Chapter 96: A Dwarf

As soon as Zhou Fangyu finished speaking, there were light footsteps. Then, two very tall men appeared. They were both dressed in green and emitted a strong aura. They were out of place in this remote mountain village.

Village Chief Zhou’s gaze swept across the two of them, and then he saw the handle of a dagger protruding from their boots. Coupled with the murderous aura on the two of them, he concluded that their identities were not simple.

He asked politely, “Who are you looking for?”

One of the men asked, “Have you seen any strange people in your village recently?”

Village Chief Zhou was a man of the world. Even though he was slightly intimidated by the other party’s aura, he remained calm. He shook his head. “I didn’t see anyone strange.”

The man increased his aura and asked, “You really didn’t see anyone strange?” “No,” Village Chief Zhou said. “Our village is surrounded by mountains, so it’s inconvenient to enter and leave. If there is really someone strange, you should have heard people talking about it when you entered the village.”

However, the two of them never expected that the entire village would be hiding it with the village chief.

The two men looked at each other. When they entered the village, they heard that a girl had helped the villagers find a water source. They were looking for a man, and this man might be seriously injured. How could he find a water source and become a woman?

The man cupped his hands at the village chief. “Thank you, village chief.” Then, he waved at the person beside him and turned to leave the village chief’s house.

Village Chief Zhou watched the two of them leave, but he did not relax. He walked around the central room. “They must be here to look for the injured man. No, I have to inform Miss Chu quickly.”

He stopped in his tracks. “Fangyu, call Xiping over. Tell him that I have something to ask him to do.”

Zhou Fangyu immediately replied, “Yes, Village Chief.”

Zhou Xiping was a dwarf. He was fifteen years old this year but he still looked like a child. Although he was short, he ran very fast.

He usually helped the county office deliver letters. The letters could always be delivered on time. The county magistrate liked him very much. Today, he happened to be at home.

Zhou Xiping quickly rushed over. “Village Chief.”

Village Chief Zhou also liked Zhou Xiping. “Xiping, did you see two strange men just now?”

Zhou Xiping nodded. “1 did.”

Village Chief Zhou instructed him carefully, “Hurry up and tell Miss Chu. If these two are bad people, we have to let Miss Chu know in advance.”

Zhou Xiping’s expression was serious. “Yes, Village Chief.”

Zhou Xiping ran to the Chu Village at once.

The two men walked out of the village and looked around before walking towards the mountain that was on fire that day.

“The servant said that Eldest Young Master fell down the mountain with the coachman and the carriage. Perhaps Eldest Young Master is still in the mountains.”

“Let’s go and take a look.”

The two of them quickened their pace and walked into the mountains.

“From the looks of it, the fire was huge. Do you think it’s possible that Eldest Young Master has already been burned to death?”

“Very likely.”

“If he wasn’t saved, he might have fallen into this mountain and been eaten up by the wild beasts.”

The two of them talked as they searched. After searching for a long time, they really found the remains of the carriage. However, most of it had been burned to ashes.

There were drag marks beside the carriage. They were long and extended into the depths of the mountains.

They looked at each other, then quickly scrabbled through the ashes.

After a while, a man pulled out a jade pendant from the remains of the carriage.

In this era, men usually wore jade pendants to show their identities. The front of the jade pendant was engraved with the patterns they liked, and their names were engraved on the back.

The jade pendant had been burned to a different color, but the patterns and name on it were still discernible..

The man’s thumb ran across the jade pendant, and his gaze landed on the bones. “It’s Eldest Young Master’s jade pendant. He always keeps the jade pendant with him.”

“Looks like he was burned to death.”

“Even if he wasn’t burned to death, he would be eaten by wild beasts. Let’s go back and report.” Nôv(el)B\\jnn

The two men left from the other side of the mountain.

In Chu Village.

Chu Qingzhi was walking home with a basket of bamboo leaves on her back when she was suddenly stopped by a child.

Zhou Xiping said quickly, “Sister Qingzhi, two strange people came to the Zhou Village to look for someone. The village chief thinks that they might be looking for the person you saved. He wants you to be on guard.”

Chu Qingzhi thought to herself. With Ning Yuting’s status, it was not strange for people to look for him. “I got it. Help me thank the village chief.”

