Chapter 166: Banquet

Chu Qingning, who was greeting the guests, felt a light tap on her shoulder.

She turned around instinctively and saw a warm face. “Yujie.”

Tong Yujie was still as handsome as ever. He held a sword in his arms and was in high spirits. He raised his chin and asked, “Qingning, are you surprised to see me?”

Chu Qingning’s eyes were clear and filled with surprise. “I’m very surprised. Why are you here?” n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Tong Yujie said naturally, “Of course I’m here to eat.”

Chu Qingning frowned in confusion. “How did you know that we’re having a banquet?”

Tong Yujie walked towards Ning Yuting. “Everyone knows that Chu Qingzhi has been conferred the title of a baroness. I’m here to join in the fun.” Actually, he had finally found a chance to get close to Chu Qingzhi. When he saw her on the roof that night, he had been having the thought of sparring with Chu Qingzhi.

Chu Qingning looked at Tong Yujie’s back and narrowed her eyes. This guy’s background was unknown and he was skilled in martial arts. What was he planning to do?

With this thought in mind, she quickly went into the room to tell Chu Qingzhi.

When Chu Qingzhi heard Chu Qingning’s words, she walked out of the room. Tong Yujie was stuffing peanuts into his mouth. “May I know who you are?”

Tong Yujie pointed at Chu Qingning. “Tong Yujie, I helped your sister chase away a thief that day.”

Chu Qingning said, “Fifth Sister, he did help me during the Dragon Boat Festival.”

Chu Qingzhi said politely, “In that case, Young Master Tong, please take a seat.”

Tong Yujie waved his hand. “There’s no hurry. I have something to discuss with you.”

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When Bao Linjiang and Yuan Hongjun saw this, they walked over.

Chu Qingzhi narrowed her eyes. “Please tell me.”

Tong Yujie took out a letter from his pocket and handed it to Chu Qingzhi. “I want to challenge you.”

Chu Qingzhi glanced at the letter but did not take it. “I don’t accept the challenge. Young Master Tong, if you are here to eat, you can stay. If not, please leave.”

“You must accept the challenge.” Tong Yujie suddenly drew his sword. There was a crisp sound, and the air buzzed. However, before the sword could be fully unsheathed, Chu Qingzhi suddenly grabbed his wrist. Then, the two of them began to exchange moves silently.

Tong Yujie wanted to draw his sword, but Chu Qingzhi wouldn’t let him.

The atmosphere suddenly became tense. The laughter around them slowly faded away and everyone looked at the two of them nervously.

The tug-of-war between them lasted for about a minute.

With a clang, Tong Yujie put his half-unsheathed sword back. Chu Qingzhi let go of his wrist, and Tong Yujie’s hand trembled slightly. The veins on his forehead throbbed.

Tong Yujie cupped his hands. “Sorry for my impudent behavior, but Miss, I won’t give up on sparring with you.” He turned to Chu Qingning and asked, “Where is my seat?”

Chu Qingning hurriedly said, “This way.”

Tong Yujie left with Chu Qingning. Slowly, the atmosphere returned to normal.

Yuan Hongjun and Bao Linjiang quickly came over. “Master, are you alright?”

Chu Qingzhi smiled and pointed at Tong Yujie. “I’m fine but he is not.”

Yuan Hongjun and Bao Linjiang looked over at the same time. They were doctors and could see through Tong Yujie’s disguise at a glance. His arm was hanging weakly. It was obvious that he could not exert any strength.

Yuan Hongjun was filled with admiration. “As expected of my Master, you can subdue him with one move.”

Bao Linjiang glanced at Yuan Hongjun. “You only know how to flatter.”

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Yuan Hongjun kicked Bao Linjiang’s butt. “Little Abalone, I’m praising our master. How is that flattery?”

Bao Linjiang hid on the other side of Chu Qingzhi. “You are a bootlicker!”

“Stop fooling around. There’s a guest.”

The two young men immediately turned into obedient rabbits and went to entertain the guests!

Fang Zerong walked over with a box in his hand. He placed it on the table.

