Chapter 19: Never Stubborn in the Face of Money

The next day.

Xiao Ranshu woke up earlier than usual, and when she opened her eyes, Zhang Da Niang’s family hadn’t yet gone up the mountain.

After getting a dog, she had become slightly less lazy, thinking about taking it for a walk.

As soon as she opened the door to the main house, she saw White Flame lying at the entrance.

“White Flame!” she exclaimed in delight, surprised that a Husky could be so well-behaved, actually guarding the door for her.

White Flame stood up and rubbed against her leg, the tip of its drooping tail gently wagging.

Xiao Ranshu patted the dog’s head: “So good, smile for me.”

White Flame: “?”

Seeing no reaction, Xiao Ranshu directly reached out, pried open its mouth, pulled out its tongue, and left it hanging outside.

White Flame’s mouth was now half-open, tongue out, eyes wide, not daring to move.

After doing all this, she nodded in satisfaction: “That’s more like it.”

Finally, it resembled the Husky she remembered!

For a moment, White Flame questioned its existence. Though it didn’t understand, it obediently complied, keeping its mouth open and tongue out.

Its breathing rhythm was completely thrown off!

Xiao Ranshu circled around it once more, pointing at its tail: “Can’t you wag your tail?”

This time, White Flame understood. It immediately raised its drooping tail and gave it a little shake.

Xiao Ranshu immediately beamed with joy: “Yes, yes, just like that! Good dog!”

White Flame: “…”

Help, its master is so strange!

After Xiao Ranshu finished washing up, White Flame, maintaining its Husky persona, gently tugged at her sleeve with its mouth.

Xiao Ranshu: “What? Where? Do you need to go to the bathroom?”

As she asked, she followed along, only to arrive at the kitchen door, where two freshly killed wild rabbits lay.

Xiao Ranshu was utterly shocked and looked at White Flame: “You hunted these?!”

White Flame sat down, tilting its head obediently at her, still keeping its tongue out and breathing through its mouth.

Yesterday, the master had mentioned wild rabbits, so when it went out at night, it casually caught two. Just two, not too many. It would hunt something else tonight, ensuring the master had fresh food every day.

Xiao Ranshu hugged its neck and began rubbing it: “What a miraculous dog!”

Now, she wouldn’t have to rely on Zhang Da Niang’s chickens, ducks, and geese all the time—her dog could hunt.

As she spoke, she caught a glimpse of something shimmering with a silvery light in the water vat in the yard.

She leaned over to look and her eyes widened.

Holy cow! Silver!

Xiao Ranshu was stunned, looking back and forth a few times, then glanced up at the sky.

Is silver falling from the sky?

Is this water vat a Treasure Bowl?

Her materialist convictions were shattered into pieces once again!

Life was just too good—her adopted dog could hunt, and her water vat produced silver.

Though she couldn’t understand the logic, Xiao Ranshu happily picked up the silver, went back to the main house, and found a cloth bag to store it.

It was a whole handful of silver, so much that she couldn’t hold it all in both hands, filling the bag to the brim.

She didn’t know the prices in this world, so she wasn’t sure how much this silver was worth.

She’d ask Zhang Da Niang when she came…

She felt a sense of happiness, as if wealth was chasing after her!

Seeing the master so happy, White Flame wagged its tail in delight.

It had initially disliked the silver for being tainted with blood and death, so it had soaked it in the water vat. The Heaven-sent Spiritual Dew had purifying properties.

After a whole night, the silver was indeed free of any lingering foreign aura.

Not long after…

Zhang Da Niang and Lao Zhao arrived, just like the past few days, carrying a basket full of vegetables and meat. Today, the basket contained a large, plump fish.

When the two saw the wolf, now completely transformed from its appearance the day before, they were so shocked they almost didn’t recognize it.

Had the wolf turned into a dog overnight?

Not only did it look gentle and kind, but it also seemed a bit silly…

Soon, they noticed the wild rabbit by the kitchen door. When they heard it was hunted by White Flame, their jaws nearly dropped.

Could it be a Mystic Hound?

Even the wolf-dog casually adopted by the Fairy was a Mystic Hound!

