zhou lan, with her hands on her hips, stepped forward in anger, ¡°you say i¡¯m unreasonable for beating you, but do you dare say why i beat you?¡±


    wang xing¡¯s wife couldn¡¯t find words to reply. she avoided zhou lan¡¯s direct gaze..

 Chapter 340 - Chapter 340: Rebuttal

    chapter 340: rebuttal


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    zhou lan sneered and said to the chief captain, ¡°captain, jiang chuan went to great lengths to get these one thousand kilos of seeds, just so we can take advantage of the moist soil in the fields these days, ensuring the seeds grow well. how come, when others talk about it, it¡¯s said that jiang chuan abused his power for personal gain?¡±


    the chief captain¡¯s gaze was sharp as he looked at wang xing and his wife. ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡±


    the two stuttered and hesitated. at that moment, a villager stepped forward and explained the whole story to the chief captain, repeating word-for-word what wang xing had said.


    although the chief captain¡¯s face remained expressionless, his eyes betrayed his anger.


    all the trouble wang xing caused was over the accountant position. first, he called director tian to argue, then he spread rumors, turning a good deed into something malicious. he even spread rumors that the chief captain was profiting from it. this was truly unbearable.


    the village chief knew wang xing was wrong in this matter. at this point, he tried to mediate, ¡°chief captain, don¡¯t be angry. wang xing just speaks recklessly. this is his fault, and he deserved to be beaten.¡±


    ¡°while everyone is here, why don¡¯t you explain why jiang chuan was chosen as the accountant? that way, no one will spread rumors in the future.¡±


    the chief captain then explained, ¡°everyone has witnessed jiang chuan¡¯s capabilities. he has been working as an accountant for about five or six days. i¡¯ve reviewed his accounts; they¡¯re clear, precise, and error-free. tell me, what¡¯s unreasonable about someone with such capabilities being an accountant?¡±


    hearing this, the villagers felt it was reasonable. they began defending jiang chuan, ¡°1 think there¡¯s no problem. one should do jobs matching their abilities. wang xing is just envious of the position. no wonder he didn¡¯t fight back when zhou lan hit him; he must¡¯ve felt guilty.¡±


    another villager chimed in, ¡°i was wondering how zhou lan, being a woman, could beat up three people. it turns out they were asking for it.¡±


    after hearing everyone¡¯s comments, wang xing and his wife hung their heads in shame.


    the village chief felt that the misunderstanding had grown too large, primarily because the villagers hadn¡¯t updated their impression of jiang chuan.


    jiang chuan had changed. he was no longer the naive and honest man who got bullied without resistance. now, he was competent and magnanimous, working hard for the villagers. this was a good opportunity to change the villagers¡¯ perception of jiang chuan¡¯s family.


    with that thought, the village chief addressed the crowd, ¡°since everyone is here, i want to ask: hasn¡¯t jiang chuan done a lot for the village? zhou lan led people to pick wild vegetables in the mountains, and jiang xia distributed seeds to everyone. haven¡¯t you all benefited? why do you all believe in rumors that hurt jiang chuan?¡±


    the villagers reflected upon their biases, wondering if they had been too quick to believe the rumors about jiang chuan¡¯s family.


    as everyone was in deep thought, zhou lan took the opportunity to dust off jiang gu. she had fallen during the fight, covering herself in dirt, even her hair was messy.


    using her hand as a comb, zhou lan tidied jiang gu¡¯s hair.


    jiang chuan saw that everyone had thought it through, so he stepped forward to smooth things over.¡± actually, these are just small matters. everyone doesn¡¯t have to take it to heart. we¡¯re all from the same village. i believe that as long as i¡¯m doing this for everyone¡¯s good, everyone will definitely feel it.¡±


    the villagers nodded in agreement.


    jiang chuan continued,¡± as you all know, the land next to our house has just been allocated to my son-in-law. now, we need to build a house. i wonder if anyone is available to help? i will be very grateful!¡±


    everyone in the village helped each other to build houses. jiang chuan had helped others build houses many times in the past. moreover, they felt guilty towards jiang chuan today. since he mentioned it, everyone was naturally willing to help and agreed.


    jiang chuan nodded in satisfaction, ¡°i¡¯ve prepared all the building materials. since the seeding will mostly be done in the next two days, everyone should be free afterward. if it¡¯s convenient, we can start work tomorrow..¡±

 Chapter 341 - Chapter 341: New Officer

    chapter 341: new officer


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    the materials for building the house were also purchased by jiang chuan from su zhen. that day, they were transported along with the seeds.


    with materials and people in place, construction of the house began the next day. it seemed that everything was progressing in an orderly manner.


    now that the house was under construction, the paperwork for the son-in-law¡¯s family¡¯s resettlement needed to be expedited.


    jiang chuan had made numerous trips concerning this matter. today, he decided to make another visit to the chief captain¡¯s house to finalize things.


    however, before he could get to the chief captain¡¯s house, some unwelcome news arrived.


    originally, tian zao was supposed to take over in a month. but due to some reasons, the chief captain was being transferred earlier, so tian zao would assume his position tomorrow.


    jiang chuan received this news in the afternoon, which meant he only had half a day left to handle the matter.


    but the chief captain was too busy. with a myriad of responsibilities to hand over, he had no time to attend to jiang chuan¡¯s affairs. jiang chuan waited at the commune for the chief captain, who was bustling about. the sun set, and the chief captain had yet to rest. feeling awkward, jiang chuan didn¡¯t bring up his matter again.


    after the chief captain had finished his tasks, jiang chuan chatted with him briefly and then headed home.


    zhou lan, concerned about the situation, asked jiang chuan how things went as soon as he got home and she had served dinner.


    jiang chuan looked worried, ¡°it didn¡¯t go smoothly. we¡¯ll have to wait for tian zao to take over tomorrow.¡±


    zhou lan shared his concern, ¡°is the new chief captain approachable? what if she delays our request?¡±


    jiang chuan sighed deeply, ¡°they¡¯ll be handing over responsibilities tomorrow, so she probably won¡¯t have time to process the paperwork. i¡¯ll go over first thing the day after.¡±


    the chief captain was efficient. in just one day, he had settled all his affairs. since he wasn¡¯t particularly close to the villagers, there weren¡¯t many people to bid farewell to when he left. that very night, he packed up and moved out, leaving his house for the incoming tian zao.


    after all, he had lived in this village for several years. jiang chuan was indeed impressed by her courage to leave without hesitation.


    impressed by the chief captain¡¯s decisive move, jiang chuan had to admire him.


    the next morning, jiang chuan brought some fish, shrimp, and wild vegetables to pay a visit. tian zao was just getting up and tidying up her messy house. there wasn¡¯t even a place to set foot in her yard.


    jiang chuan had no choice but to leave the things at the door and go in to help tian zao.


    flustered, tian zao greeted him warmly, ¡°thank you for coming over early to help. are you also a staff member of the commune?¡±


    jiang chuan replied, ¡°yes, i¡¯m the accountant for the commune. 1 thought you might need some help since you just moved in.¡±


    upon hearing he was the accountant, tian zao¡¯s expression changed, ¡°are you jiang chuan?¡±


    jiang chuan was taken aback. why was he so well-known? even the new chief captain knew of him. but why did her expression seem off?


    ¡°i am,¡± jiang chuan answered.


    tian zao had heard that wang xing¡¯s appointment as accountant was thwarted because of jiang chuan, so her attitude towards him became distant. ¡°i don¡¯t need your help here. you can go back to the commune,¡± she said.


    feeling awkward, jiang chuan brushed off his hands, ¡°alright, 1¡¯11 leave you to it then.¡±


    sensing tian zao¡¯s animosity, jiang chuan didn¡¯t mention the gifts he brought and silently departed.


    only after tian zao had settled in did she notice the basket of vegetables at her door, presumably from jiang chuan. although her impression of him hadn¡¯t improved much, her expression softened.


    she thought that he seemed like a shrewd person, but wondered if his accounting skills were as good as the previous chief captain had mentioned. she decided she would inspect his work later at the commune.


    jiang chuan was somewhat distracted that morning. concerned that the new chief captain might be hard to deal with given her unfavorable impression of him, he pondered over a solution.


    suddenly, an idea struck him. since aunt tian was tian zao¡¯s mother, if he could invite her to the village and give the mother and daughter a chance to reunite, perhaps tian zao¡¯s perception of him would change..

 Chapter 342 - Chapter 342: Fighting (Missing Episode 339)

    chapter 342: fighting (missing episode 339)


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang chuan still went to work every day as if he hadn¡¯t heard these words.


    after the seeds were distributed, the villagers had to start working again. as jiang chuan had to work, he didn¡¯t have time to go to the fields to farm. therefore, the farming tasks at home were all left to zhou lan.


    every morning, zhou lan would prepare the food for the day and put it in the pot. at noon, jiang chuan would come home, heat up the food, and feed their two children. the leftover food would then be packed in a lunch box and delivered to zhou lan in the fields.


    that afternoon, jiang chuan couldn¡¯t deliver food to zhou lan because he had something on, so he let jiang gu do it.


    it was already one o¡¯clock in the afternoon. while other villagers had finished their meal, zhou lan was still waiting for her food. she grew impatient, vowing to give jiang chuan a piece of her mind for his tardiness when she got home tonight.


    just as she was growing restless, a villager came rushing in, shouting, ¡°zhou lan, your young daughter is fighting with someone!¡±


    hearing this, zhou lan, in a panic, dropped her hoe and followed the villager out.


    they ran for about half a mile and around a bend in the road. there, zhou lan saw her daughter, jiang gu, fighting with a girl who was much taller than her. their fight was intense; their hair disheveled from all the pulling and tugging.


    jiang gu eventually managed to pin the girl down, distorting her face as she pulled at her cheeks. ¡°i¡¯ll teach you for spreading lies! 1¡¯11 ruin your face!¡±


    zhou lan observed the scene for a moment before rushing in to separate the two when she saw the other girl trying to pull jiang gu¡¯s hair. the villager who had alerted her pulled the other girl away. both girls were struggling, tears streaming down their faces.


    with a pitiful look, jiang gu said to zhou lan, ¡°mom, wang niu was bullying others! she was spreading lies about dad, so i had to beat her!¡±


    zhou lan knew her daughter¡¯s temperament well. for jiang gu to start a fight, wang niu must have said something incredibly offensive. normally, jiang gu wasn¡¯t the type to resort to violence.


    wang niu, a 13-year-old who was twice the size of jiang gu, was the daughter of wang xing. she was always seen running around the village with two braided pigtails, picking on the smaller children. moreover, she had inherited her mother¡¯s tendency to gossip and was disliked by many for her loose lips.


    first, zhou lan checked jiang gu for injuries, then tucked the stray strands of her hair behind her ears. ¡°what did wang niu say?¡± zhou lan asked.


    jiang gu replied with a pout, ¡°wang niu claimed that dad became the village accountant because he bribed the chief captain. she also said that when dad bought one thousand kilos of seeds, he profited from it at the expense of the village.¡±


    not to be outdone, wang niu retorted, ¡°that¡¯s the truth! why act on it if you fear it being spoken? my mother also said that your husband shared the money with the chief captain. otherwise, why would he allow those seeds into the village?¡±


    zhou lan was infuriated. so, her husband¡¯s efforts to ensure the villagers had seeds to plant were now being painted as a scheme for personal gain? she knew wang xing would be envious of her husband¡¯s position, but she never expected he¡¯d spread such harmful rumors, especially when his daughter was so gossipy.


    zhou lan looked around, picked up a thick wooden stick, and waved it in the air a few times. pointing it at wang niu, she asked, ¡°did your father tell you all this?¡±


    although frightened by the stick, wang niu bravely said, ¡°yes! my mother also said your family is two-faced.¡±


    zhou lan laughed sarcastically, ¡°oh? and how exactly are we two-faced?¡±


    wang niu was at a loss for words but stubbornly said, ¡°i don¡¯t know the specifics, i¡¯m just repeating what my mother said.. your daughter started the fight, she¡¯s no better!¡±

 Chapter 343 - Chapter 343: Meeting the Old Scholar

    chapter 343: meeting the old scholar


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    in the blink of an eye, half a month had passed. while jiang chuan was busy arranging for his eldest daughter and son-in-law¡¯s settlement, jiang xia was not idle. she was still thinking about su zhen¡¯s suggestion and the scar removal ointment formula in the hands of the old scholar from the traditional chinese medicine shop.


    after such a long time, jiang xia had collected a lot of spore powder from lingzhi mushroom. now, she was waiting to visit the old scholar at the medicine shop to upgrade the scar ointment he gave her and hopefully get the full formula for it.


    jiang xia waited for jiang chuan to return home from work and discussed with him before dinner. ¡°dad, i¡¯m thinking of going to the city tomorrow to visit the old scholar.¡±


    jiang chuan thought for a moment and immediately agreed, ¡°it is indeed time to go to the city. currently, captain tian has issues with me and is unwilling to sign the settlement documentation. 1 also need to visit auntie tian.¡±


    the father and daughter agreed instantly, and early the next morning, they secretly set off for the city.


    jiang xia, in modern times, was already an adult with the capability to handle her own affairs. even though she now had a thirteen-year-old body, it didn¡¯t matter. she also possessed a unique interspace realm ability, so she didn¡¯t have to worry about anything.


    if she ever encountered danger, jiang xia could simply retreat into her own interspace realm. thus, after entering the city, the father and daughter went their separate ways. jiang chuan went to the sugar factory¡¯s residential quarters to find auntie tian, asking if she would like to stay in the village for a couple of days, while jiang xia went to find the old scholar.


    however, on her way to see the old scholar, jiang xia suddenly spotted a familiar face.


    at first, jiang xia didn¡¯t recognize him. she just felt that she had seen him somewhere before and gave him a few more glances.


    to her surprise, the man also noticed her and walked straight towards her.


    jiang xia was startled and was about to run away when the man called out, ¡°little girl from the jiang family, i won¡¯t eat you. i¡¯m wang gang, the one who exchanged vegetables with you for sunflower seeds on the bus!¡±


    upon a closer look, jiang xia realized that it was indeed wang gang. however, the sunflower seed exchange had happened several months ago, so she had no memory of it and only found him familiar.


    with a polite tone, jiang xia said, ¡°uncle wang, i didn¡¯t expect to meet you here.¡±


    wang gang grinned and pointed to the building behind him, ¡°i work here. i came a bit early for my shift today and happened to run into you. why are you alone? where¡¯s your dad?¡±


    wang gang actually wanted to ask if her father was coming to the city to sell vegetables again because he wanted to buy some.


    quick-witted, jiang xia guessed that wang gang must still be interested in wild vegetables. given the rarity of such fresh produce at this time, and especially considering the quality and quantity of what jiang xia had, wang gang would undoubtedly want to purchase more.


    not wanting to lose this potential customer, jiang xia noticed that the building behind him was the urban management brigade¡¯s office, which was known for their power and relatively easy work schedules, implying they had money to spend.


    ¡°being well-fed leads to idle desires.¡± without any pressing matters at work, one¡¯s mind would naturally start pondering how to make their daily meals more enjoyable. hence, wang gang would surely be interested in buying a significant amount of wild vegetables from jiang chuan.


    jiang xia said, ¡°uncle wang, i came into the city with my dad this time. we recently harvested some wild vegetables from the mountains and initially planned to sell them in the city. however, we ran into auntie tian from our previous bus trip, who lives in the sugar factory residential quarters. so, my dad thought of simply selling all the wild vegetables there.¡±


    hearing this, wang gang seemed somewhat disappointed, ¡°do you plan to sell everything without keeping any?¡±


    jiang xia nodded, ¡°yes, we need to sell the wild vegetables from our village quickly and then return to our farming.¡±


    although wang gang felt disappointed, he had no other choice. ¡°jiang xia, let it be this time. if you have more wild vegetables in the future, bring them directly here to sell. i promise to buy them from you at a higher price than others.¡±


    hearing this, jiang xia thought to herself, ¡°ah, he seems to be someone willing to spend generously, especially on food.¡± with this in mind, she stealthily took out three bottles of meat sauce from her interspace realm and placed them behind her basket. then, pretending to be hesitant, she offered them to wang gang.


    ¡°uncle wang, although i don¡¯t have wild vegetables, 1 do have a few bottles of meat sauce made by my mother.. would you be interested?¡±

 Chapter 344 - Chapter 344: Business

    chapter 344: business


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    ¡°meat sauce?¡± upon hearing that the meat sauce was homemade from jiang xia¡¯s family, wang gang¡¯s expression clearly showed some disappointment.


    what couldn¡¯t they eat in the county town? they could occasionally dine in a good restaurant. could homemade meat sauce really taste better than restaurant dishes?


    jiang xia must have sensed wang gang¡¯s thoughts. instead of hastily promoting her meat sauce, she took out a half-eaten jar of it from her basket in the same manner.


    ¡°uncle wang,¡± she said, ¡°this jar of meat sauce was saved for lunch to be eaten with steamed buns. if you don¡¯t mind, you can try it first.¡±


    not wanting to seem rude, wang gang accepted the offered jar. as soon as he opened the lid, an enticing aroma of meat wafted to his nostrils.


    he was surprised. he had never smelled such fragrant meat sauce before. just the aroma alone was enough to whet his appetite.


    he dipped his finger into the meat sauce and put it into his mouth to taste it carefully. not to mention that the taste was really delicious, it was probably comparable to the meat sauce in the restaurant.


    but how would he know that the restaurant¡¯s meat sauce was also purchased from jiang chuan?


    without having to guess, jiang xia knew what wang gang was about to say next. after all, she was very confident in her mother¡¯s culinary skills.


    sure enough, wang gang exclaimed with surprise, ¡°little girl, how much are you selling this meat sauce for? i want it all!¡±


    jiang xia pretended to be hesitant, ¡°but money transactions aren¡¯t allowed right now, are they?¡±


    even though trading was supposedly prohibited, the enforcement was lax. for the city management officers, it was merely a matter of turning a blind eye.


    they could be described as idle personnel funded by the state. every day they received a salary from the government to do the most laid-back job: maintaining public order.


    overseeing monetary transactions on the streets was also part of their duties. so, as long as wang gang didn¡¯t penalize her, he could totally pay for jiang xia¡¯s meat sauce in cash.


    jiang xia was well aware of this, but she intentionally said so to let wang gang take the initiative and save her some trouble.


    wang gang looked at the fragrant meat sauce, and the craving in his stomach was already aroused. he really wanted to buy it as soon as possible, but he didn¡¯t mention the money. instead, he followed jiang xia¡¯s intention and asked,¡± why don¡¯t we do the same thing as last time on the bus? i¡¯ll exchange it for something.¡±


    after saying this, wang gang felt his pockets and pulled out a small stack of vouchers from his chest pocket, ¡°i have vouchers here for five kilos of cotton. it¡¯s worth seven or eight coin in the market. is that enough for your meat sauce?¡±


    it¡¯s more than enough! jiang xia thought to herself. they sold the meat sauce to the restaurant for two coin per bottle. here, she had three bottles. exchanging it for five kilos of cotton was a great deal.


    moreover, this winter was colder than jiang xia had expected. the cotton they had previously bought at the locust tree bay shopping mall was not sufficient. zhou lan had planned to buy more cotton in the county to make another quilt, but due to the lack of cotton vouchers, the plan was stalled. today¡¯s offer seemed like a windfall.


    however, jiang xia did not show her excitement. she pretended to be clueless, intending to feign ignorance for a better deal.


    ¡°well¡­ uncle wang, i¡¯m not really familiar with the exchange rates for these items. if 1 overcharge you for the meat sauce, that wouldn¡¯t be right. my mom has always taught me never to take advantage of others, whether in business or anything else.¡±


    upon hearing this, wang gang didn¡¯t find jiang xia troublesome. instead, he was impressed by such maturity in a young child, further solidifying his intention to buy from her in the future.


    he then shared his thoughts with jiang xia, ¡°indeed, you¡¯re too young to make decisions. go fetch your father and let him discuss with me. tell him i buy a large amount of vegetables and can offer a better price than the sugar factory¡¯s residential quarters. he can bring some over first for my colleagues to try. if everyone likes them, we¡¯ll buy from him in the future.¡±


    jiang xia was delighted upon hearing this. she had plenty of vegetables in her interspace and was wondering how to trade them. now she had found a way. if she traded all of them, their family could become wealthy overnight.


    when they first moved here, they had nothing. after some effort, they managed to sell vegetables and earn a few dozen coins. but that money quickly went into renovating and building their house. it was the first time jiang xia realized how quickly money could be spent. she began to value money more and now appeared to be quite the little miser..

 Chapter 345 - Chapter 345: Quarrel

    chapter 345: quarrel


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang xia nodded, immediately agreed, and handed over all three bottles of meat sauce to wang gang. she then pretended to go find jiang chuan.


    as expected, wang gang stopped her again, ¡°you little girl, always in such a hurry that you forgot to take the cotton tickets. how will you explain this to your father if you go back empty-handed?¡±


    jiang xia pretended to realize, as if she had just remembered, ¡°i almost forgot, thank you uncle wang for the reminder. 1¡¯11 go find my dad now, and i¡¯ll come to you in the afternoon.¡±


    ¡°go on then.¡± after saying this, wang gang affectionately patted jiang xia¡¯s head.


    in fact, jiang chuan didn¡¯t go to sell vegetables; he was discussing serious matters with auntie tian from the sugar factory. so, jiang xia didn¡¯t rush to find him. instead, she went to the chinese medicine shop as planned to exchange the scar removal ointment formula. she would tell jiang chuan about her morning¡¯s events when she met him at noon.


    jiang xia patted the pocket with the lingzhi spore powder wrapped tightly in a handkerchief, and then confidently headed towards the medicine shop.


    however, her trip was in vain; the medicine shop was closed.


    it was strange. jiang xia remembered that the old scholar had told her that the chinese medicine shop was open every day, rain or shine. why didn¡¯t the old scholar open it today when the weather was good?


    after waiting outside the medicine shop for about half an hour without seeing the old scholar, jiang xia felt disappointed and had to leave.


    however, on her way to find jiang chuan, she continued to worry about the old scholar. it wasn¡¯t about the formula for scar removal ointment; her concern was genuine.


    jiang xia wandered aimlessly on the dirt roads of the county town. unknowingly, she had arrived at the hospital where she had been treated for the cat scratch. to her surprise, she saw the old scholar outside.


    opposite the hospital¡¯s entrance was a small pavilion. although it was bustling with people, they were all preoccupied, so hardly anyone noticed the pavilion. the old scholar stood inside, alongside a younger man in a white coat who looked like him ¨C the doctor they had seen at the hospital.


    the young man was pleadingly speaking to the old scholar, who appeared visibly irritated and impatient, wanting to leave. however, the young man was holding onto his arm, preventing him from breaking free, which only angered the old scholar more.


    jiang xia had initially decided not to interfere, but when their argument escalated and the old scholar¡¯s face turned red, almost passing out and falling backward into the young man¡¯s arms, she immediately ran over.


    together, jiang xia and the young man helped the old scholar to sit down in the pavilion. the young man tried to help him catch his breath by pressing on a pressure point on his neck.


    seeing that the old scholar¡¯s breathing had stabilized, the young man anxiously said to jiang xia, ¡°little girl, could you help by supporting him and lightly patting his back to help him breathe easier?¡±


    jiang xia nodded and did as instructed.


    the young man then took the stethoscope hanging around his neck, placing it on the old scholar¡¯s chest to listen to his heartbeat. he then lifted the old man¡¯s head to check his pupils.


    once assured that the old scholar was alright, he let out a sigh of relief. however, jiang xia, who lacked medical knowledge, remained worried and asked, ¡°doctor, is the old gentleman okay? why hasn¡¯t he woken up yet?¡±


    the young man, although clearly tense, gave jiang xia a forced smile to comfort her, saying, ¡°he just had a momentary lack of blood supply to the heart due to his anger, which made him lose his breath. he just needs some rest.¡±


    the two of them sat with the old scholar in the pavilion for a while. about ten minutes later, he finally regained consciousness.


    upon seeing the old scholar awake, the young man immediately stood up, intending to give him a checkup.. however, the old scholar brushed him away with a slap, saying, ¡°don¡¯t use your gadgets to treat me, i know how to heal myself!¡±

 Chapter 346 - Chapter 346: Son

    chapter 346: son


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    the young man was a little embarrassed, but he still forced a smile at the two to lighten the mood.


    to avoid further irritating the old scholar, the young man refrained from speaking or sitting down. he just stood quietly, creating an uncomfortable atmosphere in the pavilion.


    after a while, the young man lifted his hand to reveal a watch on his wrist. he glanced at the time and sighed, ¡°father, it¡¯s time for my break. 1 need to hurry up and see the patients. please go home early and rest. i¡¯ll come home to see you tonight.¡±


    the old scholar retorted strongly, ¡°you¡¯d better never come back and upset me again. i might live a few more years!¡±


    in fact, the young man and the old scholar looked very similar. their facial features were firm. the old scholar¡¯s face bore the marks of time, making him seem stubborn. however, these features on the young man¡¯s face made him look very upright, easily giving the impression that he was dedicated to scientific research.


    so, when jiang xia heard the young man address the old scholar, she wasn¡¯t too surprised.


    jiang xia recalled asking the old scholar once why there wasn¡¯t a younger generation taking over the medicine shop. the old scholar¡¯s expression had darkened, probably because of this very issue.


    at this time, modern medicine was just making its way into the country, greatly challenging traditional medicine. the two forms of medicine were fundamentally different, so modern medicine was not accepted by practitioners of traditional medicine.


    the mainstream of medicine was now comprised of younger people, whereas traditional medicine was dominated by the older generation. this collision between medical paradigms became a clash between young and old ideologies. this deadlock lasted for nearly half a century.


    in the end, most of the mainstream doctors in traditional medicine passed away one after another, and modern medicine slowly became the mainstream in the country.


    but even though it seemed like modern medicine had won, many eminent traditional doctors never reconciled with modern medical practices. their deaths marked the abrupt end to the conflict.


    jiang xia felt a sense of regret when she read about this history. both forms of medicine could have collaborated for the greater good of society, but due to the stubbornness of the older generation, they became adversaries.


    this opposition was particularly evident between the father and son.


    after being scolded by the old scholar, the young man¡¯s face paled, but he had no choice but to leave. before departing, he still managed to flash a smile at jiang xia.


    jiang xia could guess that their quarrel was about medical matters, but she didn¡¯t know the specifics. she asked the old scholar, ¡°grandfather, why did you argue? my mother says that arguing hurts feelings.¡±


    the old scholar paused, and with a much kinder expression, replied, ¡°your mother is right, but on matters of principle, we must stand our ground.¡±


    perhaps just needing someone to vent to, and thinking jiang xia wouldn¡¯t understand, the old scholar rambled, ¡°modern medicine is invasive, trying to replace our traditional medicine, deceiving the next generation of medical students. it¡¯s witchcraft!¡±


    as someone from the 21st century, jiang xia found it hard to agree with him. medical advancements had cured many previously untreatable diseases.


    decades ago, people could die from a common cold. now, such an ailment could be easily treated with a simple pill.


    out of politeness, jiang xia continued to listen.


    the old scholar went on, ¡°this unfilial son is misguided! he wants to use the family heirloom, our scar removal ointment formula, for modern medical research! he¡¯s dreaming; i¡¯ll never give it to him even if i die!¡±


    jiang xia was stunned. she had the same goal in mind. but judging by the old scholar¡¯s reaction, obtaining the formula for the scar removal ointment wouldn¡¯t be easy.


    realizing he might have been too vehement, the old scholar changed the topic with a smile, ¡°what brings a young girl like you here?¡±


    jiang xia gave a sweet smile and took out a lingzhi spore powder from her pocket, ¡°i came specifically to see you, grandfather. 1 found this and wanted you to take a look..¡±

 Chapter 347 - Chapter 347: Surprise

    chapter 347: surprise


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    the old scholar curiously watched as jiang xia took out something wrapped in a handkerchief from her bosom, holding it delicately in her palm as if presenting a treasure for him to see.


    the old scholar, puzzled, asked, ¡°what is this?¡±


    jiang xia, playing mysterious, didn¡¯t answer directly but said, ¡°grandpa, open it yourself and see.¡±


    perhaps influenced by jiang xia¡¯s caution, the old scholar also became careful, picking up the handkerchief with gentle and slow movements, then holding his breath as he slowly unfolded it.


    once he had completely unwrapped the handkerchief and saw what was inside, the old scholar¡¯s expression shifted from confusion to delight.


    the old scholar looked at the handful of lingzhi spore powder in the handkerchief as if he had discovered a new world. given that it¡¯s hard to find lingzhi these days, he didn¡¯t even bother to inspect the quality of the spore powder. recognizing it was enough to make him happy.


    the old scholar licked his dry lips and asked, ¡°young girl, where did you get this lingzhi spore powder from?¡±


    jiang xia replied sweetly, ¡°while my father and 1 were picking wild vegetables on the mountain, we accidentally found a small lingzhi. i initially wanted to take it home, but my father told me that lingzhi has a spirit and it¡¯s not easy for it to grow, especially such a small one. so we left it in the mountain to grow.¡±


    the old scholar nodded in agreement, ¡°your father is right. everything has a spirit. only by respecting nature can we receive its gifts.¡±


    after listening, jiang xia smiled sweetly, revealing her cute little fangs teeth.


    at that moment, a cold wind blew by. the old scholar quickly wrapped up the spore powder and carefully tucked it into his bosom, affectionately patting jiang xia on the shoulder, ¡°good girl, it¡¯s cold here. let¡¯s go to the medicine shop.¡±


    leading the way, he walked with jiang xia toward the medicine shop.


    jiang xia could clearly sense the old scholar¡¯s good mood. he even poured her a cup of hot water, adding a spoonful of sugar, making it sweet to taste.


    impatiently, the old scholar asked after jiang xia had just taken a sip, ¡°girl, how much spore powder did you collect?¡±


    jiang xia pointed to the spore powder in the old scholar¡¯s bosom and said, ¡°only that much, i brought it all to you.¡±


    the old scholar was somewhat disappointed. even though this amount was quite a lot, especially in these times, he still wished for more.


    his son had suggested upgrading the scar removal ointment formula using modern medicine. although he was angry and had a big argument with his son, it was mainly because his son wanted to challenge traditional medicine with modern methods. deep down, he was actually open to the idea of upgrading the formula.


    after decades of dedication to medicine, how could he resist the opportunity to improve a formula?


    seeing the old scholar¡¯s continued focus on the lingzhi spore powder, jiang xia changed the subject, ¡°grandpa, why is lingzhi spore powder necessary for the scar removal ointment?¡±


    jiang xia¡¯s eyes were bright and eager, showing genuine curiosity about the topic.


    the old scholar instinctively assumed his teaching demeanor from his days at the medicine shop and began to explain in detail the uses, methods, and dosages of lingzhi spore powder.


    after he had been talking for a while, jiang xia considerately poured him a glass of water, saying, ¡°grandpa, have some water before you continue.¡±


    after taking a sip, the old scholar immediately resumed explaining the role of lingzhi spore powder in the scar ointment, even demonstrating how to add it to the semi-finished product.


    later, the old scholar applied some of the newly prepared ointment to jiang xia¡¯s wrist, which had a faint scar from a cat scratch. although it was hardly noticeable and didn¡¯t need the ointment, jiang xia cooperated.


    once he finished, jiang xia hesitated, then asked, ¡°grandpa, if the scar removal ointment is so effective, why not share its formula with factories for mass production to help more people?¡±


    upon hearing about sharing the formula, the old scholar¡¯s expression changed dramatically, turning from clear skies to stormy clouds in an instant..

 Chapter 348 - Chapter 348: A Chance Encounter

    chapter 348: a chance encounter


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    the old scholar kept a stern face and said nothing. he turned back to his medicine cabinet and started to organize the medicinal herbs.


    upon seeing this, jiang xia couldn¡¯t help but mock him internally. this man was truly impervious to persuasion, treating prescriptions as if they were more important than anything else. it was no wonder he had such a falling out with his son.


    from the old scholar¡¯s expression and attitude every time he mentioned his son, it was easy to guess that their relationship had hit rock bottom. that must be why they had such a public quarrel earlier.


    jiang xia felt a bit disappointed, realizing she probably wouldn¡¯t get the prescription today.


    she looked up and saw that it was approaching noon. she had agreed to meet her father at the entrance of the county town at one o¡¯clock in the afternoon. it was time for her to leave.


    standing up, she bid the old scholar goodbye, ¡°grandpa, my dad is probably waiting for me. i¡¯ll be going now.¡±


    just as jiang xia reached the door, the old scholar turned and called out to her, ¡°wait! i haven¡¯t paid for the lingzhi spore powder!¡±


    jiang xia turned around with an innocent smile, ¡°consider it a gift for you, grandpa. it¡¯s of no use to me. just my way of thanking you for the scar removal ointment.¡±


    having said that, jiang xia left, leaving the old scholar feeling a tinge of guilt. he began to reflect on whether he had been too harsh earlier and wondered what to do about the scar removal ointment.


    wandering aimlessly on the streets, jiang xia caught a whiff of stewed meat from one of the courtyards. her stomach grumbled in protest.


    rubbing her belly, jiang xia realized she hadn¡¯t had pork for quite some time.


    she now has a interspace realm filled with many animals, ensuring there¡¯s meat for almost every meal at home. however, it¡¯s always wild rabbit and lamb. no matter how exquisite or rare a delicacy is, eating it daily can become monotonous. jiang xia can¡¯t help but miss the taste of braised pork ribs.


    thinking there was still some time before the afternoon, jiang xia decided to visit the supply and marketing cooperative to exchange some pork ribs.


    with high spirits, jiang xia went to the cooperative, only to be left disappointed. they had received a pig today, but people from the town had already heard and lined up early. by mid-morning, the entire pig was distributed. when jiang xia arrived, even the last bit of ribs had been taken.


    in today¡¯s context, pork ribs are considered the best part of the pig. they¡¯re perfect for dishes like braised ribs or rib soup. but in the past, people were pragmatic. parts of the meat that had a lot of bones, like ribs, weren¡¯t favored and were left till the end.


    yet, even these less favored ribs were gone by the time jiang xia arrived. disappointed, she left. she then thought the people from the cooperative might have saved some pork for themselves and returned to see if she could exchange wild rabbit for it.


    fortunately, the person she met that day was honest and hadn¡¯t saved any meat, leaving him no choice but to regretfully inform jiang xia there was none left.


    feeling dejected, jiang xia walked on, pondering where she could find some pork. suddenly, she thought of wang ping. being a city official, he must have connections. if others couldn¡¯t get pork, he surely could.


    however, to approach wang ping, jiang xia couldn¡¯t go alone. she needed to bring her father along to discuss a long-term partnership, exchanging all the wild vegetables from her interspace with wang ping.


    with that thought in mind, jiang xia immediately went to look for jiang chuan.


    they had agreed to meet at one o¡¯clock, but jiang xia didn¡¯t have the patience to wait until one o¡¯clock. she knew that jiang chuan was going to the sugar factory¡¯s residential quarters to look for auntie tian, so jiang xia went straight to the sugar factory¡¯s residential quarters.


    walking happily, jiang xia suddenly heard a bicycle bell ringing behind her.


    she instinctively moved aside, but the ringing persisted. annoyed, she glanced at the spacious road. despite making way, why was the cyclist still ringing at her?


    turning around, she saw a tall, handsome man on a wobbly bicycle, looking as if he was about to fall. jiang xia felt he looked familiar but couldn¡¯t place him.


    however, the man soon stopped beside her, hopping off his bicycle with a cheerful grin. ¡°jiang xia, long time no see!¡±


    the man was undoubtedly handsome. the sun cast perfect shadows on his chiseled jawline, and his bright eyes and familiar smile outshone the sunlight, making jiang xia almost unable to look directly at him..