Chu Qingzhi walked towards him. “Zerong, is Jinghong free to come over for lunch?”

Fang Zerong turned around and waved his hand. “Jinghong has something on. He’s been very busy recently.”

Chu Qingzhi was a little disappointed. “I’ll prepare some food for him later.

Bring it back for him.”

Fang Zerong smiled and said, “Alright.”

When It was noon, Chu Xuhua and the others returned. Grandpa Chu stood at the door of the courtyard and said loudly, “The banquet is starting!”

The children and elders in the village had already sat on the chairs, their faces filled with joy.

As soon as Grandpa Chu finished speaking, the aunties walked out of the kitchen. They held large trays in their hands with dishes on it. There were a total of nine dishes.

These dishes were all steamed in a big pot that was used to cook rice dumplings.

The moment the dishes were served, the fragrance assailed their nostrils, making everyone swallow their saliva.

“Wow, it smells so good.”

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“One look and you can tell it’s delicious.”

“I can’t wait!”

The children were overjoyed and wanted to eat every dish they saw.

The leaf-wrapped sticky rice cake was served alone. There were eight people at a table, so there were 16 leaf-wrapped sticky rice cakes. There were two per person. After everyone ate the leaf-wrapped sticky rice cake, they were already full.

Chu Qingzhi invited the esteemed guests to sit in the central room. The dishes were the same, but the serving was doubled.

Chu Qingzhi took out a bottle of yellow wine and poured it for everyone. “Everyone, try this wine.”

“Miss Chu, thank you.” Everyone took a small sip except Sang Wanlu.

Fang Zerong put down his glass and asked curiously, “This wine is not bad. Qingzhi, where did you buy it?”

Chu Qingzhi said, “I bought it from the north. This is the only jar.” This yellow wine was given to her by a young man as a token of his appreciation. She refused it, but the young man insisted on giving it to her.

The county secretary picked up his chopsticks and said loudly, “Eat, eat. This dish looks delicious. Oh right, let me try this leaf-wrapped sticky rice cake. It’s something new.”

“I’ll have one too.”

“I’ll try it too.”

When everyone started eating, Chu Qingzhi came out to tell her two disciples. “If the two of you don’t mind, I’ll bring some dishes to the kitchen and get Eldest Brother and the others to eat with you in the kitchen.”

Yuan Hongjun and Bao Linjiang immediately said. “I don’t mind, I don’t mind.

Master, quickly call everyone over. We’ll set up the table.”

Chu Qingzhi smiled. “Okay.”

Hence, Chu Qingzhi’s family ate in the kitchen, leaving the other tables for the guests.

Bao Linjiang ate like he had been starving for a long time. After eating, he could not help but sigh in satisfaction. “This is the first time I’ve eaten nine bowls of rice. The food is so delicious.”

Yuan Hongjun teased him as usual. “You’re like a bird in a cage. It’s not surprising that you haven’t tried good food. If it weren’t for me, you might never have a chance to try it.”

Bao Linjiang glared at Yuan Hongjun. This person was really annoying. He retorted, “You speak as if you’ve tried it before.”

Yuan Hongjun raised his voice. “To be honest, I’ve indeed tried it before.”

Bao Linjiang rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue..

Chapter 167: Harvesting Wheat

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

In the afternoon, the villagers took sickles and went out to cut wheat.

Although 40% of the wheat in the wheat field was ruined due to the drought, it was a good thing that they could still harvest 60%.

The summer after the rain was no longer as hot. Walking in the fields was not so uncomfortable.

Chu Qingzhi’s family put on their straw hats and walked into the wheat field.

Li Qingyu didn’t let Chu Qingzhi do farm work. She let her stay at home to rest. It was already tiring enough to go to the north to help the refugees.

Chu Qingzhi actually didn’t want to do the farm work either, but she still followed them to the wheat field.

Standing at the edge of the wheat field, she looked up. The summer wind blew past the field, causing the wheat to rise and fall. It was a very beautiful scene.

