Chapter 96: Remember Your Promise Today

Hu Zhaodi said, “If your grandson doesn’t kneel, I won’t be angry. Uncle, I’m still young and haven’t reached my coming-of-age yet. I’m meant to live a long life, so I can’t let your grandson kneel before me. It would shorten my lifespan.”

After saying this, Hu Zhaodi took out three silver bills, each worth ten taels, and handed them to the old man.

“These are three silver bills, thirty taels in total. Please accept them and use them for your grandson’s education.”

Tears welled up in the old man’s eyes. “Child, I really can’t accept this much!”

“Enough, think of it as my contribution to your grandson’s schooling. If he can pass the exams and achieve success, he should give back to his hometown and its people.”

The young man’s eyes reddened. “Benefactor, my name is Lin Youcheng. Please tell me your name and address so I can repay your kindness in the future.”

Hu Zhaodi thought for a moment. Since her house hadn’t been built yet and her name hadn’t been changed, telling the young man her name wouldn’t help him find her later.

Thus, Hu Zhaodi replied, “You don’t need to know my name now. If you need to find me, you can go to Fumanlou and ask my sworn brother there. He will tell you where I am.”

Han Dongsheng stood up and spoke, “Young brother, if you face any difficulties in the future, you can come to Fumanlou and look for me. My surname is Han, and I am the owner of Fumanlou.”

“Thank you, benefactor!”

Hu Zhaodi waved her hand with a smile. “No need to be so polite, but I do have one request.”

“Please feel free to ask, benefactor.”

“If you succeed in the exams, you must be a good official who serves the common people well. If, unfortunately, you fail, would you be willing to serve me?”

Lin Youcheng nodded earnestly. “I am willing. If I pass the exams, I will definitely serve the common people well and be a righteous official. If I fail, I will swear to follow you to the ends of the earth.”

“Good. Remember your promise today!”

“I will remember it in my heart.”

The old man put away the silver bills and, with tears in his eyes, was about to bow to Hu Zhaodi.

Hu Zhaodi quickly stopped him. “There’s no need for that, you two. Mother, shall we go feed the chickens?”

“Yes.”

The old couple’s daughter-in-law was already in tears, filled with gratitude. “Thank you, benefactor!”

Hu Zhaodi patted the rough hand of the woman, offering silent encouragement, before turning to accompany the elderly woman to prepare to feed the chicken.

She reached into her pocket and, with a thought, a packet of common sleeping powder appeared in her hand.

Opening the packet, she poured a little into the food of the chicken, while mixing it well. The elderly woman then asked Hu Zhaodi and her group to wait under the eaves.

“Cluck, cluck…” The elderly woman called out to the chickens, scattering the feed on the ground.

The chickens flapped their wings and gathered around, happily pecking at the food.

After a short while, all twenty-eight chickens collapsed.

The elderly woman’s eyes were filled with sorrow, tears welling up.

The old man fetched three chicken cages, and with tears in his eyes, he carefully placed the unconscious chickens into them.

Once all the chickens were inside, Hu Zhaodi took out the antidote and sprinkled it into the cages.

A few moments later, the chickens all woke up.

The elderly woman, seeing this, finally relaxed.

After bidding farewell to the elderly couple, Hu Zhaodi and her group each carried a chicken cage and placed the chickens onto the carriage.

The elderly couple stood outside their small courtyard, watching them leave with grateful faces.

Once they were on the carriage, Wu Yinghai spoke up. “Zhaodi, you’re too generous. Thirty taels for twenty-eight chickens? You’re helping that young man, but do you think he’ll really remember your kindness?”

Hu Zhaodi smiled carelessly. “Whether he remembers or not, itdoesn’t matter, but that Lin Youcheng is definitely not an ungrateful person.”

A fifteen- or sixteen-year-old youth with such clear and pure eyes is truly rare.

Moreover, that old man and his wife could barely straighten their backs anymore. I just wanted to help them, not asking for anything in return.

I’m not a bad person, but neither am I a naive fool. If someone is worthy of my help, I’ll offer it.”

Han Dongsheng and Wu Yinghai both nodded in agreement.

However, none of them could have predicted that Hu Zhaodi’s good deed today would eventually lead to her gaining a loyal and formidable general.

Back at Fumanlou, the three of them placed the chicken cages onto Hu Zhaodi’s carriage.

Han Dongsheng instructed the kitchen to prepare lunch, and the three of them went to a private room on the second floor.

Wu Yinghai said, “Zhaodi, do you think the chickens you bought will be enough?”

“Yes, yes. I just need to buy some ducks and geese now.”

“Those are hard to come by. You’re busy building your house, and there’s so much going on at home. Why don’t you head back today, and I’ll go ask around elsewhere? If I can find any, I’ll buy them for you and you can come pick them up.”

Hu Zhaodi laughed playfully. “Big Brother Wu, you’re just like a real brother to me. How can you be so good?”

“Who told you to be my sister?”

There was one thing Wu Yinghai didn’t say aloud: it wasn’t easy for Hu Zhaodi to earn money, and he couldn’t bear to see her spend her hard-earned money helping others.

If the people she helped were grateful, that was fine, but if they didn’t even understand gratitude, it would just be a waste of her hard-earned money.

His younger sister was still young, and as her older brother, it was his duty to help her make sure her kindness wasn’t taken advantage of.

After lunch, Hu Zhaodi had her two sworn brothers take her to buy some corn.

She had raised so many wild boars and chickens, and she couldn’t just feed them with the Ji family’s grains.

After buying a lot of corn, Hu Zhaodi said goodbye to her brothers and left.

On the way back, she found a shady, secluded spot and stopped the carriage. She transferred all the chickens into her space, storing them in the plot of land behind her supermarket.

She also stored the corn and then took out a cloth bag. From her space, she retrieved some rice and flour, poured them into the bag, and tied it tightly before driving the carriage back to the village.

When she arrived at the Ji family’s house, the gate was still locked.

Hu Zhaodi took out the key, unlocked the door, and unloaded the rice and flour from the carriage.

After unloading, she led the horse to the stable and fed it some hay.

Once the horse was fed, Hu Zhaodi went to start a fire to prepare the pig’s entrails for braising.

Just as she finished preparing the pig’s entrails, she scooped some rice from the rice jar to rinse for cooking when Aunt Ji returned.

“Zhaodi, you’re back. You didn’t go to the mountains today?”

“Aunt, I went to the county to buy rice and flour today. You should go rest for a while. I’ll cook today.”

Aunt Ji smiled kindly. “I’m not tired. I didn’t work for long. It’s not like I’ve done any heavy labor, so how could I be tired?”

“Even so, it’s still physical work. Go rest for a bit.”

But Aunt Ji couldn’t sit still. She put down her hoe and went to the garden to pick some vegetables.

Hu Zhaodi, helpless, allowed her to continue her work.

Before long, Ji Chunhua also returned.

She had been working in the small pine forest all day and she would return to help Aunt Ji with cooking while she worked on making clothes.

Hu Zhaodi started cooking the rice and began preparing the side dishes.

After some time, she finally sat down to rest.

An hour later, Uncle Ji and Old Scholar returned.

Hu Zhaodi and Aunt Ji quickly served the meal, and the whole family happily enjoyed a bountiful dinner.

Evening.

Hu Zhaodi closed her room door and entered her space with a thought.

She checked on the chickens she had bought today behind the supermarket, and seeing they were all safe and sound, she returned to the front of the supermarket.

Looking at the large bags of corn, Hu Zhaodi frowned.

“???”