 Chapter 349 - Chapter 349: Long Time No See

    chapter 349: long time no see


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    if any girl from this era were in this situation, she would probably blush. after all, in the more conservative times of the past, girls weren¡¯t supposed to look directly at boys.


    however, standing before the man was jiang xia, who traveled from the 21st century. she certainly didn¡¯t hold onto those old-fashioned views.


    jiang xia stared intently at the man, but not to admire his looks. instead, she frantically searched her memory, trying to recall who he was.


    the man, feeling somewhat uneasy under jiang xia¡¯s gaze, touched his face and looked at her with confusion. ¡°why are you staring at me like this? can¡¯t be because you¡¯ve forgotten me after not seeing me for such a long time, right?¡±


    as he finished speaking, a hint of hurt flickered across his face, but it was soon replaced by a gentle smile.


    seeing his smile, jiang xia recognized him immediately. she revealed a grin, her bright little canines showing, ¡°it really has been a while, shen mo.¡±


    indeed, the man standing next to jiang xia was shen mo, who had been absent for over half a year.


    the reason jiang xia didn¡¯t recognize him initially wasn¡¯t that she had forgotten him. whenever shen mo appeared beside her in the past, he was always in a striking military uniform with a gun strapped around his waist, accompanied by an adjutant and occasionally some soldiers following him.


    she had never seen shen mo out and about alone, especially not dressed in the casual fashion of the day. the head of the commune, chen xing, liked wearing such attire. but while it made chen xing look somewhat mature beyond his years, shen mo wore it just right, both handsome and approachable.


    hearing jiang xia call his name, a hint of joy flashed in shen mo¡¯s eyes.


    in fact, the moment he saw jiang xia¡¯s silhouette, he recognized her. however, he was hesitant to approach since he knew she lived in pushan village and typically wouldn¡¯t come to the county town. so, with a playful intention, he rang his bike¡¯s bell behind her.


    ordinarily, anyone hearing a bicycle bell would turn to look. however, to shen mo¡¯s surprise, jiang xia merely sidestepped without turning back.


    this playful act made shen mo, a lively young man, persistently ring his bell until an annoyed jiang xia finally turned to look at him.


    her adorable face was scrunched up in annoyance, looking more endearing than ever.


    shen mo could also distinctly notice the positive changes in jiang xia since their last encounter. previously, she appeared frail and small, like a gust of wind could knock her over. her hair had been a dull yellow due to malnourishment, and her complexion was sallow, lacking any vibrancy.


    but today, she looked much healthier. her figure had filled out, her hair was darker and thicker, her eyes shone brighter, and her complexion was much rosier. it seemed she had been faring well in the months of shen a/io¡¯s absence, and this realization brought a warmth to his heart.


    shen mo asked jiang xia, ¡°what brought you to town today?¡±


    looking at her long-lost friend, and the annoyance caused by the bell now completely forgotten, jiang xia cheerfully replied, ¡°i came to town with my dad. we wanted to buy some pork ribs, but they sold out at the co-op, so we¡¯ll have to wait till next time.¡±


    ¡°pork ribs?¡± shen mo was a bit surprised that someone would come all the way from the village just for that.


    after a brief pause, shen mo offered, ¡°i have some pork at my place. if you want, i can give you some.¡±


    jiang xia¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°no, 1 can¡¯t just take your meat. i¡¯ll give you something in exchange!¡±


    shen mo shook his head, ¡°it¡¯s alright, we¡¯re friends. besides, trading things privately seems a bit off the rules.¡±


    jiang xia then remembered that shen mo was a military officer and would undoubtedly be strict about regulations. not like wang ping, who only held a nominal position.


    she graciously accepted his offer and asked hopefully, ¡°do you have pork ribs? i¡¯d prefer those over regular pork.¡±


    shen mo pondered for a moment, ¡°i think i should.¡±


    having recently returned, shen mo had many relatives and friends to visit, so he had purchased half a pig to distribute amongst them.


    however, pork ribs, being one of the less prized parts of the pig, probably wouldn¡¯t be used as gifts. they were more likely kept for personal consumption. yet, he would have to go home to check for certain..

 Chapter 350 - Chapter 350: Get In The Bicycle

    chapter 350: get in the bicycle


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    it was still some distance to shen mo¡¯s home, and a bicycle was needed to get there. however, the bicycle shen mo rode today was an old-fashioned one, with a large crossbar at the front and a single seat at the back.


    to ride this kind of bicycle, one usually starts by pushing it to get it rolling and then hops on. therefore, if one is taking a passenger, it¡¯s more convenient for them to sit on the front crossbar.


    in the past, young couples loved riding bicycles this way; with the girl sitting on the crossbar and the boy cycling, it felt as if the girl was in the boy¡¯s embrace.


    however, jiang xia and shen mo certainly didn¡¯t have that kind of relationship. so, after glancing at the bike, jiang xia said, ¡°you ride ahead, and i¡¯ll run a few steps and hop on.¡±


    looking at the relatively tall bicycle, shen mo decisively refused, ¡°no, what if you fall?¡±


    jiang xia patted her chest confidently and said, ¡°don¡¯t worry, i¡¯m very agile. 1 won¡¯t fall.¡±


    seeing that jiang xia was two heads shorter than him, shen mo still refused. in the end, both of them sat on the bicycle, and shen mo, using his long legs, pushed the bike to get it started.


    jiang xia hadn¡¯t expected him, usually so gentle, to be so stubborn, so she complied quietly.


    to jiang xia¡¯s delight, shen mo¡¯s home did have ribs. shen mo instructed his servant to prepare the ribs, while he took jiang xia on a tour of the mansion.


    shen mo¡¯s residence was vast, with standalone buildings and gardens. various trees and plants filled the garden. although it was winter, and the leaves had fallen, making it hard to identify the plants, there were still servants pruning the trees and cleaning up the fallen leaves.


    jiang xia guessed that shen mo¡¯s house must be the best in the county, luxurious even by modern standards.


    shen mo invited jiang xia to sit inside, and a servant brought two cups of black tea.


    as jiang xia sipped her tea, she was lost in thought, admiring the room¡¯s decorations. she thought the tea was excellent, similar to what she had in her modern office in jiang chuan.


    shen mo found her adorable and couldn¡¯t help but watch her for a while before starting a conversation. ¡°1 remember you once talked in detail about the village¡¯s situation. i¡¯ve been away for over half a year. can you update me on the changes in the county and the village?¡±


    jiang xia recalled everything that had happened in the past months and regretfully realized that, apart from their own prosperity, the village still faced food shortages and poverty.


    jiang xia sighed, ¡°you¡¯ve seen the village conditions yourself. half a year isn¡¯t enough for significant changes. natural disasters and human sufferings continue. without rain, crops can¡¯t grow. without crops, surviving this winter is challenging.¡±


    shen mo remembered jiang xia¡¯s earlier suggestion for government intervention to improve villagers¡¯ lives. despite his efforts in the army over the past months, little had changed, primarily because the nation itself lacked food, and the military also required vast food supplies after the recent war. this was why he had returned.


    they both fell silent until a servant brought in the ribs wrapped in oily paper.


    jiang xia thanked him and stood to leave, and shen mo walked her to the door. as jiang xia was about to depart, shen mo mysteriously said, ¡°jiang xia, we¡¯ll meet again soon.¡±


    jiang xia paused, wanting to ask what he meant, but seeing his enigmatic expression, she happily took the ribs and left. however, shen mo insisted on accompanying her to the county entrance, concerned for her safety.


    from the second floor of the mansion, two women watched shen mo and jiang xia part ways. one woman, filled with jealousy, gripped the windowsill tightly.


    she asked the woman beside her, ¡°cousin, who is this woman? why did shen mo bring her home and even personally see her off?¡±


    the other woman patted her hand comfortingly, ¡°perhaps she¡¯s just a beggar. didn¡¯t you see the ribs in her hand? you don¡¯t know shen mo like i do. he¡¯s a bit clueless and doesn¡¯t understand matters of the heart..¡±

 Chapter 351 - Chapter 351: Ma Juan

    chapter 351: ma juan


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    the two women standing on the second floor were shen mo¡¯s sister-in-law, ma li, and her cousin, ma juan.


    upon seeing shen mo for the first time at the wedding of ma li and shen mo¡¯s elder brother, shen cheng, ma juan fell head over heels for him. she silently vowed to marry no one but him. in the five years since ma li and shen cheng got married, ma juan has pursued shen mo relentlessly.


    to avoid ma juan, shen mo even told his family that he wants to first establish his career before considering starting a family. he asserted that he had no plans to marry or have children within the next five years. he warned his family to stop pressuring him, or he¡¯d join the military and never return.


    shen mo¡¯s parents were quite fond of ma juan, but they also knew their son¡¯s temperament and that they couldn¡¯t persuade him. hence, they advised ma juan to wait for another five years, promising that the two would surely get married once the period was over.


    if ma juan had behaved, shen mo would have inevitably succumbed to family pressure and married her after five years. however, her extreme jealousy has caused numerous troubles for shen mo. as a result, even shen mo¡¯s parents have begun to view her less favorably.


    due to shen mo¡¯s handsome appearance and prominent family background, he was always surrounded by women wherever he went. jiang xia first met shen mo when he had just returned from the military, and his house was besieged by a crowd of women.


    but what ma juan couldn¡¯t stand the most were scenes like this. she spread rumors that she and shen mo were engaged. if someone¡¯s handkerchief happened to land on shen mo, she¡¯d create a chance encounter with that woman and sharply mock her.


    the shen family was at their wits¡¯ end with ma juan¡¯s behavior but felt helpless due to the influential ma family.


    even though ma li and shen cheng now lead a great life full of mutual affection, the foundation of their marriage was a political alliance. they were considered ¡°leftover¡± singles in their era, with shen cheng being 25 and ma li 24 when they wed. they met by chance, and both families decided on a union due to political reasons.


    when the two of them got married, shen cheng was already 25 years old, and mary was 24 years old. in that era, they were considered older unmarried men and women, and they were the ones who were chosen.


    after their marriage, ma li greatly assisted shen cheng, and the shen family¡¯s fortunes improved significantly. despite not having children, shen¡¯s parents adore ma li.


    being ma li¡¯s cousin, ma juan was treated courteously by the entire shen family out of respect for the ma family and ma li.


    ma juan¡¯s visit to the shen residence was triggered by hearing of shen mo¡¯s return. eager for more opportunities to interact with him, she rushed over, calculating that their five-year waiting period was over, and it was time to discuss marriage.


    upon seeing shen mo being close to another girl, ma juan was seething with jealousy. even as her cousin tried to comfort her, she was plotting revenge against the girl.


    ma li gently patted her shoulder, saying with a soft smile, ¡°stop worrying.


    let¡¯s get ready to go to the shopping mall.¡±


    this era showcased stark disparities. while the poor struggled for meals, the wealthy indulged in daily shopping sprees.


    jiang xia had initially wanted shen mo to just see her out the door so she could go find jiang chuan on her own. however, to her surprise, shen mo insisted on accompanying her to the entrance of the town to wait for jiang chuan. this disrupted her plans to go to the sugar factory¡¯s residential quater to find jiang chuan. left with no other choice, the two of them waited at the town entrance, engaging in sporadic conversation.


    it was evident to jiang xia that there was something different about shen mo this time around. previously, shen mo had an aloof and untouchable aura. but now, he seemed much more grounded. moreover, he appeared to have a keen interest in the development of puhshan village, inquiring in detail about all the events and personnel changes that had occurred over the past six months.


    curious about why he knew so much, jiang xia questioned shen mo, only for him to playfully hint that she¡¯d find out in due time.


    not being one to probe too deeply, jiang xia didn¡¯t press further.


    fortunately, they didn¡¯t have to wait long before jiang chuan returned. the two of them, under shen mo¡¯s watchful gaze, awkwardly started their journey on the dirt road. only when they reached a deserted stretch did jiang chuan pull out his vehicle and sped towards home..

 Chapter 352 - Chapter 352: Auntie Tian’s Help

    chapter 352: auntie tian¡¯s help


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    on the way, jiang xia couldn¡¯t wait to share her experiences with jiang chuan. after carefully analyzing what she said, jiang chuan remarked, ¡°wang ping is indeed someone we can cultivate a relationship with. i had a good impression of him when 1 met him on the passenger bus before. 1 hadn¡¯t expected him to be a city officer. establishing a good relationship with him will be beneficial for us in the future.¡±


    jiang xia then asked, ¡°what about aunt tian¡¯s matter?¡±


    jiang chuan¡¯s brow furrowed slightly, but it was evident that he was in a more relaxed mood than when they had traveled to the town earlier in the day, suggesting that things had gone smoothly.


    without any delay, jiang chuan had collected half a box of wild vegetables and mushrooms and went straight to aunt tian¡¯s house. she was surprised to see him at first, but soon her face broke into a smile. she invited him in and even paid him for the vegetables. however, as a gesture of goodwill, jiang chuan only accepted half of the payment.


    although aunt tian was usually stern and forthright, she couldn¡¯t help but express her concerns about her daughter¡¯s transfer to a far-off village to serve as a chief captain. out of politeness, jiang chuan listened without interrupting, only revealing after she had said her piece that he had just come to know that tian zao was her daughter. he then made his proposition, ¡°aunt tian, since you miss your daughter so much, why not come and stay in our village for a while?¡±


    aunt tian was visibly moved by the idea but hesitated, saying, ¡°tian zao just got there, and she has a lot of responsibilities. 1 don¡¯t want to burden her.¡±


    jiang chuan gently persuaded her, ¡°look at it this way: you¡¯ll only be staying for a short while to experience the local culture of pushan village. how could that be a burden? besides, you¡¯re welcome to stay at our place. my wife has always wanted to invite you over for a meal to thank you for helping me.¡±


    hearing this, aunt tian was even more touched. she was impressed by this young man¡¯s sincerity, realizing he appreciated and remembered even the small favors she had done. everyone seeks acknowledgment for their kindness, and aunt tian was no exception.


    she was so delighted that she even brought out her treasured tea to brew a cup for jiang chuan. when he was leaving, she gave him a small packet of the same tea.


    jiang chuan gratefully accepted. he loved tea, having tasted various exquisite ones in the past. after moving here, he hadn¡¯t had any tea for over a year. so when he tasted the quality of aunt tian¡¯s tea, although not as luxurious as what he was used to, he found it quite rare for the time and gratefully accepted it.


    before she left, she even packed a small bag of tea leaves for jiang chuan to take away.


    of course, jiang chuan didn¡¯t reject it. he loved drinking tea and had tried all kinds of expensive tea leaves. however, he hadn¡¯t had any tea leaves for more than a year since he came here. he was naturally very greedy, especially when he tasted that the quality of the tea leaves wasn¡¯t bad. although it wasn¡¯t as good as what he usually drank, it was very rare in this era, so he gladly accepted it.


    after hearing the details, jiang xia felt relieved.


    recently, she had been so busy running around that she hardly had any time to manage her interspace realm. along with the one thousand kilos of corn seeds that were delivered, there were also seeds of various other varieties that jiang xia hadn¡¯t had the time to check or plant. seizing this moment after speaking with jiang chuan, jiang xia entered her interspace realm to organize.


    first, she took out all the vegetables and herbs she had planted in her garden space and set them aside. then, she began to categorize the seeds she had purchased from su zhen.


    while sorting, jiang xia stumbled upon a pleasant surprise: there were watermelon seeds amongst them!


    jiang gu had always craved watermelons. in the past at the old jiang¡¯s home, they could only eat the leftover rinds of watermelons. now that they had the means, she could plant her own watermelons, ensuring jiang gu would have his fill!


    without a second thought, jiang xia immediately planted the watermelon seeds, and then proceeded to plant seeds for cabbage and hollow-stemmed vegetables.


    it had to be said that the variety of seeds from su zhen¡¯s collection was vast, but each type only had a small quantity.


    staring at the myriad types of seeds, jiang xia found herself in a dilemma, unsure of what to plant in the remaining three plots of land.


    pondering on what to plant, jiang xia thought of the delicious dishes zhou lan prepared every winter. she then decided to plant the vegetables she craved the most.


    for the winter melon pork rib soup, she planted a plot of winter melon.


    for potato stewed with chicken, she planted a plot of potatoes.


    for tomato beef brisket, she planted the last plot with tomatoes.


    by the time she finished and emerged from her interspace realm, jiang chuan had already arrived at the village entrance. the two of them alighted from the vehicle and headed home..

 Chapter 353 - Chapter 353: Clean Up

    chapter 353: clean up


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    after returning home, jiang xia had already washed her hands and was preparing for dinner when she noticed jiang chuan was still busy in the yard. curiously, she stepped out and saw jiang chuan continuously producing windows and large panes of glass.


    jiang xia was astonished. although these windows showed signs of use and were covered in a thick layer of dust, they were of excellent quality. the wooden frames of the windows were made from high-quality wood.


    each window was worth at least ten coin, and jiang chuan had over a dozen of them. additionally, there was a pile of unbroken glass panes.


    glass was a rare commodity. apart from the buildings in the county town, most other places used windows papered over. with the glass jiang chuan had, they could easily make two windows.


    jiang xia asked, ¡°dad, where did you get so many windows and pieces of glass?¡± finishing with the last pane, jiang chuan dusted off his hands, wiped the sweat from his brow, and answered, ¡°i traded with su zhen.¡±


    jiang xia, puzzled, asked, ¡°when did you meet su zhen?¡±


    jiang chuan, while meticulously inspecting the windows for any damage sustained during transport, casually said, ¡°after i met with aunt tian, i had some spare time, so i went to su zhen¡¯s. these windows were from his old mansion. recently, government inspections have become strict, and his old residence was sealed. if the government finds out he¡¯s replaced the mansion¡¯s windows, there will be trouble.¡±


    picking up the thread, jiang xia said, ¡°so, he was eager to get rid of these windows, and you conveniently came along to take them.¡±


    jiang chuan nodded, still engrossed with the windows, ¡°su zhen¡¯s family was once affluent. the quality of their windows is far superior to any we see nowadays. moreover, the price he offered was reasonable ¨C too good to refuse.¡± curious, jiang xia inquired, ¡°flow much?¡±


    ¡°just the agreed amount of corn and an additional one hundred fifty kilos,¡± jiang chuan said nonchalantly, evidently not regarding the one hundred fifty kilos of corn as significant.


    given jiang xia¡¯s interspace, producing one hundred fifty kilos of corn would only take a few days to a month. thus, jiang chuan could confidently bring all the windows home.


    their current house used papered windows, and since they were constructing a new house for jiang qing¡¯s family, windows were essential.


    for jiang chuan, acquiring su zhen¡¯s windows met a present need and was also a favor done without inconvenience.


    jiang chuan transported the windows on a cart. once in a secluded area, he placed the windows and glass panes in the trunk of his vehicle. surprisingly, the trunk could hold more than he had anticipated.


    as night fell, zhou lan brought the food inside and, with hands on hips, admonished, ¡°will you two eat, or not? ever since you got back, you¡¯ve been preoccupied with these windows. if you don¡¯t come in now, you won¡¯t eat tonight!¡±


    father and daughter quickly conceded and dutifully sat down for dinner.


    during the meal, jiang xia couldn¡¯t help but inquire about su zhen¡¯s situation. even zhou lan listened attentively, curious about the gossip.


    jiang chuan relayed what he knew. originally, su zhen¡¯s family was wealthy. however, after a crackdown on the wealthy, su zhen¡¯s entire mansion was confiscated by the authorities. but the windows of their house were made from high-quality pear wood. su zhen was not willing to let these valuable windows be appropriated, so he replaced them with other windows and secretly stored the pear wood windows in his current residence.


    he had connections within the government and knew that a strict investigation was imminent. he initially planned to store these windows at his cousin jia guang¡¯s place. but considering the close relationship between the two, if an investigation did indeed take place, they would certainly not escape scrutiny. coincidentally, jiang chuan came by at that time, and su zhen decided to exchange the windows for one hundred fifty kilos of corn.


    zhou lan couldn¡¯t help but comment, ¡°it¡¯s surprising to see how calculating su zhen is, even at such a young age. given the dire circumstances where he could be homeless overnight, he still had the presence of mind to think about switching out the windows. he truly has the instincts of a natural businessman.¡±


    after saying this, she cast a glance at jiang chuan, ¡°if the two of you collaborate in business, you¡¯re bound to make a profit.¡±


    jiang chuan, taking on the persona of a successful businessman, grinned proudly and remarked, ¡°it¡¯s fortunate that we¡¯re in a partnership now and not business rivals; otherwise, it would be a cause for concern..¡±

 Chapter 354 - Chapter 354: Cooperation with the Marketing Co

    chapter 354: cooperation with the marketing co-op


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    the family was enjoying their meal when there was a sudden knock at the door. jiang chuan and zhou lan exchanged a glance, both nodding slightly to jiang xia.


    such perfect understanding between the couple! jiang xia made a face and obediently went to answer the door.


    it was xiao li from next door, carrying half a bag of flour with him.


    jiang chuan was taken aback by the sight of the flour. it wasn¡¯t a holiday or any special occasion. why was xiao li bringing something everytime he visited?


    he quickly got up to greet xiao li and asked, ¡°have you eaten? if not, have some with us.¡±


    xiao li waved his hand, smiling uncontrollably. he seemed to be in great spirits.


    setting the bag of flour on the floor, he blew on his hands to warm them up. they were stiff from the cold. his nose was red from the freezing air, but his happy demeanor didn¡¯t wane. ¡°i¡¯ve eaten. 1 went to the town today and had my meal there. 1 brought back some flour and thought of sharing half of it with you.¡±


    even though xiao li claimed he had already eaten, he couldn¡¯t help but cast longing glances at the hearty dishes on the table, especially the carrot stew and bamboo shoot soup.


    seeing his desire, zhou lan instructed jiang gu to fetch a bowl and chopsticks, saying, ¡°you¡¯ve walked a long way and probably have digested most of your food. have some more.¡±


    without being shy, xiao li sat down. he gratefully accepted the warm soup zhou lan handed to him, letting the steamy goodness warm him through.


    hearing xiao li mention he had returned from town, jiang chuan guessed something good must have happened; otherwise, xiao li wouldn¡¯t be this happy. however, xiao li hadn¡¯t spilled the beans, probably waiting for them to ask. jiang chuan decided to play along, ¡°you seem to be in a good mood. did something great happen?¡±


    licking his lips, savoring the delicious taste of the soup, xiao li hesitated, a bit shy.


    he warmed his hands again before saying, ¡°actually, yes, and it¡¯s something that concerns you too.¡±


    ¡°oh?¡± zhou lan feigned surprise.


    the jiang family knew how to set the mood. they didn¡¯t necessarily have to be interested in the matter, but they made sure to give the right reactions, encouraging the storyteller to continue.


    seeing that zhou lan was so curious, little lee didn¡¯t keep her in suspense and told her everything.


    seeing zhou lan¡¯s curiosity, xiao li decided not to keep them in suspense any longer. ¡°1 went to the local co-op today, and xiao liu mentioned that there¡¯s been an increase in people exchanging pickled vegetables lately. they need a lot. so, he traded my pickled vegetables for flour. but 1 don¡¯t have that much stock. 1 remembered that sister-in-law also makes pickled vegetables, so 1 came to see if you¡¯d be interested in trading yours.¡±


    zhou lan thought it was a good idea. making pickled vegetables was easy for her, and getting something in return was always beneficial.


    jiang xia was puzzled. what made this any different from the regular trading they did at the co-op? why was xiao li so thrilled?


    jiang chuan caught on. what made xiao li so happy must be the high demand for pickled vegetables, indicating a consistent market for them at the co-op, allowing for regular exchanges.


    he inquired, ¡°xiao li, why does the co-op need so much pickled vegetables?¡±


    xiao li scratched the back of his head. indeed, xiao li tried to remember. xiao liu at the co-op had explained it to him why there was such a high demand for pickled vegetables. however, on his way back, he was so excited thinking about exchanging pickled vegetables for flour and meat in the future that he had forgotten the exact reason, leaving only a vague impression.


    stammering slightly, xiao li said, ¡°it seems they mentioned that the neighboring village received flour, but they don¡¯t have any side dishes to go with it.¡±


    jiang chuan had heard about this flour distribution.


    currently, there¡¯s a famine. thanks to the determination of the village chief and jiang chuan¡¯s assistance, pushan village was one of the few neighboring villages that suffered the least from the disaster. in contrast, the situation in the adjacent village was dire.


    a while ago, the food distributed by the national government wasn¡¯t enough for the neighboring village. many, in an attempt to save food, ate even less daily, leading to an increasing number of people starving to death.


    with no other options left, the government had to distribute another batch of coarse flour to the neighboring village. with coarse flour, they could make pancakes. however, eating plain pancakes was quite hard to swallow. as a result, affordable and long-lasting pickled vegetables became a sought-after item, making the pancakes tastier. moreover, the consumption of pickled vegetables was much less compared to stir-fried dishes, meaning a jar of pickled vegetables could last a long time.


    no wonder xiao li was so thrilled. given this situation, the co-op market would undoubtedly need a large quantity of pickled vegetables, especially throughout the winter. this demand presented a long-term business opportunity.


    jiang chuan pondered for a moment. simply bartering goods seemed too tedious. he should head to the co-op market in town and discuss with xiao liu, proposing a partnership to provide pickled vegetables..

 Chapter 355 - Chapter 355: Too Tired

    chapter 355: too tired


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    this is how jiang chuan had planned in his mind. now that he had taken on the role of the commune¡¯s accountant, he didn¡¯t have time to work in the fields and earn work points. therefore, all the farmwork was handed over to zhou lan. even though zhou lan was stronger than most, jiang chuan couldn¡¯t bear to let his wife toil under the sun and wind every day.


    besides, what could a single work point buy? it wasn¡¯t nearly enough to support a family of four. and when their elder daughter returns, their expenses would surely rise. such earnings were just a drop in the bucket.


    other women spent their days shopping and buying clothes. yet, zhou lan, after following him into this era where there was a scarcity of everything, struggled daily for their livelihood. jiang chuan never voiced it, but he felt both guilty and pained deep down.


    furthermore, zhou lan loved to cook and research recipes. jiang xia¡¯s interspace realm still had a lot of unused vegetables. zhou lan had almost entirely used them to experiment with various pickled dishes. just a few days ago, she made pickled radish, and the taste was beyond delicious.


    now, there was an opportunity to both get rid of the excess vegetables from the interspace realm and make money. why wouldn¡¯t they seize it?


    however, it was too cumbersome to trade at the co-op market every time. it would be better to establish a partnership with liu xing, offering regular supplies. perhaps they could head to the town once or twice a month, providing a fixed amount of pickled vegetables in exchange for grain tickets.


    jiang chuan had initially planned to discuss this with liu xing in town the next day. but considering he¡¯d been away from his commune job for a full day, if he missed another day, captain tian would certainly take issue.


    glancing at jiang xia, who was engrossed in her meal, he thought she might be physically young, but mentally she was mature and even sharper than him. she was meticulous in her actions. sending her with xiao li to town might be a good idea.


    with this in mind, he asked xiao li, ¡°are you busy tomorrow?¡±


    puzzled, xiao li thought about his schedule, ¡°i need to till the soil in the morning, and then pickle more vegetables at noon. after that, 1 should be free. brother jiang, is there something you¡¯d like help with?¡±


    jiang chuan shared his plan. xiao li, not savvy in business but not dull-witted either, suddenly realized, ¡°of course! why didn¡¯t i think of that? don¡¯t worry, brother jiang. i can handle this. there¡¯s no need for jiang xia to accompany me.¡±


    jiang chuan was wary. if xiao li were outsmarted by liu xing, it would be problematic. after all, liu xing was a competent businessman. otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be running a cooperative market. sending jiang xia with xiao li was to offer counsel.


    however, jiang chuan couldn¡¯t voice these concerns outright. seeking an excuse, he said, ¡°when discussing a partnership, each family should be represented, right? 1 have to work during the day, and zhou lan has her farm duties. only this young lady from our household can go, so please take her along.¡±


    hearing this, xiao li nodded in agreement, realizing he hadn¡¯t thought of that aspect, and admired jiang chuan¡¯s comprehensive thinking even more.


    ¡°we¡¯ll head out early tomorrow,¡± xiao li decided, ¡°after breakfast, i¡¯ll take jiang xia to the co-op market to discuss our partnership. in the afternoon, i¡¯ll return to the fields.¡±


    after settling the matter, he got up, ready to leave. as he approached the door, he turned back and said to jiang xia, ¡°jiang xia, i¡¯ll come to pick you up tomorrow morning. make sure you don¡¯t oversleep, okay?¡±


    his tone was as if he was coaxing a child. in his heart, xiao li was thinking about how well jiang¡¯s family had treated him. during the trip to the town with their daughter, he needed to take good care of her. with some spare change in his pocket these days, he even considered buying her a piece of milk candy on the way.


    jiang xia smiled obligingly, but deep down, she wasn¡¯t too fond of being treated like a child.


    after xiao li left, jiang chuan took a moment to advise jiang xia, ¡°xiao xia, when you negotiate with liu xing tomorrow, don¡¯t be too soft-hearted. i¡¯ve heard that liu xing¡¯s cooperative is thriving, and they¡¯re doing better by the day. we can certainly ask for more.¡±


    boss jiang always sized up his trading partners. if they were struggling, he¡¯d be more lenient in business dealings. but if they were the type not to miss a few grain tickets here and there, he¡¯d naturally want to make a hefty profit.


    moreover, the fact that liu xing¡¯s business was doing so well was partly due to their help. previously, jiang xia had played matchmaker, introducing liu xing to the shen family. in those times, having just a bit of connection could significantly improve one¡¯s fortunes, and liu xing¡¯s cooperative was no exception.


    jiang xia was well aware of their family¡¯s current situation. even though their days were improving, there were still many things they lacked. she was determined to strive for the maximum benefit for the family the next day..

 Chapter 356 - Chapter 356: Looking at Her Face

    chapter 356: looking at her face


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    the next morning, jiang chuan personally saw off jiang xia and xiao li from the village before heading to work with peace of mind.


    it wasn¡¯t that he was worried about his daughter leaving the village alone for the first time. instead, he was concerned that xiao li was too honest and gullible. if liu xing managed to deceive xiao li with just a few words, xiao li might end up foolishly helping others count their money.


    therefore, jiang chuan specifically instructed, ¡°xiao li, my daughter is growing up and needs to learn how to manage household affairs. let her take the lead in the negotiations with liu xing this time. you just listen by the side and see if jiang xia¡¯s terms are reasonable.¡±


    by saying this, he was essentially giving jiang xia the authority to speak.


    xiao li patted his chest to assure jiang xia and then rode on a donkey cart borrowed from the production team towards the town.


    after seeing them off, jiang chuan headed to the commune.


    when he arrived at the commune, it was around nine in the morning. unexpectedly, he bumped into chief captain tian.


    jiang chuan was slightly taken aback as he hadn¡¯t expected to run into captain tian so early.


    tian zao had been serving as the chief captain for a few days. perhaps due to her recent move, she¡¯d been tidying things up at home every morning and only heading to the commune close to noon. so, her early appearance today was surprising.


    jiang chuan greeted chief captain tian upon regaining his composure. however, tian zao¡¯s response was quite cold; she merely nodded slightly in acknowledgment.


    by now, jiang chuan had grown accustomed to her aloof demeanor, so he didn¡¯t take it to heart. not wanting to push his luck with her, he made his way directly to the accounting office.


    unexpectedly, halfway there, tian zao approached him and initiated a conversation. ¡°i heard you went to the city yesterday?¡±


    jiang chuan was stunned. the sun must¡¯ve risen from the west today for tian zao to strike up a conversation with him voluntarily.


    nevertheless, he replied, ¡°i¡¯m building a house, so i went to the city to purchase some supplies.¡±


    now that he was an accountant, many eyes were on him. he couldn¡¯t sneak into the county town like before, so he had properly processed the paperwork and went to the county with an introduction letter.


    moreover, with the sudden addition of so many windows at his home, it would be hard to explain if asked. honesty was the best way to avoid complications.


    tian zao cast him a brief glance, not continuing the topic. instead, she enquired out of the blue, ¡°have you checked all the village accounts? including the previous ones?¡±


    the village accounts were relatively straightforward, with only one or two changes recorded every few weeks. on his first day at work, jiang chuan had sorted everything out.


    confused by tian zao¡¯s line of questioning and her early morning whims, jiangchuan responded straightforwardly, ¡°chief captain tian, if you have something to say, just say it. i¡¯ve completed my tasks here.¡±


    tian zao seemed to interpret jiang chuan¡¯s words as defiance, and her expression turned sour. ¡°xiao jiang, many people would kill for your position. you should be dedicated. instead of trying to use your position for personal gain, you should serve the villagers. you¡¯ve only been working a few days, and yet you¡¯re always seeking favors for your daughter and going to the county town to shop. your focus isn¡¯t on your work.¡±


    despite being only a year or two older than jiang chuan, tian zao¡¯s tone was distinctly patronizing.


    now it became clear to jiang chuan. apparently, tian zao was idle and had decided to nitpick his actions.


    being a gentleman, jiang chuan didn¡¯t feel like arguing with a woman. he stated that he had work to do and intended to move on when suddenly, someone called out from behind, ¡°uncle jiang!¡±


    jiang chuan was puzzled. he was considered among the younger generation in the village. his peers usually referred to him as ¡°third brother jiang,¡± so who would call him ¡®uncle¡¯?


    turning around in confusion, he recognized shen mo, who was wearing an ordinary outfit that somehow gave off a formal vibe.


    wasn¡¯t shen mo in the county town just yesterday? why had he come to the village today?


    before jiang chuan could react, tian zao¡¯s displeasure was evident. ¡°look at this, xiao jiang. just as you claimed to work, someone¡¯s already here for you. you exhaust yourself daily handling such personal matters, leaving no energy for your actual duties!¡±


    before she could continue, shen mo had already approached. standing tall next to tian zao with a business-like smile on his handsome face, he addressed her, ¡°chief captain tian, i¡¯m here to see you..¡±

 Chapter 357 - Chapter 357: Slap in the Face

    chapter 357: slap in the face


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    the expression on tian zao¡¯s face was stiff. she had just scolded jiang chuan, and shen mo¡¯s response immediately embarrassed her, leaving her at a loss.


    tian zao scrutinized the young man in front of her, frowning, certain she had never seen him before. she suspected he might be a relative of jiang chuan¡¯s eldest daughter and thus her demeanor became even stricter.


    she thought to herself, considering that jiang chuan had been busy with the resettlement of his eldest daughter¡¯s family in pushan village for the past few days, the young man¡¯s visit must have something to do with that.


    speaking in a rather unkind tone, tian zao said, ¡°if you wish to settle in pushan village, you must follow the procedures. 1 won¡¯t sign anything without the proper documentation.¡±


    shen mo was confused by her words, thinking she was asking for some documents. so, he took out a neatly folded paper from his chest pocket and spread it out in front of tian zao.


    jiang chuan glanced at it, noting that it bore the red official stamp of the government.


    jiang chuan, not one for idle chatter, greeted shen mo and quickly returned to his office, knowing they had important matters to discuss.


    upon seeing the official document, tian zao realized her mistake. her expression was unnatural, and she forced an awkward smile, suggesting to shen mo, ¡°let¡¯s discuss this in my office.¡±


    although jiang chuan claimed he wasn¡¯t curious, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder why shen mo had come to the village with an official government document.


    soon, shen mo provided the answer.


    jiang chuan had been in his office for over half an hour and had just made some tea when shen mo knocked on the door.


    holding the box of tea leaves, jiang chuan looked at shen mo, thinking amusedly, ¡°did he come smelling the tea? what a coincidence.¡±


    he then fetched another clean cup, pouring shen mo a cup of tea and gesturing him to sit across the desk.


    shen mo expressed his gratitude, his manners impeccable.


    however, for some reason, jiang chuan felt a sense of unease looking at the young man, suspecting that shen mo had some ulterior motive in getting close.


    feeling a bit uneasy under jiang chuan¡¯s intense gaze, shen mo nervously placed his tea cup on the desk, shrinking back, ¡°uncle jiang, why are you staring at me? i¡¯m not a criminal. 1 feel like you¡¯re interrogating me.¡±


    having interrogated many suspects during his time in the army, shen mo was reminded of those dark interrogation rooms, although they were currently in a bright office.


    jiang chuan withdrew his piercing gaze, offering a somewhat kind smile, ¡°you¡¯re overthinking it. what brings you to the village today?¡±


    shen mo had a genuine purpose for his visit: the army needed a training base in the area. for the past year, he had been scouting the surrounding regions to determine the best location for a military base.


    he had previously claimed to be assessing the local situation when he encountered a wild wolf during a mountain trip, but he was also evaluating the suitability of the area for a military base.


    after his assessment, shen mo was very satisfied with the deep forest. he had drawn up topographic maps and began discussing with his superiors in the military, as well as processing various documents. now, he was back to establish the base.


    normally, such matters would be state secrets and not openly discussed. however, the arrival of an entire division of troops to the deep mountains would be hard to hide from the villagers. the document shen mo handed to tian zao was a notice informing villagers of the army¡¯s arrival and a request to restrict the deeper parts of the mountain to military use only.


    shen mo briefly explained this to jiang chuan. jiang chuan¡¯s first thought was: won¡¯t this mean more frequent encounters with this young man?


    he finally understood the source of his inner hostility: he realized that shen mo¡¯s intentions weren¡¯t pure. from the moment he met him, jiang chuan noticed that shen mo¡¯s gaze upon his daughter was not right. he was clearly interested in her!


    there¡¯s a saying that fathers-in-law tend to view their sons-in-law unfavorably. jiang chuan was experiencing precisely that.


    his gaze sharpened, almost as if he was ready to stab shen mo.


    feeling the pressure, shen mo swallowed nervously, wondering why, after explaining everything, jiang chuan¡¯s gaze seemed even more intense.