In this era, rice was the main food. Of course, many people could not afford to eat rice. Flour was cheaper. Therefore, there were many people who planted wheat. Usually, once the wheat was collected and sunbathed for a few days, they would be sold to the wheat shop in the county for ten copper coins a catty.

Yuan Hongjun, Bao Linjiang, and Ning Yuting came to the wheat field together. As children of rich families who grew up in the city, they had never personally experienced the hardship of harvesting wheat. However, when they saw everyone drenched in sweat, they knew how hard it was.

Tong Yujie also came to the side of the wheat field with his precious sword in his hand. “Aren’t you going to help?”

Bao Linjiang glanced at him. “You’re eating and drinking for free, but I don’t see you doing anything.”

Tong Yujie scratched his ear and stopped talking. Chu Qingzhi was not easy to deal with, and her two disciples were also not easy to deal with.

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Chu Qingzhi ignored them. Looking at the large amount of wheat, she suddenly had an idea.

She asked her two disciples, “I’m going to the mountains. Are you coming with me?”

Yuan Hongjun and Bao Linjiang said in unison, “Yes.”

Chu Qingzhi waved at Chu Qingning. “Qingning, come here.”

Then, she said, “Father, Mother, 1 have something to do. If you can’t harvest the wheat, hire people to do it. There’s no need to save money.”

Li Qingyu replied, “We know. Go do your things.”

Chu Qingnin hurriedly handed the sickle to Li Qingyu and walked towards Chu Qingzhi. “Fifth Sister, where are we going?”

Chu Qingzhi led everyone back. “We’re going to the mountains to find something.”

Yuan Hongjun was curious. “Master, what is it?”

Bao Linjiang was also very curious. He looked at Chu Qingzhi, his black and blue eyes filled with curiosity.

Chu Qingzhi kept them in suspense. “You’ll know in a while.”

When they returned home, everyone took a basket, a pack basket, a small hoe, a woodcutter, and some other tools and followed Chu Qingzhi to the mountains.

Chu Qingning was a little afraid. “Fifth Sister, there are wild beasts in the mountains. Will it be very dangerous?”

Tong Yujie followed them and said, “I’ll protect you.”

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Chu Qingning looked at him and said without hesitation, “You can’t beat my fifth sister.”

“Uh…” Tong Yujie was speechless. “1 haven’t fought with her yet. How do you know?”

Bao Linjiang laughed. “I also want to find someone to spar with. Why don’t we fight? If you lose, stop pestering my Master.”

Yuan Hongjun asked, “Little Abalone, you told your uncle that you know martial arts? Is it true?”

Bao Linjiang gritted his teeth. “Yuan Hongjun, I’ll fight Tong Yujie first, then you. I’ll beat you until you kneel and beg for mercy!” Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Yuan Hongjun said nonchalantly, “Kneel and beg for mercy? If you are itching for a good beating, I can do you the favor.”

Ning Yuting, who was walking at the back, suddenly said, “Aren’t you doctors?”

Yuan Hongjun said, “Can’t doctors learn martial arts? If 1 didn’t know martial arts, my family definitely wouldn’t let me travel.”

Bao Linjiang clicked his tongue. “Can you not brag so shamelessly?”

Yuan Hongjun waved the woodcutter in his hand. “I’m telling the truth!”

As they spoke, they had already entered the mountain.

Beams of sunlight shone down from the dense branches, casting many light golden spots on the ground.

Chu Qingning asked softly, “Fifth Sister, what are we looking for now?”

Chu Qingzhi released her divine sense and observed her surroundings. At the same time, she replied, “We can pick anything useful, but the most important thing is to find hops.”

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Yes, she wanted to brew beer. As soon as she found hops, she could start brewing beer.

Hop leaves looked similar to mulberry leaves. They could be found in the depth of the mountains and forests.

Chu Qingning was dumbfounded. “What is hops?”

The others were also dumbfounded. They had never heard of hops.

Chu Qingzhi felt that it was too hard to describe it with words. She said, “1’11 tell you when 1 find it.”

“Okay.” Chu Qingning’s eyes suddenly widened. She focused her gaze and pointed ahead. She said excitedly, “Fifth Sister, it’s nutmeg.”

