Chapter 7: The Mountain Goddess

Wang Shi gently stroked Xu Nian’s forehead again and again, murmuring an incantation:

“Ancestors’ decree, Vajra shields both sides, a thousand-mile soul-binding spell, return to your true self. Nian’er, Nian’er, come back!”

Xu Nian had only been pretending, so she conveniently “woke up” in response to Wang Shi’s ritual.

Tian Shi rejoiced, “Mother, she’s awake! Your method really works!”

Wang Shi proudly replied, “I’ve cured many children’s nightmares in the village with this technique.”

“Mother is amazing!”

Watching the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law grow more and more excited, Xu Nian felt speechless. Her act wasn’t over yet!

She secretly pinched her thigh hard, making her eyes instantly turn red with pain.

“Grandmother, Mother, I dreamed of the Mountain Goddess!”

“What?” Wang Shi asked in shock.

“The Mountain Goddess said my blood had shielded the creatures of the mountain from disaster. As a reward, she restored my memories and even prepared a few gifts for me.”

Xu Nian swallowed nervously and continued making things up, “One of the gifts is right up on that slope. The rest… the Mountain Goddess was just about to tell me when I woke up.”

Tian Shi was frightened—was her daughter getting even sicker?

In contrast, Wang Shi was completely convinced, though she deeply regretted her timing. Why did she have to recite the incantation right when the Mountain Goddess was speaking to her granddaughter? If only she had waited!

The reason Wang Shi believed Xu Nian so easily was because Dahe Village had a tradition of worshiping the Mountain God.

According to legend, one year, a severe drought struck Qingyun City, leaving corpses scattered across the land. People were so desperate they ate anything they could find.

A five-year-old child found a newly hatched chick but couldn’t bear to eat it. Instead, he secretly released it.

Unexpectedly, that chick was actually the incarnation of the Mountain God. To repay the child’s kindness, the Mountain God brought rain, saving all the people of Qingyun City.

Everyone in Qingyun City knew this story—of course, the original Xu Nian had heard it too, which is why she decided to use it now.

When Wang Shi mentioned the legend, Tian Shi covered her mouth and murmured, “That child later became the top scholar… Does this mean our Nian’er will also have great fortune?”

Xu Nian twitched the corner of her mouth. Her mother sure knew how to dream big!

Wang Shi didn’t waste time thinking too much—her mind was fixated on what treasure the Mountain Goddess had given them.

While the rest of the village slept, Wang Shi grabbed Xu Nian’s hand and led her up the mountain. Tian Shi wanted to go too, but she obeyed Wang Shi’s instruction to stay behind.

The grandmother and granddaughter duo pretended to go relieve themselves as they boldly walked into the mountains.

Following the path she had scouted during the day, Xu Nian led Wang Shi to the designated spot. Since she had a terrible sense of direction, she hadn’t hidden the items too far away. They walked less than 300 meters before stopping.

Pointing at a crooked tree, Xu Nian said, “Grandmother, I remember the Mountain Goddess mentioning this place in my dream, but I don’t know what’s here.”

Wang Shi pulled Xu Nian along, stepping closer. In the moonlight, they saw that the tree was covered from root to branch in thick vines, though they couldn’t tell what kind of plant it was.

The unfamiliarity made it seem even more mysterious.

“Big girl, do you think… could this be the gift from the Mountain Goddess?” Wang Shi asked hesitantly.

Xu Nian looked at the vines Wang Shi was pointing at and felt a headache coming on. She should probably give a clearer hint.

She took two steps forward and gasped in a low voice, “Grandmother, there’s really something here!”

Wang Shi hurried over and pushed aside the vines—sure enough, two objects lay hidden underneath.

Wang Shi picked up the items, just about to touch them with her fingers, when Xu Nian quickly grabbed her hand.

“Grandmother, the Mountain Goddess said these are farming tools—one is called an iron shovel, and the other is a sickle. They’re both sharpened and extremely sharp.”

Wang Shi, startled, quickly nodded. “I won’t touch them, then. Let’s hurry and take them back. You know, the Mountain Goddess is quite generous. This much iron must be worth a lot of money.”

Of course, Xu Nian didn’t bother explaining that they were made of stainless steel.

“Big girl, did the Mountain Goddess tell you anything else?”

“Not much… Oh, right, Grandmother! The Mountain Goddess said that the gifts she gave me must only be known to our family. If outsiders find out, a divine punishment will befall the Xu family descendants.”

“Aiyoh!” Wang Shi’s legs nearly gave out, and she almost collapsed to the ground. Luckily, Xu Nian held her up.

“Don’t worry, don’t worry! I definitely won’t say a word. Big girl, if you dream of the Mountain Goddess again tonight, be sure to tell her that besides our family, no one else will ever hear a thing.”

Xu Nian nodded in agreement.

When the two returned, Tian Shi was still awake. Wang Shi hid the items under a bundle on the handcart, not letting Tian Shi see them.

“Everyone, go to sleep quickly. We’ll talk about this tomorrow.”

Xu Nian, having settled her biggest concern, slept soundly and without a care. But Wang Shi and Tian Shi tossed and turned the whole night, unable to sleep.

The next morning, even before dawn, Wang Shi woke up her sons and daughters-in-law.

“Old woman, we’re taking the mountain road today—it’s going to be exhausting. Why not let everyone sleep a little longer?” Xu Laoye questioned.

Wang Shi ignored him, gathering the entire family together and instructing each person to cover their mouth with their hand.

The others were puzzled, except for Tian Shi, who obediently complied. After Wang Shi insisted again, everyone finally covered their mouths.

Only then did Wang Shi, with a mysterious air, quietly recount everything that had happened the night before.

As if to confirm her words, Tian Shi kept nodding in agreement.

Then, Wang Shi carefully took out the hidden iron shovel and sickle.

“These are the divine tools bestowed by the Mountain Goddess. She said they are farming implements, but I can’t quite remember their names. You can ask Big Girl.”

The Xu family members stared wide-eyed. Even Xu Yaozu, who had been skeptical, couldn’t help but believe it when he saw the two objects.

After all, the Sheng Dynasty simply didn’t have the technology to produce such fine iron tools. Even the Yan Yang Kingdom, known for its metalworking skills, couldn’t craft something like this.

Xu Laoye trembled with joy—heaven was truly watching over the Xu family!

Wang Shi then repeated Xu Nian’s warning.

“This matter is for our family only. It must never be spread outside. Otherwise, the Mountain Goddess will bring divine punishment upon our descendants.”

Before anyone else could respond, Zheng Shi was already nodding frantically. Her two sons were her lifeblood—she would never risk their safety.

Even after everyone swore secrecy, Xu Laoye still made the entire family take an oath. He wasn’t being heartless, but this concerned the future generations of the Xu family. He couldn’t take any chances.

After much discussion, the family decided to make the discovery of the tools appear more natural. When discarding the cart later that day, they would retrieve the tools from it.

If anyone asked about their origins, they would say Xu Yaozu had bought them from the city.

Once everything was decided, the sky had begun to lighten. The rest of the group gradually woke up and started preparing for departure.

The Xu family ate breakfast and carried out their plan as discussed.

As Xu Laoye unloaded the donkey cart, taking out each item to organize, the iron shovel and sickle immediately caught Xu Ji’s attention.

He couldn’t help but wonder—when did their family acquire these? Though puzzled, he kept quiet. Instead, it was a nearby villager who voiced the question he had in his mind.

Xu Laoye responded exactly as they had planned, explaining that Xu Yaozu had purchased them from the city.

The villagers didn’t doubt it—after all, the Xu family’s financial situation was stable enough to afford two iron tools.