 Chapter 358 - Chapter 358: Dinner

    chapter 358: dinner


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    shen mo¡¯s eyebrows twitched, and he spoke with a lack of confidence, ¡°uncle jiang, when you look at me like that, 1 feel very uneasy.¡±


    jiang chuan didn¡¯t avert his gaze and responded coldly, ¡°if you do nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear. your discomfort only shows your guilt.¡±


    ¡°i¡­ what am 1 guilty of?¡± shen mo didn¡¯t even know why he felt guilty, but he began to stutter subconsciously. even if he didn¡¯t feel guilty before, he felt it now.


    at first, shen mo didn¡¯t overthink things. he simply wanted to find a suitable military base. the mountains and forests of pushan village were vast and the terrain on the mountain was perfect for a military base.


    he reassured himself that he chose pushan village purely for military purposes.


    however, after meeting jiang xia the previous day, shen mo¡¯s joy and excitement were hard to hide. even shen mo himself began to wonder if he was so adamant about making pushan village a military base just to have more chances to get close to jiang xia.


    jiang xia, now only a thirteen-year-old girl, was already bright and becoming more beautiful. shen mo feared that if he stayed elsewhere for a few more years and then returned, jiang xia might have become someone else¡¯s belle.


    at that thought, shen mo tried to restrain himself.


    it was the first time he had ever been so infatuated with a girl.


    shen mo had always been strikingly handsome since childhood, with countless people drawn to him. this made him somewhat averse to women. when his family repeatedly suggested he marry ma juan, he was very reluctant and hence proposed not to get married for five years as a stalling tactic.


    it wasn¡¯t until he met jiang xia that he realized a girl could also have unique insights. in jiang xia, he saw a kind of resilience and unique vitality he had never found in anyone else.


    so when the leaders expressed doubts about establishing a military base in pushan village, he firmly held his ground, leading to half a year¡¯s efforts before the relocation to pushan village was settled.


    therefore, when the leader had doubts about building a military base in pushan village, he insisted on his opinion. it took them more than half a year to settle the matter of moving the army to pushan village.


    starting something is always the hardest. he couldn¡¯t let his guilt show.


    jiang xia was still young and hadn¡¯t begun thinking about romantic relationships. therefore, he needed to take the initiative to secure a place in her heart. this way, when the young girl later considered marriage, he would be the first one she thought of.


    shen mo rubbed his nose, cleared his throat to hide his embarrassment, and revealed what he thought was a graceful smile, saying, ¡°uncle jiang, i¡¯ve been thinking about aunt zhou¡¯s cooking for the past few months. i wonder if 1 can have another taste of her food at your home?¡±


    jiang chuan, being a shrewd person, would have handled such a proposal very tactfully, but not when it came from shen mo.


    jiang chuan, seeing shen mo¡¯s potentially impure motives, coldly refused, ¡°your aunt zhou has farm work in the morning and won¡¯t be cooking lunch at home.¡±


    ¡°uh¡­¡± shen mo was choked up.


    he wasn¡¯t sure why he had offended jiang chuan. why had the friendly uncle jiang from yesterday suddenly changed? shen mo felt awkward insisting on visiting after being rejected, so he just gave a sheepish smile and got up to leave.


    but shen mo wasn¡¯t one to give up easily. his intent to visit jiang chuan¡¯s home was not merely for food, but to see jiang xia. for jiang xia¡¯s sake, he was determined to visit no matter what.


    if he couldn¡¯t join them for lunch, he could always go in the evening. shen mo quickly thought of tian zao, who had just changed her attitude towards him.


    tian zao was the head of the commune. if she visited jiang chuan¡¯s home, he surely wouldn¡¯t refuse.


    and so, shen mo returned to tian zao¡¯s office.


    seeing shen mo come back, tian zao looked puzzled, ¡°didn¡¯t you already get the signature you needed? why are you back?¡±

 Chapter 359 - Chapter 359: Somewhat Cunning

    chapter 359: somewhat cunning


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    shen mo courteously revealed a smile, saying, ¡°captain tian, i need a favor from you.¡±


    tian zao thought it might be a significant military matter and thus invited him to sit.


    although tian zao had disagreements with jiang chuan, she was pragmatic and always had the people¡¯s welfare at heart.


    earlier that morning, due to a misunderstanding, tian zao had been cold towards shen mo. however, when she heard he was here for serious business, she immediately set aside her emotions. this made shen mo respect her even more.


    in this era, gender bias was profound. for a woman to have risen to such a position, she certainly had substantial capabilities.


    seeing tian zao¡¯s serious expression, shen mo quickly tried to lighten the mood, ¡°don¡¯t be tense, captain tian. i just want to invite you to walk around the village with me to get acquainted with the environment.¡±


    tian zao, having recently been transferred here, probably hadn¡¯t had the time to familiarize herself with the village. shen mo guessed she wouldn¡¯t refuse his suggestion.


    indeed, tian zao had been considering doing this. having been in pushan village for just over two weeks and constantly busy with handing over her duties, she found this to be a good opportunity. she readily agreed.


    however, she glanced outside and noted the sun was already at its zenith. she suggested, ¡°it¡¯s already noon. how about we have lunch at the commune first?¡±


    shen mo happily agreed and followed her to the commune¡¯s cafeteria.


    meanwhile, in the town, jiang xia accompanied xiao li to the co-op store, only to find that liu xing had gone out. the two were left with no choice but to wait outside the store, each sitting on a small stool.


    they had arrived just past eleven and had to endure the cold until liu xing returned at one.


    upon seeing the two, who were walking back and forth to keep warm, liu xing quickly approached, apologizing, ¡°i¡¯m truly sorry to have kept you waiting. my wife is over seven months pregnant and went for a check-up at the county hospital. i accompanied her because i was worried. how long have you been here? have you eaten? come inside and warm up.¡±


    liu xing opened the co-op¡¯s door, revealing a room still warm from the morning¡¯s lit coal. they must have lit the fire early that morning but had left in a rush for the hospital, forgetting to put out the brazier.


    liu xing added some more coal, seemingly not bothered about the coal wasted in the morning. it was clear he was doing well.


    both jiang xia and xiao li thought about their homes, where coal was scarce. they could only heat their beds at night with coal, but would often still wake up freezing.


    their only solution was to make more quilts, as obtaining coal without tickets was nearly impossible. especially this winter, which was particularly harsh. jiang chuan had even tried the black market, but there was a severe limitation.


    su zhen had mentioned reforms restricting even those with coal tickets from obtaining too much coal, leading to scarcity.


    jiang xia pondered that while 21st-century concerns were about reducing carbon emissions for environmental reasons, in the 1960s, these advanced ideas weren¡¯t prevalent. so, why the coal restriction?


    su zhen clarified, ¡°because the winter is so cold, people close their doors and windows. burning coal in such conditions can suffocate individuals. i heard over a thousand people died this way in the neighboring province.¡±


    jiang xia internally remarked that the cause wasn¡¯t suffocation, but rather carbon monoxide poisoning due to incomplete coal combustion.


    nevertheless, the government¡¯s move to reduce coal sales, aimed at decreasing the death rate, meant that people were running out of coal. yet liu xing had an ample supply.


    after adding coal to the brazier and serving them hot water, both jiang xia and xiao li lost themselves in thoughts.


    xiao li envied liu xing¡¯s comfortable life, hoping to someday run his co-op store and achieve coal independence.


    jiang xia, on the other hand, was strategizing. liu xing¡¯s situation seemed even better than she had initially thought. she needed to reconsider their previous price discussions to ensure maximum benefit for her family..

 Chapter 360 - Chapter 360: Negotiations

    chapter 360: negotiations


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    liu xing sat down by the coal basin, his palms close to the newly risen flames. the gentle fire warmed his pale, frostbitten hands, and the ice in his hair slowly melted under the heat.


    once warmed up, liu xing turned to xiao li, ¡°brother xiao li, why are you here again today?¡±


    in this freezing weather, many roads were icy and slippery. a trip to the town now took twice as long as usual, if not more. in winter, there were barely any people even going to the cooperative store to exchange goods.


    xiao li had come the day before, trading half a cart of wild vegetables and pickles for a few kilograms of flour. liu xing thought he wouldn¡¯t see him again for at least half a month, but here he was the very next day.


    xiao wu had been called away by the village chief for other chores, and with xiao wu¡¯s wife having just given birth and still in confinement, xiao wu couldn¡¯t leave the village. therefore, all the town¡¯s business fell to xiao li.


    every half month, xiao li would gather wild vegetables others had brought and take them to the cooperative store in the town to exchange them for grains, meat, etc. then he would return to the village and distribute them among the households according to their shares. it was a commendable task, and he did it with enthusiasm.


    a little shy, xiao li licked his lips which had been moistened by warm water and said, ¡°didn¡¯t you mention yesterday that there¡¯s a large demand for pickled vegetables? after 1 went back, i discussed with third brother jiang to see if we can cooperate with the cooperative store. both our families can take on this task, streamline the process, and make things easier for both of us. see, representatives from both our families are here.¡±


    jiang chuan had taught xiao li this speech. he had practiced it all the way and now recited it word for word.


    he even patted jiang xia, sitting beside him. she immediately sat up straight and looked at liu xing.


    liu xing looked at the young ¡°representative¡± and couldn¡¯t help but laugh heartily, teasing her, ¡°hello, young representative.¡±


    jiang xia didn¡¯t quite understand why adults always liked to tease children.


    wanting to get straight to the point, she said, ¡°uncle liu, how much pickled vegetables does the cooperative store need when you say a large amount?¡±


    to make it easy for jiang xia to understand, liu xing used his hands to illustrate. he made the shape of a big jar in front of his chest, ¡°a jar this big, we need ten of them every month. but, you need to provide five every half month. i can¡¯t wait a whole month.¡±


    jiang xia was taken aback. this truly was a large amount!


    normally, zhou lan made meat sauce in small bottles. one bottle was enough for a family of four for three days. in terms of the jars, one jar of pickled vegetables, once prepared, lasted seven days and was enough for four people. but the size liu xing demonstrated was three times that of the jars they had at home, with one jar weighing at least twenty to thirty kilograms.


    ten jars of pickled vegetables could feed an entire village!


    it seemed the pickles collected by the cooperative store were sent to the neighboring village.


    what was so special about that village that it received such attention from the government, with both grain and vegetables being sent? why didn¡¯t pushan village receive the same treatment?


    jiang xia contemplated. she¡¯d have to ask her father to inquire from chen xing, who was after all the son-in-law of the neighboring village and must know their situation.


    first, the main issue at hand.


    they could produce pickled vegetables, but where would the ingredients come from?


    vegetables were not a problem, as jiang xia¡¯s interspace was full of radishes and greens which she had been worrying about how to consume. using them for pickles was perfect.


    however, making pickles also required a lot of salt for curing and sugar for flavor enhancement. where would these come from?


    moreover, they didn¡¯t have such large jars at home.


    such jars couldn¡¯t be easily found at factories like their usual pots and pans, and couldn¡¯t be bought with money. this was really challenging!


    xiao li also realized the difficulty. he hadn¡¯t considered all these details previously, thinking only of the profit. now, he realized this was nearly an impossible task.


    seeing the two of them in a dilemma, liu xing thought they were about to back out and asked, ¡°xiao li, do you still want to take up the pickle business?¡±


    xiao li immediately shook his head.


    he was an honest man. not being able to sell the pickles was secondary. the main worry was that if he promised and couldn¡¯t deliver, he would feel very guilty.


    although xiao li had given up, jiang xia hadn¡¯t.. she calmly retorted, ¡°uncle liu, which normal household has such big jars? isn¡¯t this a bit unreasonable of you to ask?¡±

 Chapter 361 - Chapter 361: A Slip of the Tongue

    chapter 361: a slip of the tongue


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    liu xing paused for a moment, finding jiang xia¡¯s perspective always unusual compared to most people. this made him feel as though she was more reliable than xiao li.


    hearing her composed tone, he felt that jiang xia seemed experienced, something unexpected for a village girl like her. most girls from the village would¡¯ve probably reacted like xiao li did upon hearing his words, immediately shaking their heads and leaving.


    it¡¯s not that liu xing didn¡¯t want to cooperate with them. on the contrary, he sincerely hoped that both families could produce such a large quantity of pickles. after all, he acted as a middleman for the pickles, collecting them and then distributing them to the neighboring village.


    this was a closed loop, and liu xing could only be considered an insignificant link in this closed loop.


    he spoke out bluntly not to be rude, but rather he liked to state the potential problems upfront, so if any issue arose later, it wouldn¡¯t create an awkward situation for both parties.


    addressing jiang xia, liu xing said, ¡°i can get you the large jars you need, but not many. at most, i can find three.¡±


    xiao li began to calculate. they needed to deliver five jars of pickles in half a month. with only three available, they would have to utilize every container they had at home to fill the remaining two. wouldn¡¯t that mean their courtyard would be filled with jars?


    that simply wasn¡¯t feasible!


    noticing jiang xia¡¯s growing enthusiasm, xiao li feared she might agree without considering the consequences. he tried to pull her away, intending to leave.


    being smaller and weaker, jiang xia struggled against xiao li¡¯s pull. in her haste, she blurted out, ¡°uncle li, let go of me! i¡¯m discussing serious matters. don¡¯t cause a disturbance!¡±


    the comment caught all three of them off guard.


    realizing her words made it sound as if xiao li was the child and she the adult, jiang xia looked at the surprised expressions on liu xing and xiao li. she awkwardly smiled, wondering how to explain herself.


    fortunately, xiao li, always one to smooth things over, quickly covered for her, ¡°did you pick up that way of speaking from your parents at home?¡±


    jiang xia was momentarily stunned, unsure whether to commend xiao li for his quick thinking or chide him for his simplicity.


    following his lead, she replied, ¡°exactly! my parents always speak like this. why can they say such things, but 1 can¡¯t?¡±


    blinking her innocent eyes at them, the two adults just found her adorable, attributing her words to her youthful naivety.


    chastising her gently, xiao li said, ¡°silly girl, while your parents might say such things, you shouldn¡¯t. in the village, it¡¯s considered disrespectful. you¡¯re an obedient child; you shouldn¡¯t be rude.¡±


    jiang xia verbally agreed, but internally she remained unconvinced.


    however, after the brief hiccup, the two finally gave jiang xia their full attention.


    she said, ¡°delivering five jars of pickles in half a month is indeed a lot for us. we can¡¯t meet that, but our village has many people. together, we might be able to.¡±


    seeming to have an epiphany, xiao li eagerly added, ¡°right, xiao wu and fatty¡¯s father can contribute.¡±


    jiang xia continued, ¡°we just want to know, if we can deliver, how much grain are you willing to exchange with us, uncle liu?¡±


    adding his thoughts, xiao li said, ¡°yesterday, we traded almost one jar of pickles for one and a half kilos of flour. so, for five jars, it should be at least seven and a half kilos of flour!¡±


    the two coordinated their statements so well that liu xing was left momentarily speechless.


    looking conflicted, liu xing admitted that seven and a half kilos of flour was a bit too much for him to provide.


    after hesitating, he asked, ¡°you only want flour? don¡¯t you want to exchange for something else?¡±


    curious, xiao li asked, ¡°like what?¡±


    excitedly, liu xing listed the options, ¡°there¡¯s a lot! pork, vegetables, tools, and cotton. with winter being so cold this year, why not exchange for some cotton? you can make warm quilts. 1 have some stored cotton here, which 1 can exchange for your pickles..¡±

 Chapter 362 - Chapter 362: Changing Charcoal

    chapter 362: changing charcoal


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    liu xing¡¯s offer was incredibly enticing. the weather had turned cold this year, and there was an insufficient supply of charcoal. currently, everyone was scrambling to buy cotton, causing the price of cotton to rise by an extra cent per half a kilos.


    back then, a cent was significant. one quilt required at least five kilos of cotton, meaning that making a quilt now cost an extra coin!


    a coin could buy a pair of cotton shoes.


    had jiang xia been a mere child, she would¡¯ve been dazzled by such an offer and would¡¯ve instantly agreed. however, jiang xia was sharp-minded. what she was after wasn¡¯t just the cotton but the continuous supply of charcoal in liu xing¡¯s home.


    compared to cotton, the real need now was the daily-used charcoal!


    seeing jiang xia remaining silent, liu xing assumed she didn¡¯t understand the value of cotton. he thought she only cared about food and proceeded to explain the significance of cotton, from its origin to its insulating properties.


    after delivering a lengthy spiel, he wrapped up, emphasizing, ¡°so, you must buy the cotton.¡±


    jiang xia just listened to liu xing¡¯s flowery words, his saliva almost sprinkling like rain. she waited until he took a sip of water before flashing her harmless smile and replied, ¡°uncle liu, i still don¡¯t want the cotton.¡±


    ¡°cough!¡± liu xing choked on his water, coughing for a while before recovering. he felt a mixture of frustration and anger at jiang xia. why hadn¡¯t she said so earlier? he had been talking his mouth dry, and she just declined his offer. who was she trying to annoy?


    indeed, jiang xia had a knack for exasperating people. it wasn¡¯t surprising that liu xing was irate. he could only blame his bad luck.


    when xiao li heard jiang xia decline the cotton, he was stunned, fearing that she didn¡¯t know better. he was concerned that jiang chuan would blame him for not supervising her. so, he quickly reiterated the benefits to her.


    he then whispered in her ear, ¡°with cotton, we can make padded jackets for you and xiao gu. once you two start school, you can wear the new jackets to class. no one else will have them.¡±


    it felt like he was coaxing a child.


    seeing xiao li¡¯s earnest expression, jiang xia felt a pang of regret. of course, she knew the benefits of cotton; she didn¡¯t need someone constantly reminding her. given the circumstances, if she refused the cotton again, she¡¯d appear foolish.


    however, she had to make a choice: it was either the cotton or the charcoal, and she absolutely needed the latter.


    she remembered a conversation with the youngest child of the zhang family on grand cloud mountain. he had spoken proudly of their life there. despite the inconvenience of traveling to the city, which took half a day, they had everything they needed.


    furthermore, the zhang family lived by hunting and maintained a close relationship with su zhen. the money they earned from selling their game was substantial. every winter in the past years, they would haul carts loaded with coal back to their house. they didn¡¯t skimp on coal during the cold season. every night, they would light enough coal to keep them warm throughout, ensuring that by the next morning, the house was cozy.


    as for clothing and shoes, although there¡¯s a scarcity of cotton up in the mountains, they possessed various animal furs to make padded jackets. these jackets, tailored from animal hides, provided resistance against the cold, making them even warmer than regular cotton jackets.


    it had been many years since the eldest sister had returned home. jiang xia did not wish for her life to be any lesser than what she had experienced in the mountains.


    in the past, the eldest sister had endured much hardship at home for their sake. she had left empty-handed, but now that she was back, the jiang family intended to make up for all that they couldn¡¯t provide for her before.


    jiang xia believed this reflected her parents¡¯ sentiments too.


    although the jiang family¡¯s past hardships were not closely linked to jiang xia and her siblings, in the hearts of zhou lan and jiang chuan, there was always a feeling of guilt towards their daughters. they hoped to make up for their previous shortcomings as best they could.


    so, even if xiao li and liu xing praised the cotton to the skies today, jiang xia¡¯s only objective was the coal.


    jiang xia sighed inwardly, then looked up at xiao li with a resolute gaze. ¡°uncle li, i truly don¡¯t want the cotton. i¡¯d like to exchange it for something else.¡±


    xiao li stayed silent, realizing that this young girl was not one to be easily swayed.


    ¡°oh? what do you want in exchange?¡±


    it was liu xing who asked, his curiosity piqued. seeing that both men were unable to persuade her, he became more intrigued by what she might have in mind..

 Chapter 363 - Chapter 363: Want Charcoal

    chapter 363: want charcoal


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    after all that fuss, jiang xia was stubborn in her insistence. only now did she relent, and liu xing couldn¡¯t help but wonder what could possibly make this obstinate little girl change her mind.


    he figured, most children love to eat and can¡¯t resist sweets. if jiang xia wanted candies or toys that children love, perhaps liu xing could actually indulge her.


    normally, one would only find these items in shopping mall; the supply store wouldn¡¯t stock such non-essential items. but, fortunately, liu xing¡¯s wife was seven months pregnant and due soon, so he had stocked up on toys, milk powder, and candies. if jiang xia really wanted some, he could bear the pain of parting with a few of them.


    liu xing had already put his hand into his pocket, searching for candies.


    however, he noticed that jiang xia¡¯s eyes were glued to the coal brazier, watching the feeble flames lick the glowing coals, their surfaces already covered in grey ash.


    following her gaze, both men looked at the brazier. liu xing felt a pang of guilt. could it be that she had her eyes set on his coal?


    he knew just how scarce coal was. all his coal was obtained through connections; this type of transaction couldn¡¯t be made openly, and he certainly couldn¡¯t trade it to jiang xia.


    moreover, xiao li, initially naive in his thoughts, might now be considering the coal too because of jiang xia¡¯s mention.


    if they wanted to barter for something else, even at a higher price, liu xing might consider it. but this coal, if he really parted with it, who knows what kind of trouble he might get into!


    sure enough, when xiao li heard about the coal, his eyes lit up with longing.


    liu xing quickly shifted, blocking their view. ¡°this won¡¯t do. the coal is regulated by the state. without a coal tickets, i can¡¯t give it to you.¡±


    jiang xia revealed her cute little fangs, smiling innocently, ¡°but uncle liu, we really need coal.¡±


    liu xing felt a chill from her smile, as if he were prey under watch.


    jiang xia¡¯s expression changed instantly. her eyes welled up with tears as she looked pitifully at liu xing. ¡°uncle liu, this winter is so cold. we don¡¯t have enough coal at home. i often wake up freezing. to save coal, all four of us huddle on a single bed.¡±


    this was the truth, not an exaggeration. more beds would mean more coal consumption. to save coal, they could only sleep on the large bed in jiang chuan and zhou lan¡¯s room. more bodies together also meant more warmth.


    jiang xia continued with her pitiful act, ¡°when it¡¯s cold, people get lazy. when they¡¯re lazy, they don¡¯t have time to make pickled vegetables. without pickles, there¡¯s no supply. and without supply, uncle liu, you¡¯ll be the one worried!¡±


    ¡°uh¡­¡± liu xing inwardly praised her logical reasoning, but he still couldn¡¯t give in.


    jiang xia was naturally cute, and now she was intentionally acting adorable and pitiful. anyone would soften and feel sympathetic seeing her like this.


    seeing that such expressions worked, xiao li immediately imitated jiang xia¡¯s teary look.


    liu xing frowned, thinking there was really no need for such a grown man to act like a little girl!


    xiao li was a big, burly man, accustomed to farm work and tanned by the sun. his oily face now even reflected light. making that pitiful expression looked absolutely ridiculous, and liu xing couldn¡¯t bear it.


    exasperated, liu xing stopped them. ¡°you¡­ both of you, stop making those faces! let¡¯s talk sensibly!¡±


    recognizing the effectiveness of their tactics, both returned to normal expressions.


    liu xing¡¯s hand had been gripping the candy so tightly it had softened. originally, he wanted to placate jiang xia with it. now, realizing it wouldn¡¯t help, he placed it back in his pocket.


    he gritted his teeth and looked at the two, making one last attempt, ¡°we can discuss anything else, but you can¡¯t expect me to break the law, right?¡±


    he had coal reserves, and aside from what he needed for the winter, he had plenty left. he had considered secretly selling some on the black market, but fearing consequences, he refrained.


    if this were in the past, he might have taken the risk, but now he had a child and a family to think about.


    jiang xia began her tearful act again.


    and xiao li followed suit.


    ¡°enough, enough! stop looking at me like that!¡± liu xing was on the verge of losing it. ¡°can we talk sensibly?¡±


    jiang xia, with her obedient expression, replied, ¡°uncle liu, as long as we keep it a secret, it¡¯s fine, right?¡±

 Chapter 364 - Chapter 364: Must Have It

    chapter 364: must have it


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    liu xing observed jiang xia and xiao li, who seemed hell-bent on getting what they wanted, and suddenly felt as though he¡¯d been tricked and was now under their thumb.


    despite everything, he wasn¡¯t obligated to trade pickles with jiang xia and xiao li. how did their combined efforts make it seem like he had no other choice but to get pickles from them?


    reflecting on this, liu xing realized the main reason was his aversion to hassles. he could acquire the five jars of pickles he needed over the span of half a month from various sources, but that would be quite time-consuming.


    people from the neighboring villages who could deliver five jars of pickles in half a month were few and far between. initially, liu xing doubted jiang xia and xiao li could gather that amount, but seeing their confident demeanors and hearing about their village contacts made him believe they could deliver the jars together in half a month, sparing him a lot of effort.


    what liu xing dreaded most was any inconvenience. he wished he could spend only a few hours a day at the supply and marketing cooperative and then hurry home to spend time with his pregnant wife and their unborn child, who was already kicking. enjoying the soup his mother made for him brought immense joy. who would want to waste away their days at the cooperative, especially during the bitter cold?


    but with the current state of the cooperative and the pickle exchange, his presence was indispensable.


    there might be those who prefer to exchange their pickles when fewer people are around, leading to missed opportunities. so liu xing had to stay the whole day, waiting for potential trades.


    it had been about a week since he received the directive from above to collect pickles. he had been waiting here daily and had only managed to gather four jars so far. xiao li¡¯s significant contribution the previous day had been a great help, but spending every day at the cooperative wasn¡¯t ideal.


    he heard that the cooperative in the neighboring town had a set schedule, operating only from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., allowing the rest of the day for rest at home. who wouldn¡¯t envy such a setup?


    collecting a large amount of pickles was time-consuming, but not just anyone could take on this task. without pulling some strings, this job wouldn¡¯t have fallen into liu xing¡¯s lap. it might have been assigned to the county or another town¡¯s cooperative.


    the benefits of this task were evident by the extra charcoal at liu xing¡¯s house.


    he glanced at jiang xia again, frustrated at how cunning she was.


    however, he quickly came to terms with his feelings.


    he wasn¡¯t an ungrateful person. he clearly understood that the reason he had the opportunity to exchange for pickles was due to jiang xia.


    because jiang xia was smart. she told the shen family that if they wished to contact her, they should look for liu xing. this led him to get acquainted with the shen family.


    things are interconnected, and the origin of this matter stemmed from jiang xia. since jiang xia helped him, he felt it was fine to be slightly lenient in this situation.


    however, what finally made liu xing relent was his recognition of the jiang family¡¯s capabilities.


    he had heard bits and pieces about the jiang chuan family.


    they started from scratch after leaving the old jiang family and had been doing so for about six months. their living conditions visibly improved. initially, they would visit the supply and marketing cooperative to barter items, but now it¡¯s said they seldom visit the town, often trading in the city instead.


    the family¡¯s status kept getting better, which was evident from jiang xia¡¯s appearance. this young girl was becoming more and more radiant, wasn¡¯t this proof that their household¡¯s conditions were improving?


    furthermore, when liu xing interacted with jiang chuan, he felt that jiang chuan was extraordinary and would undoubtedly achieve great things in the future. that¡¯s why he always facilitated things for their family.


    most importantly, xiao wu and xiao li, who had close ties with the jiang family, were also prospering day by day. being close to this family surely had its benefits. giving charcoal to jiang xia can be considered as a goodwill gesture.


    once liu xing had come to this realization, he repeatedly stressed to the two of them, ¡°this charcoal is state-controlled. even 1 can¡¯t casually exchange it for vegetables. you must keep this a secret. no matter who asks, you mustn¡¯t say a word! when using the charcoal, be cautious and don¡¯t let others discover it. in short, be very, very careful!¡±


    only after both of them assured him did his expression soften..

 Chapter 365 - Chapter 365: Deal

    chapter 365: deal


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    liu xing was a sharp-looking man, with meticulous thoughts. jiang xia secretly thought to herself that she indeed made the right choice in helping him. even these little details revealed that liu xing was a man who would repay kindness. perhaps in the future, he might be of help to the jiang family. now that liu xing had agreed, jiang xia wouldn¡¯t push her luck further. they settled on the market rate: two jar of pickles in exchange for one two and a half kilos of charcoal and an additional 5 kilos of flour. with these in hand, she could account for her activities when she returned home.


    furthermore, jiang xia had already decided that when collecting pickles from the neighbors, she mustn¡¯t reveal that the township supply and marketing cooperative was buying them. she would simply say her family was collecting them.


    the matter of charcoal wasn¡¯t something to be discussed openly. the fewer people who knew, the better. otherwise, it would just be inviting trouble.


    to xiao li, the price wasn¡¯t the concern. he originally hadn¡¯t expected to successfully trade for charcoal, but to his surprise, liu xing had eventually agreed.


    with charcoal in hand, everything else became secondary. even if xiao li was given only half kilos of flour, he would be happy.


    on the way home, xiao li was ecstatic, knowing that his family would soon have charcoal to use. he couldn¡¯t stop singing praises of jiang xia.


    ¡°xiao xia, i didn¡¯t expect you to be so clever. third brother jiang truly raised a good daughter! bringing you along was far better than coming alone. even though you¡¯re young, you¡¯re already making decisions for the family. when you grow up, you¡¯ll certainly make a great wife.¡±


    however, jiang xia didn¡¯t appreciate such praise. she was a girl educated with modern ideals. her life goals weren¡¯t limited to just marrying and bearing children. she had her own aspirations! she wanted to realize her own value, not just grow up and get married casually.


    but one couldn¡¯t blame xiao li for his narrow-mindedness. given the era he lived in, that¡¯s all many could aspire to. even in modern times, many elders remain stuck in their conservative mindsets, resistant to modern ideologies. only by witnessing the prosperity and strength of a new society can people¡¯s ideas progress. this was destined to be a slow process.


    by the time they got home, it was already afternoon. xiao li and zhou lan discussed the details of making pickles and the required ingredients. zhou lan then went with him to his house.


    considering that xiao li and jiang xia hadn¡¯t eaten lunch, zhou lan also brought along some wild vegetable pancakes she made earlier. leaving only jiang xia and jiang gu at home.


    in winter, the sun set early. by six in the evening, it would usually be pitch dark. jiang xia estimated that by the time zhou lan and jiang chuan returned, it would be nightfall.


    jiang xia suddenly remembered the ribs shen mo gave her. with all the excitement about the pickles yesterday, she had forgotten about the delicious ribs she had kept in storage. that was really careless of her.


    it was an opportune time, with zhou lan not around, and no time to prepare dinner. why not cook a sumptuous meal for the family herself?


    back in modern times, jiang xia was very picky about food. if something didn¡¯t taste right, she would refuse to eat it after a single bite. to tempt jiang xia to eat, zhou lan would try various dishes and even studied a cookbook.


    jiang xia had read that cookbook and remembered some recipes and ingredient quantities. plus, she was accustomed to zhou lan¡¯s cooking, so she was familiar with the tastes. with these in mind, preparing a meal wasn¡¯t a challenge for her.


    jiang xia shared her idea with jiang gu, but the chubby-faced kid immediately shook her head, ¡°mom said kids aren¡¯t allowed to light fires on their own. you¡¯re still a kid, so you can¡¯t secretly start a fire either!¡±


    she almost forgot that jiang gu was a very obedient child, only listening to zhou lan. if zhou lan said not to start a fire, she would obey.


    in that era, kitchens didn¡¯t use natural gas or induction cooktops but stoves that required wood or coal fires.


    jiang xia found it challenging even to light wood for the fire, let alone control its intensity. however, jiang gu, who spent every day by zhou lan¡¯s side helping her cook, was adept at managing the fire.


    to properly cook a meal, jiang xia truly couldn¡¯t do without jiang gu..

