The Whole Village Thrives After Adopting a Lucky Girl

After being beaten, Chen Zhao was significantly more obedient.

Since then, he has quietly apprenticed with Chen Tiantian, not daring to act out, at least not openly.

As a result, they lived in peace for a while.

Soon it was Mid-Autumn Festival, and Dr. Li gave Yingbao a few days off to go home for the holiday.

One afternoon, Jiang Quan picked up his little cousin in a carriage, with Jiang Jie also on board.

“Sis! Sis!” Jiang Jie jumped off the carriage to help his sister with her parcel, laughing, “This time Mr. Wu gave me a five-day break, so I can relax at home.”

Yingbao rubbed his head, asking, “How do you plan on relaxing?”

“Brother Yuanbao said he wants to catch fish in Chuanhe, and bring it back to town to make fish sashimi for his master.”

Yuanbao was also studying in the town, but was not a student of old Mr. Wu.

Uncle Jiang Sanlang found a well-renowned home tutor for his nephew, said to have had several scholars and even a degree holder among his students.

Yingbao: “Then let’s go fishing. Auntie Erlang also said that when I get back, we can go to North Mountain together to pick soap pods. We can visit North Mountain then.”

“Okay.” Jiang Jie climbed back into the carriage, also lending a hand to his sister.

Once the two were seated, Jiang Quan drove the carriage away.

At this point, Chen Tiantian came out from the medicine hall and stood at the door, lost in thought as she watched the departing carriage.

On the way, Jiang Quan told his little cousin about recent incidents at the shop.

“A few local hoodlums came to our shop a few days ago, saying they wanted protection money. If we did not give it, they said they would rob us.”

Jiang Quan fumingly said, “They even smashed several of our candied fruit jars.”

Yingbao was not surprised at all, as in her previous life, even when she was just selling ice water, she was extorted by local thugs. Reporting to the government office was of no use, because the constables were in cahoots with the thugs.

Eventually, she spent a substantial amount of money to bribe a tough guy to deal with those thugs, which finally resolved the issue.

But she didn’t need to do that in this life because she had Wu Daozi, the strongest backer.

“Brother, did I not tell you to send some fruit to the chief constable and the arrests officers Golden Five and Cheng San every month? Have you done so?”

It’s more efficient to deal with local officials first and give those chief constables and constables a bit of bribery, if that doesn’t work then bring out the higher official.

“I did. Those two even came to our shop once,” said Jiang Quan. “But we never ran into each other.”

Yingbao: “Then find an opportunity to have them meet.”

Their offerings should not be wasted, they should do something in return.

Jiang Quan expressed difficulty. “How can we make them meet?”

“I’ll go to the county town after a while.” The local thugs in the county town are just a few groups, some even inherited their father’s business. Yingbao had dealt with them many times in her previous life.

Finding those people is quite easy.

“Oh.”

His little cousin always had ideas, Jiang Quan saw no harm in asking her for advice whenever he encountered a problem.

Anyway, he was just a laid-back cashier; his big brother and little cousin were covering things from above. He was happy with how relaxed he was.

Upon returning home, Yingbao was warmly welcomed by two dogs. Jiang Wu had just returned from a martial training ground. Seeing his sister and brother, he demanded to spar.

Spring lady grumbled, “Enough messing around, go wash your faces, dinner will be ready soon.”

The group of kids rushed off to wash their hands and faces, while Jiang Sanlang helped his wife set up dinner.

Today, there was steamed fish, braised chicken with bamboo shoots, fried green shrimp, boiled eggs, cabbage tofu, cold cucumber salad, a bowl of winter melon soup, and a plate of cut cantaloupe.

Spring lady had also cooked a pot of golden ear porridge, adding lotus seeds and wolfberries.

The family happily ate their reunion meal. The next day was Mid-Autumn Festival, when they would celebrate the holiday with their uncle Erlang, grandpa and grandma.

Mid-Autumn Festival was the same as in previous years, with bamboo towers erected and lanterns hung up, a moon worship ceremony followed by dinner.