“1’11 tell the village chief.” Zhou Xiping was about to leave. “Sister Qingzhi, the message has been delivered. 1’11 go back first.”

Seeing that Zhou Xiping was sweating profusely, Chu Qingzhi stopped him. “You must be tired. Come home with me to drink some water before leaving.”

Zhou Xiping was very thirsty, so he did not refuse. “Thank you, Sister Qingzhi.”

When they returned home, Chu Qingzhi gave Zhou Xiping a bowl of water. “Drink it and rest.”

Zhou Xiping picked up the bowl and finished it. Then, he looked at the busy crowd and asked curiously, “Sister Qingzhi, what are they doing?”

Chu Qingzhi smiled. “They’re making rice dumplings.”

Zhou Xiping was very curious. He looked around and asked, “Can 1 take a look?”

Chu Qingzhi said, “Sure.”

Then, Zhou Xiping swam into the crowd like a fish, running around in the crowd to see what was going on.

1 didn’t expect there to be dwarfs in ancient times… Chu Qingzhi glanced at Zhou Xiping and went to look for Ning Yuting.

When Ning Yuting heard that two people were looking for him, he panicked. “Have they left?”

Chu Qingzhi said, “I don’t know. Zhou Xiping only told me that someone was looking for you, but the people in the Zhou Village said that they didn’t see you. Now, it’s up to you.”

Ning Yuting frowned slightly. After a moment of silence, he said, “Miss Chu, I want to write a secret letter to my Grandpa.”

Chu Qingzhi said, “Sure.” Then, she brought over a pen and paper. “Call me when you’re done.”

“Thank you.” Ning Yuting’s left hand and left leg were injured, but he could still write.

Chu Qingzhi walked out of the room.

Two villagers chatted as they cut the meat.

“Aiyo, my waist hurts again.”

“Ask Qingzhi to see if she can treat it. You know Chu Lanzhen’s father, right? He drank medicine prescribed by Qingzhi for a few days and can get out of bed now after being bedridden for nearly ten years.”

“I know. I saw him when I passed by his house.”

“Qingzhi is too powerful. Even the doctors in the city are not as powerful as her. She’s like a Divine Doctor’.”

“After I’m done, I’ll go look for Qingzhi. Otherwise, I’m afraid 1 won’t be able to work tomorrow.”

The words of the two villagers were heard by Zhou Xiping.

He didn’t expect Chu Qingzhi to be the Divine Doctor. He wondered if the Divine Doctor could treat his dwarfism..

Chapter 97: A Business

He tried his best to stand on his tiptoes and search for Chu Qingzhi in the crowd. Soon, he saw a tall and beautiful figure.

He hurriedly ran over. “Sister Qingzhi, 1 heard them say that you’re a Divine Doctor?”

Chu Qingzhi raised her eyebrows. “I do know some medical skills. Why?”

Zhou Xiping’s eyes lit up as he looked at Chu Qingzhi expectantly. “1 want to ask you to help me take a look at my body to see why 1 can’t grow up.”

Because of his height, he had been mocked countless times.

His peers could pick him up with one hand. The humiliation was deeply etched in his mind. It tortured him like a nightmare. He dreamed of growing up.

Chu Qingzhi smiled. “Let me take your pulse.”

Zhou Xiping immediately rolled up his sleeves and showed his wrist.

Chu Qingzhi placed her slender and beautiful fingers on Zhou Xiping’s pulse and secretly sent her spiritual power into his body.

There were two types of dwarfism. One was hereditary and incurable. The other was secondary and curable.

After the checkup, Chu Qingzhi was glad to find that Zhou Xiping was the second type.

If it was the first one, even she couldn’t do anything about it.

“Wait a minute. 1 will go and write you a prescription.”

Zhou Xiping’s eyes lit up as he asked excitedly, “Sister Qingzhi, can my illness be cured?”

Chu Qingzhi smiled and said, “Sure. You’ll see the effect after taking the medicine for seven days.”

Zhou Xiping cried tears of joy. As he wiped his tears, he thanked her. “Thank you, Sister Qingzhi.”

Chu Qingzhi smiled at him. “Wait a moment.”

She returned to her room and wrote down the prescription. She walked out and handed it to Zhou Xiping. “Drink one bowl every morning and night for three years. It’s best if you don’t miss a day.”

Zhou Xiping was extremely excited. His hands trembled as he took the prescription. “Sister Qingzhi, 1 will always remember your kindness.”