 Chapter 366 - Chapter 366: Deceiving

    chapter 366: deceiving


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang xia crossed her arms and propped up her chin, coaxing jiang gu in a gentle manner, ¡°xiao gu, mom cherishes you most on ordinary days. today, our parents are busy with important matters. when they come back in the evening, they¡¯ll be so tired. can you bear to see mom so exhausted and still have to cook for us?¡±


    jiang gu first caught a crucial piece of information, ¡°mom cherishes her the most every day.¡±


    this news made jiang gu feel a bit elated. past experiences made her yearn even more for her mother¡¯s love. after zhou lan¡¯s arrival, she had always showered affection on jiang gu. but it couldn¡¯t make up for the lack of maternal love in jiang gu¡¯s heart. therefore, hearing jiang xia¡¯s words was like a calming pill for jiang gu, making her realize that she truly was cherished. she couldn¡¯t help but feel joyous.


    thinking of how much her mother loved her and how hard she worked every day, only to come back and cook dinner, jiang gu¡¯s heart ached. of course, she wouldn¡¯t want her mother to cook.


    the naive little jiang gu was thus persuaded by jiang xia, hesitatingly asking, ¡°then, second sister, how should we help mom share some of the household chores?¡±


    jiang xia felt a triumphant thrill in her heart, thinking to herself that kids are indeed easy to deceive. she patted jiang gu¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°of course, we should prepare a sumptuous dinner for her.¡±


    jiang gu hesitated again, ¡°but we¡¯re just kids. do we know how to cook?¡±


    jiang xia puffed up her chest confidently, ¡°you might not know how, but your second sister does! the food i make is delicious. 1 just haven¡¯t had the chance to cook before. today is a rare opportunity, and i must show you my culinary skills.¡±


    jiang gu¡¯s eyes widened, looking at jiang xia with admiration, as if being able to cook was the most impressive thing in the world.


    jiang xia took out some ribs from her interspace realm, along with green onions, ginger, and garlic. she then plucked a potato from the space¡¯s vegetable patch and placed them all in a basket.


    jiang gu, looking puzzled at the ribs which had barely any meat and were half bone, asked in confusion, ¡°second sister, why did you buy ribs? there¡¯s hardly any meat on them. usually, grandma would exchange these ribs for vegetables at the supply store. why did you specifically buy them?¡±


    jiang xia thought to herself, ¡®it¡¯s because you don¡¯t understand the deliciousness of ribs. that¡¯s why you treat such a delicacy as if it¡¯s of no real value.¡¯ she pointed at the ribs and other ingredients, explaining, ¡°it¡¯s because you¡¯ve never tasted delicious braised ribs. the flavor of these ribs is way better than ordinary pork. and gnawing on a meaty bone is delightful. imagine a bone drenched in savory sauce, exuding an enticing aroma. as you bite into the meat, you can also suck the juice from the bone. isn¡¯t that more delicious than just eating plain meat? wait until 1 cook it tonight. once you taste it, i guarantee you¡¯ll want it again!¡±


    by now, jiang gu¡¯s mouth was watering, and she eagerly wanted jiang xia to hurry up with the cooking so she could sample the dish.


    seeing jiang gu¡¯s eager expression, jiang xia grinned and playfully ruffled her hair, ¡°silly girl, we need to wash the vegetables first. let¡¯s go to the river to wash them. after that, you can start the fire and i¡¯ll cook. then we¡¯ll surprise mom and dad with the meal. how about that?¡±


    ¡°sounds great!¡± jiang gu clapped her small hands with excitement.


    holding jiang gu¡¯s hand and carrying the vegetable basket in the other, jiang xia headed towards the riverbank. along the way, she mused to herself, ¡®this little girl is so easy to deceive. i hope she won¡¯t be so gullible in the future.¡¯


    when they arrived at the river, a group of children was playing nearby. some girls were washing clothes and vegetables, while a few boys were catching cicadas and looking for shed cicada skins. the place was bustling with activity.


    jiang xia wasn¡¯t a fan of bustling scenes. given her maturity, she was past the age of enjoying such playfulness. however, considering that jiang gu¡¯s friends, like xiao pang, were among the group, she still led jiang gu closer. they chose a clean spot at the edge of the group and squatted down to wash their vegetables.


    just as jiang xia took out a potato, she heard a discordant, mocking voice, ¡°well, if it isn¡¯t the two jiang sisters.. with your parents climbing the social ladder through connections, aren¡¯t you ashamed to show your faces here at the riverbank?¡±

 Chapter 367 - Chapter 367: Teaching The Brat A Lesson

    chapter 367: teaching the brat a lesson


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang xia frowned. who on earth was this, speaking in such an offensive manner? she flicked the water off her hands and looked towards the source of the voice. she saw a burly girl with two unrefined pigtails, wearing a bright red padded jacket, standing about two meters away from them.


    this girl was naturally ugly. wearing that bright red only made her complexion look greasier. her trousers were dark green. red paired with green, what a terrible combination!


    before jiang xia could speak, jiang gu stood up, hands on her hips, blocking the space between jiang xia and the girl.


    jiang gu said angrily, ¡°wang niu, haven¡¯t you been beaten enough? you still dare to talk nonsense! believe it or not, i¡¯ll shave your head this time!¡±


    having said that, jiang gu even waved her little fists a couple of times.


    wang niu quickly shielded her pigtails, seemingly genuinely afraid of having her hair shaved off.


    jiang xia had only heard of wang niu but had never met her. she knew her as a loose-tongued, ill-mannered girl. her father, wang xing, tried to compete with jiang chuan for the village accountant position. after failing, he spread rumors everywhere, causing a ruckus involving two successive commune chief captain, disturbing the peace in the entire village. later on, when wang niu got into a fight with jiang gu, zhou lan personally dealt with wang xing¡¯s family.


    jiang xia furrowed her brow. how do these kids forget their pain after healing? they had just been beaten and yet they dare provoke again!


    jiang xia narrowed her eyes to look, but realized her view was completely blocked by jiang gu. she could only see the younger girl¡¯s back. she stood up and gazed directly at wang niu.


    feeling jiang xia¡¯s intense gaze, wang niu shuddered, puzzled by how this girl younger than her could have such an intimidating presence that made her feel a bit scared.


    she tried to sound tough, but her voice wavered, ¡°what¡­ what are you looking at? daring to act but not allowing others to talk about it?¡±


    jiang gu, infuriated, was about to charge at her but was held back by jiang xia. she looked up at her sister in confusion.


    jiang xia stared coldly at wang niu, her gaze seemingly piercing through, ¡°wang niu, right? your family has caused such a big commotion that even the village chief has gotten involved. he must¡¯ve lectured you all, didn¡¯t he?¡±


    wang niu felt guilty. indeed, after the spectators dispersed, the village chief took hours to lecture them. he talked about jiang chuan¡¯s contributions to the village and made it clear that they would support him in any disputes. he warned wang niu¡¯s family to behave, or they¡¯d be publicly criticized and denounced.


    recalling this, wang niu shivered in fear. she was naturally a bully and thought the two girls were easy targets. with her gang around, she dared to be brazen, only to be suppressed by jiang xia¡¯s words.


    she turned to seek support from jiang hong, the daughter of another influential family, only to realize she had sneakily disappeared.


    cursing the girl who always gave bad ideas but was the fastest to flee, wang niu knew she couldn¡¯t create more drama now. but simply leaving would be too humiliating!


    always the leader among the village children and known for her bullying, how would she command respect if she left now?


    yet, jiang xia¡¯s gaze made her fear escalating the situation further. the last thing she wanted was to be denounced by the village chief.


    putting on a facade, she said, ¡°i won¡¯t stoop to your level today. but watch out in the future!¡±


    with that, she turned and went to forage by the river.


    jiang xia noticed wang niu¡¯s tense back, aware of her internal fears.


    without uttering a word, jiang gu mistakenly thought jiang xia was scared and said anxiously, ¡°sister, don¡¯t be afraid. i can beat her! i¡¯m strong!¡±


    jiang xia held jiang gu¡¯s hand, squatting down to her level, trying to reason with her. ¡°don¡¯t worry, i¡¯m not scared. it¡¯s just that resorting to violence is pointless and makes us seem in the wrong. we should give them a taste of their own medicine and deal with her properly..¡±

 Chapter 368 - Chapter 368: Reverse Isolated

    chapter 368: reverse isolated


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang xia was by no means kind-hearted; what she excelled at was ensuring others tasted the consequences of their actions. for those who bullied her, jiang xia would undoubtedly make them experience the same feeling.


    after hearing his second sister¡¯s words, jiang gu nodded as if he understood but was still confused, growing more curious about what she was planning to do.


    jiang xia remembered hearing that wang niu and jiang gui¡¯s daughter had an age difference of eight years, but their relationship was quite close. these two, during their primary school days, loved to form cliques and isolate others. relying on their larger physique, they would beat up those who didn¡¯t obey them. many children would comply just to avoid getting beaten.


    now that jiang hong was about to get married and leave, wang niu was the only one left to oversee the children in the village, even taking pleasure in expanding her influence.


    ¡°if you always isolate others, then experience what it feels like to be isolated.¡±


    jiang xia noticed that these children seemed to be picking wild vegetables by the river. the boys were responsible for digging up the vegetables and looking for cicada shells, while the girls washed the vegetables in the river.


    they weren¡¯t doing this for their consumption, but to exchange these for some money and stored food for the winter. since it was the school holidays, the adults were busy sowing corn seeds, leaving the task of gathering wild vegetables to the children.


    jiang xia realized that these children couldn¡¯t differentiate the good wild vegetables from the bad ones. they dug up anything green they saw, even the newly sprouted ones.


    given their method, these wild vegetables wouldn¡¯t sprout again by next spring, potentially ruining the livelihood jiang xia¡¯s family had managed to secure for the village.


    these adults just told the kids to work but never taught them how to do it properly. it was so inconsiderate. children should be brought up well, not merely increase the population!


    she had to stop them!


    an idea struck jiang xia. she asked the children, ¡°are you picking these wild vegetables to exchange for food at the co-op?¡±


    everyone was busy with their tasks, and no one paid her any attention.


    jiang xia had anticipated such a reaction, especially with the influence of wang niu still present. the children feared wang niu¡¯s threats and knew that responding to jiang xia might lead to getting beaten.


    jiang xia then revealed her most charming smile, the kind she believed no one could resist, and said, ¡°i have a way to make money that¡¯s more convenient than trading wild vegetables at the co-op.¡±


    the kids, being naive, grew excited about the prospect of earning money and ignored wang niu¡¯s threats. they gathered around jiang xia. a chubby kid, close to jiang hu, was the first to ask, ¡°sister jiang xia, what¡¯s this money-making method you¡¯re talking about?¡±


    feigning mystery, jiang xia looked at the crowd and asked, ¡°do you all want to know?¡±


    they all nodded in agreement.


    jiang xia stood tall and announced, ¡°it¡¯s simple. bring the wild vegetables you¡¯ve picked to my house. we¡¯ll buy them.¡±


    ¡°your house?¡± they looked puzzled.


    a little girl close to both xiao pang and jiang gu tugged jiang gu¡¯s clothes, ¡°xiao gu, is your second sister trying to trick us?¡±


    jiang gu instantly held his chin high, his face full of certainty, ¡°not at all! my second sister never lies! if she says she¡¯ll buy, then our house will buy!¡±


    upon hearing the possibility of making money, wang niu¡¯s eyes lit up. after all, who would turn down money?


    but she didn¡¯t believe jiang xia could produce so much money to buy the wild vegetables. she thought it was a bluff. how could a little kid like her make such decisions on behalf of adults?


    wang niu scoffed, ¡°don¡¯t bite off more than you can chew. a basket of wild vegetables can be exchanged at the co-op for flour worth four yuan! can you match that?¡±


    hearing wang niu¡¯s words, the children became skeptical, their eyes turning to jiang xia, waiting for her response..

 Chapter 369 - Chapter 369: Dealing With The Pickle

    chapter 369: dealing with the pickle


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang xia looked at the crowd with earnestness, ¡°don¡¯t worry. 1 am not like some who break their promises. when 1 say something, 1 mean it! the idea to collect wild vegetables from all of you was my parents¡¯ idea. however, we don¡¯t buy by weight like the co-op store; we buy based on the number of plants. we only want wild vegetables that are mature and lush green. we won¡¯t buy the smaller sprouts. why don¡¯t you all go home today and come back in a couple of days with the vegetables to exchange for money?¡±


    a little girl, not understanding, asked, ¡°sister jiang xia, what¡¯s the difference between buying by weight and buying by plant?¡±


    wang niu, fearing she might be at a disadvantage, interjected, ¡°you¡¯re not trying to underpay us, are you? are you trying to buy our vegetables at a lower price than by weight and then sell them at a profit?¡±


    the children all wore worried expressions. trust between people is hard to establish because everyone is self-interested. even when jiang chuan had helped them find wild vegetables and seeds, there were still those who gossiped and doubted him. such rumors persisted even after he became the accountant.


    jiang xia looked at her coldly, thinking that this girl was beyond help, her mind corroded by narrow-mindedness.


    she calmly rebutted, ¡°only those who always seek to take advantage of others think everyone else is driven purely by profit. 1 can assure you that the price we offer per plant is definitely higher than the price per weight! on average, you can earn an extra two cents for every pound of wild vegetables. but we don¡¯t have extra goods to exchange, so we can only buy with money.¡±


    upon hearing jiang xia¡¯s assurance, the children finally felt relieved and stopped gathering the wild vegetables. they had heard from their families that jiang chuan¡¯s household had been doing better and better since they separated from the main family, but they hadn¡¯t realized the extent of it. the idea of buying vegetables with money was beyond the imagination of ordinary households, and the children looked on with envy.


    a boy who was originally responsible for finding cicada shells tentatively asked, ¡°sister jiang xia, do you also buy cicada shells?¡±


    jiang xia looked at the boy, his hands holding dried cicada shells and his eyes filled with hope, and shook her head regretfully.


    cicada shells can be used in medicine and are essential ingredients in pharmacies. however, those that have shed during the winter and stayed on trees for too long lose their medicinal value. jiang xia had no use for such shells, but she didn¡¯t have the heart to tell the kids the truth. how sad they would be if they realized the cicada shells they¡¯d spent the afternoon collecting were worthless.


    she patted the slightly disappointed boy on the back and said to the children holding cicada shells, ¡°though cicada shells can¡¯t be exchanged for money, you can give them to me. in return, i can offer some potatoes or radishes.¡±


    while she didn¡¯t have extra money, jiang xia did have an abundance of vegetables in her storage space. it wouldn¡¯t hurt to indirectly gift some to them.


    the children¡¯s faces immediately lit up with smiles, their earlier disappointment forgotten.


    in truth, jiang xia was very clear-headed. her proposal to buy wild vegetables wasn¡¯t solely to upset wang niu. her family genuinely needed them.


    wild vegetables, along with other produce like cabbage, are primary ingredients for making pickled vegetables. wanting to quickly find materials for zhou lan and make things easier, jiang xia came up with this idea.


    thinking of pickled vegetables, jiang xia had another thought. preparing pickles wasn¡¯t easy, and if she could collect all the pickled vegetables made in the villagers¡¯ homes, wouldn¡¯t that also help zhou lan?


    with this in mind, she told the children, ¡°a while ago, my father and i met a merchant in the city who specializes in buying pickled vegetables. if you have extra pickled vegetables at home, you can bring them to us for money.¡±


    ¡°how do you buy them?¡± a child asked.


    ¡°we exchange pickled vegetables in the city at the rate of one yuan for every pound. we¡¯ll buy yours at the same rate.¡±


    by her calculations, jiang xia was being very generous. with a pound of wild vegetables costing twenty cents, plus sugar, salt, and other seasonings, producing a pound of pickled vegetables would only cost around fifty cents. jiang xia was essentially offering them double..

 Chapter 370 - Chapter 370: Mud Brick

    chapter 370: mud brick


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    upon hearing this, several children¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement. their families often made pickled vegetables, and they had grown weary of eating them every day. now, learning that these same pickles they were so tired of could be traded for different food, they were naturally thrilled!


    even wang niu felt a tug of temptation after hearing this. after all, she was just a child, quick to heal and quicker to forget the pain, no longer remembering that they had been quarreling just moments ago. she blurted out, ¡°then, can we also exchange the vegetables from our home?¡±


    before jiang xia could respond, jiang gu stood up, ¡°our family does not wish to associate with those who gossip about others! you always bully people and spread bad words about us everywhere. we certainly do not want to praise your pickles!¡±


    wang niu paid her no mind; jiang xia was the one speaking, and jiang gu had no say in this. she couldn¡¯t care less about jiang gu.


    she looked towards jiang xia with a hint of flattery, ¡°sister jiang xia, look, our home also has a lot of pickled vegetables, and i can dig up wild vegetables, even better than theirs. your family will definitely prefer ours over theirs, right?¡±


    the other children glared at wang niu angrily upon hearing her words. she only thought of herself when something good came up, even wishing others wouldn¡¯t make any money. she was too much!


    jiang xia glanced at her coolly and said, ¡°what my sister says reflects my thoughts as well. we won¡¯t engage with your family, nor do we like to associate with anyone of ill conduct!¡±


    fearing that jiang xia would refuse their wild vegetables because of their association with wang niu, the other children took a step back, distancing themselves from her.


    wang niu clenched her teeth in anger upon hearing jiang xia¡¯s words, her lips turning pale as she bit down hard. pointing at everyone furiously, she exclaimed, ¡°who told you to back off? do you believe i¡¯ll hit you? i¡¯m telling you, none of you are allowed to go to jiang xia to exchange money! we can take our vegetables back home and exchange them at the supply and marketing cooperative like before.¡±


    but no one paid any attention to wang niu. with a more lucrative method to make money at hand, who would willingly follow wang niu around every day?


    the other children avoided her gaze, not even wanting to look at wang niu.


    wang niu was so enraged she was lost for words. suddenly, she turned back to jiang xia and uttered a harsh threat, ¡°just you wait, hmph!¡± and then she stormed off.


    lil¡¯ fatty glanced at the wild vegetables in the field; many were still not fully grown. they had to wait another two days before they could start harvesting.


    the school had given them a total of seven days off, and two days had already passed. they wanted to use the holiday to do more for their families. what could they do in these two days?


    jiang xia perceived his concern and suggested, ¡°since you have to wait some time for the wild vegetables to mature anyway, why don¡¯t you help us gather some adobe bricks in the next two days?¡±


    another task? upon hearing this, the children looked up at jiang xia with their cute little faces in unison.


    jiang xia smiled and explained, ¡°as you know, our family is currently building a house and we need a large amount of adobe. you can gather some and bring it to our house to trade. how about i give you 20 cents for each brick?¡±


    the construction of jiang xia¡¯s house was a community effort, starting from the collection of adobe. it was not just labor-intensive but also exhausting.


    he needed to repay these social debts. it would be better to buy the adobe outright, which would mean fewer people needed for construction, and fewer social debts, the better.


    ¡°wow!¡±


    the children let out another exclamation. they would have to dig up how much wild vegetation to earn 20 cents? at that thought, they nodded their heads vigorously.


    worried they might pick poor-quality adobe in their haste to earn money, jiang xia emphasized, ¡°you must find adobe of the same quality that the adults use. do not bring back the kind that crumbles with a simple pinch!¡±


    lil¡¯ fatty patted his chest and promised, ¡°don¡¯t worry. my father often helped others build houses. i¡¯ve been to construction sites with him and know how to tell if the adobe is strong. i will definitely find the best materials for you, so you can build the biggest and strongest house!¡±


    having settled the matter, everyone forgot about the wild vegetables and started playing by the river, even inviting jiang xia and jiang gu, their attitude completely different from before.


    unable to join them in play, jiang xia asked jiang gu to stay and entertain the children while she went to the river to wash the vegetables..

 Chapter 371 - Chapter 371: Personally Cooking

    chapter 371: personally cooking


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    as dusk approached, the sun began to set in the west, and jiang xia finished washing the vegetables and placed them into the basket, heading home with jiang gu.


    once home, the two made a beeline for the kitchen. jiang xia chopped vegetables while jiang gu tended to the fire; they both got to work with a clear division of labor.


    jiang xia had hardly ever set foot in the kitchen before, so her knife skills could not be held to high standards¡ªit was enough that she could chop the vegetables into small pieces.


    and so there were potatoes of all sizes, some big, some small, and some even partly peeling.


    jiang xia then placed garlic on the cutting board and, timing it right, she lifted the knife high and brought it down hard and accurately on the garlic. but the garlic seemed to playfully evade her knife edge as if to spite her. when she picked up the knife, the clove had vanished without a trace. after searching around, she found it had landed on jiang gu¡¯s head.


    jiang gu looked at jiang xia with a wronged expression, ¡°sister, something hit my head.¡±


    jiang xia burst into laughter, tears nearly welling up in her eyes.


    finally, after much effort, she crushed the garlic cloves into bits and put them into a bowl for later use.


    compared to the garlic, the green onions were much more cooperative, lying there quietly as jiang xia chopped them into thin slices.


    the ginger, which was supposed to be sliced, was left in bigger chunks by jiang xia, who didn¡¯t trouble herself with finesse in knife work. she simply chopped the ginger and then threw it into the wok to stir-fry with oil.


    as soon as the fresh ginger and garlic hit the hot oil, they sizzled, and oil splattered everywhere. jiang xia quickly grabbed the lid to shield jiang gu¡¯s face, stepping back to avoid the oil splashes herself.


    jiang gu looked uncertainly at jiang xia, blinking, ¡°sister, are you sure about this? should we wait for mother to come back before we cook?¡±


    jiang xia¡¯s competitive spirit surged; she was not about to admit defeat. she patted her chest confidently, ¡°just watch. i was a bit clumsy at the beginning, but nothing can stop me from cooking!¡±


    jiang gu, half-convinced, continued to tend the fire and even secretly removed the most blazing piece of firewood to throw into the ash to reduce the flames.


    despite her lack of practical cooking experience, jiang xia was quite good at stir-frying, quickly finishing a dish of fragrant mushrooms, and soon the kitchen was filled with the aroma of the dish.


    this was followed by a dish of potato slices and sweet and sour cabbage. although the appearance of the dishes was not perfect, the fragrance was irresistibly delicious.


    of course, the finale was the braised pork ribs. as soon as the ribs hit the pot, the aroma of the meat was unstoppable, wafting even into the yard.


    jiang gu, enticed by the scent of meat, drooled, ¡°sister, when will the dishes be ready? i¡¯m hungry.¡±


    jiang xia pinched jiang gu¡¯s chubby little face, who was just too cute!


    she said, ¡°increase the heat! once the sauce thickens, it¡¯s ready to come out of the pot!¡±


    jiang gu, now familiar with controlling the fire, immediately intensified the flames.


    after the dishes were done, jiang xia looked at her creations with satisfaction.


    luckily, the reticent butler had already processed the ribs, cutting them into small pieces. otherwise, if it had been left to jiang xia to chop, it would have probably been another accident scene! thus, the ribs became the only dish that looked somewhat ¡°refined¡± amongst all.


    jiang xia had just brought the dishes into the house, waiting for jiang chuan and zhou lan to return so they could start the meal, when she suddenly heard voices at the door.


    ¡°what¡¯s this delightful smell coming from this house?¡± a woman¡¯s strong voice was heard, nothing like those of the shrill-speaking women often gossiping at the village chief.


    ¡°it might be aunt zhou who has finished cooking. her cooking skills are said to be even better than those chefs in the county town¡¯s big restaurants.¡±


    jiang xia recognized the voice¡ªit was shen mo¡¯s.


    what was he doing in the village? and why had he come to their house at this time?


    with curiosity, jiang xia peeked out from inside.


    shen mo saw jiang xia¡¯s little head at the doorway. it was getting dark, and she stood where the light met the shadows, seemingly glowing. seeing her, shen mo couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    shen mo greeted, ¡°jiang xia, has uncle jiang come back?¡±


    jiang xia looked at the strange woman beside shen mo, guessing she might be here for serious business with jiang chuan, and so she answered honestly, ¡°dad and mom are not here. if you have business, you can go to the commune to find him..¡±

 Chapter 372 - Chapter 372: Guest

    chapter 372: guest


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    ¡°if the adults aren¡¯t here, then who cooked the meal?¡± the woman asked in surprise.


    shen mo had already guessed that it was very likely jiang xia had taken the initiative to start cooking. he hurried over to check if she had burnt herself.


    seeing shen mo hurry over, jiang xia thought he was too cold and eager to come in to warm up, so she obediently stepped back to let him through the door.


    shen mo paused for a moment at her step back.


    then jiang xia said, ¡°it¡¯s warmer away from the door; you all come in and wait.¡± the latter part of the sentence was directed at the woman who had followed shen mo here and was still standing at the door.


    shen mo¡¯s hand, which he intended to check on her with, froze mid-air and he awkwardly withdrew it, walking helplessly into the house.


    the woman, with a knowing ¡°i understand¡± auntie smile, also followed inside.


    this woman was, of course, chief captain tian zao, whom they had happened to meet at the commune that morning.


    after lunch, tian zao and shen mo took a stroll around the village. shen mo was familiar with the village layout, having been there before, and had planned the route so that the last house they visited would be jiang xia¡¯s, which would give him a good excuse to stay for a meal.


    tian zao and shen mo sat down inside, and jiang xia brought them two cups of hot water. they drank and looked at the three dishes on the table, which didn¡¯t look very appealing but smelled delicious.


    shen mo was particularly interested in the braised pork ribs, thinking that jiang xia must have wanted ribs to make this dish.


    seeing the two of them eyeing the dishes on the table, jiang xia felt embarrassed to keep them waiting and took out four sets of bowls and chopsticks for everyone, saying, ¡°my parents might be busy with something today, and i don¡¯t know when they will be back, so let¡¯s eat first.¡±


    tian zao felt it was impolite to eat the meal a child had made in someone else¡¯s house without waiting for the parents to return, so she hesitated to start eating.


    shen mo also didn¡¯t want jiang chuan to have a negative opinion of him, so he said, ¡°it¡¯s alright; we can wait for them to come back and eat together.¡±


    jiang xia thought to herself, ¡°luckily i was in a good mood today and made plenty of dishes. otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have been enough for unexpected guests.¡±


    moreover, jiang xia had rarely cooked, and today she had specially stewed a pot of fragrant rice that had been soaked in interspace water. it was plump white rice mixed with a bit of sorghum, and it smelled incredibly fragrant!


    while jiang chuan was still out, tian zao took the opportunity to carefully observe the jiang family¡¯s house.


    jiang chuan¡¯s affairs were not a secret in the village, and tian zao had heard about them long ago. now, seeing the decorations in the family¡¯s house and the rich dishes, she knew this family was living better and better.


    but she had always had reservations about jiang chuan and had been instilled with a seed of suspicion by wang xing, believing that jiang chuan¡¯s good life was due to clandestine dealings with the former chief captain, conspiring to embezzle the village¡¯s money. otherwise, how could it be possible to leave the old jiang family with nothing and be so well-off in just half a year?


    the house was spacious, with each of the two daughters having their own room, better even than where the village chief lived.


    tian zao had walked around the village that day and found that most of the villagers¡¯ houses had just two rooms and a big yard. if several generations lived together, the house might be a bit larger, with four or five rooms, but still, families would be crammed into one room.


    even the village chief¡¯s slightly more spacious big house was nothing compared to the jiang¡¯s ability to provide one room per person.


    tian zao thought for a moment. children are the least deceptive, and since jiang chuan and zhou lan were not around, she might as well try to find out the truth from jiang xia.


    ¡°your name is jiang xia, right?¡±


    jiang xia answered obediently,¡± yes, captain.¡±


    tian zao was taken aback that she recognized her as the chief captain and thought this young girl was indeed smart. at such a young age, she was already so observant, surely knowing what to say and what not to say, so tian zao gave up the idea of questioning jiang xia.


    at that moment, she was suddenly distracted by the sound of a growling stomach, and immediately turned her attention to the owner of the belly, jiang gu.

 Chapter 373 - Chapter 373: Chat

    chapter 373: chat


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang gu sat on the other side of jiang xia, her figure shielded by her, and being especially well-behaved, she hadn¡¯t spoken, so tian zao hadn¡¯t noticed her until now.


    now that jiang xia turned slightly, jiang gu was revealed.


    seeing such a cute little girl, tian zao couldn¡¯t resist squeezing her cheek. if jiang xia was too clever to inquire directly, perhaps this little girl wouldn¡¯t be as reserved in speaking?


    thus, tian zao began to cozy up to jiang gu, asking, ¡°is the little missy hungry?¡±


    jiang gu nodded her head.


    tian zao continued, ¡°if you¡¯re hungry, why not eat a piece of meat to fill your stomach?¡±


    longing showed in jiang gu¡¯s eyes as she gazed at the braised pork ribs, but she still firmly shook her head and said, ¡°i can¡¯t, dad and mom haven¡¯t come back yet, 1 want to wait for them so we can eat together!¡±


    tian zao didn¡¯t expect that the two daughters taught by jiang chuan would be so obedient and sensible, truly endearing.


    then she remembered that at noon, the public canteen had boiled eggs. worried that she and shen mo would be too tired and hungry after the afternoon¡¯s journey, she took two eggs and put them in her pocket, but with the busy afternoon, she had forgotten to eat them. now, she could just take them out and give them to jiang gu.


    after receiving them, jiang gu politely said thank you, and then skillfully peeled an egg, even showing off to jiang xia, ¡°second sister, look, the egg i peeled is intact, not even a bit of the egg white is broken!¡±


    jiang xia looked at her younger sister with indulgence, smiling and ruffling her hair, ¡°xiao gu is so great, still the best at peeling eggs!¡±


    tian zao astutely caught a piece of information: jiang gu must often eat eggs to speak of it in such a manner, and the two sisters might even compete to see whose egg peeling was the most flawless.


    this was a common game among rural children, but now with food being scarce and almost no one raising chickens, eggs naturally became a rare supply, and the game had vanished among the children.


    tian zao looked at jiang gu and asked, ¡°does your family often eat eggs?¡±


    jiang gu nodded, ¡°yes, every morning mom boils an egg for each of us, and we also have a box of hot milk. mom says we are growing, so we must keep up with nutrition.¡±


    tian zao was momentarily stunned; this family not only ate eggs daily but also drank milk, living better than she had imagined.


    jiang xia, listening by the side, didn¡¯t seem to intend to stop the conversation. their family¡¯s life was getting better, and the stuff in their interspace realm was growing more abundant; they couldn¡¯t always hide it.


    since it was difficult to explain to the villagers, it was better to straightforwardly tell everyone that their life was gradually improving and to let people know that their improving circumstances were due to jiang chuan¡¯s capabilities.


    that way, even if their family brought out anything unusual in the future, like the green-tailed prawns from jiang xia¡¯s interspace, the villagers wouldn¡¯t find it strange.


    however, jiang xia also worried, as people often envied those who lived better lives than themselves. jiang chuan had faced difficulties before, and everyone had helped, firstly because of their sincerity, and secondly out of pity, as people tend to sympathize with those less fortunate.


    but now, the jiang family was living increasingly better lives, even surpassing other families that were originally well-off, like chen xing, the leader of pushan village. this could inevitably attract envy and give rise to gossip, something evident from the village rumors.


    although the village head chief stepped in to stop the rumors, there were still one or two scheming individuals who discussed these things privately.


    jiang xia and the rest didn¡¯t care about these comments and viewpoints, but jiang xia worried that such rumors could affect jiang gu.


    children can be the most outspoken, and if jiang gu was teased by her classmates because of these things when she went to primary school, would it cause her psychological harm?


    this was also why zhou lan insisted on jiang xia accompanying jiang gu to school, and why jiang xia did not refuse.


    after listening, tian zao became thoughtful. since the village accountant¡¯s affair was directly related to her, she couldn¡¯t help but pay some attention to the jiang family¡¯s development during her investigation.


    in the process of her visits and conversations with people, tian zao couldn¡¯t help but ask about jiang chuan¡¯s character and attitude towards life..

 Chapter 374 - Chapter 374: A Happy Family

    chapter 374: a happy family


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    tian zao came to understand that jiang chuan had always been fortunate. in the county town, he had stumbled upon some opportunities and made a bit of money through bartering. thus, it made sense that jiang chuan¡¯s family was doing better and better, especially since jiang chuan was quite capable himself. he had handled the distribution of grain very well, which is why the former chief captain had offered him the position of accountant.


    however, the thought of jiang chuan being the accountant was like a thorn in tian zao¡¯s heart. it wasn¡¯t that she insisted on wang xing for the role; she understood the logic that those with ability should be in charge. but with every new official comes the adage of ¡®three fires,¡¯ and it seemed some of the resulting heat had made things uncomfortable for jiang chuan.


    tian zao was about to inquire further when she heard voices from the courtyard; it was jiang chuan and zhou lan returning home.


    zhou lan had just come out from the li family¡¯s place when she bumped into jiang chuan, and they walked back together.


    on the way, they were still discussing the details of making pickles.


    zhou lan was troubled. ¡°talking about making five vats of pickles in half a month is easy, but what about the raw materials? we need a lot of sugar for pickling, and we simply don¡¯t have enough sugar or ration tickets at home. maybe you could go to the county town and get some granulated sugar?¡±


    jiang chuan¡¯s voice carried a hint of difficulty, ¡°i¡¯m afraid i won¡¯t be able to get away these next few days. the army is about to station in the deep mountains, and the commune will probably have a lot to handle. plus, we just planted the corn seeds, and 1 need to check on them occasionally. i¡¯m worried the seeds won¡¯t germinate well, and everyone¡¯s hard work will go to waste. our family is also in the midst of building a house; it¡¯s been a bit too hectic these days. it takes half a day to go to the town, and it would be too tiring for you to go by carriage. let¡¯s just make do with the sugar we have for now.¡±


    zhou lan playfully pushed jiang chuan with her wrist, teasingly saying, ¡°how long have we been husband and wife and you¡¯re still talking like this. we need to focus on what¡¯s important right now.¡±


    their conversation was full of the breath of life, interspersed with affectionate teasing. tian zao, just by listening, could already feel the happiness they shared.


    tian zao thought to herself: a man who constantly worries about the villagers and the harvest, who lives such a harmonious and happy life at home, whose daughter is so well-educated and sensible¡ªhow could such a person be bad? perhaps she had really misunderstood jiang chuan.


    the conversation between the two paused briefly, then zhou lan spoke in a surprised tone, ¡°does that smell like braised pork ribs to you?¡±


    jiang chuan took a couple of deep sniffs. indeed, it was the aroma of pork ribs, ¡°don¡¯t mention it; the scent is identical to the ribs you make. did you cook this afternoon and forget about it?¡±


    zhou lan playfully slapped jiang chuan¡¯s back, ¡°i¡¯m not senile yet. how could 1 forget if i cooked a meal? it definitely wasn¡¯t me.¡±


    they looked at each other and simultaneously exclaimed, ¡°it can¡¯t be jiang xia!¡±


    at that moment, jiang xia had already come out from the house, speaking in a resigned tone, ¡°thank you for remembering me. who else but me could make such delicious braised pork ribs?¡±


    the parents couldn¡¯t help but shower their daughter with praise.


    jiang xia had lived a life of comfort at home, never expecting to learn how to cook after coming here. her parents were very relieved.


    just as they were about to spill the beans out of excitement, jiang xia quickly reminded them, ¡°hurry inside, we have guests today.¡±


    ¡°oh?¡±


    jiang chuan and zhou lan, puzzled, walked into the house and saw tian zao and shen mo, who had stood up waiting for them. they quickly invited them to sit down.


    jiang gu had already set the bowls and chopsticks, and served six bowls of rice. the six people finally sat down to start their meal.


    during the meal, jiang chuan almost forgot that the chief captain was there, vigilantly keeping an eye on shen mo, making shen mo feel somewhat uneasy.


    noticing her husband¡¯s intense scrutiny, zhou lan nudged jiang chuan¡¯s leg under the table, signaling for him to soften his gaze, not to scare the guest. through a look, jiang chuan conveyed, ¡°a child? he has his sights on your daughter; shouldn¡¯t i be vigilant?¡±


    shen mo¡¯s interest in jiang xia instantly energized zhou lan, her eyes shifting continuously between shen mo and jiang xia.


    zhou lan felt validated; she had long suspected the handsome young man fancied jiang xia and now felt her suspicions were confirmed..

 Chapter 375 - Chapter 375: Only Knows How to Eat

    chapter 375: only knows how to eat


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    upon seeing zhou lan¡¯s expression, jiang chuan knew that her curiosity, often fueled by reading novels, was once again ignited.


    jiang chuan gave zhou lan a meaningful glance, ¡°dear, could you please not get so excited? right now, someone is trying to whisk away our daughter!¡±


    zhou lan glared at jiang chuan, ¡°what do you know? this is a high-quality young man! look how handsome little shen is, with a good personality, warm-hearted, and capable. isn¡¯t he just the perfect male protagonist material?¡±


    jiang chuan was speechless, ¡°i know you¡¯re a face-judger, but i didn¡¯t expect you to be this way when it comes to our daughter picking a son-in-law!¡±


    zhou lan countered, ¡°if you hadn¡¯t been good-looking back then, how could i have been swayed to choose you?¡±


    jiang chuan admitted proudly, ¡°that¡¯s true.¡±


    without mentioning anything else, just think back to when jiang chuan was young. his good looks stood out in any crowd. standing at six feet tall, dressed in the latest fashion, holding a bunch of flowers every day at the bottom of zhou lan¡¯s martial arts class for children¡ªwho wouldn¡¯t be moved?


    as the two parents were engaged in an intense exchange of looks, the female protagonist, who had sparked their heated debate, was completely unaware, focused intently on the braised pork ribs in front of her. she couldn¡¯t help but praise the taste, indicating a real talent for cooking. perhaps next time she could try making pork rib soup or fried sweet and sour pork?


    speaking of fried sweet and sour pork, with its crispy crust enveloping the sweet and tangy sauce, just thinking about the juice bursting in one¡¯s mouth was enough to make anyone salivate!


    indeed, the self-love and love for food seemed to be hereditary traits in the jiang family.


    seeing the look on jiang xia¡¯s face, zhou lan was speechless. how did she give birth to such a foodie daughter? so smart, yet so clueless when it comes to matters of the heart. poor little shen, it seems his journey to win his wife¡¯s affection is long and arduous!


    while jiang chuan and zhou lan each talked about their own topics, jiang xia¡¯s mind was filled with thoughts of recipes, and jiang gu was silent, focusing solely on his meal. not a single person in this family initiated conversation.


    however, tian zao and shen mo didn¡¯t find it awkward because they too were immersed in savoring the delicious dishes made by jiang xia.


    despite their unappealing appearance and unevenly chopped sizes, the dishes were truly tasty!


    it was unexpected that someone as young as jiang xia could cook so deliciously, a true testament to having inherited zhou lan¡¯s culinary skills.


    tian zao and shen mo had never thought that the discarded ribs, frowned upon by others, could taste so good that one would crave another piece after finishing one.


    seeing everyone enjoy the meal so thoroughly gave jiang xia a strong sense of accomplishment, validating her culinary skills. aside from her lackluster chopping skills, she found nothing difficult about cooking.


    jiang xia glanced at the small bowl designated for bones, now piled into a small hill, and felt relieved that she had fried all the ribs. otherwise, there wouldn¡¯t have been enough for dinner.


    jiang gu glanced at the dwindling supply of braised pork ribs on the plate and hurried her eating pace.


    this was the first time jiang gu had tasted such delicious braised pork ribs, and she hadn¡¯t had her fill before they were almost gone. this would not do! after all, it was meat, and if it was all eaten by others, she would have none left!


    in modern times, such a thought would certainly earn a child a lecture from their parents about not being petty. but it¡¯s not jiang gu¡¯s fault.


    in those days, food was scarce, and even adults would be petty over such things, let alone a child faced with their favorite food?


    jiang xia thought jiang gu must have been starving from waiting too long and gently patted jiang gu¡¯s back, ¡°eat slowly, don¡¯t choke.¡±


    jiang xia¡¯s comment actually led to jiang gu choking on a rice grain, forcing herself to swallow the meat before she started coughing. jiang xia quickly handed her a glass of water to help her catch her breath.


    amidst the commotion, tian zao suddenly remembered she had come to the jiang¡¯s home for an important matter.


    she swallowed a piece of braised pork rib, placed the bone in her bowl, and turned to jiang chuan to explain the latest arrangements, ¡°previously, the work points for laboring in the fields were all recorded by the village chief. now, the chief has passed this responsibility to xiao wu. tomorrow, you should go and hand over the work with xiao wu. from now on, the villagers¡¯ work points will be accounted for by the commune¡¯s accountant and recorded in the books..