Everyone looked over. It was a very tall tree with fruits hanging from it. The fruits were round like cinnamon.

The nutmeg could be used to make medicinal herbs and spices. It was very expensive in the county.

Chu Qingzhi smiled and walked over. “We’re lucky. Everyone, pick some.”

Tong Yujie walked over quietly and grabbed the tree trunk. He activated his inner energy and the nutmeg fell like rain. “This will save us a lot of trouble.” Everyone who was hit by nutmeg was speechless.

Tong Yujie retracted his hand and hugged his sword as if nothing had happened. “Don’t need to thank me. You can pick it up.”

It was indeed much easier this way. No one said anything and bent down to pick it up.

They picked up about seven to eight catties.

After picking up the nutmeg, everyone continued walking. There were still many on the tree. They would come back to pick it when they needed it.

At this moment, the heavy footsteps of a wild beast sounded. Chu Qingzhi was afraid of scaring Chu Qingning, so she reached out and plucked a leaf. She played the leaf to make a tune and the footsteps became further and further away.

Tong Yujie looked at Chu Qingzhi. She could actually drive wild beasts away with tunes. Could she be a witch from the southern border?

The people of the Southern Border were good at controlling Gu worms, wild beasts, and other things.

However, Chu Qingzhi was born and raised in the Chu Village of Shuiyun County. How could she know this?

He suddenly felt that Chu Qingzhi was very mysterious..

Chapter 168: Guardian

After walking for a while, Yuan Hongjun and Bao Linjiang silently moved to Tong Yujie’s side.

Yuan Hongjun asked in a low and serious voice, “Why are you staring at my master?”

Bao Linjiang’s eyes darkened. “That’s right. My master is beautiful, but she’s already engaged. Why are you staring at her?”

Tong Yujie was speechless.

After wandering the world for so many years, this was the first time he had seen a disciple who was so protective of his master.

“First of all, I want to clarify that I don’t have any improper thoughts about your master. Secondly, I saw her playing a tune on the leaf to chase away the wild beasts just now. She is very powerful. I’m very curious, so I couldn’t help but stare at her. It’s that simple.”

Yuan Hongjun asked with a hint of threat, “Are you sure?”

Bao Linjiang pinched his fingers and three cold silver needles appeared in his hand. He waved them in front of Tong Yujie. “If you dare to have any evil thoughts, I’ll definitely cripple you!”

Tong Yujie raised his hand. “I’m sure. I won’t have any thoughts I shouldn’t have.”

These two young men were not to be underestimated. Their medical skills were superb. If they really attacked him, it was really hard to say what the outcome would be.

After achieving their goal, Yuan Hongjun and Bao Linjiang ended their temporary alliance and became sworn enemies again.

Chu Qingzhi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when she heard their words. However, she was quite happy that her two little disciples were protecting her.

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Ning Yuting looked at the two young men. He did not expect the arrogant two to place Chu Qingzhi in such an important position. It was surprising.

Tong Yujie smiled bitterly and followed.

Chu Qingning suddenly pointed ahead and said loudly, “Fifth Sister, that looks like Lingzhi.”

The few of them quickly walked forward.

Yuan Hongjun gestured excitedly at the lingzhi. “This lingzhi is the size of two palms. It’s more than ten years old.”

Bao Linjiang glanced at Yuan Hongjun and habitually bickered. “Oh, you think you are smart? I think it’s only eight or nine years.”

Yuan Hongjun retorted, “Get lost. I don’t want to talk to you. It will affect my mood.”

Bao Linjiang was unconvinced. “Master, how old do you think this Lingzhi is?”

“There’s a very simple way to tell the age of a lingzhi, which is to weigh it. For a lingzhi to weigh one catty, it will take at least seven years.”

Bao Linjiang said in admiration, “Master is the best.”

Yuan Hongjun muttered, “Bootlicker!”

Chu Qingzhi ignored the two bickering young men and said to Chu Qingning, “Fourth Sister, go pick some leaves and place them on the bottom of the basket. 1’11 dig up the lingzhi together with soil. I might be able to cultivate Lingzhi.” Chu Qingning said in surprise, “Really?”