No one knew how much he yearned to grow up. No one knew how painful it was to be shorter than everyone. But now, he could finally grow up.

After thanking Chu Qingzhi again, he ran to the county city to get the medicine as fast as he could.

Chu Qingzhi looked at Zhou Xiping’s cheerful back and couldn’t help but smile. This feeling… was quite good.

Shuiyun County.

Fuyuan Restaurant had a sworn enemy called Hongyan Restaurant.

Ever since Fuyuan Restaurant used the ice cream bars as a gimmick to attract customers, Hongyan Restaurant’s business had plummeted. Shopkeeper Qian was so worried that his hair turned white.

The shop assistant was worried that the restaurant’s business would not be good and that the shopkeeper would fire him. Hence, he took the initiative to suggest, “Shopkeeper, why don’t we learn from Fuyuan Restaurant?” Shopkeeper Qian immediately rejected it. “What’s there to learn? No matter how much you learn, you’ll only be imitating others. At that time, not only will you not attract customers, but you’ll also attract ridicule.”

The shop assistant said aggrievedly, “Then we can’t just sit around and wait for death, right?”

Shopkeeper Qian held his breath. “In any case, we can’t use Twelve Zodiacs ice cream bars.”

The shop assistant’s eyes suddenly lit up. “Shopkeeper, let’s use ice cream bars that look like cats, mules, and so on. How about that?”

Shopkeeper Qian said irritably, “I already said not to imitate others.”

The shop assistant looked at Shopkeeper Qian and lowered his head. Everything he said had been denied. It seemed that he was really going to be fired.

Shopkeeper Qian’s eyes suddenly lit up. “I’ve thought of a way.”

The shop assistant looked up and asked anxiously, “Shopkeeper, what is it?”

Shopkeeper Qian said excitedly, “Let’s go look for Miss Chu to buy some ice cream bars to sell in the restaurant. If people come to buy ice cream bars, perhaps, it will boost the business.”

The shop assistant nodded vigorously. “Shopkeeper, we can try this.”

After tidying up, Shopkeeper Qian set off.

In Chu Village.

Shopkeeper Qian asked the coachman to park the carriage at the entrance of the village and walked into the village.

As soon as he entered the village, he smelled a strange fragrance. He sniffed around and followed the fragrance to Chu Qingzhi’s house.

He was in the restaurant business for more than ten years and had a nose for delicacies. When he saw the steaming pots, he walked over. “What is this? It smells so good!”

Now, many families in the village were cooking rice dumplings at home, and the entire village was filled with fragrance.

In the courtyard, the people who were wrapping the rice dumplings heard Shopkeeper Qian’s voice.

Chu Eighth was closest to the door. She ran over and looked at Shopkeeper Qian with her dark eyes. She asked, “Who are you? What are you doing here?”

Living Paycheck To Paycheck In Quezon City? He Made ₱40M Overnight

Big Dreams, Bigger Bank Account: AI Made Her Rich At 25! Shopkeeper Qian asked anxiously, “Tell me what you are cooking first.”

Chu Eighth rolled her eyes. “Rice dumpling. It’s delicious.”

“Rice dumpling?” Shopkeeper Qian looked up and thought for a moment. Then, he couldn’t help but laugh. He thought to himself that he was going to be rich.

A villager went to call Shen Ruyue. Shen Ruyue immediately walked out. “Aren’t you Shopkeeper Qian?”

When Shen Ruyue was working as a servant girl in the county, she often went to various restaurants to buy food for her madam, so she knew many shopkeepers.

Shopkeeper Qian felt that Shen Ruyue looked familiar. He thought about it and remembered. “Eh, aren’t you Madam Shen’s servant girl? Why are you here?”

Shen Ruyue smiled and changed the topic. “It’s a long story. Let’s talk about why you are here.”

Shopkeeper Qian hurriedly said, “Yes, yes, yes. Originally, I wanted to buy some ice cream bars from Miss Chu to sell at the restaurant, but there’s no need for that now. Can you sell some of your rice dumplings to me?”

Shen Ruyue said tactfully, “Someone has already bought all these rice dumplings. If Shopkeeper Qian wants it, I’ll have to ask Qingzhi.”