 Chapter 376 - Chapter 376: Business

    chapter 376: business


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    this was originally the job of the commune¡¯s accountant, but since the accounting position had always been vacant, and work points couldn¡¯t go unrecorded, the task was given to the village chief. now that jiang chuan had taken the role, it was natural to reclaim the authority to record work points back to the commune.


    jiang chuan nodded in agreement and shared some of his thoughts, ¡°before, we calculated work points based on the time each villager worked in the fields. this meant that even those who were present but didn¡¯t work hard would still earn points. it¡¯s unfair to the diligent villagers and also demotivates everyone from farming. i have an idea: to calculate work points based on the land. for every ten square meters of land cultivated, one work point would be earned. the more one works, the more they earn, which should also reduce complaints.¡±


    tian zao admired this idea, wondering why she hadn¡¯t thought of it herself. disputes over work points due to labor time were common among the villagers, with many feeling resentful when they perceived others as receiving more for less effort. jiang chuan¡¯s idea could greatly reduce these arguments and seemed to be the fairest solution for the current stage.


    tian zao was increasingly convinced that jiang chuan¡¯s election as the commune¡¯s accountant was due to his real capabilities, and she gradually let go of any misgivings she had about him.


    after the two had finished discussing, shen mo raised another concern, ¡°captain, after careful consideration, i think that if the army is stationed in the deep mountains, food supply will be a challenging issue.¡±


    tian zao was puzzled, ¡°the army¡¯s food should be supplied by the state, what does that have to do with our village?¡±


    shen mo nodded and continued, ¡°our situation is the same as the neighboring village; we have grains like rice and wheat but no vegetables. after eating this meal and tasting auntie zhou¡¯s meat sauce, i was thinking whether we could get some benefits for our comrades, buy some meat sauce from her to pair with steamed buns and wild vegetables.


    jiang chuan and zhou lan hesitated for a moment, zhou lan expressed her concern, ¡°of course, i¡¯m willing if you want to buy meat sauce from me. many villagers also make meat sauce that can be sold to the army. but with hundreds of people in the troop, the amount needed is not small. i¡¯m afraid we don¡¯t have enough ingredients.¡±


    shen mo thought of this problem as well and added, ¡°auntie zhou, rest assured, we will take care of all the ingredients. meat will also be delivered to your home on schedule. whatever you need, just ask. once it¡¯s ready, i will send someone to pick it up, or you can deliver it to the foot of the mountain if that works better, and we¡¯ll include the delivery fee.¡±


    before zhou lan could agree, jiang xia had already spoken up, ¡°any kind of ingredient?¡±


    shen mo nodded, ¡°if it¡¯s possible, it will be provided; if not, we will make it possible!¡±


    jiang xia asked again, ¡°do you also have white sugar?¡±


    shen mo was taken aback for a moment and blurted out, ¡°do you need white sugar for cooking too?¡±


    shen mo, having been pampered at home, was like a young master who never had to lift a finger, so it was no surprise that he was clueless about cooking, not understanding why one would need to add sugar to savory dishes.


    in modern times, it is common to find people who are unfamiliar with seasonings and cooking, but in an era where everyone struggles to afford food, and children learn to cook at home from a young age, it was somewhat inappropriate not to know that frying dishes often requires white sugar.


    white sugar is one of the most common seasonings in cooking because adding it to dishes can enhance flavor, balance tastes, and also help with coloring, making the dish¡¯s color look more appealing.


    realizing his question was a bit foolish, shen mo¡¯s face turned embarrassingly red, a feeling that probably only jiang xia could truly understand.


    in modern times, jiang xia, too, had been doted on by jiang chuan and zhou lan. not to mention preparing a meal like she did today, she had never even personally made her own breakfast.


    with zhou lan around, the father and daughter of the jiang family didn¡¯t have to worry about anything. whatever they wanted to eat, they just had to say it and zhou lan would buy, prepare, and serve it to them.


    jiang xia¡¯s knowledge of seasonings came purely from her love of eating. without that, she probably would know even less than shen mo.


    this led to zhou lan often saying that although jiang xia was almost a university student, she lacked common life skills and couldn¡¯t even fend for herself with meals when alone at home..

 Chapter 377 - Chapter 377: White Sugar

    chapter 377: white sugar


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang xia stepped in to defuse the situation for shen mo, explaining, ¡°my mother needs white sugar to enhance the flavor when making pickled vegetables and meat sauce, but we¡¯ve run out at home. moreover, if we want to get some from the city, we need sugar coupons¡­¡±


    this was the topic of discussion that zhou lan and jiang chuan had just been deliberating upon entering the house. the awkwardness now lay in the fact that while the ingredients and the jars for pickling were ready¡ªwith the jars set to be delivered the next day¡ªa large quantity of spices was missing.


    it was entirely unexpected that everything would be prepared but would fall short on this detail. jiang chuan had even begun to consider finding some free time to drive to the county town¡¯s black market to exchange for white sugar.


    upon hearing this, tian zao suddenly thought of her brother, the general manager at the sugar factory. this was also an opportunity to help the villagers, so she decided to make an effort.


    she said to zhou lan, ¡°wife of the jiang family, prepare a list of how much white sugar you need for me. tomorrow i will call the sugar factory in the county town and try to get them to deliver the sugar by tomorrow evening.¡±


    everyone was surprised, not expecting the usually strictly businesslike tian zao to take the initiative to help solve their big problem. while everyone was curious about where the sugar would come from, jiang chuan suddenly had a realization. he remembered that auntie tian had mentioned her eldest son worked at the sugar factory, and it all became clear.


    jiang chuan¡¯s opinion of tian zao changed.


    he had always thought of tian zao as a petty woman, but now he realized that he had been the narrow-minded one.


    this meal inadvertently became the catalyst for tian zao and jiang chuan to thaw their past grievances. although neither of them spoke of it, they both recognized each other¡¯s work capabilities.


    the next morning, as usual, zhou lan woke up early to prepare breakfast for the family. it was nearing the end of december, and dawn was coming later and later. zhou lan had to get up in the dark, and it was unbearably cold.


    as an adult, she could bear it, but she couldn¡¯t bear to have jiang gu wake up early with her every day. she told the young girl that she didn¡¯t need to help her light the fire and cook in the mornings anymore.


    but jiang gu was very stubborn and didn¡¯t want zhou lan to be busy by herself. every morning, as soon as she heard zhou lan getting up, she would immediately get out of the warm bed and come out to help.


    today, zhou lan was warming jiang gu¡¯s soft little hands as they walked to the kitchen. just as they entered, they were surprised to see that the second daughter, jiang xia, was already waiting in the kitchen.


    as soon as jiang xia saw zhou lan, she bounced over, clinging to zhou lan¡¯s arm with an expectant look in her eyes, ¡°mother, what are you planning to make this morning? let¡¯s make sweet potato pancakes. can you teach me how to make them?¡±


    zhou lan looked at jiang xia in surprise, then poked her head out of the kitchen door to look at the dawn¡¯s early light, puzzled.


    jiang xia was confused, ¡°mother, it¡¯s still dark outside, what are you looking at?¡±


    zhou lan said seriously, ¡°i am checking to see if the sun has risen from the west today. how come jiang xia, who can¡¯t get out of bed in the winter, has gotten up so early to learn to cook?¡±


    realizing that zhou lan was joking, jiang xia pretended to be angry and lightly punched zhou lan¡¯s arm, ¡°mother, you just love to tease me! isn¡¯t it because i want to learn to cook so i can help you out?¡±


    in fact, it was because of the dinner last night, which received unanimous praise, that sparked jiang xia¡¯s love for cooking. this morning, as soon as she opened her eyes, all she could think about was making a hearty breakfast, and she had no mood to continue sleeping, so she simply got out of bed and prepared to explore the kitchen on her own.


    however, she found out that making sweet potato pancakes required kneading dough, and her hands-on abilities were really not up to par. just as she was worrying, she happened to hear zhou lan and jiang gu heading to the kitchen, which made her incredibly happy, eager to learn.


    seeing her daughter so eager to learn, zhou lan no longer teased her. rolling up her sleeves, she headed towards the chopping board and said, ¡°since my sweet daughter wants to learn today, then as your mother, i will teach you properly!¡± she then turned back to jiang gu and gestured grandly, ¡°xiao gu, light the fire and boil the water!¡±


    ¡°alright!¡±


    previously, it was always zhou lan and jiang gu bustling about in the kitchen, but today with jiang

 Chapter 378 - Chapter 378: Learning to Make Sweet Potato Cake

    chapter 378: learning to make sweet potato cake


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    zhou lan rolled up her sleeves, and it was only then that jiang xia noticed her wrists were bare¡ªshe had not worn the jade bracelet that jiang chuan had bought for her at the locust tree bay black market.


    curious, jiang xia asked her, ¡°mother, why aren¡¯t you wearing your jade bracelet?¡±


    zhou lan glanced at her empty wrist, unconcerned, and said, ¡°i¡¯ve been so busy these past few days, wearing it out would surely invite endless questions.¡±


    ¡°but you can¡¯t just never wear it. didn¡¯t dad buy it for you to wear?¡± jiang xia protested.


    zhou lan flicked her hand, her tone casual, ¡°i¡¯ll definitely wear it, just not yet. when our family¡¯s circumstances improve a bit more and the villagers see that, wearing it then won¡¯t bring so much suspicion.¡±


    it was then jiang xia realized that all along, she and jiang chuan thought they had been protecting zhou lan well, but in reality, it was zhou lan who allowed them to protect her.


    during winter, when everyone is bundled up thickly, wrists are not usually exposed. jiang chuan and jiang xia hadn¡¯t noticed such a small detail like the wearing of the bracelet, but zhou lan did. it showed that she wasn¡¯t as careless as she appeared, not taking things to heart. instead, she let jiang chuan and jiang xia feel the satisfaction of protecting a family member.


    jiang xia felt grateful again for having crossed over to the 1960s. it was an opportunity for their whole family to become closer, to realize that even in their warm household, there were many underlying issues that hadn¡¯t surfaced. it was this time travel that gradually brought these issues to light and offered them the chance to address and mend them.


    zhou lan waved her hand in front of jiang xia¡¯s face. ¡°silly girl, what are you daydreaming about? go get two sweet potatoes.¡±


    jiang xia nodded and ran to the corner where the sweet potatoes were piled up.


    there were two types of sweet potatoes in the corner: one was the big, round, white sweet potatoes; the other was the red-skinned, long, and slender ones with two protruding ends, resembling bull horns.


    these were the first seeds they had found deep in the mountains and grown in an uncultivated field. since the weather was not conducive to spoiling the sweet potatoes, they had stacked all the mature ones in a corner of the kitchen.


    jiang xia couldn¡¯t quite distinguish between the two types of sweet potatoes, so she turned to ask zhou lan, ¡°mother, which kind of sweet potato should we use?¡±


    zhou lan enlightened her, ¡°the round ones are white sweet potatoes; they¡¯re fluffier and stickier, suitable for steaming directly or boiling in rice soup. the other kind, shaped like ox horns, is the honey horn sweet potato, which is sweeter in taste and perfect for making sweet potato cakes to enhance the sweetness.¡±


    jiang xia took a moment to observe and committed the differences to memory. noting that the honey horn sweet potatoes were quite small, she gathered four or five into her arms to carry over.


    once zhou lan took the honey horn sweet potatoes, with swift and adept movements, she peeled them. jiang xia watched, eyes wide and mouth agape, amazed at how these oddly shaped sweet potatoes became so compliant in her mother¡¯s hands, shedding their skins so willingly.


    zhou lan found her usually proud daughter¡¯s bewildered expression quite amusing and said with a laugh, ¡°the knife skills i possess have been honed over many years. you¡¯ve just started cooking and want to match my knife skills already; that¡¯s a bit too eager. no matter how smart you are, you should progress steadily and not rush.¡±


    taking the opportunity, zhou lan imparted some wisdom to jiang xia.


    jiang xia nodded obediently, then placed the pieces of honey horn sweet potato that zhou lan had cut into a bowl and prepared them for steaming.


    while jiang xia was steaming the sweet potatoes, zhou lan had already scooped three ladles of flour into a mixing bowl and waited for jiang xia to finish before she began to teach her how to knead the dough.


    ¡°when kneading dough, you can¡¯t be impatient. don¡¯t add too much water all at once, as it can turn into batter instead. add water little by little, stirring with chopsticks to gradually get the flour into a flocculent state¡­¡±


    after a brief demonstration, zhou lan let jiang xia try it herself, instructing her from the side. by the time jiang xia had clumsily worked the flour in the bowl into a flocculent state, the sweet potatoes were almost ready.


    eager to learn the next step, jiang xia leaned in to see how zhou lan would proceed..

 Chapter 379 - Chapter 379: Jiang Chuan’s Past

    chapter 379: jiang chuan¡¯s past


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    zhou lan cooled the steamed sweet potatoes with cold water before adding them to the fluff-like dough, continuing to explain, ¡°the sweet potatoes are now very glutinous and crumble at the touch of a hand. the moisture and starch in the sweet potatoes will also help the dough set better. what we need to do at this point is to ensure that the sweet potatoes and flour are fully integrated. it¡¯s difficult to achieve this with chopsticks, so we need to wash our hands and knead the dough with our hands.¡±


    jiang xia obediently followed the instructions and carefully kneaded the sweet potatoes into the dough under zhou lan¡¯s direction, gradually forming a smooth, pale yellow dough.


    zhou lan nodded in satisfaction. her daughter was indeed smart and caught on quickly when it came to cooking.


    zhou lan instructed jiang xia to sprinkle flour on the cutting board to prevent the dough from sticking, then to roll the well-kneaded dough in the flour to form a long strip, cut it into equal lengths, and after rolling each piece into a round shape, to flatten it with a rolling pin.


    at this step, the task was essentially finished. next, only frying the sweet potato pancakes until cooked was left.


    jiang xia, already very familiar with stir-frying, didn¡¯t need zhou lan¡¯s guidance and quickly placed the sweet potato dough cakes into the hot, sizzling pan.


    seeing her daughter had fully mastered the process, zhou lan reminded her, ¡°remember, they¡¯re only ready when both sides are golden brown. take them out and place them on a plate without stacking them, or they won¡¯t be crispy.¡±


    after finishing her instructions, zhou lan confidently went to prepare the ingredients for pickles.


    zhou lan had an idea; if one always eats pickles, they would eventually grow tired of them, so she planned to make some kimchi to take to the supply and marketing cooperative. they had white radishes and carrots at home to use for making kimchi. kimchi tastes sour and is more appetizing.


    she had previously had jiang xia pile all the radishes that had grown in the interspace in the kitchen. now, all she had to do was simply tally up how many kilos of radishes they had, how much pickle they could make, and from there estimate the amount of white sugar needed for making the pickles and kimchi.


    after calculating, she instructed jiang chuan to take the amount to the commune to inform tian zao, to make sure the matter was settled as soon as possible. perhaps they could receive the white sugar by evening, and then they could start preparing tomorrow.


    zhou lan estimated that they would need about two and a half kilos of white sugar. after finishing the calculations, she went to check on jiang xia¡¯s work.


    she found that jiang xia had made the sweet potato cakes very well, golden brown on both sides, filling the kitchen with the aroma of sweet potatoes. moreover, as the sweet potato cakes were made with water from their interspace realm, there was an additional hint of sweetness beyond the fragrance of the sweet potatoes.


    zhou lan poked the surface of a sweet potato cake with chopsticks, and the crisp sound was very appetizing.


    after frying seven or eight cakes, jiang xia had become skillful, no longer needing to watch the pan intently, which left her free to chat with zhou lan. they started talking about the events of the previous afternoon.


    jiang xia briefly recounted how she dealt with wang niu and the incident of buying wild vegetables and clay bricks from the children.


    after hearing jiang xia¡¯s account, zhou lan first became angry that wang niu had been instigated by jiang hong, speaking without restraint. but she couldn¡¯t help praising her daughter for her cleverness. indeed, this solved the problem of the shortage of clay bricks for building their house, and it could be said to have saved them a lot of trouble.


    jiang xia had another idea, ¡°mother, since we have enough clay bricks, why don¡¯t we go ahead and build a large house, with five rooms and a big courtyard, all in one go?¡±


    zhou lan was puzzled, ¡°your sister and brother-in-law would take one room, zhang family forth son will have another. even if we were to build a large house, three rooms would be enough for them to live in. why would we need five?¡±


    jiang xia explained her thoughts to zhou lan, ¡°isn¡¯t it because i was thinking, what if zhang family¡¯s second son and his mother decide to come to our senses in the future, and are willing to settle down in our village? they would need a room to live in, wouldn¡¯t they? and we could reserve another room as a guest room. if friends from locust tree bay or grand cloud mountain come to visit, they¡¯d have a place to stay, right?¡±


    zhou lan thought that jiang xia¡¯s idea was good; the spare rooms could also be used to store food supplies. she had just felt a headache upon seeing the pile of obstructive radishes on the ground; they did need storage space.


    however, zhou lan became worried again, ¡°you think the clay bricks found by the children are sturdy enough? i am afraid they might not be strong enough to build a house. what do we do then?¡±


    jiang xia comforted her, ¡°these kids are very handy. maybe they¡¯ll have delivered them by noon.. won¡¯t we know if the clay bricks are sturdy enough after we¡¯ve seen them today?¡±

 Chapter 380 - Chapter 380: Gifting a Bike

    chapter 380: gifting a bike


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    zhou lan nodded, then suddenly remembered something. ¡°do you still remember meeting your great-aunt jiang nan at jiang hong¡¯s engagement banquet?¡±


    ¡°of course, i remember. auntie was very kind to us and even slipped us some money.¡± there were not many good people in the old jiang family, so jiang xia certainly remembered someone who was so kind to their family.


    ¡°i¡¯ve always felt that your great-aunt must know something about your father¡¯s background. it¡¯s just that so many things have happened recently, i forgot to follow up on this matter. now that you¡¯ve mentioned jiang hong and wang niu, it made me think of your great-aunt again. the mystery of your father¡¯s past has always been a hurdle in my heart, it would be better to clear it up sooner rather than later.¡±


    jiang xia agreed, ¡°then let¡¯s wait until father is less busy, and we will go to see the great-aunt in person to clarify this matter. we should also bring her some gifts; i heard that they are not living very comfortably these days.¡±


    zhou lan agreed.


    the sweet potato cakes were ready. jiang xia placed the cakes on a plate, while zhou lan cooked last night¡¯s leftover rice with some water into a porridge, adding a white sweet potato to it.


    looking at the fragrant rice soup, jiang xia pondered and said, ¡°mother, do you remember there are a few irrigation channels in the village?¡±


    ¡°yes, but the climate is dry now, and there is not much water left, probably just up to the ankles,¡± zhou lan replied.


    ¡°that¡¯s enough,¡± said jiang xia.


    the rice harvest was very poor during the autumn. many rice ears were shriveled, and the grains were very small, so the village didn¡¯t plan to continue planting rice this year. they were at a loss about what to plant when the appearance of corn seeds gave them hope. however, jiang xia knew that rice was still a very important staple that couldn¡¯t be replaced by corn.


    moreover, jiang xia found that the poorly harvested rice, once soaked in water from her interspace realm, would become plump and sweet. so she had an idea to use this interspace realm water to nourish rice seeds and plant them in the village irrigation channels. this way, they wouldn¡¯t need to expend much labor or resources, and next year they could have a rice harvest to regain the villagers¡¯ confidence in rice cultivation.


    but this matter still required jiang chuan to convince the villagers at the commune. anyway, corn planting only started in spring, so jiang xia was not in a hurry.


    breakfast was ready, and jiang gu extinguished the fire. the three women, one carrying sweet potato cakes, another carrying the porridge, and the little one following behind, went inside the house. it was then they realized that they had a visitor early in the morning.


    the visitor was shen mo, who had come for dinner the previous night. however, shen mo¡¯s visit this early morning wasn¡¯t to freeload breakfast but to deliver something to jiang chuan.


    jiang chuan saw a brand-new bicycle in the courtyard and asked shen mo with confusion, ¡°what does this mean?¡±


    ¡°this is a bicycle issued to me, but i am about to join the army and go into the mountains, where i can¡¯t ride it,¡± shen mo explained, ¡°so i thought of giving it to you for your use.¡±


    unsolicited generosity might imply an ulterior motive!


    jiang chuan looked at the bicycle and knew in his heart that he could not accept it.


    aware of jiang chuan¡¯s hostility, shen mo explained, ¡°uncle jiang, please rest assured, this bicycle is purely for your convenience in delivering pickles. once the army cooperates with you, we will need to frequently purchase pickles and meat sauce from your home. considering how far the mountain foot is, it would be quite troublesome for you to deliver goods without a bicycle, right?¡± hearing this, jiang chuan felt there was some sense in the words. he couldn¡¯t always be driving his car around the village ostentatiously. having a bicycle would indeed be very convenient, and most importantly, their home was some distance from the commune, which was quite tiring to walk to every morning. with a bicycle, a lot of hassle could be saved. with this in mind, jiang chuan found himself tempted.


    shen mo¡¯s words were overheard by zhou lan as she came out from the kitchen. zhou lan praised, ¡°this child is really thoughtful. stay and have breakfast with us. jiang xia cooked sweet potato pancakes herself. try them and see how they compare to last night¡¯s braised pork ribs.¡±


    jiang xia was cooking again? hearing this, shen mo naturally wanted to stay and taste jiang xia¡¯s cooking, especially since the flavor of last night¡¯s braised pork ribs was still lingering in his mind.


    jiang chuan shot a reproachful glance at zhou lan. he hadn¡¯t agreed to take the bicycle yet, but with zhou lan¡¯s words, it seemed he had no choice but to accept it..

 Chapter 381 - Chapter 381: Scissors

    chapter 381: scissors


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    however, the bicycle came just in time, and jiang chuan found himself no longer voicing any refusal. after all, there¡¯s a saying, ¡®a favor received binds one to return it,¡¯ and since jiang chuan was not fond of shen mo¡¯s attention towards his daughter, now he could hardly refuse to let shen mo stay for a meal.


    jiang chuan was very knowledgeable about cars, from parts to models¡ªhe could talk endlessly on any topic related to automobiles. however, he knew very little about bicycles of this era, and so he didn¡¯t realize that a lot of thought had gone into modifying this particular bike.


    the frame was made from the best steel available at the time, extremely sturdy.


    at that time, nearly every household¡¯s pots and pans had been collected for steel-making, so much so that initially, jiang xia¡¯s family had trouble even buying a pot¡ªthe bike¡¯s frame was made from that steel. the tires and chain had also been reinforced and checked so they wouldn¡¯t easily puncture or snap.


    this bicycle was originally modified by shen mo¡¯s father for shen mo to use for his daily commute from the military base to the county town after his enlistment. it was this same bicycle that shen mo was riding when jiang xia met him in the town.


    but they hadn¡¯t expected that the boy would scarcely stay home for a few days before announcing his intention to join the army on a deep mountain deployment. this didn¡¯t just infuriate his parents; it led to a beating. even his brother and sister-in-law¡¯s persuasion was futile, and ma juan had caused a scene once, but that only made things worse.


    shen mo¡¯s parents knew him best and understood that no one could change his mind. in the end, they had to respect their son¡¯s wishes and let him follow the troops.


    after breakfast, jiang chuan had to go to work, naturally riding his new bicycle. shen mo also had matters to attend to at the commune, so they left together. however, the sight of jiang chuan leading shen mo away seemed increasingly odd from behind.


    finally noticing something amiss, jiang xia turned to zhou lan and asked, ¡°mom, don¡¯t you think dad has some objections about something?¡±


    zhou lan waved her hand dismissively, smiling, ¡°it¡¯s normal for a father-in-law to grow less fond of a son-in-law the more he sees him.¡±


    jiang gu didn¡¯t understand and pursued the matter, ¡°mom, what son-in-law? isn¡¯t the only son-in-law dad has my brother-in-law? what does this have to do with shen mo?¡±


    zhou lan cast a glance at jiang xia, who paid no attention to the term, feeling frustrated by her obliviousness. she thought, ¡®when will this girl ever become savvy?¡¯ she decided to let shen mo gradually influence jiang xia.


    patting jiang gu¡¯s little head, zhou lan said, ¡°you¡¯ll understand when you¡¯re older. come, let¡¯s go back inside and i¡¯ll braid your hair.¡±


    at this point, jiang gu had no idea what was about to happen. she was just happy her mother finally had time to play with her and happily followed zhou lan into the house. however, just five minutes later, jiang gu¡¯s screams could be heard from the room.


    jiang gu stepped back in fear as she watched zhou lan approaching with scissors, smiling malevolently, ¡°mom, i¡¯ve had these braids for a long time, can we not cut them?¡± she pleaded as tears began to roll down her cheeks.


    she didn¡¯t understand what was happening. her mother had been happily talking about braiding her hair just moments ago. but as soon as they went inside and zhou lan picked up the comb, she had pulled jiang gu¡¯s scalp painfully. wincing in pain, jiang gu looked at her mother, who was also frowning back at her.


    ¡°my dear daughter, you¡¯ve got lice in your hair.¡±


    ¡°what do you mean?¡± jiang gu, rubbing her sore scalp, looked at zhou lan in confusion.


    without another word, zhou lan advanced with the scissors, teasing her with a menacing expression, ¡°it means, your hair needs to be cut!¡±


    ¡°no, i can¡¯t!¡± jiang gu screamed in terror, clutching her hair, trying to run outside, but zhou lan was faster and blocked the door, preventing her escape. jiang gu¡¯s fear escalated, trembling as if she had seen a ghost.


    hearing the commotion, jiang xia quickly came in, ¡°what¡¯s going on? mom, why do you have scissors?¡±


    realizing she had scared jiang gu, zhou lan quickly put away the scissors and explained, ¡°jiang gu has lice, i was just joking with her and scared her.¡±


    jiang xia then understood what had happened and knew jiang gu was frightened of getting her hair cut. she approached jiang gu slowly, comforting her..

 Chapter 382 - Chapter 382: Haircut

    chapter 382: haircut


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang xia squatted down in front of jiang gu and began to reason with her, ¡°xiao gu, i know you don¡¯t want to cut your hair. you¡¯re scared when you see mother holding scissors, right?¡±


    jiang gu nodded fervently. that was her hair, after all. she had never cut it since she could remember, and now it had grown to the length of her buttocks. it hadn¡¯t been easy to grow it this long, and now to have it cut with a single snip by her mother¡ªwho would be happy about that?


    jiang xia explained gently, ¡°second sister knows you don¡¯t want to cut your hair. mother and i are also reluctant to cut it, but your hair now has lice, and we must deal with it.¡±


    jiang gu felt aggrieved. ¡°second sister, what exactly are lice?¡±


    ¡°lice are tiny insects that nibble on your scalp,¡± jiang xia explained. ¡°tell me, does your head often feel very itchy, to the point where you constantly want to scratch, but it doesn¡¯t help?¡±


    jiang gu¡¯s eyes widened in shock as she nodded immediately. second sister was indeed perceptive to have noticed that!


    jiang xia continued, ¡°this is because these insects are causing trouble, making your head itchier and itchier.¡±


    ¡°ah, what should i do?¡± jiang gu, now understanding, began to feel frightened. she felt her head itch every day and would constantly scratch her hair, sometimes even scratching her scalp raw. but she dared not tell her parents for fear that they would think there was something wrong with her and abandon her.


    jiang gu remembered that the girl next door at the old jiang¡¯s house had been sold to the neighboring village for this reason. jiang gu didn¡¯t want to leave her parents, so she never dared tell them.


    ¡°you don¡¯t have to be scared,¡± jiang xia said. ¡°this is easy to take care of. we just need to cut off the overly long hair and then thoroughly wash your scalp. the lice will naturally disappear.¡±


    hearing this, jiang gu became less resistant and obediently went to zhou lan, saying, ¡°mom, then please cut my hair.¡±


    filled with guilt, zhou lan squatted down to meet jiang gu¡¯s gaze and apologized, ¡°xiao gu, it¡¯s all mother¡¯s fault for scaring you. you don¡¯t have to be afraid. whatever decision you make, mother will respect your choice. if you like long hair, after washing it clean, mother will also help you take care of it, so it can grow long again. but the premise is that it must not affect your hygiene, okay? because mother is afraid you might get sick.¡±


    after jiang gu nodded, zhou lan continued, ¡°if you ever feel uncomfortable or have any problems, you must tell mother. you can¡¯t keep it to yourself, hiding it from father, mother, and your sisters, understand?¡±


    jiang gu nodded, holding back her tears.


    zhou lan stood up, took out the scissors, and with one cut, she chopped jiang gu¡¯s hair to shoulder length.


    tears brimmed in jiang gu¡¯s eyes as she looked at the hair on the ground, ¡°mother, i didn¡¯t mean to deceive or hide it from you, i was just afraid you would dislike me and sell me to the next village.¡±


    zhou lan tenderly ruffled jiang gu¡¯s newly shortened hair. ¡°silly girl, you are mother¡¯s dearest treasure. how could mother bear to part with you? remember, no matter what, mother will always want you, always!¡±


    afraid that her words were not convincing enough, zhou lan emphasized ¡°always¡± once more. only then did jiang gu smile.


    then, with the joint efforts of zhou lan and jiang xia, they boiled water and washed jiang gu¡¯s hair clean.


    zhou lan was very skilled at cutting hair. she had been cutting jiang xia¡¯s hair since she was young, so she was more than capable of doing the same for jiang gu. the bob cut and bangs turned her into a spitting image of a doll. once washed and dried, some stray hairs stuck out, making jiang gu look like a fluffy little puppy, indescribably cute.


    afterward, zhou lan also thoroughly cleaned jiang gu¡¯s room, ensuring there were no lingering lice before feeling at ease.


    it was not that jiang gu was unhygienic; as a child in the old jiang family, she had not developed good habits and did not know to bathe and wash her hair regularly. at the time, zhou lan, consumed with the desire for a son, neglected her daughters, leaving jiang xia and jiang gu in the care of jiang qing. but none of this was the children¡¯s fault.


    the blame could only be placed on the era¡ªan era when women were only responsible for bearing children, forgetting that bringing them into the world comes with the responsibility to educate them well.


    that was also why the children of that time were only close to

 Chapter 383 - Chapter 383: Captain of the Village Next Door

    chapter 383: captain of the village next door


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    shen mo originally intended to head to the commune, but halfway there he remembered he needed to make a trip to town, so he got off and went to the village entrance to catch the bus.


    jiang chuan rode to the commune without parking his bicycle in the commune¡¯s bike shed, fearing it would draw too much attention and provoke discussions, so he left it by the roadside not far from the commune.


    as he walked into the courtyard of the commune, he immediately noticed that there were more than twice as many people as usual. he found it odd; he hadn¡¯t heard of any events happening at the commune, so why were there so many people today? moreover, there were many unfamiliar faces that jiang chuan had never seen before, not seeming like villagers.


    while jiang chuan was pondering how to navigate through the crowd to reach his office, he spotted captain chen xing striding towards the commune¡¯s office building in the distance.


    jiang chuan called out to him from afar and took a few steps towards him, asking, ¡°why are there so many people at the commune today?¡±


    chen xing looked around cautiously, as if in a rush, and spoke quickly, ¡°there¡¯s a meeting at the commune today. the captains from the five villages managed by the commune need to attend.¡±


    so there was a large meeting. no wonder everyone was gathering at the entrance of the commune.


    a single commune managed five villages, with its headquarters in pushan village. each village had positions like chief captain, vice-captain, village chief, and accountant, who all needed to attend meetings.


    by that count, there were at least twenty people gathered here, making the usually spacious square feel crowded.


    seeing that chen xing seemed in a hurry, jiang chuan didn¡¯t ask further and let him be on his way.


    chen xing hurried off just as someone greeted jiang chuan. turning around, jiang chuan recognized it was xiao wu.


    jiang chuan asked, ¡°what brings you to the commune?¡±


    xiao wu replied, ¡°i¡¯m here in place of the village chief. it¡¯s gotten colder these past few days, and the chief¡¯s rheumatism is acting up, his knees are in such pain he can¡¯t even get out of bed.¡±


    concerned, he asked, ¡°is the village chief¡¯s leg condition serious?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s nothing serious, just a bit of knee pain. it¡¯s an old issue, happens every year. a few days¡¯ rest and he¡¯ll be fine,¡± said xiao wu.


    jiang chuan figured that was common with the elderly and decided to visit the chief after work with some gifts.


    he then inquired of xiao wu, ¡°do you know why there¡¯s a meeting today? i didn¡¯t receive any notice.¡±


    ¡°the notice was sent out the day before yesterday. you just happened to be away that day, so it¡¯s normal you didn¡¯t know. today¡¯s meeting is to discuss the upcoming production strategy. we¡¯re short on rainwater, and the fields are too dry, nothing will grow. so, the plan is to brainstorm and see what would be best to plant.¡±


    with that, jiang chuan remembered what jiang xia mentioned to him during breakfast about planting rice in the canal. this meeting would be a good opportunity to bring it up¡ªif they could plant the rice in the spring, they would be able to harvest rice in the next autumn.


    as the two were talking, suddenly a burly man approached them. with his large and sturdy build, round head topped with black sideburns, he looked not to be trifled with.


    before he even got close, he started speaking anxiously in a gruff voice that boomed loudly, ¡°is this jiang chuan?¡±


    jiang chuan thought hard, but he had no impression of the man; he must not be from their village. so he replied politely, ¡°yes, that¡¯s me. may i ask who you are?¡±


    the man¡¯s laugh was hearty as he said, ¡°i¡¯m lao zheng, the captain of the village next door. i heard that your village¡¯s one thousand kilos of corn seed was all thanks to you. impressive!¡±


    jiang chuan modestly responded, ¡°oh no, it was just good luck that i happened to come across it.¡±


    lao zheng patted jiang chuan¡¯s shoulder with his robust hand, ¡°luck is part of your strength too, don¡¯t be too humble. i¡¯ve heard about your accomplishments these past months. both your village chief and chen xing can¡¯t stop singing your praises; it¡¯s clear you¡¯re really capable.¡±


    ¡°what capabilities? he¡¯s just a slick operator,¡± interjected wang xing snidely.


    it was a large-scale meeting. although only the officials were allowed to participate, if the villagers were curious, they could also come and listen. after all, this meeting was about the vital matters concerning the livelihood of the villagers, and it was only reasonable to allow them to attend..

