Huh? Isn't this an adventure kingdom building game?!-Chapter 89 Qiao Mei Saves Her Daughter

Wilderness Ascension, under the morning light, Jiang Yuan began harvesting the rice that matured overnight from yesterday’s planting, pondering that it’s enough to grind quite a bit of rice, but next time planting big strawberries would be more profitable.

Harvesting, sowing, watering, once all the tasks were done, the master and apprentice sat down for breakfast.

"Master, what do we need to do today?" Wan Mingchuan asked, "Do you need me to chop wood or gather mushrooms? Actually, I think I’m quite good at mining as well, I always feel bad for eating without working..."

Jiang Yuan looked at the Melting Workshop, from which white smoke was rising, and shook his head, "Why feel bad? How much can you really eat? Focus on cultivating without wandering thoughts. I’m also staying in today to continue incense making and Origami People and Horses. We’ll decide tomorrow whether to chop wood or dig in the Old Dragon Cave."

The skills gained from side quests level up much faster than the system’s inherent skills. With all the materials available, yesterday, half a day on incense sticks upgraded the Incense Making Skill to Level Two. The higher the level, the more types of incense can be made and with better quality. Besides wanting to sell incense sticks at the Cloud Grocery Store, Jiang Yuan also wanted to try selling them in the real world.

After all, medicinal incense has various effects, the simplest being treating insomnia, which works much better than taking sleeping pills. Finding the right sales channel would surely be easier than selling fruits, wouldn’t it?

Meanwhile, on the other side of Cat Mountain in Riverfront Village, everyone became busy after the Wilderness Ascension.

The village chief directed the men to chop trees and bamboo to build a simple pavilion by the river, while he asked the women to heat water for Lin Chunxi to bathe and change clothes.

"Mother, what should we do?" Lin Chunsheng asked with red eyes, looking at his mother, "Why not take the opportunity while they’re busy to run away with the gold? I’ll find an axe and save sister, let’s meet in Anping Town!"

Looking at her still childish son, Qiao Mei shook her head woodenly, "No, you cannot save Xi’Er. But you are right; we do need to escape!"

She seized her son’s hand, lowered her voice, and instructed, "Go and dig up the gold I have hidden. They’re busy with the ceremony this morning, and the supervision won’t be strict; remember to take the rabbit meat. Hurry up!"

Lin Chunsheng did not know what plan his mother was making, but obediently took advantage of the chaos when no one was watching to sneak home, dig up the cloth bag of Gold Coins, and rush to an abandoned house to find some dirty jerky in the dry sand.

"Take these two hundred Gold Coins with you." Qiao Mei quickly allocated the money, pushed him, "Take the jerky for eating on the road, run towards Anping Town, and I’ll make a scene with the village chief to create a diversion for you to run hard when chaos breaks out!

Remember, go northeast, and you’ll see the town. If you can’t wait until your mother and sister arrive in town, be smart, don’t let others know you have so much gold. Find a good cloth shop to buy some clothes, then look for a place to rent a house..."

As she advised him, tears flowed uncontrollably, "You have to shop around and rent a cost-effective place to settle down. From now on... you are a man and must learn to survive in these troubled times..."

Lin Chunsheng wanted to say more but was stopped by Qiao Mei, "Your father is dead, and your sister is in great danger now. Mother has to find a way to save her. If you don’t leave and get caught by the village chief, you’ll become another hostage. Our family cannot be tied onto the same rope! Listen to me; now go to the edge of the village and act when you hear your mother’s commotion to distract the guards!"

"Mother, you and sister must come!" He cried too, tears streaming down, "I will be waiting for you in Anping Town!"

Qiao Mei nodded, her gaze firm, "If we don’t come, you must live well under any circumstances. In the future, if you have the ability, avenge your mother and sister, and if not, live honestly. Even if mother becomes a ghost after death, I will protect you."

The farewell between the mother and son was brief and poignant. Lin Chunsheng took one last look at the simple pavilion draped in red silk, which was where his sister, after washing up, would await the wedding ceremony.

He couldn’t see his sister’s frail figure, only taking a deep look at his mother to engrave the scene in his heart, then biting his lip to suppress his sobs, he dashed into the village, running north.

From that direction, it wasn’t far to the lush forest, and even if the village chief mobilized everyone to search, it wouldn’t be easy to catch him in the dense forest.

"Xi’Er! My pitiful Xi’Er!" Qiao Mei, having estimated her son had reached the village entrance, suddenly wailed out loud, rushing towards the simple pavilion near the river, tearing at the red silk, crying, "Give my daughter back! Let whoever wants to be the River God’s bride be it, just let my daughter contribute to the village!"

The villagers were all in high spirits, even though they hadn’t eaten enough in the morning, each worked hard because marrying a wife to the River God would allow for the ritual and River God’s blessing. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

Not only would there be no fear of the wilderness looming, but they’d also be under the River God’s protection with favorable weather, which was a great joy!

When they heard the discordant cries, their faces immediately fell.

"Women are just short-sighted. Your daughter’s chance to be the River God’s bride is a blessing many wish for but can’t get. What’s with all this crying!"

"Damn, your daughter has had the porridge and meat, and she’s lucky to receive this great fortune, yet you, her mother, still cause trouble, do you have no shame?"

"Drag her away quickly, don’t delay the auspicious time. If we offend the River God and bring a curse to the village, we’ll all be out of luck..."

...

Qiao Mei kicked up a fuss, rolling on the ground. The village chief called out, "Get some strong men to drag her away for me!"

The guards meant to prevent villagers from slacking off were attracted over. Qiao Mei saw from afar her son’s figure disappear into the forest, finally stopping her cries.

She took the opportunity to grab the village chief’s sleeve, softly pleading, "Chief, for the sake of our pitiful orphan family, please spare my daughter. I have gold! I’ll give it all to you if you find another willing girl to be the River God’s bride for her. I’m begging you!"

Gold?!

The village chief’s eyes instantly brightened, and he motioned for the onlookers to disperse, leading her to a corner to ask, "What gold? Where did you get it? Is it real?"

"Promise me you’ll exchange my daughter first!"

"This..." The village chief furrowed his brows, hesitating briefly before deciding, "As long as your gold is real, I’ll think of a way. I’ll claim Lin Chunxi’s body isn’t clean and that the River God requests a replacement. You must get the gold quickly; it’s still time to change someone. Any later, and it’ll be too late!"

Qiao Mei took two Gold Coins from her bosom and handed them over, "As long as you exchange Xi’Er for me, I’ll give you the remaining three."

Grabbing the gold coins and biting them, the village chief, seeing the real gold, trembled with excitement.

After all these years of tiptoeing around in the Xu family, his aim was to live well, but as an untrusted son-in-law, the village was poor, and he hadn’t even seen a piece of real gold.

At this moment, the shine of gold sparked in his eyes, making him feel elated, his face revealing a few disreputable expressions, "The village is a small place, if you really have more gold hidden, I would find it even if I had to dig three feet deep.

Your daughter, ah, the River God choosing her is her fortune.

If you ask me, with the village offering grain exemptions for the River God’s bride’s family, you’d better seize the opportunity to get Chunsheng a wife to have some children. Wouldn’t the house then be lively? You could even pick a man for yourself, as the village plans to take in some refugees, letting you have the first choice at that time..."

He said, ready to make a move.

The matter of the gold was only known to them, best to act first and eliminate her, then find the hidden gold. He would no longer be the ridiculed son-in-law but an esteemed person in Anping Town!