Shopkeeper Qian immediately said, “Quick, bring me to see Miss Chu.” He was counting on the rice dumplings to make a comeback. He had to convince Miss Chu.

Chu Qingzhi happened to walk out after finishing her work. “Who are you?”

The moment Shopkeeper Qian saw Chu Qingzhi, his fat body became as light as a swallow. With a whoosh, he arrived in front of Chu Qingzhi. “Miss Chu, I’m Shopkeeper Qian from Hongyan Restaurant. I have a small business to discuss with you.”

Chu Qingzhi was very happy to have business knocking on her door. She raised her hand. “Shopkeeper Qian, please come into the house.”

Shopkeeper Qian responded quickly, “Okay, okay, okay. Let’s talk in the room.”

Entering the central room, Shen Ruyue served tea. Then, she called Chu Xuhua over and sat at the side to listen.

Chu Qingzhi said politely, “Shopkeeper Qian, just say it.”

Shopkeeper Qian said without even drinking the tea, “Miss Chu, I want to buy rice dumplings.”

Chu Qingzhi smiled and said, “Shopkeeper Qian, someone has already bought this batch of rice dumplings. If you want to buy them, you have to wait three days.”

“Three days…” Shopkeeper Qian was relieved. As long as he could buy it, it was fine. “Miss Chu, how much is this rice dumpling?” n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Chu Qingzhi said, “No bargaining. 25 copper coins each..”

Chapter 98: A Divine Doctor

“25 copper coins is acceptable, acceptable.” Shopkeeper Qian paused and said with some anticipation, “Miss Chu, I want to be your regular client. What do you think?”

Chu Xuhua and Shen Ruyue perked up when they heard that. Why would they refuse to earn money?

Chu Qingzhi had never thought of doing the rice dumpling business for a long time, but it was not bad to have a regular client for the rice dumplings… Chu Qingzhi smiled and said, “Shopkeeper Qian, how many do you want?” Shopkeeper Qian said confidently, “Five thousand a day is not a problem.”

Chu Qingzhi did not decide immediately. Instead, she turned around and asked Chu Xuhua and Shen Ruyue, “What do you think?”

Chu Xuhua and Shen Ruyue’s eyes were spariding. It was obvious that they agreed. However, on second thought, they realized that Qingzhi definitely did not ask them if they agreed. She must be hinting at something.

At this thought, the excitement on their faces slowly disappeared, replaced by calmness.

Chu Qingzhi saw the change of expression on their faces and secretly praised them. She wanted to tell the two of them not to show their emotions when discussing business. They had to make themselves look unfathomable. Only then would they be able to lead the other party by the nose.

Chu Xuhua pondered for a moment and said, “Fifth Sister, Shopkeeper Qian is very sincere. I think we can agree.”

Chu Qingzhi nodded. “If Shopkeeper Qian has really thought it through, we can discuss the details of the cooperation next.”

Shen Ruyue took out a pen and paper and drafted the contract one by one.

After discussing it for an hour, the contract was drawn up. The supply of 5,000 rice dumplings would start three days after the Dragon Boat Festival. It would last for a year.

Shopkeeper Qian tried the rice dumpling. The good taste made him completely relieved and he signed the contract readily.

Chu Xuhua politely sent him out.

At the county office.

Recently, the county magistrate had been very worried. He was so worried that he could not sleep.

It had not rained for almost two months. Some parts of the field had already begun to crack. Some crops that could not withstand the drought were about to wither.

These crops were the lifeblood of the villagers.

It was said that in places further away, the villagers went to the county office every day to protest. They asked the county office to think of a way to find water.

The county magistrate was so worried that he was losing hair.

At this moment, the secretary walked in briskly.

The secretary was in high spirits, as if he had a joyous occasion. “Your Lordship.”

The county magistrate frowned and hurriedly asked, “How is it?”

The secretary said, “Those villages that lack water have already found a water source by themselves.”

The county magistrate was surprised. “How did they find a water source?”

The secretary said mysteriously, “It was a person who helped.” n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The county magistrate glanced at the secretary. “Who is it? Don’t keep me in suspense.”

The secretary smiled and said, “It’s that little farm girl you think highly of.”

The county magistrate had a deep impression of the person the secretary mentioned. He immediately reacted. “Chu Qingzhi?”

The secretary nodded. “Yes, it’s her.”

