Chapter 6: Unexpected Harvest

Su Tai put on a well-behaved and honest appearance. Shen Yi watched from the side, dumbfounded; he truly couldn't reconcile the docile Su Tai before him with the fierce woman from yesterday.

Su Changxi waved his hand and continued to pull Shen Yi along to look for a well-digging spot.

Just as Su Tai was about to leave, she heard Su Changxi point to a mountain peak next door and say, "That is also part of Dongmen Village's territory, though it's a bit far from the village. There used to be jackals on that mountain, so most villagers didn't go there. After the great drought, some of the animals in the mountains ran over there. Perhaps we can find a suitable spot to dig a well there. If we can't find one there, our village really has no hope."

Today, he had already selected two spots in the village with the highest probability of finding water and had the villagers try digging, but after an hour of work, the villagers were covered in dust and grime, yet there wasn't a hint of moisture in the soil they dug up. He really lacked confidence.

Shen Yi stared at the mountain and mused, "If there are jackals, there must also be wild rabbits and pheasants. Animals in the mountains are the most sensitive to water sources. If we can find where the small animals gather, we might be able to find a suitable spot to dig a well."

"Right, right, right!" Su Changxi's eyes brightened considerably, and he hurriedly pulled Shen Yi along.

Su Tai thought for a moment, gritted her teeth, and followed behind them. If she could find something valuable over there, it wouldn't be a wasted trip.

Su Changxi was so preoccupied with the well-digging throughout the journey that he didn't notice the little tail following behind him at all.

Shen Yi was aware of it, but he didn't say anything.

It wasn't until the three of them were almost at their destination that Su Changxi realized Su Tai had followed them. He was so anxious that he couldn't even speak clearly. "You, you, you, you child, why are you so disobedient! There are wolves in the mountains; they eat people! Go home immediately!"

Su Tai looked innocent. "I don't know the way back."

Su Changxi: "...Forget it! Just follow along!"

He had no choice but to keep reminding Su Tai to be careful.

After the three entered the mountain, they found that it was indeed much cooler than the outer mountain, and there were many more green plants, though all the edible wild vegetables had been picked clean, leaving only some shrubs.

After walking for a long time without seeing any small animals, Su Tai couldn't help but ask, "Village Chief, where are the wolves?"

Su Changxi was choked with anger. He turned his head and glared at her. "You unlucky child, if you can't speak properly, don't speak at all!"

Shen Yi wanted to laugh, but he held it in.

At this moment, his sharp eyes spotted a destroyed trap not far away. He ran over to examine it, used a branch to poke out the contents, and his expression turned grave. "It really is a wolf. It should have been dead for quite some time."

Su Tai leaned over and discovered that the wolf had turned into a dried carcass. She didn't know how long it had been dead, but the fur was still in good condition. She looked at Shen Yi with interest. "Brother Shen, can I have this to play with?"

Since she needed a favor, her tone immediately became sweet.

Shen Yi was stunned for a moment, then nodded.

Su Changxi scolded her crossly, "What's wrong with you, wanting to play with a dead wolf!"

He shook his head repeatedly. Because he knew Su Tai's situation, he didn't say anything harsh and didn't stop her, but he looked at Shen Yi with concern. "Should we keep going?"

Although finding a well-digging spot was important, now that they had stumbled upon a dead wolf, he suddenly felt a bit apprehensive.

Shen Yi pondered carefully for a while and mused, "Let's walk for another half hour. If it's still the same, we'll retreat."

It wasn't early anymore; they couldn't risk leaving the mountain in the dark.

Su Changxi breathed a sigh of relief.

Su Tai put the dead wolf into her rattan basket and weighed it. She found that it wasn't very heavy, presumably because all the moisture had dried out.

The three walked forward for less than half an hour before they finally discovered traces of wild beasts. Looking closely, they were large ones.

Su Changxi's face turned pale, and he hurriedly grabbed Shen Yi. "Forget it, let's just leave the mountain."