They had thought it was just a wild wolf and had considered driving it down the mountain…

Xiao Ranshu went inside and brought out some silver, asking, “What can this buy?”

Zhang Da Niang thought to herself, “As expected of a Fairy, she doesn’t even know how to use silver.”

She explained, “Fairy, we usually don’t use silver directly. It’s too risky—someone might steal it. We first exchange it for copper coins, then use the coins to buy things.”

Lao Zhao waved his hand, “Not necessarily! Last time, Lord Qiu bought that Ru Kiln set with silver. It was very expensive!”

Zhang Da Niang nodded, “Right, right, I forgot. The things the Fairy needs would naturally require silver.”

Xiao Ranshu understood—silver was a high-value currency, something ordinary people rarely used.

She handed a portion of the silver to Zhang Da Niang, saying, “Thank you for taking care of us. This is what you deserve.”

After all, hiring someone to clean costs money. It’s not right to eat, live, and drink for free while being served.

Zhang Da Niang refused repeatedly, and Lao Zhao was even more startled.

They had received the Fairy’s kindness—how could they accept money? And so much of it!

Xiao Ranshu firmly pressed the silver into Zhang Da Niang’s hand, “Take it, or you’re not allowed to come up the mountain anymore.”

Only then did Zhang Da Niang accept it, and both she and Lao Zhao kept thanking her profusely.

Xiao Ranshu pointed to the ground, “Take one of the wild rabbits back with you.”

Lao Zhao panicked, “Absolutely not!”

Zhang Da Niang added, “This rabbit was hunted by the Mystic Hound. We wouldn’t dare…”

Xiao Ranshu insisted again, “Take it!”

Zhang Da Niang sighed, “Ah…”

Lao Zhao quickly agreed, “Yes, yes, we’ll listen to the Fairy.”

They were truly afraid of upsetting Xiao Ranshu, their voices now much softer.

Xiao Ranshu smiled, “There’s still the fish today, right? One fish and one rabbit will be more than enough for me and White Flame.”

In fact, it might even be too much.

“Alright, alright!” Zhang Da Niang nodded repeatedly, smiling as she walked to the water vat to fetch water for washing the vegetables.

White Flame suddenly stood up, almost breaking its quiet command to speak.

The water’s dirty!

It had washed off blood…

Xiao Ranshu stopped her just in time, “Wait, is there another water source?”

The vat was the Treasure Bowl, and she didn’t want to disturb the water inside.

What if it produced more silver tomorrow?

Though it might be superstition, this was money!

She didn’t believe in gods or spirits, but she had once knelt for hours in the Temple of Wealth. Now, she wouldn’t mind bowing to this vat.

The five elements interact—water generates metal, flowing water generates wealth.

Makes perfect sense!

Zhang Da Niang nodded, “Yes, there’s a stream not far from here.”

Lao Zhao added, “Fairy, is the Heavenly Dew not usable? There’s a bucket in the kitchen. I’ll go fetch water from the stream.”

His son had told him that the layout of this courtyard was extraordinary, and even a single brick shouldn’t be moved. Now that the Fairy didn’t want the vat touched, there must be a reason.

As soon as he finished speaking, White Flame darted into the kitchen like a gust of wind, grabbed the bucket with its mouth, and rushed out.

Lao Zhao was stunned, “This…”

Zhang Da Niang exclaimed in amazement, “As expected of a Mystic Hound. It understands everything.”

Xiao Ranshu was momentarily surprised. She hadn’t expected White Flame to take the initiative like this.

White Flame leaped through the mountains, covering ten meters in a single stride, and soon returned with a full bucket of water, not spilling a single drop.

The water vat in the courtyard wasn’t for daily use, so Lao Zhao went on a chopping spree, cutting down trees and building a large wooden tub in the eastern kitchen.

Upon seeing this, White Flame once again grabbed the bucket with its mouth and dashed out. After several trips back and forth, it filled the wooden tub with water, making it convenient for Zhang Da Niang to cook.

Lao Zhao and Zhang Da Niang watched in amazement, repeatedly exclaiming, “Lord White Flame!”