The county magistrate’s brows relaxed slightly, and a hint of surprise flashed across his eyes. “That young lady has such ability?”

The secretary was also full of admiration. “That’s right. I heard that the young lady studied feng shui before. I wonder who is her master. She’s so impressive!” The county magistrate pondered for a moment and asked, “What is Chu Qingzhi doing now?”

The secretary had already asked around. “She’s helping the villagers find water.”

The county magistrate nodded slowly and revealed a thoughtful expression. After a while, he said, “Let’s not do anything for the time being. When Chu Qingzhi solves the water problem, I will report her achievements to the Imperial Court.”

The secretary cupped his hands respectfully. “Yes.”

The news that Chu Qingzhi could find a water source had long spread among the villages. Many village chiefs came to ask her to find a water source. She had already become a famous person.

At the southern border.

The sun was scorching hot, and there was a fireball-like sun hanging in the blue sky. The clouds seemed to have been evaporated by the sun and disappeared without a trace.

The tree hung its head dejectedly. The birds were too tired to migrate. Even the dogs couldn’t be bothered to find food…

The hot wind made people feel like they were being roasted over a fire.

At the edge of a forest at the border, there were endless white tents that stretched into the distance. From afar, it looked like a cluster of mushrooms.

In the military camp, an excited voice came from afar. “Little Divine Doctor, Little Divine Doctor, everyone is recovering…”

In a tent that was filled with the strong smell of medicine, at the table, a fifteen or sixteen-year-old youth was crushing the herbs with his head lowered.

The young man’s skin was very delicate. His eyes were bright and pure and his facial expression was serious. He was wearing a beige robe. He was thin and tall.

He was stunned when he heard that. Then, he put down the tools and walked out.

The soldier who shouted just now happened to arrive in front of the tent. He was clearly very excited, but when he saw the youth, he immediately became respectful.

The young man ignored the soldier and walked straight to the patients with a frown.

Ever since one person after another fell ill in the military camp, the general immediately got people to set up a quarantine area for the sick at the edge of the military camp.

The originally lifeless quarantine area became especially lively at this moment. Everyone chatted and laughed, feeling relieved that they had survived.

When the young man saw this scene, he did not need to take everyone’s pulse to know that they were recovering. He could not help but heave a sigh of relief.

Someone saw him and hurriedly bowed. “Greetings, Little Divine Doctor.”

“Greetings, Little Divine Doctor.”

The chief physician of the Imperial Hospital, Yuan Zheng, had a grandson who had displayed his medical talent since he was young.

At the age of seven, he memorized a palm-thick “Herb Compendium”. At the age of 11, he finished reading the medical books that his grandfather, Yuan Zheng, had collected for many years. After that, he went to various places in the Dating Dynasty. When he returned at the age of 15, he became a Divine Doctor who had been curing illnesses. He was famous throughout the Daling Dynasty.

When he heard that there were soldiers in the military camp who had fevers, vomiting, and diarrhea for unknown reasons, he took the initiative to come to the military camp to treat the soldiers.

Yuan Hongjun placed one hand behind his back and looked at everyone. He was young but calm. “Now that you are out of danger, it’s about time for me to go back to the capital.”

The soldiers cupped their hands. “Thank you, Little Divine Doctor.”

Yuan Hongjun turned around and walked back towards his tent. He thought to himself, I didn’t expect that there would be someone better than me in medicine. What a surprise.

He had to see what this person looked like.

After packing up, Yuan Hongjun bade farewell to the general and returned to the capital..

Chapter 99: Debt

In the Chu Village.

In the stable, Chu Eighth was carefully applying medicine to the horse.

Chu Qingzhi was asked to find a water source, so she couldn’t take care of the matters at home. Hence, she asked the children to help her.

The injured horse’s leg was still broken, so it lay on the ground. However, it was in good spirits. Its big eyes were sparkling.

Chu Eighth applied the medicine on the horse as she muttered, “After applying the medicine, you will feel less pain.”

There were a few close friends of Chu Eighth in the village. At this moment, they stood by the stable and watched.

Chu Hongxiu placed her hands on the railing by the stable and looked at the scene intently. “Chu Eighth, the horse’s injuries seemed to have healed a lot today.”

Chu Eighth reached out and touched the horse’s ear. “Yes, it’s no longer red and swollen. I’ll apply some medicine on it in the afternoon again.”