Chu Qingzhi smiled and nodded. “We can try. It doesn’t cost anything anyway.”

Chu Qingning said, “Alright, i’ll go pick the leaves immediately.”

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Tong Yujie held his sword horizontally and leaned against the tree trunk. He looked at Chu Qingzhi and the rest lazily.

Ning Yuting stood at the side with his arms crossed. He looked at Tong Yujie and thought for a moment before asking, “I wonder where Young Master Tong is from?”

Tong Yujie kept looking in Chu Qingzhi’s direction. After a moment of silence, he said, “I’m sorry, I can’t tell you.”

Ning Yuting’s tone became stern. “If you don’t want to tell, please leave. Qingzhi is just a farm girl. Don’t hurt her.”

Tong Yujie smiled and said unhurriedly, “You want to be her guardian too?”

Ning Yuting was caught off guard and panicked slightly. “Don’t talk nonsense. There’s no such thing.”

Tong Yujie did not care about what Ning Yuting thought at all. “Then you’d better keep your mouth shut, Young Master Ning.” There was a faint warning in his voice.

Yuan Hongjun and Bao Linjiang surrounded Chu Qingzhi and watched her pick lingzhi. Bao Linjiang couldn’t help but ask, “Master, can you really cultivate lingzhi after removing it from the soil?”

“There’s a 70% chance.”

Yuan Hongjun said with great interest, “Master, when are you going to cultivate it? 1 want to see.” n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Chu Qingzhi said, “When we go back later, I’ll cultivate the Lingzhi in the herb garden. You can follow and watch.”

Chu Qingning carried the basket over. “Fifth Sister, do you think this is okay?”

There were three layers of leaves in the basket, so the soil would not leak out.

Chu Qingzhi looked at it and said, “It’s good.”

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After putting the lingzhi and lingzhi soil in the basket, the few of them continued forward.

“Knotweed!” Yuan Hongjun quickly stepped forward. Suddenly, he tilted his body and flicked the silver needles in his hand. A colorful snake fell to the ground. Three silver needles pierced through the sneak head.

Chu Qingning was shocked and covered her thumping chest. “That was close.”

Chu Qingzhi pulled Chu Qingning to her side. “Fourth Sister, don’t be too far away from me.”

“Ok.”

“This snake’s gallbladder is good stuff. The meat is not bad either.” Bao Linjiang went forward and pierced the snake head with a silver needle. The snake struggled twice and died completely. He put it in his basket.

Yuan Hongjun was speechless. Shouldn’t the snake be put into his basket since he was the one who killed it?

Bao Linjiang ignored Yuan Hongjun’s resentful gaze. “Hurry up and dig up the knotweed,” he said. “No one has been to this part of the forest before. There are so many good herbs.”

They dug out half a catty of knotweed. The gain was quite good.

The group continued to walk deeper. The environment became quieter, and there was a hint of danger in the air.

Then, the few of them dug up some medicinal herbs, but there were no hops that Chu Qingzhi wanted.

She couldn’t help but wonder. Could it be that there weren’t any hops?

Just as she was feeling discouraged, the smell of hops entered her nose. This made her excited.

“Roar…” The painful roar of a tiger was heard.

Tong Yujie flew to the front with light steps and shouted, “Squat down!”

Then, the roar of another tiger could be heard. This roar was filled with anger, helplessness, and sadness…

Chu Qingzhi moved to the front.

Tong Yujie wanted to reach out and pull Chu Qingzhi back, but Chu Qingzhi nimbly dodged him. “Nothing will happen. Don’t worry.”

Tong Yujie clenched his fists and retracted his hand..

Chapter 169: Picking Hops

There were two white-spotted tigers living in the cave. Here, on the left was the spring water, and on the right was a grassland. The mountain wall was covered in moss. In front of them was a large forest. Occasionally, the roars of wild beasts came from the depths of the forest. The environment was especially good.

The two white-spotted tigers had lived in this paradise for five years.

Today, they welcomed their third litter of babies, but what was heart-wrenching was that the tigress was having a difficult labor.