 Chapter 384 - Chapter 384: Come to Our Village

    chapter 384: come to our village


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    lao zheng was a straightforward man. hearing such impolite words, he frowned at the speaker, finding him vaguely familiar but unable to place him. offhandedly, he asked, ¡°who is this person?¡±


    xiao wu glared at wang xing and introduced him in a mocking tone, ¡°this is the man who tried and failed to beat brother jiang for the accountant position.¡±


    wang xing was annoyed by the introduction and wanted to have the last word, much like his daughter wang niu. he had forgotten the pain once his wounds healed and didn¡¯t remember the village chief¡¯s warning at all.


    he said, ¡°i didn¡¯t get the accountant position not because i lacked ability, but because i don¡¯t know how to cozy up to the bosses.¡±


    xiao wu had always been irked by wang xing and the sycophants from the jiang family; it was clear to him that wang xing¡¯s own failed attempt to bribe someone had been projected onto jiang chuan without a hint of shame.


    xiao wu retorted, ¡°if you were really capable, why didn¡¯t you step up to keep accounts when the grain was being distributed? you were all quiet and shy back then, and now that brother jiang has handled things well, you start spreading rumors about him!¡±


    wang xing wanted to argue back, but lao zheng interjected, ¡°i seem to know about this. there were rumors flying all over your village a while back, we even heard them in ours. i didn¡¯t expect it was wang xing spreading them.¡±


    lao zheng then gave jiang chuan another hearty slap on the shoulder, so vigorous that jiang chuan staggered. if not for his increasingly stout figure, he might have ended up on the ground.


    lao zheng continued, ¡°but no one believes such talk. wang xing originally moved from our village to pushan village because he was lazy and mooched off our work points. we couldn¡¯t stand it and chased him out, and to think he¡¯s still the same in your village.¡±


    wang xing now recognized lao zheng. it had been several years since he came to pushan village, and he hadn¡¯t returned to the previous village. plus, lao zheng had grown sideburns in recent years, so wang xing didn¡¯t immediately recognize him.


    wang xing had some old grudges with lao zheng; he had been caught stealing chickens and even swiped one from lao zheng¡¯s home, leading to a beating that he still feared to this day.


    seeing lao zheng backing jiang chuan, wang xing stopped arguing and walked away with a sullen expression, not wanting to get beaten up in front of so many people. with lao zheng¡¯s volatile temper, he wouldn¡¯t care about the crowd; those meaty fists would come down regardless.


    watching wang xing skulk away, lao zheng looked at his retreating back with disdain.


    lao zheng was a candid man and spoke his mind. he said to jiang chuan, ¡°brother jiang chuan, the people in pushan village don¡¯t appreciate you and talk behind your back. why don¡¯t you move to our village? people there don¡¯t gossip needlessly, and you can rest assured, the accountant position in our village is yours if you come!¡±


    jiang chuan quickly demurred, ¡°no, no, no, i¡¯m not that amazing. people are just exaggerating!¡±


    lao zheng didn¡¯t buy it, saying, ¡°getting one thousand kilos of corn seed isn¡¯t exaggeration, it¡¯s real ability. don¡¯t be so modest. if you come, i¡¯ll arrange a house for you, definitely bigger than what you have now!¡±


    xiao wu snickered and said, ¡°lao zheng, do you even know how big his current house is before you make such a claim?¡±


    lao zheng replied, ¡°how big can it be? just a courtyard with a room, right?¡±


    xiao wu said, ¡°that¡¯s not the case at all. brother jiang¡¯s house has a full three rooms and a large courtyard. each of his two young daughters has her own room.¡±


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    lao zheng was taken aback for a moment and fell silent. three rooms and a big courtyard¡ªsuch a setup was only found in the households of the well-to-do in their village. it seemed he had spoken too soon.


    still, he persisted, ¡°even if i can¡¯t find you a better house than your current one, at least i can find one that¡¯s exactly the same. our village has plenty of vacant houses. the main point is for you to feel better by moving to our village! what kind of messy affairs do we have in our village like you do here? if anyone dares to speak ill of you, i¡¯ll deal with them with my fists! rest assured, as the team leader, i do have that much face in the village.¡±


    xiao wu was displeased, ¡°lao zheng, how can you so openly poach people?¡±


    lao zheng, righteous and confident, retorted, ¡°what, if your village doesn¡¯t treat jiang chuan well, our village isn¡¯t allowed to be good to him?¡±


    xiao wu was at a loss for words, ¡°that¡¯s not what i meant!¡±

 Chapter 385 - Chapter 385: The Meeting Begins

    chapter 385: the meeting begins


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang chuan was moved by lao zheng¡¯s sincerity and held a great fondness for him in his heart.


    the people of pushan village were always suspicious of jiang chuan because they couldn¡¯t bear to see him getting on better and better¡ªa fact that everyone knew deep down, but no one would speak as plainly and clearly about it as lao zheng had.


    although xiao wu and xiao li also tried their best to protect jiang chuan, they found it difficult to show the obvious partiality that lao zheng did. jiang chuan had no intention of blaming anyone; it was just that lao zheng¡¯s behavior was more touching.


    seeing the two quarrel like children, jiang chuan quickly intervened, ¡°lao zheng, i appreciate your kindness, but my eldest daughter is about to move back soon, and our new house is only half-built. it¡¯s simply unrealistic for me to move suddenly, but i¡¯ll keep your offer in mind. if there¡¯s anything i can help you with in the future, just let me know, and i¡¯ll be there!¡±


    indeed, jiang chuan had a way with words. his response pleased everyone; xiao wu, who was fearful that jiang chuan might leave, immediately felt relieved upon hearing that he wouldn¡¯t.


    lao zheng, on the other hand, was keen on making friends with jiang chuan and could see his sincerity in his words, so he felt very comfortable in his heart.


    after a short while of conversation, tian zao came over, waving to everyone to quiet down.


    once everyone had gathered around her, she said, ¡°the village meeting room has been tidied up. it can accommodate about forty people. those villagers who wish to listen in will have to stand, i¡¯m afraid, but we¡¯ll try to keep the meeting brief so you won¡¯t have to stand too long. now, let¡¯s head into the meeting room to start the meeting.¡±


    in truth, saying the meeting room could accommodate forty people was quite conservative. by squeezing in here and there, the small meeting room somehow managed to fit over sixty people.


    seeing everyone¡¯s enthusiasm for the village development, tian zao didn¡¯t say much else. as soon as the meeting room quieted down, she began the meeting.


    she briefly went over the recent work plans and emphasized the documents distributed by the authorities once again. the topics were the same old issues and somewhat dry, so everyone felt a little bored.


    tian zao knew these subjects weren¡¯t of much interest, so she quickly moved on to the topic everyone was most concerned about: the seed issue.


    a few days ago, after a rain that moistened the soil, everyone had urgently planted two thousand catties of corn seeds. however, these corn crops would only mature in three months, and what to plant next spring was now a worrying concern.


    what¡¯s more critical is that planting corn in winter isn¡¯t its growing season, so the villagers didn¡¯t have high hopes for the harvest.


    they had only planted these seeds urgently because the government had said that all grains grown in winter would be kept by the growers themselves, without needing to contribute to state quotas, which motivated them.


    a distant water source cannot quench an immediate thirst. even if the corn seeds grew into crops and combined with the state-distributed grain, it would only sustain them for a month. the pressing issue now was to plant some food that was more filling.


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    the crowd was abuzz with discussion; some proposed planting wheat, others rice, but most were inclined to plant wheat. wheat could be made into flour, mixed with sorghum and cornmeal, lasting longer and offering a variety of food options. in contrast, rice seemed too monotonous.


    most importantly, this year¡¯s autumn wheat harvest had been mediocre, causing people to lose hope in rice, and privately, discussions had started that the village¡¯s soil might not be suitable for rice cultivation. therefore, people were reluctant to continue planting rice and preferred to shift to grains like corn and wheat.


    jiang chuan understood everyone¡¯s concerns, but he believed people should not go without rice nor be defeated by temporary difficulties, so he stood up amidst the myriad of opinions.


    ¡°i¡¯ve surveyed the village¡¯s land and water channels and found that due to the drought in the past two years, the canals can no longer hold enough water. the current water levels are dangerously low, but these channels do have one advantage¡ªthey can be used for growing grain.¡±


    someone asked, puzzled, ¡°even if the water level in the canals is low, they¡¯re still ditches full of water.. how can we grow grain there? we can¡¯t afford to waste that water!¡±

 Chapter 386 - Chapter 386: Persuade

    chapter 386: persuade


    translator: dragon boat translation     editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang chuan looked at everyone, his tone resolute, ¡°we can plant rice.¡±


    after hearing this, there was a stunned silence from the crowd. after a moment of quiet, they started discussing amongst themselves again, ¡°rice can¡¯t be grown! have you forgotten how poor the harvest was last autumn? this is a waste of effort!¡±


    someone retorted, ¡°right, in my whole life, i¡¯ve never heard of rice not filling the husk! if not a single grain grows in the ear, it must be because our village¡¯s land simply can¡¯t grow rice! let¡¯s not delay our efforts.¡±


    jiang chuan explained, ¡°the poor rice harvest is due to lack of water¡­¡±


    someone immediately countered, ¡°so are you saying that by next spring, when you plant the rice, there won¡¯t be a water shortage?¡±


    jiang chuan was momentarily unable to answer this question. indeed, he couldn¡¯t guarantee the solution to the water shortage, but there was one thing he was sure of¡ªthe water from the girl¡¯s interspace realm could definitely make the rice grow strong! but he couldn¡¯t share these thoughts with the villagers.


    so jiang chuan thought of a roundabout explanation, ¡°the canals are lying empty anyway, we might as well use them to plant rice. it won¡¯t delay us much, and what if next year¡¯s harvest improves? are we not going to eat rice in our village for the entire next year? or are we all expecting to trade flour for rice? we should always grow our own.¡±


    speaking of rice, tian zao suddenly remembered the rice she tasted at jiang chuan¡¯s house last night. the grains were full and the flavor sweet, indeed the best rice she had eaten in years. at the time, she even asked jiang chuan where this rice came from.


    jiang xia told her that the rice was grown in the village. this proved that the village was capable of growing delicious rice.


    therefore, tian zao felt that jiang chuan¡¯s method was worth trying, so she stood up to speak for him.


    ¡°everyone, please quiet down and listen to me,¡± tian zao said. ¡°the state has decreed that the grain planted this winter belongs to us individually. however, the rice we plant in spring, regardless of its condition, must be handed over to the state. i understand everyone¡¯s concerns; you¡¯re worried that if the harvest fails, our hard work will be for naught. but since the rice will be planted after next spring, it¡¯s as if the state is bearing the consequences for us, offering us protection. why not be bold and give it a try? besides, the area we¡¯re planting is not large¡ªour village¡¯s canals total only four, covering just twenty acres of land, which is less than one-tenth of the land we cultivate. if everyone is willing to try planting rice, then we¡¯ll allocate work points for the canals, two points for every fifteen square meters.¡±


    people are always swayed by their interests, and tian zao¡¯s words had them intrigued. the promise of more work points was tempting, and since there would be no punishment from the state even if the crops failed, why not give it ago?


    furthermore, if the rice did grow well, and the harvest was decent, even after the state took its share, there would still be enough left for the entire village.


    the meeting room fell silent for a moment as everyone pondered the feasibility of this plan.


    the first to stand up in support of tian zao was old zheng from the neighboring village.


    the first person to stand up and support tian zao was actually lao zheng from the neighboring village.


    patting his belly, lao zheng stood up and said, ¡°our village has three canals, not as many as yours, but i think captain tian¡¯s method is feasible. i am willing to support it.¡±


    with lao zheng leading the way, others also felt encouraged and began to express their support, until gradually, the meeting room was filled with voices of agreement.


    after the meeting, jiang chuan waited until everyone had left, leaving him alone in the meeting room with tian zao.


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    he walked over to her and expressed his gratitude. ¡°captain tian, thank you for helping me persuade the villagers today.¡±


    tian zao replied courteously, ¡°don¡¯t mention it. this is for the good of the villagers. we all need to do our part; you don¡¯t need to thank me.¡±


    jiang chuan sincerely showed his admiration, ¡°captain tian, thank you for always considering the villagers. i believe with you leading pushan village, the villagers will have better lives. i apologize for any misunderstandings before.¡±


    tian zao responded generously, ¡°i¡¯ve also had many misunderstandings about you and didn¡¯t recognize your capabilities. i take this opportunity to apologize and hope that from now on, we can work together wholeheartedly for the betterment of our villagers.¡±


    ¡°yes!¡± jiang chuan nodded earnestly..

 Chapter 387 - Chapter 387: Auntie Tian Is Here

    chapter 387: auntie tian is here


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    having completed the topic, tian zao pulled out a document from the pile in front of her and handed it to jiang chuan, ¡°the army will be stationed in the mountains in two days, and there are some materials here that need to be registered. please trouble you to register and bring them to me. meanwhile, let¡¯s also discuss the next steps for planting rice in the spring, and estimate how much rice seed we¡¯ll need for the canals, so we can report and apply for them.¡±


    ¡°alright,¡± jiang chuan replied, and went to work.


    jiang chuan usually had his lunch sent by jiang xia, so he rarely ate in the canteen. however, this morning, zhou lan had specifically told him that the vegetable vat would be delivered at noon, and she had a lot of other things to take care of, so she wouldn¡¯t be sending lunch and asked jiang chuan to sort it out in the canteen.


    when jiang chuan went to the canteen, he saw the seat next to tian zao was empty, so he took his meal and sat down next to her to discuss the content they had registered in the morning.


    while the two were discussing, someone suddenly came over and interrupted, ¡°captain tian, your mother is here.¡±


    tian zao, incredulous, confirmed repeatedly and, receiving affirmative answers each time, immediately put down her chopsticks and went out to meet her old mother.


    it was no wonder tian zao found it hard to believe; auntie tian was not sure about the exact location of the village and it was nearly impossible for her to take a bus early in the morning. moreover, her mother, being the head of the village committee, was usually very disciplined, never disturbing tian zao during work hours. today, her sudden appearance, all the way from the county town to the village, was beyond belief for anyone.


    in contrast, jiang chuan was much more composed, because auntie tian¡¯s visit to the village was partly his doing¡ªhe had specifically gone to the county town to persuade auntie tian to come.


    tian zao rushed out and saw her mother standing lost in the center of the commune square with a heavy vegetable basket on her back.


    tian zao hurried over, helped her mother unload the basket, and realized how heavy it was. thinking of her mother carrying it all the way from the county town, she felt a twinge of heartache.


    auntie tian, having traveled a long distance to see her daughter who had come to pick her up, couldn¡¯t stop smiling, her face wrinkling into a bundle of joy. her first question was to tian zao, ¡°daughter, have you got used to the life here?¡±


    tian zao quickly replied, ¡°yes mother, why are you here? why didn¡¯t you tell me in advance?¡±


    auntie tian said, ¡°didn¡¯t you call your brother asking for white sugar? since someone needed to deliver it, i came over.¡±


    it turned out that the heavy basket was filled with white sugar.


    tian zao said, ¡°mother, you could have asked brother to have a factory worker deliver such things. why did you have to make the trip yourself? in this cold weather, what if you caught a chill?¡±


    aunt tian said, ¡°it¡¯s mainly to see how you¡¯re doing here. besides, it wasn¡¯t heavy, and i didn¡¯t walk much.¡±


    after a short chat, jiang chuan came out from the canteen, greeted auntie tian enthusiastically, and helped her carry the vegetable basket.


    tian zao was shocked, ¡°how do you two know each other?¡±


    they looked at each other and smiled, briefly recounting how they had met.


    only then did tian zao realize that the two were old acquaintances. she was still stunned by this revelation when jiang chuan had already begun to warmly look after auntie tian.


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    ¡°auntie, we were just eating. why don¡¯t you sit down in the canteen first? have you had lunch? shall we get a meal for you?¡± jiang chuan assisted auntie tian into the canteen.


    tian zao snapped back to reality and followed closely behind them, knowing exactly what her mother liked to eat and went to get her favorite dishes.


    during the meal, she asked auntie tian, ¡°mother, what time are you planning to go back this afternoon? why not pack up after lunch and head back early? it gets dark early in the winter, and i won¡¯t worry if you get home before dark.¡±


    aunt tian replied with discontent, ¡°go home for what? i plan to stay for a while. don¡¯t you welcome me?¡±


    tian zao¡¯s face showed difficulty, ¡°but the conditions here are not as good as in the city. i¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be comfortable. plus, i have to work during the day and won¡¯t have time to come back to cook for you at noon, nor will i have time to take care of you¡­.¡±

 Chapter 388 - Chapter 388: Staying

    chapter 388: staying


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    auntie tian words were sensible, but when auntie tian traveled a long distance to visit, hearing her daughter express these concerns, she felt as if her daughter was rejecting her.


    the older one gets, the more childlike they become, and auntie tian started to feel aggrieved and began to grumble, ¡°hmph, i think you just don¡¯t want me to stay here and bother you while you¡¯re working! am i not an adult who can take care of myself? i have hands and feet, i can cook. i did for myself in the city, and i can do it here too!¡±


    tian zao felt wronged and said, ¡°what are you talking about? how could i think of you as a bother? i am overjoyed that you have come to visit me, i¡¯m just worried that i won¡¯t be able to take good care of you.¡±


    jiang chuan stepped in to mediate, ¡°captain tian, don¡¯t worry. my wife zhou lan can help take care of auntie tian. it¡¯s just a matter of adding a bowl and chopsticks for meals. auntie tian can come to our place for lunch, and if she wants to stroll around the village, she can join zhou lan.¡±


    aunt tian, feeling indignant, retorted, ¡°exactly! i didn¡¯t come to bother you, i came to see jiang chuan. he invited me to visit the village, that¡¯s why i came. do you think i¡¯m so keen on sticking to you, the captain?¡±


    tian zao, somewhat distressed, responded, ¡°mother, don¡¯t be angry, how could i ever despise you. after lunch, i¡¯ll first help you settle your luggage at home, then i¡¯ll go to the commune. you can stay comfortably at home without bothering anyone.¡±


    auntie tian was satisfied.


    after lunch, tian zao took auntie tian home because their house was very close to the commune, making it convenient to return.


    the half-basket of two and a half kilos of white sugar was entrusted to jiang chuan. in order for zhou lan to start making pickles sooner, he rode his bicycle home with the sugar after the meal.


    while tian zao was helping auntie tian pack at home, she inquired about how her mother knew jiang chuan and some details about their acquaintance. auntie tian was full of praise, speaking of how down-to-earth and hard-working jiang chuan was, even going to the city to sell vegetables among other things. only then did tian zao realize that jiang chuan had always been considering the villagers¡¯ well-being in secret, not letting others know, truly a good man.


    after finishing her praise, auntie tian also showed a hint of grievance, ¡°i know with your temperament, you definitely wouldn¡¯t want me to disturb your work, but i also miss my daughter. if it weren¡¯t for jiang chuan encouraging me, and saying he would take care of me so you wouldn¡¯t be distracted, i wouldn¡¯t have dared to come.¡±


    tian zao, filled with gratitude, assured, ¡°don¡¯t worry. i will definitely invite jiang chuan for a meal as a token of my thanks.¡±


    upon hearing this, aunt tian was delighted, ¡°that¡¯s very kind. invite his whole family, i really like their second daughter, smart and clever, and also very pretty. who knows which lucky boy will end up with her.¡±


    far away in the county town, shen mo sneezed out of the blue. his aide asked if he was catching a cold, but he waved his hand, looking around curiously, ¡°why do i feel like someone is talking behind my back?¡±


    tian zao urged her mother, ¡°these little girls are still young; don¡¯t think about such distant matters. besides, getting married isn¡¯t the only path for girls. jiang xia will certainly achieve great things in the future.¡±


    auntie tian sighed. her daughter¡¯s marriage was her greatest worry, yet tian zao was like a stone slab, impervious to persuasion.


    tian zao had no idea what her mother was thinking, her mind focused solely on jiang xia.


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    every time she saw jiang xia, she felt this girl was destined for more than just being a village housewife; she was bound for greatness. yet, she could never have imagined how far beyond expectations the futures of the three jiang sisters would go.


    meanwhile, jiang chuan returned home with white sugar just in time to encounter children delivering sturdy mud bricks, even more solid than those made by adults.


    it wasn¡¯t that the children¡¯s craftsmanship was superior to that of the adults, but the adults, occupied with building houses, installing windows, and laying tiles, were too exhausted to focus solely on brickmaking, unlike the concentrated efforts of the children.


    jiang chuan, puzzled, looked at jiang xia and asked, ¡°what¡¯s the deal with these mud bricks?¡±


    jiang xia briefly explained the situation, leading jiang chuan to praise his daughter¡¯s intelligence and gave her some extra cash, saying, ¡°remember to settle the children¡¯s payment without error; it¡¯s hard work moving these things..¡±

 Chapter 389 - Chapter 389: Going to See the Village Chief

    chapter 389: going to see the village chief


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang xia smiled as she carefully put away the money, saying, ¡°dad, don¡¯t worry, i won¡¯t let them suffer any loss.¡±


    jiang chuan calculated the time, figuring that tian zao wouldn¡¯t have returned to the commune so early. he decided to sit at home a little longer and recounted the content of the morning¡¯s meeting to jiang xia. he then voiced his concern, ¡°i worry that the cold weather will make it hard for the corn seeds to sprout, which could dampen the villagers¡¯ enthusiasm for farming. i¡¯m thinking of using interspace water to help them.¡±


    zhou lan was in the yard, cleaning a large jar, preparing to pickle vegetables in the afternoon. hearing the father and daughter discuss, she became interested and eagerly asked, ¡°how can we help? do we need to water the fields?¡± she loved sneaking around at night doing tasks, like the superpowered family in the movies¡ªthrilling, to say the least.


    jiang xia pondered for a moment, ¡°mixing interspace water with regular water can indeed help plants to germinate, but our entire village has dozens of acres; surely, the three of us can¡¯t water it all?¡±


    zhou lan hesitated, realizing the low feasibility of her plan, and said, ¡°moreover, we can¡¯t let them find out we¡¯re watering. even if we include jiang gu, we¡¯re only four people. it would take days of exhausting work to finish watering!¡±


    jiang chuan was speechless. weren¡¯t his wife and daughter usually clever? why were they not thinking straight now?


    he countered, ¡°is there a possibility that we can just mix the interspace water into the regular water everyone uses for irrigation, without us having to water the fields ourselves?¡±


    zhou lan and jiang xia had an epiphany, slapping their foreheads, ¡°right, why didn¡¯t we think of that?¡±


    jiang chuan said resignedly, ¡°perhaps this is what they mean by ¡®great wisdom may appear stupid¡¯.¡±


    jiang gu looked up curiously, ¡°dad, what does ¡®great wisdom may appear stupid¡¯ mean?¡±


    ¡°uh¡­¡±


    after work in the evening, jiang chuan took some fish and wild mushrooms from home to visit the village chief.


    the village chief¡¯s wife warmly welcomed him and even invited him to stay for dinner. jiang chuan politely declined, ¡°don¡¯t trouble yourself, i just came to see how the village chief is doing, zhou lan has already prepared dinner at home.¡±


    the village chief¡¯s wife placed the items jiang chuan brought in the yard, then led him inside to see the village chief.


    the aging village chief, hunched over, leaned against the bed under a thick cotton quilt. the room was cold as the charcoal had just been lit, not yet warm, making it uncomfortable to sit.


    when the village chief saw jiang chuan, he tried to get out of bed to greet him, but jiang chuan stopped him, ¡°village chief, rest well if your leg is bothering you. i just came to check on you, and seeing that you¡¯re alright gives me peace of mind.¡±


    perhaps because he had moved a bit earlier, the village chief coughed a few times before saying, ¡°don¡¯t worry, i¡¯m fine. it¡¯s just that since winter started, i suddenly feel less energetic than before, and this old leg problem has left me bedridden and of little use.¡±


    as one ages, it¡¯s inevitable to feel some self-disgust. jiang chuan comforted him, ¡°village chief, don¡¯t talk like that. you are still in your prime. the village relies on you to lead.¡±


    after exchanging a few more words, jiang chuan stood up to leave. before departing, he gave the village chief, who lay weak in bed, another look. he had a hunch that the chief¡¯s illness was not solely due to rheumatism in his legs. it could be a cold or some other sickness, and he needed to be taken to the hospital soon. with the current level of medical care being poor, even a common cold could be life-threatening.


    the village chief¡¯s wife warmly escorted jiang chuan to the door. as he was about to leave, jiang chuan couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°has the village chief eaten anything unusual recently?¡±


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    ¡°the daily meals are just wild vegetables and coarse grain porridge. there¡¯s nothing fresh,¡± replied the village chief¡¯s wife.


    then, as if something suddenly came to her mind, she said, ¡°but he did have something unusual the other day.¡±


    ¡°oh? what was it?¡±


    the village chief¡¯s wife began to reminisce, ¡°didn¡¯t it rain a few days ago? a lot of mushrooms popped up on the mountain. xiao wu went up there and picked some mushrooms and brought us some. i cleaned them and stir-fried them with wild vegetables. the whole house was filled with the fragrance when i cooked them.¡±


    the village chief¡¯s wife¡¯s expression became wistful, surely remembering the delicious aroma of the mushrooms..

 Chapter 390 - Chapter 390: Secretly Watering

    chapter 390: secretly watering


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    a moment later, the village chief¡¯s wife realized that she had lost her composure and smiled awkwardly. ¡°aside from that, he didn¡¯t eat anything else.¡±


    jiang chuan continued to inquire, ¡°did you and the village chief both eat these mushrooms?¡±


    the village chief¡¯s wife shook her head, ¡°good things are scarce these days. the village chief has so much work to do in the future, i didn¡¯t want to compete with him for it. he ate all the mushrooms, and i sent the leftovers to the neighbors. their child is just over three years old, a time when it¡¯s crucial to eat well, so i gave them to them.¡±


    the village chief¡¯s family were good-hearted people. even when they themselves had little to eat, they still thought of others, which made jiang chuan feel for them.


    possibly out of a growing suspicion, jiang chuan, unsure of why, pressed on, ¡°how is the neighbor¡¯s child now?¡±


    the village chief¡¯s wife thought carefully, ¡°i haven¡¯t seen him for a few days. these past days, i¡¯ve been so busy taking care of my husband, i haven¡¯t had the time to go outside. but in this cold weather, who would want to go out? the child is probably bundled up at home.¡±


    jiang chuan asked further, ¡°do you have any of the wild mushrooms left at home?¡±


    the village chief¡¯s wife laughed, ¡°no, there aren¡¯t any left. those mushrooms weren¡¯t enough; they were all used up in one meal.¡±


    jiang chuan didn¡¯t press any further, telling the village chief¡¯s wife to quickly go back inside, while he rode away on his bicycle.


    all along the way home, he pondered over the mushroom matter, finding it odd. could the village chief have been poisoned by eating toxic mushrooms?


    but then he thought, mushroom poisoning doesn¡¯t show these symptoms, so he dismissed the possibility. moreover, the village chief had grown up in the mountains and was surely familiar with mushrooms¡ªknowing which ones were edible and which were not¡ªso jiang chuan didn¡¯t dwell on it.


    when he returned home, dinner was ready. zhou lan had also stir-fried mushrooms today, but hers were cooked with pork and dried bamboo shoots¡ª a dish that couldn¡¯t be compared with the simple wild vegetable and mushroom stir-fry at the village chief¡¯s home.


    eating the mushrooms, jiang chuan felt increasingly uneasy.


    but soon, his attention was diverted by jiang xia¡¯s words, ¡°dad, i¡¯ve calculated that there are about five wells in the village used for irrigation. we just need to mix the interspace water into the wells.¡±


    zhou lan added, ¡°now that the weather is cold and it¡¯s dark after dinner, everyone usually goes to sleep. after we finish eating and i wash the dishes and put jiang gu to bed, we can set out, get the job done quickly, and come back to rest.¡±


    jiang gu protested, ¡°if mom and sister are going, i want to go too!¡±


    jiang chuan and zhou lan objected, ¡°it¡¯s so cold and dark outside, what are you going to do? just go to bed.¡±


    jiang gu felt aggrieved, ¡°then why can second sister go, but not me?¡±


    jiang xia said, ¡°second sister is going to do hard and tiring work. mom doesn¡¯t want you to suffer, can¡¯t you understand mom¡¯s concern?¡±


    hearing it was out of concern for her, jiang gu immediately brightened up, ¡°then i won¡¯t go.¡±


    adding interspace water to the wells wasn¡¯t a big task, so the three of them finished in just over an hour.


    concerned that the seeds might not thrive, jiang xia couldn¡¯t resist adding a bit more interspace water than necessary. only after they had treated all five wells with interspace water did they return home contentedly.


    the next day, jiang chuan heard some troubling news at the commune; due to the ongoing drought, the water levels in the wells were dropping, and there soon wouldn¡¯t be enough water to irrigate the fields for much longer.


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    jiang chuan wasn¡¯t so much worried about the lack of water for the fields, but rather that jiang xia, in her generosity the previous night, had added too much interspace water.


    if the interspace water was used in excess, the fear was that the corn seeds might mature too quickly, raising suspicions among the villagers. rapidly growing corn seeds might end up being avoided by everyone, which would be a case of good intentions leading to an undesirable outcome.


    however, jiang chuan¡¯s concerns were short-lived and soon resolved.


    one might say jiang chuan was extremely lucky; as soon as he harbored these worries, the sky grew overcast in the afternoon, and not long after, small snowflakes began to drift down.


    although the snowfall was light, it persisted for a long time, falling throughout the entire afternoon without a break..

 Chapter 391 - Chapter 391: Poisoned

    chapter 391: poisoned


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    tian zao, seeing the heavy snowfall, deemed it unnecessary to water the fields, so the villagers¡¯ labor for the day was suspended.


    jiang chuan, of course, was even more delighted. with the addition of the snow, the water in the wells would increase, diluting the interspace water so that there would be no concern about the seeds growing too quickly!


    moreover, the villagers had already watered the fields in the morning. with the protection of the interspace water, there was no need to worry that the cold weather would damage the seeds. jiang chuan was aware of this, but the villagers were not, so they were still anxious.


    with nothing much to do in the village for the entire afternoon, everyone stayed indoors to keep warm by the fire or gathered on the street to chat. the most common topic of discussion was whether the seeds would be able to germinate in such cold weather.


    the snow lasted longer than expected. although it was light, the village¡¯s dirt roads were soaked and became muddy. walking on such muddy roads, covered in mud, was very uncomfortable.


    even the children, who usually loved to play outside, stayed obediently at home to avoid getting dirty.


    despite the inconveniences, the snow brought endless hope to people during such a dry season.


    the next day, just as dawn was breaking and the snow finally stopped, zhou lan and the two girls stepped out to see the courtyard covered in pristine snow.


    zhou lan had often seen snow when she was young, so she was unfazed and stood with her arms crossed, exhaling warm breaths in the cold air.


    jiang xia, who lived in a city where winters were not cold enough for snowfall, was thrilled to see snow accumulating on the ground for the first time.


    even jiang gu, although young and having seen snow countless times before, was still very happy to see it again.


    zhou lan did not rush them to cook but watched them play joyfully in the courtyard.


    jiang chuan was woken up by their laughter. putting on his clothes, he came out and couldn¡¯t help but smile at the sight of his daughters. he joined them in making snowmen and having snowball fights, thoroughly enjoying the frolic. they all worked up a sweat, and the family shared a warm, happy moment in the courtyard.


    after they calmed down, zhou lan quickly ushered them inside to light the charcoal brazier and warm up, fearing they might catch a cold. only then did she go to the kitchen to cook.


    although it was very cold and there was no need to work in the fields, the work on jiang chuan¡¯s house didn¡¯t stop. several people close to jiang chuan actively came to help with the construction, and the sounds of their work resonated in the quiet, carrying into the courtyard.


    considering the cold weather and the hard work of the helpers, jiang chuan specially asked zhou lan to stew fish soup and send it to the new house to warm everyone up.


    in the days before the snow melted, life was peaceful and quiet. people gradually saw hope in the snowfall and reclaimed the comfort they had known before the drought.


    shen mo and the troops were also quietly stationed deep in the mountains, not disturbing the villagers.


    however, after just a few days of quiet, something happened.


    one afternoon, when there was no work at the commune, jiang chuan sat at home leisurely reading a book. it was a literary book borrowed from jiang xia.


    jiang chuan mostly read political and economic books in the past and seldom delved into literature. today, with some rare free time, he was engrossed in the book, thoroughly enchanted.


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    zhou lan and jiang xia were in the courtyard pickling vegetables and discussing what to have for dinner. jiang xia wanted to stir-fry the green-tailed shrimps from the interspace, and zhou lan was pondering what vegetables would go well with the shrimp.


    jiang gu was focused on playing with a snowman the size of a palm. the snowflakes had hardened, no longer the fluffy snowflakes they once were, and were even showing signs of melting.


    suddenly, a frantic knocking came from the door, accompanied by shen mo¡¯s loud shout, ¡°uncle jiang, something terrible has happened, come out quickly and see!¡±


    jiang chuan, absorbed in his reading, was startled by the interruption, causing him to almost drop the book. annoyed, he went to open the door, ready to scold the boy. but seeing shen mo¡¯s panicked, disheveled appearance, with his hair in disarray and his face smudged with dirt, he knew something serious must have occurred.


    he didn¡¯t have time to invite shen mo in, instead, he hurriedly asked, ¡°what happened? catch your breath and speak slowly..¡±

 Chapter 392 - Chapter 392: Curing the poison

    chapter 392: curing the poison


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    shen mo calmed his breath before speaking, ¡°there was a snowfall on the mountain, and as it started melting these past few days, many wild mushrooms sprouted in the fields. the soldiers went to pick the mushrooms and delivered them to the cookhouse to make mushroom soup. what we didn¡¯t expect was that after eating the soup at noon, people started feeling pain in the afternoon. an hour after the meal, soldiers began to faint one after another, writhing on the ground with stomach pains, some even hallucinating. the military doctor hasn¡¯t arrived at the camp yet, and we rough men don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. we had no choice but to come and ask you for help.¡±


    upon hearing this, jiang chuan immediately understood; they must have been poisoned by the food. he couldn¡¯t help but scold, ¡°how can you eat wild mushrooms carelessly! don¡¯t you know that the more attractive mushrooms are often the most poisonous?¡±


    after scolding, jiang chuan didn¡¯t dare to delay. he put on his cotton coat and followed shen mo up the mountain.


    jiang xia, remembering that her interspace water had healing properties, also followed, hoping to be of help.


    the path up the mountain was treacherous, especially after the snowfall, with the ground very wet and slippery. jiang chuan, with his steady footing, managed to progress, but jiang xia was not so sure-footed. her small frame could hardly maintain balance, and she nearly slipped several times, thankfully caught by shen mo who was right behind her.


    shen mo, anxious not to delay, didn¡¯t consider the impropriety of the situation and carried jiang xia on his back, quickening their pace up the mountain.


    at this point, jiang chuan didn¡¯t have the time to lecture him; he needed to check on the soldiers¡¯ condition first.


    seeing the condition of the soldiers, jiang chuan was shocked.


    it had to be said, the young soldiers¡¯ symptoms of poisoning were quite peculiar. some were like drunkards, with flushed faces and vacant expressions, grasping at the air and muttering, ¡°mom, look at the flying fairies!¡±


    others appeared in pain, limping and constantly covering their ears, saying, ¡°what should i do? i can¡¯t hear anything.¡±


    jiang chuan asked shen mo, ¡°has he been injured in the war before?¡±


    shen mo replied in disbelief, ¡°he¡¯s only been enlisted for less than three months; how could he have seen war?¡±


    well, it turned out to be a hallucination.


    some lay on their beds, clutching their stomachs and rolling back and forth, crying, ¡°save me, my stomach hurts so much, i¡¯m going to die, captain, save me!¡±


    even more bizarre was one hiding behind a sandbag, throwing imaginary objects at anyone approaching, imitating explosion sounds with a ¡°boom,¡± and then shouting, ¡°these enemies can¡¯t be bombed to death, bring me my italian cannon!¡±


    jiang chuan felt that their poisoning was probably not too severe, but if they weren¡¯t treated soon, they might very well end up harming themselves in their delirium.


    pulling jiang xia aside, jiang chuan said, ¡°we can¡¯t delay, daughter, we must use your interspace water to save them.¡±


    jiang xia nodded in agreement, ¡°don¡¯t worry, dad, i¡¯m ready.¡±


    to shen mo, jiang xia explained, ¡°they¡¯ve been poisoned by toxic mushrooms. but there¡¯s no need to worry. i¡¯ve been poisoned before, and an old traditional chinese doctor gave me a remedy. i still have some of that medicinal powder left. mixed with water, it will cure them.¡±


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    saying this, jiang xia produced a pack of lingzi spore powder from her interspace, pretending it was the antidote, ¡°take me to the kitchen first, we need to mix this with water for them to drink.¡±


    shen mo quickly led jiang xia to the kitchen. he had wanted to help her, but jiang xia declined. she assured, ¡°i can manage it myself. if you come in, you might just get in the way and cause mistakes. just wait outside for me.¡±


    shen mo obediently waited at the door.


    while shen mo wasn¡¯t looking, jiang xia mixed the lingzhi spore powder with the interspace water, stirred until evenly combined, and then poured the mixture into bowls. she instructed shen mo to serve it to the soldiers.


    whether they drank it willingly or had to be forced, the young soldiers¡¯ symptoms began to ease after drinking the water, and shortly afterward, they lay weakly on their beds..