Chu Hongxiu was eager to try. “Why don’t we help you apply the medicine?”

Chu Eighth quickly raised her hand to stop them. “No need. Just stand there and watch.”

Chu Hongxiu really wanted to help. “The horse is so big. It’ll take you a long time to do it alone.”

Chu Eighth still refused. Her eyes widened slightly and she revealed a determined gaze. “1 don’t mind. I like to do these things.”

Chu Hongxiu was speechless.

They could only stand at the side and watch.

Li Qingwu’s daughter, Li Hongfeng, walked over. She looked at the horses enviously, so she walked into the stable and reached out to touch Fu Bao. “Chu Eighth, can you give one of your two horses to us?”

Chu Eighth raised her head and frowned. “Are you dreaming?”

Li Hongfeng touched Fu Bao lovingly, wishing she could bring it home immediately. This horse was too impressive. If she brought it home, everyone in the village would definitely be envious of their family.

“Don’t be so stingy. You don’t need an extra horse anyway. Raising two horses will cost your family a lot of money. 1 just want to share your burden.”

How shameless… Chu Eighth pouted and said unhappily, “Our family can afford it. You don’t have to worry.”

Li Hongfeng turned around and glared at Chu Eighth. She said with obvious displeasure, “Chu Eighth, you’re too unreasonable.”

Chu Eighth widened her beautiful eyes and glared back. “I’m unreasonable? You eat our food and live in our house. What else do you want?”

Li Hongfeng pursed her lips and said arrogantly, “We’re your relatives. What’s wrong with us eating some of your food?”

Chu Eighth snorted. “Then 1’11 go to your house to eat as well, okay?”

Li Hongfeng immediately retorted. “Our family isn’t as rich as yours.”

Because our family has money, you can eat and stay here for free?… Chu Eighth rolled her eyes. “My family’s money is borrowed…” After saying that, Chu Eighth acted like she had revealed a secret. She hurriedly covered her mouth and lowered her head uneasily.

She was instructed by her ninth brother to do this.

“What?” Li Hongfeng widened her eyes in disbelief. “Did your family borrow money?”

Chu Eighth nodded guiltily. “Yes, someone lent us the money to do business. We haven’t earned much from the business now and are already asked to pay back the debt. 1 wonder if my parents have saved enough to pay it back.”

She suddenly looked up. “Sister Hongfeng, if our family can’t pay it back, can you lend us some?”

“What makes you think our family has money? Think of a way yourself,” Li Hongfeng said and ran away in a panic.

Chu Eighth watched her leave. Then, she covered her mouth and giggled, thinking to herself, Li Hongfeng should have been fooled by my acting, right?

Chu Hongxiu asked with concern, “Chu Eighth, did your family really borrow a lot of money?”

Chu Eighth sighed and nodded helplessly. “Yes, we borrowed money to do business. Otherwise, why do you think we had money to do business?”

Chu Hongxiu comforted her. “Your family’s business is doing so well. You can definitely pay it back.”

“Of course.” Chu Eighth smiled secretly. Even her best friend believed her words. It seemed that her performance was really not bad.

Li Hongfeng went to look for Cao Zhilan, intending to tell her everything that Chu Eighth had just said.

As she walked, she suddenly saw a piece of paper left at the door of Li Qingyu’s room.

She picked it up and unfolded it. She couldn’t read, so she put it away, thinking of showing it to her father later.

In the front yard, she found Cao Zhilan and pulled her to a corner to tell her what Chu Eighth had said. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

When Cao Zhilan heard this, her expression changed. “Chu Eighth told you that?”

Li Hongfeng nodded affirmatively. “Yes, she said it out of panic. She even said that her family would borrow money from us.”

Cao Zhilan snorted when she heard that. “With so many working for them, I thought they were doing well, but in fact, they are about to go broke.”

Li Hongfeng asked softly, “Mother, what should we do now?”

Cao Zhilan already had an idea. “Let’s wait and see first. If it’s true, we’ll go home.” She would not lend the money no matter what.

Li Hongfeng nodded. “Ok.”

Li Hongfeng then went to look for Li Qingwu and handed him the paper. “Father, look at what’s written on it.”

Li Qingwu did not think much and unfolded the paper.

When he saw the word “IOU”, his heart sank, as if a basin of cold water had been poured on his head.