Shen Yi didn't feel confident either, so he could only nod and immediately led them back the way they came.

Su Tai was also frightened by the footprints and ran faster than a rabbit.

Su Changxi squinted his eyes, and seeing Su Tai moving with ease despite carrying the load, he quickly hurried to keep up.

After leaving the mountain, Shen Yi still had to go with Su Changxi to check on the villagers' well-digging progress. Su Tai immediately slipped away and ran all the way home. Seeing that no one was home, she let out a long sigh of relief, locked the door, entered the Space-Time Transit Station, and sold the dead wolf to the automatic trading cabinet.

After a while, the screen provided a detailed valuation. Although the wolf had been dead for several days, the hot weather had prevented it from rotting, turning it into a dried carcass instead. The fur was well-preserved, save for two holes, and the other parts could also be sold. The automatic trading cabinet offered a price of 500 virtual coins.

Su Tai was ecstatic. She clicked "Confirm Transaction," and her virtual coin balance became 502.

Five hundred virtual coins could upgrade the Water Space-Time, but if she chose to upgrade, she would become penniless again. The villagers were in urgent need of water, and she didn't have time to keep saving money.

Now, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and purchase the usage rights for a small spring eye.

When she emerged from the Space-Time Transit Station, Han-shi had just returned with her two sons.

Su Tai hurriedly brought out the ton of water she had bought to quench their thirst. The water in the kitchen, which had river silt settled at the bottom, was very fishy; it was fine for washing, but drinking it would easily cause an upset stomach.

Han-shi didn't think twice when she saw the water Su Tai handed her. She gulped down two mouthfuls before her eyes widened in shock. "Why does this water taste like spring water? It's so sweet!"

Su Zhan nodded repeatedly. "That's right, it's exceptionally clear and sweet. Sister, where did you get this? I haven't had such delicious water in a long time!"

Su Tai felt inexplicably nervous. Just as she was thinking about how to bluff her way through it, Su Changxi's voice came from outside. "Sister-in-law."

"Coming!" Han-shi trotted outside.

Su Tai breathed a sigh of relief and followed her out, only to find that Shen Yi was there as well.

Su Changxi asked, "How much longer until Chunlin returns?"

Han-shi shook her head. "Village Chief, it takes a full day to walk from here to the county seat. A round trip—I reckon he won't be home until tomorrow evening. Why do you ask?"

Su Changxi said somewhat embarrassedly, "Well, Shen Yi has come to our village to help, and I'll need to trouble him for another day tomorrow. I was thinking that since Chunlin is away, your family might have a spare room, so I came to ask."

"Oh! That's no trouble at all, he can stay at our place!" Han-shi enthusiastically went inside to tidy up, incidentally ordering Su Tai to help.

Shen Yi entered the courtyard and didn't stay idle. Seeing that the firewood was only half-chopped, he immediately went over to work.

Han-shi, inside the house, heard the movement, took a peek, and whispered in praise, "Shen Yi is so diligent. It's a pity."

"Mother, what's a pity?" Su Tai asked, puzzled.

Han-shi sighed. "It's about your marriage! Back then, Shen Yi's father, Shen Ping, saved your father and the other three. Shen Ping was a river-crosser who often helped the yamen runners retrieve corpses, so people thought he was bad luck and didn't like to associate with him. Once he died, life became difficult for his widow and orphan.

"Back then, everyone was poor, and we didn't know how to repay that life-saving grace. It was agreed that whoever had a daughter first would marry her to Shen Yi, which would also ease a great burden on Shen Yi's mother. That girl from the Mo family was born half a year earlier than you; otherwise, it would have been you betrothed to Shen Yi. Shen Yi is such a good man—he looks much better than that scoundrel Xiong Kai. It's just a pity our two families weren't fated."

Su Tai blinked, thought of what Shen Yi had told her, and blurted out, "Mother, Shen Yi was rejected by the Mo family."