 Chapter 393 - Chapter 393: Going Down the Mountain

    chapter 393: going down the mountain


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    while taking advantage of the moment, jiang xia educated them, ¡°don¡¯t eat things indiscriminately in the future, especially when there¡¯s no military doctor around! if it weren¡¯t for the medicinal powder today, your chances would have been slim!¡±


    everyone nodded in fear, not daring to say more.


    after they were done, shen mo escorted the two down the mountain.


    on the way down, jiang chuan suddenly thought of the village chief¡¯s condition that he had learned about earlier. he suspected that the village chief might have been poisoned by mushrooms. now, after seeing these people, he thought perhaps the village chief¡¯s rheumatic leg pain was also due to poisoning.


    hadn¡¯t someone just been covering his ears and legs, claiming he was deaf and lame? it was quite possible that the village chief had been poisoned by the same substance.


    but why were the village chief¡¯s symptoms so subtle?


    after descending the mountain, jiang chuan refused shen mo¡¯s offer to escort them home, simply saying, ¡°go back and take care of them. jiang xia and i have something to handle. we¡¯ll be leaving now.¡± with that, he pushed his bicycle and took jiang xia to the village chief¡¯s house.


    because too much time had passed, it was impossible to check what the village chief had previously eaten. but regardless of his current condition, jiang xia¡¯s interspace water should be able to heal him.


    jiang chuan explained to the village chief¡¯s wife, ¡°i suspect the village chief has mushroom poisoning. this is a detoxifying powder mixed with water. having him drink this should cure him.¡±


    the village chief¡¯s wife was skeptical but led them to the kitchen.


    using the same method, jiang xia had the village chief drink the interspace water. in a short while, he gained strength, his leg pain subsided, he straightened his back, and he was even able to get out of bed and walk.


    only then did jiang chuan have the opportunity to carefully ask the village chief what he had eaten recently.


    after inquiring, jiang chuan understood. no wonder the village chief showed signs of poisoning yet not as obvious¡ªit was because the village chief had previously eaten fish and vegetables grown with interspace water, which had some mitigating effect on the poison. that¡¯s why the symptoms of mushroom poisoning were not obvious, but this also meant that the treatment had been delayed for so long.


    jiang chuan had just breathed a sigh of relief when he suddenly remembered the village chief¡¯s wife mentioning that the remaining mushrooms were given to the three-year-old child next door. a child¡¯s resistance couldn¡¯t be strong enough to withstand mushroom poisoning! they had to hurry to save the child!


    jiang chuan and jiang xia didn¡¯t even sit down before rushing to the neighbor¡¯s door. after knocking for a long time, a man opened the door, and they could hear a woman¡¯s crying from inside, ¡°my child, what will i do if something happens to you!¡±


    jiang chuan and jiang xia exchanged a look¡ªit seemed they were a step too late.


    the man at the door appeared stern, seemingly unwelcoming, and asked coldly, ¡°what do you want?¡±


    jiang chuan and jiang xia didn¡¯t have time to explain. they pushed past the man and rushed in to check on the three-year-old child.


    the child lay in bed in agony, with shallow breaths and very weak. the village doctor was also there, helpless, uncertain of the exact cause of the child¡¯s illness.


    it wasn¡¯t his fault, given his limited experience and the few diseases he had seen; it was normal not to recognize mushroom poisoning. he might even have thought it was an incurable disease.


    seeing jiang chuan and jiang xia barge in, the woman cried out in distress, ¡°jiang chuan, you can¡¯t be rude just because you¡¯re an accountant, barging into someone¡¯s house like this!¡±


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    jiang chuan had no time for explanations, saying urgently, ¡°we¡¯re here to save him! jiang xia, get water!¡±


    jiang xia hurriedly nodded and went to look for a hot water flask in the house, but found none. in desperation, she asked the man, ¡°quick, give me a bowl of water, i have a detoxifying remedy for mushroom poisoning! it¡¯ll be too late if we don¡¯t act fast!¡±


    the man, reluctantly and with a cold demeanor, did not want to pay attention to jiang xia. but after glancing at his son¡¯s agonized expression, he didn¡¯t dare delay and turned to get water for jiang xia.


    jiang xia repeated the process and, while no one was looking, mixed the interspace water into the water and attempted to feed it to the child. however, the child¡¯s lips were tightly sealed and refused to open, making it impossible to feed them. she started to panic and could only look towards jiang chuan for help.


    fortunately, jiang chuan had experience with this sort of thing. when jiang xia was young, she had a serious illness accompanied by a persistent high fever, and they couldn¡¯t get her to take her medicine either. at that time, jiang chuan could only pry her mouth open with a spoon and gradually pour the medicine in. now, it looked like he would have to do the same thing again..

 Chapter 394 - Chapter 394: Saved

    chapter 394: saved


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang chuan had no time to explain and urgently said to the child¡¯s father, ¡°quick, get me a spoon!¡±


    the child¡¯s father, also in a panic, hastily went to find a spoon for jiang chuan.


    taking the spoon, jiang chuan turned to the child¡¯s mother and said, ¡°help me hold him up, then pry open his mouth!¡±


    the child¡¯s mother, sobbing, wiped her tears and went to prop up the child, still trembling from crying too hard.


    she asked, ¡°can this really work? don¡¯t mess around! what if something happens to my child, who will be responsible?¡±


    jiang chuan, out of urgency, responded with a sharp tone, ¡°you just have to listen to me right now, or it will be too late even for tears if something happens to the child.¡±


    the child¡¯s mother hesitated, but at her husband¡¯s roar, she was frightened into steadying the child quickly.


    jiang chuan used the spoon against the child¡¯s mouth, finally prying it open, then followed up by pouring the water down the spoon with a bowl.


    jiang xia used a cloth to catch the water under the mouth to prevent the clothes and quilt from getting wet. with the concerted effort of everyone, they finally managed to get the water into the child¡¯s mouth.


    in a short while, the child struggled to open his eyes, looking sleepily at his parents, not at all like someone who had just returned from the brink of death, and curiously asked, ¡°dad, mom, what¡¯s wrong? why are you crying, mom?¡±


    seeing that the child was fine, his mother hugged him and burst into loud tears, saying, ¡°my child, it¡¯s all mom¡¯s fault, mom has harmed you.¡±


    jiang xia and jiang chuan both sighed in relief when they saw the child awake.


    the child¡¯s father was much calmer than the mother upon seeing the child was alright and thanked jiang chuan, ¡°jiang chuan, thank you for saving xiao hu.¡±


    only then did jiang chuan recognize that this family was actually that of the former team captain qin ming.


    qin ming had been the village team leader from the age of eighteen and was very skilled in farming. the crops he grew always had the best yield and growth, and many people came to him for advice on farming.


    later, qin ming turned over all his land to the state and switched to raising poultry.


    not only was he adept at farming, but his poultry farming was also successful, with his farm prospering and growing in scale, until he no longer had the energy to manage village affairs. he resigned as the team captain, allowing chen xing to succeed him.


    qin ming also became the wealthiest person in the village. however, due to economic downturns and consecutive years of drought, qin ming¡¯s farm dwindled until he stopped completely.


    but as they say, a skinny camel is still bigger than a horse; qin ming¡¯s family was still in a very good financial situation.


    another major reason for qin ming giving up the farm was the birth of their child.


    qin ming was a year older than jiang chuan, but despite being married for many years, he had not been able to have children, which had always been a source of sorrow for him.


    thus, the arrival of this child was greeted with great expectation. qin ming adored him greatly and decided to close the farm to devote himself entirely to the child¡¯s care, with both parents focusing on raising their child.


    when this incident occurred, they were both prepared to accompany their child in death if necessary, but fortunately, jiang chuan saved xiao hu just in time.


    jiang chuan politely addressed qin ming as ¡®captain qin¡¯ and said, ¡°captain qin, no need to be polite with me. you helped me in the past; now it¡¯s my turn to help you.¡±


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    before jiang chuan came to this world, when he was the weak jiang chuan, qin ming indeed had given him a lot of help.


    qin ming and the village chief were among the few who treated jiang chuan well. however, since jiang chuan came to this world, he had been busy with many things, and these details had been overlooked.


    qin ming had initially wanted to invite jiang chuan to stay for a meal as a form of thanks, but jiang chuan declined. he said, ¡°the child has just recovered; it¡¯s more important to take care of him right now. there¡¯s no rush for the meal, we will have plenty of opportunities in the future. our family has moved out now, but when you have the time, do come over to our place for a visit. you¡¯ve helped me a lot in the past, and i hope we can keep in touch.¡±


    qin ming was touched by jiang chuan¡¯s words. he didn¡¯t take them too seriously, but qin ming¡¯s wife always had her criticisms of jiang chuan.


    she believed that their family had provided substantial help to jiang chuan in the past, and after jiang chuan had become wealthy from splitting off from the family, he ought to have kept up frequent visits to reciprocate the kindness. instead, he acted like a stranger, never once visiting their home, which made qin ming¡¯s wife feel as though they had helped an ingrate..

 Chapter 395 - Chapter 395: Jiang Qing’s Family

    chapter 395: jiang qing¡¯s family


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    today, thanks to jiang chuan¡¯s rescue of xiao hu, qin ming¡¯s wife had a change of heart about jiang chuan and felt guilty for her previous thoughts.


    after they left qin ming¡¯s home and had walked a distance, jiang xia finally expressed her worry, ¡°dad, i was afraid i couldn¡¯t save the child, and then i might have put too much interspace water. do you think his recovery might be too fast and raise suspicions?¡±


    jiang chuan comforted her, ¡°in an emergency, we had no choice. we shouldn¡¯t think about the consequences now; saving the child was the most important thing. if a problem arises, we¡¯ll find a way to explain it then.¡±


    jiang xia nodded thoughtfully and followed her father home.


    that afternoon, tian zao had the personnel in charge of population management at the commune bring jiang qing and her family¡¯s household registration proof personally to jiang chuan¡¯s home.


    jiang chuan was stunned when he saw the proof. was this the proof he had tried so hard to obtain? and now it had been delivered to him so easily.


    jiang chuan felt that perhaps fortune was turning in his favor, with things moving in a positive direction.


    now everything was ready; all that was missing was his eldest daughter¡¯s family¡¯s arrival.


    jiang qing¡¯s family arrived sooner than expected, which was perhaps the only surprise for jiang chuan.


    he had planned for a month to finish building the house and complete all the procedures. now, only half a month had passed, the house was only half-built, but his eldest daughter¡¯s family had arrived early.


    on the day jiang qing¡¯s family arrived, jiang chuan was at work at the commune. following the map drawn by zhou lan, jiang qing found her way home.


    when zhou lan opened the door, she was taken aback for a few minutes before realizing, ¡°my precious daughter has returned! xia xia, go inform your father quickly, tell him your eldest sister has come back early!¡±


    jiang xia wasted no time and ran to the commune to inform jiang chuan.


    fortunately, there wasn¡¯t much work that day, and jiang chuan hurried back. in good spirits, he even invited chen xing to join them at home as a guest. after all, they owed the finding of jiang qing¡¯s location largely to chen xing¡¯s help.


    of course, after informing jiang chuan, they also had to inform zhang ling. zhou lan sent jiang gu to the old jiang family to tell zhang ling to come over for lunch, allowing the family to reunite.


    fourth brother zhang, upon hearing the news, shouted that he wanted to go too.


    he was the youngest in the family, and zhao wan¡¯s personality definitely did not take the initiative to discipline him. therefore, zhang ling taught him a lot when he was young. when he was young, his urine scans were changed by zhang ling, so the relationship between the two siblings was better than that of other brothers. since it was the first time he came to pushan village to see his sister, fourth brother zhang naturally had to go along.


    when zhang ling saw her brother, her reaction was much like zhou lan¡¯s. after coming to her senses, she patted forth brother zhang on the shoulder. it had been months since they last saw each other, and her brother had grown taller, now half a head taller than her, which made her happy.


    forth brother zhang urged zhang ling to join them for a meal, mentioning that he brought some wild animal meat and cured meat from the mountains, and asked her to invite her husband as well.


    looking at jiang shui picking his teeth with a grass root in the courtyard, zhang ling felt a mix of frustration and disdain as she decided to bring him along too.


    jiang shui, hunched over with his hands in his sleeves and his neck shrunk into his collar, appeared timid and reluctant. he still clutched the grass he was using to pick his teeth in his mouth.


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    complaining about the tiring walk, jiang shui grumbled, ¡°why go to third uncle jiang when they are so poor? what good food could there be? grandma might even stew a chicken today. why leave good chicken soup to go to third uncle jiang place?¡±


    jiang ling, with a face full of disdain, replied, ¡°third uncle jiang situation is not like before; his life is getting better and better. plus, with our cousin and his family here, they surely brought plenty of food. you¡¯ll definitely eat better there than at grandma¡¯s house! besides, you¡¯re not the favored one; if grandma really did stew a chicken, you should be glad to get some soup, not even expect any chicken meat.¡±


    zhang ling spoke the blunt truth, and jiang shui had no comeback; he could only sulk and admit defeat.


    jiang gu could detect the protective tone in zhang ling¡¯s words toward their family and immediately felt affectionate towards her. a child¡¯s thoughts are simple; liking zhang ling, she straightforwardly showed it by reaching out and taking zhang ling¡¯s hand.


    zhang ling was taken aback when a soft little hand grabbed hers, but once she realized what was happening, she felt a sweet warmth in her heart, as if she had tasted honey..

 Chapter 396 - Chapter 396: Room Allocation

    chapter 396: room allocation


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    forth brother zhang looked down on his brother-in-law and couldn¡¯t help but tease him, ¡°brother-in-law, you¡¯ve been married to my sister for so many years, how come you haven¡¯t changed at all? you haven¡¯t picked up a shred of my sister¡¯s industriousness!¡±


    jiang shui, after hearing this, initially wanted to scold forth brother zhang, but looking at his towering height over his own, he mumbled and held back his words.


    in his mind, the zhang family were just uneducated villagers from the mountains, and it wouldn¡¯t be worth provoking them and getting beaten up.


    jiang shui, who had read a few books, could only console himself with the thought that ¡°a wise man does not eat the loss in front of him.¡±


    zhang ling looked at jiang shui with a twisted mouth and a disdainful expression, deeply regretting her decision. she had been selective in helping her brother find a good wife but forgot to choose a good husband for herself. now she was stuck with a man without a backbone for life, which felt like a huge mistake!


    with mixed emotions, they all made their way to jiang chuan¡¯s home.


    jiang chuan¡¯s house was already bustling with activity. aside from jiang chuan¡¯s family, there were guests like chen xing, and the families of xiao li and xiao wu who had come to help. the not-so-small yard was packed with people, making it seem a bit crowded.


    it was jiang shui¡¯s first visit to jiang chuan¡¯s new home, and he was surprised to find that it was even bigger than the old jiang¡¯s yard, it comes with three rooms! at that moment, zhou lan was busy assigning living quarters to jiang qing¡¯s family.


    zhou lan said, ¡°since you arrived earlier than expected, the rooms aren¡¯t ready yet, so you¡¯ll have to make do and stay in the main house for a couple of days. there are three rooms: jiang xia, jiang gu, and i will take one; jiang qing and zhang ping will take another; and forth brother zhang can have one to himself. after we eat, i¡¯ll set up the beds for you.¡±


    jiang gu chimed in, ¡°mom, i want to stay with my big sister. i haven¡¯t seen her in so long. when we were in the mountains, we slept together. we should sleep together now that she¡¯s back too!¡±


    zhou lan chuckled, ¡°silly girl, they are a couple and should stay together. why would you want to crowd them?¡±


    jiang gu thought it was because of zhang ping that she couldn¡¯t stay with her sister, so she suddenly felt hostile towards her new brother-in-law. her chubby little face was filled with an angry look as if to say, ¡°don¡¯t you dare take my big sister away from me.¡±


    zhang ping was taken aback by her glare, but then he couldn¡¯t help but laugh, saying, ¡°xiao qing, then for these two nights you can sleep with your sisters, and i¡¯ll squeeze in with forth brother. your sisters have missed you for so long, they must want to be with you.¡±


    jiang qing was a very gentle person and was very affectionate towards her sisters, so she naturally agreed to this arrangement.


    after the rooms were assigned, they discussed preparing lunch.


    zhou lan was about to roll up her sleeves and head to the kitchen to cook, but jiang xia stopped her, ¡°mom, you don¡¯t need to worry about today, leave it all to me. i promise to make a delicious meal!¡±


    zhou lan teased her, ¡°are you sure you can handle the cooking? don¡¯t you need my help?¡±


    jiang xia hesitated; her knife skills were not yet perfect, and she still needed some assistance.


    jiang qing thought her younger sister¡¯s claim of cooking was merely child¡¯s play and didn¡¯t expect her to actually be able to prepare a sumptuous meal. thus, she stepped in and said, ¡°don¡¯t worry, mom, you take a good rest. i¡¯ll help her out, you don¡¯t need to concern yourself with lunch today.¡±


    with jiang qing present, zhou lan felt assured and said, ¡°alright, you two sisters go ahead and cook. i¡¯ll go on preparing the pickles.¡±


    today, with her eldest daughter¡¯s family returning and everyone in high spirits, jiang xia decided to take out the half sheep left over from their last meal of lamb dumplings.


    jiang xia¡¯s interspace functioned like a natural refrigerator; the lamb meat, after a month, was still as fresh as if it had just been slaughtered.


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    she planned to follow the recipes in her mind, intending to stew a pot of carrot and lamb soup, and also to cook a dish of braised chicken.


    while she was planning, jiang qing suddenly cleaned her hands and started to walk out of the kitchen. jiang xia, surprised, asked, ¡°big sister, where are you going?¡±


    jiang qing replied, ¡°there are many of us at home today, and we brought some wild animal meat from the mountains. it would be perfect to cook it now.¡±


    jiang xia gestured with her hand and said, ¡°no need, rest assured, we have enough food at home, don¡¯t bring anything else.¡±


    jiang qing was still hesitant but was quickly pulled back by jiang xia..

 Chapter 397 - Chapter 397: A Splendid Lunch

    chapter 397: a splendid lunch


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    in jiang qing¡¯s perception, their family¡¯s situation was not very good, with nothing to their name and having been driven out of the house by their grandmother. even after hearing their explanation on grand cloud mountain, jiang qing still harbored doubts, so much so that when she saw the new house with three rooms and a large courtyard, she was shocked and worried that building this house might have exhausted all of their family¡¯s savings.


    jiang xia told jiang qing that nothing needed to be prepared, but jiang qing thought it was just because jiang xia was too young to understand the need to economize and spoke so casually.


    they had come early to help build the house, considering the family¡¯s modest circumstances and not wanting their father to overexert himself. they even brought two carts of luggage, including various kinds of game and a hundred kilograms of rice and flour, enough to feed the family for a long time. the journey took twice the usual time to complete.


    jiang qing¡¯s concerns continued until jiang xia took out the lamb meat. seeing how easily jiang xia produced half a lamb, wild chickens, and various vegetables, even better than what they had in the mountains, jiang qing finally relaxed and didn¡¯t say more.


    she realized she had been away from home too long and was out of touch with many things.


    jiang xia said, ¡°big sister, could you help me cut the lamb into two-centimeter cubes for stewing? and chop the carrots into chunks with a rolling cut, thank you.¡±


    jiang qing hesitated, asking, ¡°what¡¯s two centimeters?¡± jiang xia then realized that she was used to communicating with zhou lan and had not adjusted her speech.


    if jiang qing had attended primary school, she would have definitely learned about the metric unit of centimeters. unfortunately, due to their grandmother¡¯s preference for boys over girls and using the excuse of the family¡¯s lack of money to dismiss jiang chuan, jiang qing had never attended a day of school and naturally did not recognize the unit of centimeters.


    jiang xia explained, ¡°it means to cut the pieces as wide as two fingernails.¡±


    while chopping vegetables, jiang qing casually chatted with jiang xia, ¡°did mom say anything about when you guys will start school?¡±


    jiang xia thought for a moment, ¡°probably in the spring.¡±


    jiang qing¡¯s eyes held a hint of envy as she said, ¡°that¡¯s really nice.¡±


    jiang xia sensed jiang qing¡¯s dispirited mood.


    she hugged her sister¡¯s waist and cooed, ¡°my sister is the smartest in the world. i¡¯ll teach you everything i learn at school, so you can go to school just like us.¡± jiang qing was amused by her words and said, ¡°silly girl, then i¡¯ll be your first student.¡±


    jiang xia boasted, ¡°not really, i¡¯ve already taught jiang gu how to write, along with her little friends. i have many students.¡±


    jiang qing looked at jiang xia with a fond gaze.


    since iron pots were hard to come by, jiang xia¡¯s family only had one. with the beef and carrot stew already cooking, there was no pot left for stir-frying.


    jiang qing suggested, ¡°why not set up our iron pot from home? it¡¯ll make cooking faster, especially with so many people waiting in the yard.¡±


    jiang xia agreed, ¡°then please bring out the iron pot, big sister.¡±


    at that moment, jiang gu ran in, smiling at her sisters, ¡°i bet you need another sister to make fire for cooking.¡±


    jiang qing picked up jiang gu, pinched her cheek, and said, ¡°so my little sister has become so capable, even learning to make fire.¡±


    jiang gu grinned broadly, then hopped down from jiang qing¡¯s arms to start the fire. jiang xia continued stir-frying, while jiang qing prepared some staple food.


    she mixed flour and cornmeal together, kneading a pot of dough using the method for making sweet potato cakes. in a blink, jiang qing effortlessly pulled out several pounds of noodles and cooked a pot of pulled noodles in the soup.


    jiang xia was astonished by her sister¡¯s skill, ¡°big sister, do you know magic?¡±


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    jiang qing just smiled without speaking, and the meal preparation went exceptionally smoothly with her help.


    jiang xia, fearing there wouldn¡¯t be enough food for everyone, nearly took out all the fresh meat stored in her interspace for cooking.


    it turned out that jiang xia¡¯s decision was right. almost everyone close to jiang chuan, drawn by the aroma or by word of mouth, came for the meal.


    even shen mo, who was training in the mountains, came to the jiang family¡¯s home.


    unable to fit everyone inside, jiang chuan set up a table in the yard. initially, they thought it might be cold in the winter, but with hot soup and noodles, plus the lively atmosphere, everyone ate warmly and happily..

 Chapter 398 - Chapter 398: Likes You?

    chapter 398: likes you?


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    during the meal, jiang qing noticed shen mo sitting outside, chatting with others, and occasionally glancing at jiang xia. she asked jiang xia, ¡°xiao xia, does shen mo like you?¡±


    jiang xia replied nonchalantly, ¡°big sister, what are you talking about? that¡¯s impossible.¡±


    jiang qing, having experienced more of life, understood matters of the heart and said, ¡°if he wasn¡¯t interested in you, why would he keep stealing glances at you? maybe he came this noon just for you, not expecting so many people to be here and his plans to go awry.¡±


    jiang xia didn¡¯t take it seriously, responding, ¡°big sister, you¡¯re overthinking it. shen mo is a noble young master from the county town, surrounded by countless young ladies. don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡±


    zhou lan, unable to watch any longer, intervened, ¡°silly girl, let me ask you, among all those chasing shen mo, has he ever treated anyone like he treats you?¡±


    jiang xia thought for a moment and shook her head. it seemed shen mo hardly interacted with girls other than those in the military.


    zhou lan then asked, ¡°does he often visit other girls¡¯ homes?¡±


    jiang xia shook her head again, ¡°but isn¡¯t he coming to our house to discuss serious matters?¡±


    despite saying this, jiang xia had already started to think differently in her heart.


    she began to wonder, could it be that shen mo really had feelings for her?


    her mind was preoccupied with these thoughts throughout the meal.


    after the meal, shen mo suddenly entered the house to speak with zhou lan, standing right between jiang xia and zhou lan.


    jiang xia hadn¡¯t minded shen mo being so close before, but today, his proximity made her face flush red and warm.


    unfortunately, jiang xia, who had never been in a relationship, didn¡¯t realize she was blushing out of shyness. she hastily cleared the dishes and went to the kitchen to avoid shen mo.


    shen mo, confused, watched jiang xia hurriedly leave and asked zhou lan, ¡°auntie zhou, did i do something wrong to upset jiang xia?¡±


    zhou lan sighed, ¡°you haven¡¯t done anything wrong. it¡¯s just my silly daughter being muddled.¡±


    shen mo wanted to ask more, but zhou lan had already changed the subject.


    after the meal, when jiang chuan sent everyone away, zhang ping discussed with him that since they were free, they might as well help with the new house. with more people, they could finish the house quickly.


    jiang chuan thought it was a good idea, as all the materials were ready and they only lacked manpower. with zhang ping¡¯s known work capability, they could surely finish the new house in no time.


    when zhang ping went to work on the new house, forth brother zhang wasn¡¯t idle either and went along to help his brother.


    the progress was faster than expected; it took only about five days to finish the remaining two rooms. they left the house to air out for a day, and on the sixth day, zhang ping¡¯s family moved in.


    to celebrate moving into the new house, jiang xia prepared another lavish dinner, but this time it was a simple family gathering without as many people.


    now that zhang ping¡¯s family had moved in, they naturally needed to contribute work points. after the house was completed, he started working in the fields with xiao li next door, watering and fertilizing.


    zhang ping was very capable, doing the work of three people by himself. often, after finishing his tasks, he would help xiao li, earning xiao li¡¯s good impression.


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    even other villagers developed a favorable view of this newcomer from the mountains.


    as winter passed and spring arrived, the matter of jiang xia and jiang gu attending school came up on the agenda. however, considering various factors, jiang xia needed to stay at home, so only jiang gu went to school at the start of spring.


    while at home, jiang xia made a plan with jiang chuan. she believed that relying solely on farming was not sufficient for economic stability. to solve the villagers¡¯ problems of food and clothing and to make them prosperous, there needed to be production industries.


    after a few spring rains, the ground was no longer so dry, and the water levels in the canals had risen, making a fish pond a viable option.


    jiang xia thought of the many fish in her interspace and decided to start a fish pond in the village. however, this fish pond was not to be managed by their family. with only four people in their family, they simply did not have the capacity to run a fish pond..

 Chapter 399 - Chapter 399: Opening a Fish Pond

    chapter 399: opening a fish pond


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    so, jiang xia came up with an idea to let xiao wu take on the contract for the fish pond, with jiang chuan providing the funding.


    as the saying goes, ¡®the rich lead the way to wealth for others.¡¯ once xiao wu made money, he could also help others in the village prosper.


    apart from this, jiang chuan also thought that they should not just focus on the fish pond. they needed to develop a breeding farm and a medicinal herb field as well.


    he still remembered the old scholar¡¯s words; not just pushan village, but this entire era needed a medicinal herb field.


    jiang chuan thought of qin ming, who had experience raising chickens and ducks. starting a breeding farm would not be difficult for him. now, with just some livestock, qin ming alone could make the farm thrive, and when the time came to hire workers, it would also provide employment opportunities for pushan village.


    after discussing with her father, jiang xia immediately put this plan into action. they approached xiao wu to inquire if he was interested in starting a fish pond.


    xiao wu was initially stunned by the proposal and hesitantly said, ¡°brother jiang, it¡¯s not that i¡¯m unwilling, but as you know, we¡¯ve just had a few rains. although there¡¯s some standing water, it¡¯s hard to guarantee it won¡¯t dry up again in a few days. if we stock the pond with fry and it dries up again, it will all go to waste!¡±


    jiang chuan responded, ¡°i have concerns about this too, so initially i don¡¯t plan to have you buy a lot of fry, but rather mature fish that can reproduce. this way, even if a drought happens again, these fish can be sold in time, avoiding major losses. and since this was my idea, i¡¯ll rent the fish pond as an investment.¡±


    xiao wu, not understanding, asked, ¡°brother jiang, what do you mean by ¡®investment¡¯?¡±


    jiang chuan explained, ¡°it means you have to share a part of your earnings with me.¡±


    xiao wu generously replied, ¡°sharing money? that¡¯s no big deal. if you want, half the money is yours, or you can take it all!¡±


    jiang chuan hastily said, ¡°how can i take it all? you¡¯re putting in the labor, and earning money is your main goal. besides, i trust your character. if you can become one of the first in the village to prosper, you¡¯ll surely drive the development of the village.¡±


    xiao wu said, ¡°you flatter me, brother jiang. the idea is feasible, but where will these fish come from?¡±


    jiang xia immediately interjected, ¡°uncle xiao wu, don¡¯t worry. we came to you because we found where the fish are, which is why we¡¯re discussing this with you.¡±


    xiao wu asked, ¡°where are the fish?¡±


    jiang xia explained, ¡°when we went up the mountain these past few days, we found that the snow had melted and the stream¡¯s water level was rising. many fish, many of them mature, were gathering in the stream, enough to support a fish pond.¡±


    jiang chuan added, ¡°this winter, our family made some money by selling pickles, and i¡¯ve been doing business in town. we¡¯ve saved up some money and can allocate a part of it to help you start the fish pond. our initial plan is to introduce a hundred fish into the pond. your wife is busy taking care of your child and can¡¯t spare the effort, so you can hire someone to help you. my suggestion is to ask xiao li.¡±


    after saying this, jiang chuan paused and added, ¡°but xiao li also made some money selling pickles this winter, so i¡¯m not sure if he wants to join you in starting the fish pond or has other plans.¡±


    xiao wu thought for a moment, ¡°let¡¯s go ask him first.¡±


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    xiao wu and jiang chuan then went to find xiao li, who had collaborated with zhou lan to sell pickles over the winter, exchanging them for various goods and coal.


    that winter, after the first snowfall about a month and a half later, there was a heavy snowstorm. the crops were covered in thick snow, making it one of the coldest winters in recent years.


    xiao li seized the opportunity to sell all the charcoal he had and made a tidy sum of money. however, he himself endured the cold at home, and after suffering for three days, he caught a cold. if not for being timely discovered by jiang chuan and zhou lan, he might have frozen to death this winter.


    after hearing the plan from jiang chuan and xiao wu, xiao li was somewhat troubled.


    he said, ¡°brother jiang, i of course understand that this is for the good of the villagers and can also promote the development of our village. i really hope to join in, but as you know, i don¡¯t have much money at hand right now. i have an idea to open a supply and marketing cooperative in our village, so that the villagers won¡¯t have to travel all the way to the town to exchange grain. it would be convenient for everyone. but i really don¡¯t have the extra money or energy to help xiao wu..¡±

 Chapter 400 - Chapter 400: Opening a supply and marketing cooperative

    chapter 400: opening a supply and marketing cooperative


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang chuan was surprised yet moved upon hearing xiao li¡¯s thoughts, and said, ¡°as long as our intentions are good and aimed at helping the villagers, there¡¯s nothing to apologize for. i didn¡¯t expect you to endure so much, even falling seriously ill, just to earn some money to help the villagers. xiao li, your spirit is something we should all learn from.¡±


    having a good idea is one thing, but now they faced a bigger problem: a shortage of labour.


    they wanted to start a fish pond and a supply and marketing cooperative, but they needed helpers for these endeavors. with only a few people available, they were stretched thin. what should they do?


    jiang chuan pondered and suggested, ¡°how about this, let¡¯s go to the commune and seek help from captain tian. she¡¯s full of ideas and will surely find a solution for us.¡±


    the three agreed and went to the commune to find tian zao.


    tian zao was reviewing the personnel registration list and grain production of pushan village. in a couple of days, the corn would be ripe for harvesting, and she needed to allocate people for the task.


    this year¡¯s corn had grown exceptionally well, and she had a feeling it would far exceed their expectations. she estimated about a ton of yield from the one thousand kilos of corn seeds planted. after setting aside seeds for the next planting, there would still be plenty to distribute to the villagers. it seemed they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about food come spring.


    after listening to their plans, tian zao agreed, ¡°it¡¯s great that you¡¯re thinking of the villagers in addition to yourselves. however, if you¡¯re short-staffed, i can¡¯t help much either. the commune is also understaffed at the moment. you¡¯ll have to wait until after the corn harvest and then ask villagers for help.¡±


    jiang chuan responded, ¡°captain tian, if we want to drive the villagers¡¯ development, we can¡¯t expect them to help out for free. my idea is to have the commune issue a notice, hiring villagers to work at the fish pond and the supply and marketing cooperative. this would create job opportunities in our village and benefit the villagers¡¯ development.¡±


    this was a novel concept at the time as there were no hired workers, and everyone helped each other out of goodwill. so, when jiang chuan proposed this idea, the other three were surprised and couldn¡¯t help but praise him, ¡°brother jiang, how come none of us thought of this? you always come up with unique and beneficial ideas for the villagers.¡±


    jiang chuan simply smiled and waved his hand.


    tian zao decisively said, ¡°jiang chuan, i think your idea is excellent. i¡¯ll draft a notice immediately to recruit villagers. once the hiring is settled, we can start gathering the grain.¡±


    jiang chuan had another request for tian zao, ¡°captain tian, for this to succeed, we have the people and resources, but our land is limited.¡±


    tian zao asked, ¡°what do you suggest?¡±


    jiang chuan replied, ¡°this year, heavy rains and a snowstorm have raised the water levels in the ditches, making it impossible to plant rice. my idea is to convert one ditch into a fish pond and transfer the water from other ditches to it. this way, we can achieve two goals at once: grow rice and raise fish.¡±


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    tian zao thought the idea was very feasible, ¡°then let¡¯s do it your way! i remember there¡¯s a ditch near xiao wu¡¯s house. let¡¯s allocate that ditch to him. i¡¯ll also notify the villagers to help, hoping to get the fish pond up and running soon.¡±


    after agreeing, the three left tian zao¡¯s office to discuss details in jiang chuan¡¯s office. jiang chuan said to xiao wu, ¡°we¡¯ll need people to help divert the water for the ditch. we can¡¯t expect the villagers to work for free. they should be compensated. i know you¡¯re short on funds initially,¡± i¡¯ll cover the cost as an investment.


    xiao wu nervously rubbed his hands, somewhat awkwardly saying, ¡°brother jiang, i really thank you. i don¡¯t know how this fish pond would have started without you. in fact, you are the real owner of the fish pond; i¡¯m just managing it on your behalf.¡±


    jiang chuan said, ¡°xiao wu, don¡¯t think like that. i just came up with the plan. the hard and tedious work is all done by you. you are the one who deserves the credit.¡±


    with xiao wu¡¯s problem solved, it was time to address xiao li¡¯s supply and marketing cooperative..