How could Chu Rong be so bold as to borrow fifty taels of silver to do business? How long would it take to earn it back?

He looked at Chu Rong, who was sitting on a chair beside him, and couldn’t help but want to ask if the 1OU was true. However, he felt that it wasn’t a good idea to ask, so he handed the IOU to Li Hongfeng and told her to put it back. He thought to himself that he would ask Chu Rong indirectly later to confirm if it was true.

Li Hongfeng left with the IOU.

Li Qingwu walked towards Chu Rong. The words lingered on the tip of his tongue but he couldn’t bring himself to ask.

Chu Rong noticed his abnormality and asked, “Second Brother, just say what you want to say. We’re brothers. There’s no need to hold it back.”

When Li Qingwu heard this, he slowly said, “Chu Rong, does your family owe a lot of money?”

Chu Rong was stunned. Then, he pretended to be surprised. “You know it?”

“I found out by accident.” Li Qingwu laughed awkwardly. “Chu Rong, why didn’t you tell us about such a big matter?”

Chu Rong forced a smile. “I was thinking about telling you. The half-month period is almost up. They want us to return the money. We’re not earning money at all from the business. I was about to ask you to lend us some money. Now that you’ve asked, I’ll take this opportunity to tell you. Second Brother, lend us some money. When we earn money from our business, we’ll return it to you.”

Li Qingwu expressed his doubts. “You haven’t made money from the business for half a month. Can you make money in the future?”

Chu Rong said honestly, “Qingzhi said that we can. We all believe her.”

Li Qingwu frowned. He originally thought that the Chu family was earning a lot of money, but in fact, they couldn’t even pay back their debts. It was too disappointing. “She’s a girl. Why do you trust her so much?”

Chu Rong lowered his head and continued working. “She reads a lot of books and is knowledgeable. We all listen to her..”

Chapter 100: A Little Tactic

Li Qingwu did not agree at all. Although he also felt that Qingzhi was very capable, he found it unbelievable that the entire Chu family listened to her.

“Third Brother-in-law, you’re the head of the family. Everyone should listen to you.”

Chu Rong paused for a moment and said, “I’ll keep that in mind, but since things have come to this, there’s no other way. Please help me.”

Li Qingwu thought to himself, How can I help? The money is with Cao Zhilan. Even if I want to lend you money, I can’t. He said vaguely, “Let me think.”

Although he did not have much hope, Chu Rong was still very disappointed.

Zheng Guixiang walked into the kitchen and pulled Li Qingyu, who was cutting vegetables, to the side. “Qingyu, 1 want to discuss something with you.”

Li Qingyu smiled. “Mother, if you have something to say, just say it.”

Zheng Guixiang said expectantly, “Now that your family is doing well but your two brothers are still poor, you have to help.”

Li Qingyu said, “Mother, I’ve already helped as much as I can.”

“How is that enough?” Zheng Guixiang glanced at Granny Chu, who was cooking, and said softly, “Qingyu, give your brother, sister-in-law, nephew, and niece a higher salary. Also, let your brother and sister-in-law be in charge. What do you think?”

Li Qingyu felt uncomfortable. “Mother, 1 don’t have the final say in this family. Besides, our family still owes others 50 taels of silver. They’re coming tomorrow to collect the debts. I’ve been worried about this.”

Zheng Guixiang could not help but raise her voice. “What? You owe people 50 taels of silver?”

It was already very good for a farmer to earn five taels of silver a year. In other words, 50 taels of silver would take ten years. It was not something ordinary farmers could afford.

Li Qingyu said helplessly, “We borrowed money to start the business, but half a month has passed and we haven’t earned any money. Mother, do you have any money? Lend us some and we’ll return it to you when we earn money.”

She thought to herself, Mother, don’t blame me. 1 have a family 1 want to protect too. I can’t let my family be taken advantage of.

When Zheng Guixiang heard this, she felt uncomfortable. “Seeing that you’ve hired so many people, I thought that you had made a lot of money. I didn’t expect that not only are you carrying a huge debt, but your business is also not profitable.”

Li Qingyu said sadly, “Mother, how can doing business be so easy? If it’s easy, won’t everyone become rich?”

Zheng Guixiang patted Li Qingyu’s shoulder. “Alright, you can continue cutting the vegetables. I won’t disturb you. I’m going out.”