The painful growls made one’s heart ache.

Chu Qingzhi walked to the front of the cave and happened to see the tiger rubbing the female tiger with its head. There were tears in its big tiger eyes, and the female tiger’s body was already in a pool of blood and on the verge of death.

When the tiger saw Chu Qingzhi, it immediately walked towards her. It bit her clothes and dragged her to the tigress’s side, signaling Chu Qingzhi to save the tigress.

When Chu Qingzhi saw this scene, she felt a lump in her throat. She touched the tiger’s head and squatted down to save the tigress.

Chu Qingning, Yuan Hongjun, and Bao Linjiang were worried about Chu Qingzhi and followed her to the cave.

Ning Yuting and Tong Yujie followed closely behind.

Chu Qingzhi knelt on one knee and pressed one hand on the tigress’ stomach. At the same time, the tigress’ stomach kept bumping, as if the tiger cubs inside were moving. Chu Qingzhi was repositioning the tiger cubs. As long as the tiger cubs’ head was facing outwards, the labor could go smoothly.

Under Chu Qingzhi’s help, the tigress’s pain was relieved and it was not as afraid.

The tiger lay beside the tigress and gently licked its head to comfort it.

Suddenly, the tigress tensed up and whimpered. A moment later, a furry ball fell out of its body.

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Yuan Hongjun and Bao Linjiang wanted to help.

Chu Qingzhi hurriedly said, “Don’t move. The tigress doesn’t recognize you and will think that you’re going to snatch its cubs and bite you.”

The two of them hurriedly stopped in their tracks, and their understanding of their master’s power deepened.

Immediately after, another little tiger cub came out.

Chu Qingzhi touched the tigress’ stomach. There were more cubs inside. She secretly injected spiritual power into the tigress’ body to help it recover from its injuries. Otherwise, the tigress would definitely be in danger.

After stabilizing the tigress’s condition, Chu Qingzhi went to help the two tiger cubs.

The little tiger cubs were very weak, but they would recover after a day or two.

After taking care of the two tiger cubs and placing them in the hay at the side, Chu Qingzhi carried the tigress to the hay.

The tiger hurriedly lay down beside the tigress and licked its fur. It looked like it loved the tigress very much.

Looking at the scene, the few of them were very touched. It was touching that two tigers could love each other so deeply!

Chu Qingzhi cleaned up the blood and said to the tiger, “I’m leaving. Take good care of the three of them.”

The tiger glanced at Chu Qingzhi and let out a low roar, as if to express its gratitude.

Chu Qingzhi smiled and left the cave.

“Thud…”

When Chu Qingzhi and the others were more than ten meters away, the sound of something heavy falling to the ground came from behind. This caused them to turn around.

The tiger’s figure flashed.

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“What is it doing?”

They saw the tiger come out with the cub in its mouth and threw the cub away…

There was another thud.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

Yuan Hongjun was stunned. “Master, why did Tiger Father throw away its sons?”

Chu Qingzhi was also very confused.

“Wait for me here. I’ll go take a look.” She walked towards the place where the two tiger cubs had been thrown.

The two tiger cubs whined and crawled slowly on the ground. Their bodies were covered in mud, and their eyes were half-open. They looked extremely pitiful.

Chu Qingzhi picked them up and sent them back into the cave. “You’re their father. How can you throw them away? You can’t. Otherwise, they’ll die.”

As she spoke, she placed the little tiger cubs beside the tiger father.

After watching for a while, she left the cave.

Unexpectedly, she had just taken a few steps when the tiger came out with the little tiger cubs in its mouth and threw them…

Chu Qingzhi was speechless.

Yuan Hongjun walked over, full of confusion. “Master, what’s wrong with Tiger Father?”

Chu Qingzhi turned to look at the cave. “I guess it’s because the tiger loves the tigress very much. Just now, the tiger was frightened to see the tigress almost dying. It blamed all of this on the little tiger cubs, so it wanted to throw them away.”

Everyone was dumbfounded.