 Chapter 401 - Chapter 401: Farm

    chapter 401: farm


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    to start a supply and marketing cooperative, one must have ample reserves. although xiao li had some money, he lacked other items. at present, bartering goods was still necessary as money alone was not enough.


    jiang chuan said, ¡°xiao li, don¡¯t worry. i can provide some rice, flour, and meat from my home for your temporary use.¡±


    xiao li declined, ¡°no need, brother jiang. i can take the goods to be exchanged at the town¡¯s supply and marketing cooperative. my family¡¯s resources can support us.¡±


    jiang chuan insisted, ¡°it¡¯s still cold, and you can¡¯t go to town every day to exchange goods. take these items for now, and once the cooperative is fully operational, you can return them to me.¡±


    touched, xiao li no longer refused and nodded in agreement.


    after settling the matter, xiao li and xiao wu went about their respective tasks.


    jiang chuan, who still had to work, stayed at the commune to handle affairs.


    in the afternoon, someone unexpectedly came looking for him ¨C it was qin ming.


    ever since helping xiao hu last time, they hadn¡¯t seen each other for a while. though they had agreed to visit each other, their relationship wasn¡¯t that close yet. jiang chuan was puzzled by qin ming¡¯s sudden visit.


    jiang chuan asked, ¡°do you need something today?¡±


    qin ming cleared his throat, ¡°i heard you helped xiao wu and xiao li with the fish pond and the cooperative, so i want to ask for your help too. i want to restart my breeding farm.¡±


    jiang chuan knew qin ming started with a breeding farm and had both experience and savings, so he didn¡¯t need financial help. what could qin ming want from him?


    jiang chuan urged, ¡°please be direct, brother qin. i can¡¯t think of how i could be of help to you.¡±


    qin ming said, ¡°i know you have many solutions and contacts in the county town. i want to ask if you could help me acquire some dairy cows and sheep. i¡¯ve raised chickens and ducks, but the profit is too small to help the villagers, only enough to ensure my family¡¯s wealth. i hope to not only run a breeding farm but also produce milk and sheep¡¯s milk, creating a perfect closed loop.¡±


    jiang chuan was impressed by qin ming¡¯s forward-thinking and modern business model. it was no wonder he became the first wealthy person in the village.


    jiang chuan believed that given time, qin ming could expand the farm into a provincial pillar industry.


    jiang chuan asked, ¡°brother qin, how many dairy cows do you initially want to buy?¡±


    qin ming thought and said conservatively, ¡°since i haven¡¯t raised dairy cows and sheep before, let¡¯s start with twenty cows and twenty sheep. i have the funds, and it¡¯s okay to spend more to get the cows and sheep.¡±


    jiang chuan reassured, ¡°rest assured, i¡¯ll go to the county tomorrow and find you the fairest price.¡±


    after qin ming left, jiang chuan pondered. in winter, his family hadn¡¯t been idle, catching quite a bit of game in the mountains. jiang xia¡¯s space should currently have ten mountain goats and five dairy cows. qin ming needed twenty cows, which might be hard to find. if he couldn¡¯t gather enough, he could temporarily provide the ones from jiang xia¡¯s space.


    that evening, jiang chuan returned home and was surprised to see jiang gu coming back from school, ¡°why are you back today?¡±


    jiang gu replied, ¡°school¡¯s on break.¡±


    school had started early that year, and jiang gu only returned home once a week after going to school.


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    she was very smart and had excellent grades, learning quickly. her teacher liked her and made her class president.


    the school had a break as the corn was ripe, and adults were busy with the harvest, short on hands. the school allowed children to help their parents with the corn harvest, starting tomorrow.


    jiang chuan then said, ¡°perfect. tomorrow, you can go with uncle xiao wu to catch fish.¡±


    jiang gu was puzzled, ¡°catch fish? don¡¯t we have fish at home? why go to the river?¡±


    jiang chuan explained, ¡°not for our home, but to help uncle xiao wu catch fish. he needs to catch a hundred fish to start his fish pond. you can understand animals¡¯ speech, so you can definitely help him..¡±

 Chapter 402 - Chapter 402: Catching Fish

    chapter 402: catching fish


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    jiang gu didn¡¯t fully understand what a fish pond was, but she obediently nodded in agreement.


    she loved communicating with animals and was happy to help uncle xiao wu. but she hesitated, ¡°dad, how can the two of us possibly carry a hundred fish?¡±


    jiang chuan smiled and ruffled her hair, reassuring her, ¡°don¡¯t worry. uncle xiao wu has found others to help. you just need to summon the fish to him.¡±


    jiang gu, concerned for the fish, instructed, ¡°only catch a hundred, not one more!¡±


    the next day, jiang chuan went to the county town to find su zhen.


    zhang ping, being su zhen good friend, accompanied jiang chuan to the county.


    however, zhang ping¡¯s trip was also to help. although he knew jiang chuan had a car that could be expanded and contracted at will, twenty dairy cows and sheep couldn¡¯t be transported in a small car. he was there to help drive the goats and cows back to the village.


    jiang chuan¡¯s timing was impeccable, as the recent black market had just ended, and su zhen had stockpiled a large amount of goods to sell in the neighboring province.


    su zhen greeted jiang chuan and zhang ping warmly, serving them the finest biluochun tea.


    he said, ¡°uncle jiang, it¡¯s been about a month since we exchanged the scar removal cream recipe. i thought you had forgotten about partnering with me in the black market.¡±


    jiang chuan joked, ¡°i thought you had made your fortune and were afraid i¡¯d want a share.¡±


    su zhen laughed, ¡°look at what you¡¯re saying. how could i dare? what do you need today? just name it, and i¡¯ll find it for you.¡±


    su zhen, now a major player, had leveraged the scar removal cream recipe to open doors in the neighboring province, expanding the black market there. this had pressured the local black markets, which gradually became untenable, allowing su zhen to eventually control the black markets in two provinces.


    jiang xia had persistently worked with an old scholar to obtain the formula, gradually breaking down the scholar¡¯s stubbornness until he relented.


    the old scholar not only provided the recipe to jiang xia but also reconciled with his son.


    perhaps the old scholar believed traditional and modern medicine were in opposition, but he shared his son¡¯s desire to advance medical science and help more people. he hoped to upgrade the scar removal cream to benefit a larger audience.


    upon hearing jiang chuan¡¯s request, su zhen said with a smile, ¡°uncle jiang, did you check my inventory in advance? i just received dairy cows and goats after the black market ended, and here you are. i don¡¯t have twenty of each, though, only fifteen. if you want them, they¡¯re yours, but you¡¯ll have to wait for the rest.¡±


    jiang chuan replied, ¡°money is not an issue. i¡¯m collecting them for someone else, so don¡¯t worry about giving me a discount. as the village develops, we might need more items from you. keep what you have for me.¡±


    su zhen assured, patting his chest, ¡°don¡¯t worry, i¡¯ll reserve what you need. even if i don¡¯t have it, i¡¯ll find it for you! i¡¯m off to the neighboring province in a couple of days, so i might not be in town. if you need anything, just call me. besides, we¡¯re partners now, uncle jiang. you can just tell my staff what you need instead of coming in person.¡±


    jiang chuan insisted on following protocol, ¡°rules are rules, even if i¡¯m your partner. some things still need to be discussed in person.¡±


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    su zhen nodded reluctantly, ¡°alright. i¡¯ll arrange for the fifteen cows and sheep to be delivered to your village tonight. you won¡¯t need to drive them yourself.¡±


    zhang ping was close to su zhen, who wouldn¡¯t dare ask zhang ping to do such tasks.


    after settling this matter, su zhen said to zhang ping, ¡°you arrived at the perfect time. i was about to look for you. i just received a skin, and i want to give it to you.¡±


    su zhen took out a wooden box containing genuine leather. he laid the material on the table for zhang ping to inspect.


    zhang ping felt the leather and examined its fur, commenting, ¡°this is premium material. skin from a one- to two-month-old calf, completely intact. the texture is fine, perfect for making breathable and windproof leather jackets, and it¡¯s very soft..¡±

 Chapter 403 - Chapter 403: Something Happened

    chapter 403: something happened


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    su zhen said, ¡°i¡¯ve got two pieces of leather here. one is for my sister-in-law to make a leather coat, and the other i plan to send to my godmother in grand cloud mountain.¡±


    since zhang ping moved to pushan village, he had fewer opportunities to see zhao wan than su zhen did. knowing that su zhen was sending something to zhao wan on grand cloud mountain, zhang ping seized the opportunity, ¡°su zhen, if you¡¯re sending something, can you also take something for me? xiao qing personally sewed a piece of clothing for her mother. i¡¯ll bring it over tomorrow. find a chance to send it up the mountain together.¡±


    su zhen agreed.


    about a week later, as the cornfield was fully ripe and the village was organizing the harvest, lao zheng from the neighboring village suddenly came to find jiang chuan.


    confused, jiang chuan asked, ¡°brother zheng, what brings you here?¡±


    lao zheng said, ¡°i¡¯ve heard about the recent developments in your village, the fish pond and the breeding farm. i came to learn from you.¡±


    jiang chuan inquired, ¡°so, brother zheng, what are your thoughts after seeing everything?¡±


    lao zheng explained, ¡°our village lacks wealthy individuals to start a fish pond or a breeding farm, let alone a supply and marketing cooperative. but we have people! i was thinking, since your village is hiring, why not let our villagers come and earn some wages?¡±


    this was unexpected for jiang chuan. he originally thought that a fish pond, pasture, and supply cooperative would be enough to sustain a village. however, the job opportunities these could provide were limited. considering the elderly and the young, there might only be thirty or forty able young people in pushan village. these three places could employ them, with the rest working in the fields to ensure everyone had work. but if people from the neighboring village also wanted to join, there might not be enough job opportunities.


    jiang chuan, feeling troubled, said, ¡°brother zheng, it¡¯s not that i don¡¯t want to help, but under the current circumstances, it might not be possible to accommodate so many people. i understand that every village wants to develop. i have an idea: fish ponds are relatively simple to manage, and there¡¯s plenty of fish in the stream behind the mountains. if you don¡¯t mind, we can help gather a hundred fish to start a fish pond in your village, and then the rest can work in our village. how does that sound?¡±


    this way, young people from both villages could be employed, preventing idleness.


    lao zheng responded enthusiastically, ¡°that¡¯s great, how can i thank you for thinking so much about everyone?¡±


    jiang chuan replied, ¡°as long as everyone can live better, thanks are secondary.¡±


    about a month later, everything fell into place, and both villages were thriving. just when everyone thought life was getting better, an unexpected problem arose.


    this issue mainly occurred at the breeding farm. while the supply and marketing cooperative and the fish pond were under jiang chuan¡¯s control and could receive prompt help, the breeding farm was a different story. firstly, it was located far from jiang chuan, and secondly, it was privately operated, leaving jiang chuan unable to intervene.


    after the onset of spring, as the weather warmed up, crops and wild grass grew rapidly. with less urgent work, villagers naturally sought part-time jobs for additional income.


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    among these, qin ming¡¯s breeding farm employed the most people, nearly half of the village¡¯s labor force, thus solving the unemployment issue.


    moreover, the dairy cows were healthy and high-yielding, starting to produce milk just seven days after being purchased.


    the peak of milk production coincided with the corn harvest and rice planting season. as a result, qin ming and his wife couldn¡¯t afford to hire help and had to milk the cows themselves.


    much of the milk, at risk of spoiling, was distributed to nearby villagers on the same day, yielding little profit.


    however, the situation improved after villagers finished their work and returned to the farm. due to the previous distribution of free milk, the villagers had developed a taste for it and demanded daily milk. consequently, the orders for milk from the breeding farm gradually increased. eventually, life improved significantly for everyone, with nearly the entire village consuming milk from qin ming¡¯s farm, leading to an expansion of the breeding farm..

 Chapter 404 - Chapter 404: Making Trouble

    chapter 404: making trouble


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    one day, a man suddenly created a disturbance, claiming he had vomited and had diarrhea after drinking milk from qin ming¡¯s farm. he accused them of selling old milk, asserting the milk was leftover from the previous day and had spoiled, and accused them of making unscrupulous profits.


    however, qin ming repeatedly assured that their milk was fresh, produced on the same day. if there was any unsold milk left, they would mix it with fodder for the cows to consume, never selling it to the villagers.


    so, the man who fell ill argued, ¡°if it¡¯s not the milk, then it must be the cows. they must be diseased or unclean. you are risking the villagers¡¯ lives for profit. the breeding farm should be shut down immediately!¡±


    but since this incident of vomiting and diarrhea from drinking milk only happened to him, the villagers didn¡¯t believe his accusations.


    the breeding farm continued to operate smoothly. however, within a few days, a dairy cow fell ill and died. it first got sick, then became thinner, and the milk it produced was very thin, almost like water. without access to a veterinarian, qin ming could only isolate it, and it wasn¡¯t long before the cow died.


    the situation panicked qin ming and his wife. they couldn¡¯t understand what went wrong in their farming process. however, when the news spread, coupled with the man¡¯s aggressive campaign, the orders for milk and sheep¡¯s milk from the farm drastically decreased, leading to a surplus of dairy products.


    subsequently, more cows fell ill, and life at the breeding farm became increasingly difficult, to the point where even the staff stopped coming to work.


    seeking help, qin ming approached jiang chuan. jiang felt there was something suspicious about the situation, but no matter how much he pressed, qin ming was reluctant to disclose the full story. jiang knew there must be more to it.


    jiang chuan sternly said, ¡°brother qin, i can¡¯t help you if you¡¯re not telling the truth. i can save one cow today, but what about tomorrow? should i save all the cows myself?¡±


    after much thought, qin ming finally revealed the truth.


    the sick person was none other than wang xing.


    upon hearing this, zhou lan, angered, threw her broom on the ground, exclaiming, ¡°why is it always wang xing! he¡¯s always causing trouble and never settles down.¡±


    qin ming sighed and shook his head, feeling helpless.


    he continued, ¡°when he moved here from the neighboring village, i was still the team captain. i had heard about his reputation and strongly opposed his moving in. however, the village chief and the chief captain convinced me otherwise. they believed we should welcome anyone willing to join our village and not push them away.¡±


    young and stubborn, qin ming agreed verbally but delayed resolving wang xing¡¯s household registration, dragging it out until wang xing¡¯s family was driven out of their previous village and came to pushan village in a destitute state. reluctantly, qin ming signed the paperwork. this led to wang xing holding a grudge against him.


    qin ming felt ashamed of this, which is why he was reluctant to speak up.


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    after qin ming stopped being a team captain and started his business, wang xing no longer feared his authority and continuously sought opportunities to frame qin ming.


    but back then, qin ming was operating independently, and wang xing couldn¡¯t find a way to harm him. now, with qin ming reopening the breeding farm and hiring extensively, there was a mix of people, and even if wang xing couldn¡¯t act personally, he could plant someone inside.


    wang xing was unscrupulous in achieving his goals, even if it meant suffering significant losses himself just to harm qin ming.


    jiang chuan, furious upon hearing this, had tolerated wang xing¡¯s antics, even when rumors spread of his rapid advancement in the commune through connections. but he shouldn¡¯t have sabotaged qin ming at this crucial moment!


    it was a critical period for launching a new employment model. the villagers, having never seen such a hiring system, were skeptical. any issue could erode their confidence, making the reform process even more challenging..

 Chapter 405 - Chapter 405: Solve the Trouble

    chapter 405: solve the trouble


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    on the surface, the issue seemed to be just a conflict between qin ming and wang xing, but in reality, it had already escalated into a crisis of trust.


    due to problems with the dairy cows, employees started leaving, leading to doubts about the farm and a wave of resignations.


    once employees were accustomed to working, not earning money made it difficult to survive, and it was impossible for them to stay idle at home. they were eager to find other jobs, and the only available options were xiao wu¡¯s fish pond and xiao li¡¯s supply and marketing cooperative.


    however, these places had limited staffing needs, which were already met, so xiao wu had no choice but to refuse extra help. this led to rumors that xiao wu, with his changed status, looked down on the villagers and was unwilling to help.


    xiao wu¡¯s fish pond was barely getting by and wasn¡¯t yet on the right track, so he couldn¡¯t afford to hire more staff, putting him in a difficult position.


    zhou lan thought simply and suggested, ¡®why waste words? just beat him up, and that will solve it!¡¯


    jiang chuan stopped her, saying, ¡®beating him up is easy, but the issue is that the villagers have lost faith in the farm, not because of wang xing¡¯s troublemaking.¡¯


    jiang xia also calmed zhou lan, adding, ¡®the most serious issue is food safety, which is everyone¡¯s concern. once this issue arises, it requires significant public relations efforts to regain their trust.¡¯


    jiang xia tugged at jiang chuan¡¯s sleeve and whispered, ¡®dad, the most important thing now is to cure the cows. everything else is secondary.¡¯


    jiang chuan nodded in agreement and told qin ming, ¡®let¡¯s first see what¡¯s wrong with the cows. we¡¯ll deal with the farm¡¯s problems before anything else.¡¯


    qin ming nodded and led the way to the pasture.


    this farm, previously used for raising chickens and ducks, had been transformed into a pasture after renovations and expansions.


    jiang xia observed the listless cows, clearly sick, while the sheep were unaffected, suggesting someone had deliberately poisoned the cows.


    jiang chuan, sharing jiang xia¡¯s suspicions, asked qin ming, ¡®have you checked if any village workers in your farm are colluding with wang xing to poison the cows? otherwise, there¡¯s no reason for the cows to get sick like this.¡¯


    the possibility of an epidemic was another reason, but jiang chuan hesitated to mention it, as it would only cause more panic. given that the sheep were fine and only the cows were sick, this possibility seemed less likely.


    qin ming sighed, ¡®i¡¯ve checked every villager. we all know each other in this village. there¡¯s one worker who is wang xing¡¯s cousin. i couldn¡¯t just turn him away, so i kept him on the farm.¡¯


    qin ming was generally good-natured but cared too much about face, which led to trouble by keeping wang xing¡¯s cousin.


    jiang chuan, stroking his chin, realized the problem was likely this person secretly drugging the cows, causing their illness.


    ¡®let¡¯s focus on curing the cows first,¡¯ he suggested.


    qin ming, puzzled, asked, ¡®how?¡¯


    jiang chuan replied, ¡®i have some medicinal powder that might work. it¡¯s a shot in the dark, but let¡¯s see if it helps the cows.¡¯


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    this powder was actually lingzhi spore powder from jiang xia¡¯s interspace.


    jiang xia also used the same method to make the cows drink water from her interspace. to be safe, she gave some to the sheep as well. soon after, the cows started jumping around energetically.


    with the cow problem solved, it was time to deal with wang xing.


    wang xing, spreading rumors, had become weak and bedridden after drinking qin ming¡¯s milk, as if one foot was already in the underworld. so, qin ming and jiang chuan decided to visit wang xing¡¯s house to see the situation for themselves.


    however, they knew they couldn¡¯t go alone, as wang xing might falsely accuse them again, leaving them defenseless. therefore, they decided to bring tian zao along..¡±

 Chapter 406 - Chapter 406: Exposing the Lie

    chapter 406: exposing the lie


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    when jiang chuan and his group arrived at wang xing¡¯s house, they found wang xing sunbathing in the courtyard, enjoying the comfortable warmth of the early spring sun.


    wang xing was leisurely lounging in a sun chair, seemingly enjoying life to the fullest. his days were so comfortable that he could afford to casually crack melon seeds, showing no signs of being ill or near death.


    jiang chuan approached him with a smile and asked, ¡°can you eat sunflower seeds even when you¡¯re sick?¡±


    startled to see qin ming and jiang chuan together, wang xing dropped his sunflower seeds and quickly stood up, then realizing something, he rushed into the house, shouting, ¡°are you two here to harm me? be careful, i¡¯ll tell the villagers!¡±


    jiang chuan and the others had guessed right; wang xing was attempting to twist the truth again.


    without wasting words, jiang chuan walked into the house and confronted wang xing directly, ¡°wang xing, we have found out that you were framing qin ming. we saw with our own eyes that you¡¯re not unwell. if you continue to deceive everyone, don¡¯t blame us for being unsympathetic.¡±


    wang xing stubbornly retorted, ¡°what evidence do you two have?¡±


    tian zao stepped forward, ¡°am i not evidence?¡±


    seeing tian zao, wang xing panicked completely. tian zao glared at him, clearly ready to deal with him.


    jiang chuan continued, ¡°if you keep lying to everyone, we will expose your actions publicly. don¡¯t blame us if you can no longer stay in puhshan village.¡±


    wang xing had no choice but to relent and explain the situation to the villagers as they had said.


    although the villagers knew that the dairy cow incident wasn¡¯t qin ming¡¯s fault, few were willing to help on the farm, and not many people were buying milk, leading to an economic downturn.


    at this time, shen mo quietly appeared and offered his help.


    having just come down from the mountains and learning about the situation, shen mo had an idea, ¡°i can help. if it¡¯s just unsold milk, we can sell it to the army. the troops need a lot of milk for balanced nutrition, given their monotonous diet. but i¡¯m not sure if your farm has enough milk.¡±


    qin ming quickly replied, ¡®of course, we have.¡¯


    shen mo decisively said, ¡°great, pack the milk in barrels every morning, and i¡¯ll send someone to pick it up. we¡¯ll settle the payment monthly, at the beginning of each month. how does that sound?¡±


    ¡°certainly,¡± qin ming agreed.


    thanks to shen mo¡¯s help, the dairy farm started doing better, and villagers gradually returned to work.


    as milk became an indispensable part of life, confidence was slowly restored. people began buying milk again, and the farm¡¯s milk supply started running short. therefore, qin ming decided to add ten more cows, a task which jiang chuan helped him with.


    jiang chuan went to the town to find su zhen, but in his absence, he took the initiative and sent ten dairy cows to pushan village.


    jiang xia suggested, ¡°now that we have so many cows producing enough milk, why not add a production line for other dairy products, like yogurt?¡±


    qin ming thought it was feasible and decided to use an empty plot of land for a yogurt factory.


    after resolving the issue, jiang chuan invited shen mo to their home for a meal as a thank you. upon seeing shen mo, jiang xia blushed, perhaps because of a previous incident pointed out by jiang qing. since then, she became inexplicably shy around shen mo and always tried to avoid him.


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    shen mo thought jiang xia disliked him and didn¡¯t dare to be too forward, only following her with his eyes.


    zhou lan said to shen mo, ¡°you¡¯re a good boy, don¡¯t worry too much. our girl is just shy. you two should just talk it out. later, when she goes to the kitchen to cook, you can help her. it¡¯s a good opportunity for you both to chat. i really see you as a good son-in-law.¡±


    blushing a bit himself, shen mo nodded and headed to the kitchen.


    jiang qing, who was originally helping jiang xia, quietly left when shen mo entered, giving them space and time alone.


    unaware of shen mo¡¯s arrival, jiang xia was focused on cooking and reached out, saying, ¡°sister, pass me the salt..¡±

 Chapter 407 - Chapter 407: Confession

    chapter 407: confession


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    shen mo looked at the various bottles and jars on the counter, unable to distinguish between the salt and sugar as they looked very similar. he asked, ¡°which one is salt and which is sugar?¡±


    jiang xia was momentarily taken aback, almost losing grip of her spatula.


    she turned to shen mo, her face reddening instantly, and said, ¡°the one on the right is salt, and the one on the left is sugar.¡±


    shen mo nodded, then handed her the salt. there was an awkward moment between them.


    it was jiang xia who broke the silence first, asking, ¡°why did you come?¡±


    shen mo stuttered, unable to articulate his thoughts at first, and finally mustered the courage to say, ¡°i wanted to talk to you.¡±


    jiang xia was taken aback again, somewhat evasively, ¡°what¡¯s there to talk about?¡±


    shen mo pressed, ¡°you¡¯ve been avoiding me for two or three months. don¡¯t we need to talk and resolve this issue?¡±


    jiang xia fell silent again.


    determined to resolve the matter, shen mo cut straight to the point, ¡°jiang xia, i like you. everyone can see that i like you, except you. after your sister pointed out our relationship, you¡¯ve been skittish and evasive. i just want to ask you, what do you feel about me now?¡±


    at this, jiang xia¡¯s spatula fell from her hand. her face was beet red, even redder than the tomatoes on the shore!


    stammering, she said, ¡°who confesses like that?¡±


    shen mo asked, ¡°then how should i say it?¡±


    jiang xia pursed her lips, awkwardly replying, ¡°i don¡¯t know.¡±


    sighing, shen mo said, ¡°jiang xia, i know you¡¯re still young and it¡¯s not time for you to think about marriage. i just want to tell you that i like you and hope that when you consider marriage, you¡¯ll think of me first. that¡¯s all. i don¡¯t want to trouble you or make our relationship awkward. i hope we can interact as we used to, where you can share any of your thoughts and opinions with me, and i¡¯ll do my best to help you¡­¡±


    shen mo continued, determined to say everything he had in mind, fearing he might not get another chance if interrupted.


    but jiang xia interrupted him, asking seriously, ¡°shen mo, what exactly do you like about me?¡±


    jiang xia, who had never been in a relationship and had no experience, realized after these past months of careful thought that she did like shen mo, at least not repelled by him.


    she greatly admired shen mo for his conduct and abilities. if shen mo liked her, she wouldn¡¯t be troubled; she just wanted to clarify things.


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    shen mo paused at her question, then replied, ¡°i don¡¯t know what ¡®liking¡¯ really means. i like that you¡¯re different. your uniqueness lies in your insights, your ability to think of issues others don¡¯t consider, focusing not just on your family¡¯s immediate interests but on the life of the entire village.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re also very intelligent. you can teach all the children to read and write, help your family solve problems, and always find the simplest ways to effortlessly resolve complex issues. i don¡¯t know when it started, maybe from the first time i saw you, but i was deeply attracted to you. i couldn¡¯t help but pay attention to you.¡±


    ¡°coming to pushan village wasn¡¯t a necessary choice, but i stubbornly came because i wanted to see you. i hoped to see you every day. sometimes i¡¯m really afraid that someone else will take you away, so i hope to stay by your side, and be the first one you see when you consider marriage.¡±


    jiang xia had never felt her heart beat so fast. she listened intently to every word, every sentence shen mo said.


    with her heart racing, she said, ¡°shen mo, actually, i do like you. i just didn¡¯t understand what this feeling was before. now i know it¡¯s liking, but i can¡¯t say for sure when i started liking you. but i admire the qualities in you. i want to try being together with you, but you have to wait for me to grow up; it can¡¯t be right now..¡±

 Chapter 408 - Chapter 408: Visiting Family

    chapter 408: visiting family


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    shen mo nodded, ¡°i know, and i¡¯ll wait for you. just don¡¯t avoid me, that¡¯s all i ask.¡±


    today, jiang xia was in a good mood, which was evident from the food she prepared: braised pork, chicken stewed with mushrooms, fried pork in sweet and sour sauce, and rib soup. the feast was as lavish as a new year¡¯s celebration.


    afterward, shen mo often visited their house, and each time, jiang xia would prepare a grand feast. even jiang chuan, her father, would jokingly express jealousy, saying, ¡°my dear daughter has never treated me this well. she¡¯s been charmed away by some rascal!¡±


    both of them blushed and remained silent, but jiang xia continued to treat shen mo well, in her own way.


    by april or may, when spring was nearing its end and summer was approaching, the weather became hot and everyone felt listless. the village¡¯s economy was improving and there were no major worries, except for the mystery surrounding jiang chuan¡¯s origins. so, zhou lan decided that the family should visit jiang chuan¡¯s elder sister, jiang nan, to get some answers.


    jiang nan lived in the neighboring village, in lao zheng¡¯s village, just an hour¡¯s journey away. after lunch, the family packed some gifts and set off for jiang nan¡¯s home.


    jiang nan was surprised and delighted to see jiang chuan and his family bring gifts to visit her, especially since they brought such nice things like meat, wild mushrooms, and even watermelons, which were a rarity for the season.


    after welcoming them into her house and serving them water, she asked, ¡°what brings you here?¡±


    after some small talk, jiang chuan directly asked, ¡°sister, i won¡¯t beat around the bush. i came here to ask if i¡¯m really our mother¡¯s biological child.¡±


    jiang nan was momentarily stunned and didn¡¯t respond right away.


    this was a long-kept secret in the jiang family. although she knew some details, she had never thought of revealing them and certainly didn¡¯t expect jiang chuan to come and ask in person.


    noticing her hesitation, jiang chuan pressed on, ¡°sister, you know how our mother has treated me over the years. even if there¡¯s the grace of upbringing, i¡¯ve repaid it through my years of hard work. now, i just want to find my biological parents. please help me, sister. you know that our mother will never tell me. you¡¯ve always been kind to our family; surely you wouldn¡¯t want me to be unable to find my real parents.¡±


    jiang nan began to tear up, ¡°you¡¯re a good brother, and it¡¯s our family who wronged you. i had no choice but to make it up to you by treating you well.¡±


    jiang chuan urged her to speak, ¡°please tell me, sister. no matter what, i won¡¯t blame anyone in the jiang family.¡±


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    jiang nan sighed and finally revealed the truth, ¡°actually, you¡¯re from a wealthy family in the county town. but that year, due to the government¡¯s crackdown on landlords, your family was framed and persecuted. you were so young, and your parents didn¡¯t want you to be involved, so they entrusted you to our father, who was working in your house at the time. they gave him a box of gold to raise you until you could be taken back after things settled down.¡±


    ¡°but later, there was no one left from your family, so you were raised in our home. that box of gold was enough for you to grow up, but our parents were greedy. they thought the gold was theirs, and raising you was just a waste of the household¡¯s food. so they made life difficult for you. jiang chuan, it¡¯s been so many years; don¡¯t be angry with them anymore.¡±


    jiang chuan was saddened and couldn¡¯t say he wasn¡¯t angry. how could he not be? he had suffered for so many years because of jiang family¡¯s elders; how could he not resent them?


    just as jiang chuan was grappling with his emotions, jiang nan revealed another secret, ¡°actually, you have an elder sister who also escaped. but her whereabouts became unknown, and no one knows where she went. she probably went into hiding to avoid being found. i¡¯ve kept a family photo hidden all these years. today, seeing you, i can finally give it to you.¡±


    jiang nan rummaged through her belongings and extracted a family photo from the bottom of a box in her wardrobe. in the photo, jiang chuan was only one year old, held on his father¡¯s lap, while his sister, who was about five or six years old, stood obediently between their parents..

 Chapter 409 - Chapter 409: Acknowledging Kinship

    chapter 409: acknowledging kinship


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    with just a childhood photo, finding his sister seemed very difficult, but jiang xia was astonished to discover that his sister¡¯s eyes and eyebrows resembled someone ¨C the village¡¯s ¡®ice beauty¡¯!


    upon mentioning this, zhou lan also realized that when they had seen zhao xin before, they suspected she looked like jiang chuan and might be siblings.


    with this photo, it became even more certain ¨C jiang chuan¡¯s sister might be zhao xin!


    jiang xia wondered if their aunt had always known the truth about their father¡¯s identity but never spoke of it.


    jiang chuan, with a determined look, said, ¡°whether she knows or not, we just have to ask!¡±


    leaving their gifts with jiang nan, the family hurried back to the village to find zhao xin.


    when zhao xin opened the door and saw jiang chuan, she was startled and tears welled up in her eyes, but she quickly held them back and simply said, ¡°please come in.¡±


    the familial bond made jiang chuan certain that this woman was his sister.


    jiang chuan tentatively asked, ¡°do you have a younger brother?¡±


    hearing this, zhao xin, who was pouring water, was so shocked that she dropped the cup, shattering it.


    unable to hold back any longer, she burst into tears. jiang chuan directly asked, ¡°sister, why didn¡¯t you tell me the truth all these years, knowing who i am?¡±


    zhao xin cried for a long time before drying her tears, her voice choked, ¡°actually, i¡¯ve always wanted to find you over the years¡­ but¡­ i didn¡¯t know how to make you believe that the parents who raised you were not your birth parents and that i am your sister. and now, my life is not what it used to be; i¡¯m struggling in many ways.¡±


    ¡°admitting our relationship would only burden you! you had a family in the old jiang family, whereas following me would mean having nothing. over time, i didn¡¯t want to disturb you anymore. later, when you got married, had children, and moved out, i thought of finding you, but seeing your family doing well, i didn¡¯t want to be a burden.¡±


    ¡°after so many years of hardship, how could i drag you down with a poor sister like me? so, i kept this secret buried in my heart.¡±


    jiang chuan replied, ¡°sister, you¡¯re being foolish. there¡¯s nothing more important than family in this world. you should have told me from the beginning.¡±


    zhao xin just cried and didn¡¯t speak.


    unable to bear seeing his sister cry, jiang chuan said, ¡°sister, don¡¯t cry. now that our family is reunited, why don¡¯t you come live with us? don¡¯t stay here alone. you only have a dog for company; we¡¯re worried about you!¡±


    zhao xin looked at the big dog that had been her companion for over a decade, sitting obediently at the door, and finally nodded, ¡°but i want to bring the big dog with me.¡±


    jiang chuan assured, ¡°the dog has been with you for so many years. even if you didn¡¯t say so, we would have brought it home anyway.¡±


    the family reunion and jiang chuan¡¯s discovery of his origins made it a day of great joy. zhou lan cooked a lavish meal, and jiang xia even brought jiang gu back from school. jiang gu immediately rushed to play with the big dog.


    that night, zhou lan stewed two pots of meat, and the family ate happily.


    to make room for zhao xin, jiang chuan arranged for jiang xia and jiang gu to share a room, leaving the spare room for zhao xin.


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    zhao xin, with time on her hands, would sunbathe in the yard, chat with zhou lan, and occasionally help out.


    though she had lived alone for many years, her cooking skills were mediocre, but zhou lan was happy to finally have someone to talk to while working.


    zhao xin, who hadn¡¯t enjoyed the happiness of a family reunion for over a decade, found joy in watching the children play and squabble.


    jiang chuan, after returning from work in the evening, would often be busy in the yard. one day, zhao xin couldn¡¯t help but ask him, ¡°brother, what are you always busy with after work?¡±


    jiang chuan shared with zhao xin his plans to develop a medicinal herb garden..

 Chapter 410 - Chapter 410: The Finale

    chapter 410: the finale


    translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation


    zhao xin, momentarily stunned, responded, ¡°you truly are from the zhao family. actually, there¡¯s something i haven¡¯t told you. our family has always been in the business of medicinal herbs, so i can help you with the chinese medicine aspect.¡±


    hearing this, jiang chuan was pleased, as it solved a major problem for him.


    zhao xin was also happy, having lived in jiang chuan¡¯s home for so long without being able to help, and now she finally found her role.


    jiang chuan immediately discussed with his sister what it would take in terms of money and manpower to plant a field of medicinal herbs. they talked so long they didn¡¯t realize it was almost dawn.


    after making their plans, jiang chuan quickly got the medicinal field up and running. while he worked during the day, zhao xin busied herself in the fields, enduring wind and sun, her previously fair skin visibly darkening.


    initially, they planted the herbs from jiang xia¡¯s space, including a treasured lingzhi mushroom.


    thanks to these, the medicinal field quickly scaled up.


    later, through jiang xia¡¯s efforts to connect with old scholars, they began selling the grown herbs to scholars and hospitals, forming a complete sales chain.


    two months later, as the variety of herbs in the field increased and they hired about ten workers, jiang chuan began to think about transforming pushan village into a medicinal herb production base, abandoning traditional crops and buying food as needed.


    he shared this idea with tian zao, who strongly supported it. not just the commune, but also the villagers were very interested.


    they were tired of farming year after year with average yields. seeing the success of the medicinal field, who wouldn¡¯t be tempted to get a piece of the action?


    thus, everyone worked together under zhao xin¡¯s direction to transform all the farmlands into medicinal herb fields, planting herbs like isatis root, polygonum multiflorum, poria, and goji berries.


    xiao li¡¯s supply and marketing cooperative also lent a hand. initially bartering goods, it now collected herbs to sell in city pharmacy, dividing the profits among the villagers. the cooperative gradually became a trading hub in the village, not just a simple supply and marketing market.


    moreover, pushan village¡¯s herbs were sold not only in town but also across the country, alleviating national medicinal shortages and making a significant contribution to the country.


    as everything fell into place and pushan village¡¯s life improved, jiang chuan¡¯s family received more good news: jiang qing was pregnant.


    upon hearing this, zhao wan rushed from grand cloud mountain to pushan village and decided to settle there.


    this being the first child of the third generation of their family, it naturally received a lot of attention.


    with zhao wan¡¯s arrival, they needed more space. su zhen, to honor zhao wan, also decided to live in pushan village and bought a house nearby.


    interestingly, the house belonged to wang xing, who had been driven out of the village for his misdeeds.


    pushan village had now become a peaceful and prosperous place. with thriving livestock and agriculture, even neighboring villages came to learn from its development model, hoping to replicate the experience in their own villages.


    in just six months, pushan village leaped to become the wealthiest village in the area, attracting many new residents.


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    the village¡¯s population soon surpassed the town¡¯s and even showed signs of exceeding the county¡¯s, leading the government to upgrade puhshan village to a new county city, pushan city.


    just like locust tree bay at the foot of grand cloud mountain, pushan village, with its growing population, continued to develop and prosper.


    jiang chuan, wanting jiang qing¡¯s child to have a good home, built a three-story western-style brick house next to the commune, the most luxurious in the whole village.


    five years later, jiang xia reached the age of marriage and naturally ended up with shen mo, who rose to become the mayor of pushan city.


    zhang ping and jiang qing, after becoming wealthy through business, often engaged in charity work, becoming nationally renowned philanthropists..