She wanted to use the money in her hands to support her sons. In addition, if she lent her money, she might not be able to get a penny back. It was better not to take this risk.

Li Qingyu looked at Zheng Guixiang with disappointment in her eyes.

In the shed, a few young women sitting beside Fan Limei chatted as they worked.

“Sister Qingyu came to borrow money from me yesterday.”

“Me too. Did you lend her money?”

“Yes, we’re from the same village. How can 1 refuse her? Besides, we’re working for her.’

“I lent her money too. I hope it can help Sister Qingyu get through this.”

The more Fan Limei listened, the more she felt that something was wrong. She went up and asked, “Is the Sister Qingyu you’re talking about Li Qingyu?”

One of the women said, “Yes, what’s wrong?”

Fan Limei’s heart skipped a beat. She asked uneasily, “She really borrowed money from you.”

The woman nodded and said, “That’s right. Her family borrowed 50 taels of silver to do business. Now that they can’t pay it back, they naturally have to borrow it from someone. Don’t you know?”

Fan Limei shook her head. “I don’t know. I’ve never heard her mention it.”

“The debt collector will come tomorrow.” The woman turned her head to Fan Limei and said, “You’re relatives. You have to at least lend her ten taels of silver, right?”

Fan Limei felt as if she had been struck by lightning. She thought that the Chu family was their hope, but now all the hope was dashed. “Are you sure the debt collector is coming tomorrow?”

The woman said, “Yes, that’s what Sister Qingyu said.”

Fan Limei couldn’t sit still anymore. She quickly went outside to ask Cao Zhilan about the situation, but Cao Zhilan said the same thing.

The two of them went to look for Zheng Guixiang, only to hear the same thing.

Hence, the two of them firmly believed it.

In the corner, Cao Zhilan said resolutely, “Mother, Sister-in-law, I don’t have the money to lend her. If you have, you can lend her as much as you want.”

Fan Limei said, “If we don’t lend her the money, we definitely won’t be able to stay.”

Cao Zhilan’s tone was not good. “So be it. They can’t pay their debts. This place will become someone else’s sooner or later.”

In the beginning, Fan Limei was especially jealous of Li Qingyu’s good life. However, now that Li Qingyu had a huge debt on her, she was not jealous at all. Instead, she pitied her. “So be it. Let’s go say goodbye to them, okay?”

Zheng Guixiang didn’t want to lend money either. “Alright, go and tell Qingyu that we’re leaving.”

Fan Limei and Cao Zhilan nodded. “Got it, Mother.”

The three of them first went to their husband and children to explain the situation. Finally, they went to look for Li Qingyu and Chu Rong.

The two of them were surprised to hear that the Li family was leaving. They didn’t expect such a simple test to scare them off.

Fan Limei said in a self-righteous manner, “Qingyu, Chu Rong, we can’t help you with your family’s matters. Sorry for disturbing you for two days.”

Li Qingyu felt a little sad. It turned out that her family only wanted to share her wealth but not her difficulties. “Father, Mother, Brother, Sister-in-law, when are you leaving? I’ll send you off.”

Fan Limei looked at the setting sun and said, “We’ve already packed our things. We’ll leave immediately.”

Li Qingyu’s expression was a little ugly. “I’ll send you off.”

The Li family went to take their things. Li Qingyu walked behind to send them off. The other Chu family members also came out to see them off.

Li Hanhai thought that he could enjoy a good life for a few days, but he did not expect that the Chu family actually wanted to borrow money from them. Hence, he was frustrated and left the fastest.

Not long after the Li family left, Chu Qingzhi returned. Chu Eighth led Fu Bao out to eat grass. When Chu Eighth saw Chu Qingzhi, she immediately told her that the Li family had left.

The corners of Chu Qingzhi’s lips curled up. Not bad. With a small tactic, she made the Li family scurry away on their own.

She glanced at Chu Eighth and asked, “Did you apply the medicine on that injured horse?”

Chu Eighth said in high spirits, “Yes, 1 applied twice. The horse is already much better.”

Chu Qingzhi praised, “Good girl.”

Chu Qingzhi went home, took the hoe, and walked towards the wasteland.

Crackle crackle—

The sound of hammering, sawing, and knocking on bricks continuously sounded from the wasteland. A few days later, the groundwork of the house had been built and bricklaying had already begun..