Bao Linjiang walked up to Chu Qingzhi. “Master, what should we do now?” n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Chu Qingzhi was silent for a moment. “Take the little tiger cubs away. Otherwise, they will definitely die.” They would either be eaten by other wild beasts or starve to death.

“Master, can you give me the little tiger cub?” Bao Linjiang’s eyes were shining like gems.

Yuan Hongjun quickly said, “Master, I want one too.”

Chu Qingzhi turned around and looked in the direction of the cave. “Bring them back. One for each of you. Raise them well and don’t abuse them.”

Bao Linjiang quickly said, “Master, what are you talking about? We can’t wait to pamper them. How can we abuse them?”

Yuan Hongjun also said, “That’s right. I’ll raise it to be majestic. In the future, I’ll walk it on the streets of the capital. How cool will that be?”

Chu Qingzhi went to pick up the two tiger cubs and placed them in the basket. Then, she followed the smell and found the hops she had been looking for.

It was a very lush tree. The leaves were like mulberry leaves, and the petals were wrapped together. The flower shape was very similar to mulberries. They were green and hung on the branches.

Chu Qingzhi pointed at the tree, her pleasant voice filled with joy. “That’s the hops I’m looking for.”

Yuan Hongjun put down the basket on his back and took out a woodcutter to sharpen it. “Master, how many do you want?”

Chu Qingzhi walked towards the hop tree. “A basketful will do.”

Everyone started to pick hops. Soon, the basket was filled.

“Let’s go home.”

“Ok.”

Chu Qingzhi brought everyone out of the mountain through a shortcut. They returned to the village in an hour.

However, the house was very chaotic.

A sobbing voice came from the crowd. “Third Sister, please save us, save us!”

Hearing the voice from afar, Chu Qingzhi frowned slightly and quickened her pace home.

The others quickly followed her..

Chapter 170: Complete Paralysis

Li Qingyin knelt on the ground and grabbed Li Qingyu’s clothes as she begged. She cried bitterly, her face filled with tears.

Beside her was a man in his thirties. He was dressed in rough clothes and his hair was slightly messy. He was also kneeling on the ground.

Behind the man stood four fierce-looking thugs. They were tall and muscular, looking very fierce.

Beside them knelt a 13-year-old boy and a five-year-old girl. The two children cried and wiped their tears. They were afraid and sad.

Li Qingyu was very flustered and did not know what to do.

Chu Rong and the others were working in the fields now. There was only Li Qingyu and Shen Ruyue at home, so they could not deal with such a situation.

When Li Qingyu saw Chu Qingzhi, his nervous heart immediately calmed down. “Qingzhi.”

Chu Qingzhi walked up to Li Qingyu and turned around to look at them. “Mother, what happened?”

Li Qingyu actually did not know what was going on either. Her sister kept shouting to save her and did not say anything else.

Chu Qingzhi glanced around. “Who wants to talk first?”

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One of the four thugs said, “Are you the person in charge ? If so, 1’11 tell you. If not, I’ll wait for the person in charge to come back. Otherwise, it’ll be a waste of breath.”

Li Qingyu hurriedly said, “My daughter is in charge. Just tell her.”

A hint of surprise flashed across the thug’s eyes. He suddenly had an idea.

The girl in front of him was top-notch in terms of appearance, figure, and temperament. If he could take her away, she could definitely attract a lot of customers to their brothel.

He kicked the kneeling man. “He slept with our girls, drank good wine, and ate good food, but he didn’t pay. We brought him home to get the money, but he said he didn’t have anything. He said that your family has money, so we brought him to your house.”

Chu Qingzhi wanted to kick this disgusting scumbag in front of her to the horizon. “How much did he spend in the brothel?”

The thug did the calculations. “Five taels of silver for each girl. One tael of silver for a bottle of fine wine. He brought five friends to the brothel. That adds up to 36 taels.”

Six taels of silver was enough to last a year for an ordinary family, but he spent 36 taels of silver in one night. This was horrendous.

Chu Qingzhi didn’t want to care about such a scumbag. “Do you think our family should pay for this?”