But this year was different from last year, because South Slope was no longer occupied by just the Jiang family, but by forty other households.

Every home had lanterns hung and tables of offerings set outside their doors. After dinner, they set off river lanterns, making for a lively sight.

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, Yanru took a few nieces and nephews to North Mountain to gather soapberries.

Soapberries not only could be made into scented cosmetics, but their seeds could also be peeled to produce translucent soapnuts.

Jiang Quan carried a long bamboo pole with a sickle tied to one end. Whenever he saw a soapberry tree, he would go over and cut soapberries, letting his younger siblings pick them up from the ground.

These soapberries grew on tall trees with sharp thorns, which they couldn’t reach without the long bamboo pole.

Yingbao quietly gathered a lot of soapberries and kept them, planning to cultivate seedlings in her cave house.

The fence around their village was never completed, posing a great risk.

The soapberry trees were thorny and toxic, not only protecting against bandits but also wild animals. Once she had grown soapberry saplings, she planned to plant them around the village for added security.

Even if unexpected events happened in the future, this layer of protection would ensure the villagers’ safety, and her own as well.

She cared less about the drama of storytelling. All she wanted was to live a peaceful life with her parents and siblings.

“Sister! Youyou ran into the forest!” Jiang Wu shouted, wanting to chase after him, but Yuanbao held him back.

“You cannot go in.” Yuanbao held tightly onto his younger cousin, “There are wolves in the forest.”

Not only were there wolves, but also other dangerous wild animals. It was extremely risky for a three- or four-year-old child to venture into the woods.

Yingbao was anxious as well. She shouted several times, “Youyou! Youyou!” But there was no response from deep inside the forest.

Upon seeing this, Jiang Quan quickly climbed up a tall tree. Peering into the distance, he saw a few deer darting away, followed by a large deer wearing a saddle.

“Oh no, Youyou ran off with the deer.”

Jiang Quan descended from the tree, telling his cousin, “We won’t be able to catch up.”

Perhaps if their uncle was there, they might be able to chase after them.

But they were all young children, and he was the oldest among them. Yet he didn’t dare venture into the mountain alone.

As for his aunt, she was a woman, how could she possibly run into the forest chasing deers? Even if she wanted to, she couldn’t catch up.

After a while, Yingbao relented, “Let it be. I just hope the saddle on Youyou’s back won’t hurt it.”

Jiang Jie and Jiang Wu were both teary-eyed.

Since birth, they had grown up with Youyou as a companion, considering it a part of their family.

But now that Youyou had just run off like that, they were more devastated than anyone else.

Seeing her brother in tears, Yingbao tried to console him, “Don’t be sad. Maybe it will come back in some time.”

Jiang Jie and Jiang Wu pursed their lips, wiped their tears, and nodded in agreement.

“Or we could go back to the village and ask for help,” suggested the second aunt. “Since the deer herd is here, they are unlikely to leave soon.”

Yingbao shook her head, “No, what if they hurt Youyou?”

Not everyone would care about Youyou’s welfare. She would rather let Youyou go free than see it hunted down by the villagers.

The group then spent some more time picking soapberries until their baskets were full, but Youyou still didn’t come back.

Seeing that it was getting late, Yanru suggested, “Let’s go back. Tomorrow, we’ll ask your father to come and see.”

Yingbao and her brothers nodded and reluctantly descended from the mountain, glancing back every few steps.

The next day, Jiang Erlang, Jiang Sanlang, and a few villagers went to North Mountain to look for the deer herd, but they couldn’t find them even after two days of searching.

Upon returning, Jiang Sanlang had no choice but to tell his daughter that Youyou had really joined the deer herd.

Yingbao was no longer upset, “Let it be.” She figured that Youyou must have been lured away by the female deer in the herd.

She blamed herself for not finding a does for Youyou earlier.

Jiang Sanlang patted his daughter’s head, “Once dad is done with his work, I’ll catch you another one from the forest.”

“I don’t want it.” she said, resolving never to keep deers as pets again.