Seeing that Chu Qingzhi didn’t seem to want to care about this matter, the thug’s face darkened. “Aren’t you relatives?”

Chu Qingzhi asked, “Does that even mean anything?”

Li Qingyin hurriedly cried and begged, “Qingzhi, please save your uncle. Please save our family. 1 beg you.”

Her heart was filled with bitterness now. Not only did her husband want to hit her, but he also went to a brothel to find prostitutes. When he ran out of money, he wanted to sell his daughter. Her life was too miserable.

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The little girl hurriedly crawled over and grabbed Chu Qingzhi’s hand. She cried, “Cousin, if you don’t pay them, I’ll be sold to a brothel. Cousin, I beg you. I’ll sell myself to you to pay my father’s debt. It’s better than selling myself to the brothel.”

Chu Qingzhi lowered her head and looked at the little girl’s teary face. After hearing her words, she couldn’t help but feel a trace of compassion. This compassion was only for the little girl.

She pulled the little girl up and wiped her tears with a handkerchief. “It’s okay. Stop crying.”

Chu Qingzhi looked at the man who was kneeling there motionless with his head lowered. “Do you have anything to say?”

The man did not dare to look up, but he said something that angered everyone present. “If you want to buy her, go ahead.”

“What kind of man is this? She’s your daughter. You actually agreed to sell her?”

“Are you still a man?”

“How can you be so despicable? Marrying you is worse than marrying a dog.” Chu Qingzhi turned around and asked Li Qingyu, “Mother, what do you think?” Li Qingyu looked at her sister, nephew, and niece and could not bear to see them like this. However, if they helped this time, what if more relatives came next time to ask them for help?

“Qingzhi, 1’11 listen to you.” She wanted to help her relatives, but this was clearly beyond her ability. It was better to let her daughter decide.

When the man heard this, he quickly begged, “Qingzhi, save me this time. I won’t go to the brothel again. I won’t go again. Please save me.”

Chu Qingzhi was thinking about how to deal with this matter and did not answer him.

Not getting a reply for a long time, this man thought that Chu Qingzhi did not want to care about him. He actually turned around and pulled the sleeve of the thug. “My niece is so beautiful. She is definitely worth 36 taels of silver. Take her to your brothel!”

As soon as he finished speaking, four punches landed on his back at the same time. He groaned in pain and lay on the ground.

Yuan Hongjun, Bao Linjiang, Ning Yuting, and Tong Yujie attacked at the same time, all hitting his back heavily.

Yuan Hongjun walked over and stepped on the man’s head. “How dare you speak to my master like that? You are courting death!”

Bao Linjiang stepped on the man’s spine and exerted force. With a crack, the bone broke again.

“You really deserve to die, you know that?”

“As a son, you are not filial to your parents. As a husband, you can’t protect your wife. As a father, you can’t protect your daughter. What are you doing in this world? It’s really a waste of food, do you know that?” n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

The villagers nodded in agreement. What he said was right!

The pain of his bones breaking made the man break out in cold sweat. Even breathing was difficult for him. He said with difficulty, “I… 1 won’t dare to do it again…”

When Chu Qingzhi saw this scene, she knew what to do. “Mother, go and get 36 taels of silver to compensate him. My disciples injured him. 1 should be responsible.”

Li Qingyu hurriedly returned to the house to get the silver.

When the four thugs saw this scene, they could not help but take a step back. These people were even more cruel than them.

Chu Qingzhi threw the money to one of the thugs. “Count it.”

The thug quickly counted the money. “It’s just right.”

Chu Qingzhi shouted sternly, “Then get lost!”

The four thugs quickly ran away, afraid that the two young men would attack them!

Chu Qingzhi helped Li Qingyin up. “He’s paralyzed and can’t be treated. Just let him rot.”

When Li Qingyin heard this, she heaved a sigh of relief. This way, her husband would not hit her again, nor would he go to brothels or fool around. She, her son, and her daughter would be safe. “Qingzhi, thank you.”

Despair filled the man’s eyes, but he could not move his body except his eyes.

“Boohoo…” The man cried. His cries were filled with despair and regret, but it was too late..