Chapter 35 – Harvesting Energy

Zhou Yu was also a little curious—how exactly were the Zhao family planning to lure him to that place?

He hadn’t expected them to be so patient. They didn’t take the initiative to come forward at all.

It was only after he suggested going to look for a water source that they finally sent Zhao Hu out.

Zhao Hu scratched the back of his head awkwardly and said, “Lord Zhou, my mother said the mountain winds are strong, and An’an is too little. With a shortage of medicine and doctors these days, if she were to catch a cold, it’d be a big problem. So, they’re not coming along this time.

“I’m strong, quick on my feet, and I know these mountain roads well. There’s not a single village or peak around here I haven’t been to!”

Zhou Yu smiled and patted his head. “Alright, then. Thank you for your hard work.”

This time, Zhang Jin Zhi also came along. He brought with him a topographic map of the surrounding area that he had drawn on behalf of Zhou Yu during a prior survey of the region.

Zhou Yu gave him an approving look.

Zhang Jin Zhi replied modestly, “My abilities are limited. I’ve only covered these few villages. The rest of the surrounding mountains, I haven’t explored yet. Most of the clues here came from the villagers, so the map isn’t completely accurate.”

“A general understanding is good enough,” Zhou Yu nodded. “As long as we’re not groping around blindly, we’ll manage.”

Zhao Hu naturally couldn’t read the map, so Zhang Jin Zhi gave him a simple explanation. Zhao Hu suddenly understood, “Oh! So it’s kind of like flying in the sky and looking down at our area from above?”

Everyone laughed.

Zhou Yu said warmly, “That’s actually a pretty good way to put it.”

Zhao Hu scratched the back of his head and laughed sheepishly. He thought to himself that he had to ask his sister later if she could read maps. This Mr. Zhang always talked in such an abstract way—it was hard to follow.

The group soon left Tongshu Village.

Under Zhou Yu’s subtle guidance, they took many detours and didn’t reach the mountain behind Huaihua Valley until the third day.

But even then, they kept taking winding routes.

Zhao Hu was getting a bit anxious, his gaze flickering. If they could find that place sooner and dig up some water, it would not only benefit the surrounding villagers, but it would also reduce the pressure on their own Tongshu Village.

Besides, the weather was getting colder by the day. The ground hadn’t frozen too deeply yet, so it was still diggable. In a few more days, the deeper frost would make digging a well even harder.

Zhou Yu noticed this and felt rather pleased—this child really had a sincere and dedicated heart.

But ultimately, he was still young and couldn’t hide his feelings. Everything showed on his face.

So Zhou Yu couldn’t help but gently advise him, “Huzi, don’t rush. As the ancients said, ‘Sincerity brings results.’ I believe we’ll make a discovery very soon.”

Zhao Hu rubbed his head and gave a silly laugh, though he didn’t quite agree in his heart. That place was really remote.

Fortunately, Zhou Yu soon led the group to the spot they had previously discovered, where a patch of green land stood out.

Everyone cheered and rushed forward. Without waiting for Zhou Yu’s orders, they picked up their hoes and began digging in the center, scraping away the frozen topsoil before switching to iron shovels.

Zhou Yu said, “Instead of digging a well this time, let’s dig a pool. If we hit water, we’ll mobilize people to dig irrigation channels.”

The group enthusiastically agreed. Some were assigned to carry stones to build the pool, while others kept digging or began setting up a pounding frame for compacting.

Because Zhao Hu was young, he wasn’t allowed to do heavy labor. Instead, he gathered firewood and helped out in small ways.

Since Auntie Zhao and Qin Ying didn’t come along, Auntie Zhong didn’t either. Cooking duties fell to Zhang Jin Zhi, who was physically frail.

But Zhang Jin Zhi had never done such chores before—he had always believed in the motto “A gentleman stays away from the kitchen.”

He wasn’t as efficient as Zhao Hu, so soon Zhao Hu took over as cook.

Truthfully, Zhao Hu’s cooking was so-so at best, but thankfully this group of people wasn’t picky. Being able to eat hot food already made them feel content.

Just like that, three days passed, and finally, they hit water. The upper part of the water pool had already been compacted and built with stones, with a water outlet installed. The rest of the pool was fenced off to prevent drowning accidents.

Once water emerged, they threw plant ash into the pool and began planning the route for irrigation channels.

When the villagers of Huaihua Valley heard the news, they came on their own. When they saw that water had truly been found, they were so overjoyed they dropped to their knees and kowtowed to Zhou Yu. Then, without waiting for his response, they jumped up and ran back down the mountain.

Before long, the entire village of Huaihua Valley was mobilized. Everyone came voluntarily to dig the irrigation channels.

By midday, villagers from the neighboring Sanli Village also arrived. They followed the planned route, digging channels down the mountain.

At the border between the two villages, they began expanding the existing, dried-up pond into a larger reservoir.

After An’an gained 0.5 energy, she insisted on joining the excitement. The site wasn’t far, and there were indeed many spectators. Auntie Zhao and the others mingled in the crowd, completely unremarkable.

Now that it was nearly the twelfth lunar month, the frost was deep. After walking a lap outside, your eyebrows and eyelashes could frost over.

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that water would freeze upon hitting the ground.

Yet even in such cold weather, villagers were still digging in thin clothing. Steam rose from their heads and bodies—that was sweat from hard labor.

Auntie Zhao and Qin Ying couldn’t help but feel distressed at the sight.

An’an counted on her tiny fingers and thought, If my mother feels distressed, I feel it too! How can I let Mama and Grandma worry?

She cast her Koi Luck blessing on the villagers. Just like before, ninety percent of the energy dispersed, but even the remaining ten percent brought them great benefit.

All the villagers brought their own dry food, but during breaks, Zhou Yu made sure hot water was delivered. He never let them drink raw water and used the chance to educate them: they should always drink boiled water at home too—it would reduce illness.

The villagers were very moved. Even during breaks, their conversations were filled with gratitude toward Zhou Yu.

Ding! Energy +1.5

An’an blinked her big eyes. Did a pie just fall from the sky?

Just then, she saw Zhou Yu walking toward them and was instantly inspired.

How wise my decision was back then! Staying close to Handsome Uncle means I can keep harvesting energy—big chunks of it!

Moreover, Handsome Uncle hadn’t exposed her special nature. She didn’t know if headquarters had activated any protection protocols, but based on the surveillance data, Handsome Uncle was deliberately protecting her!

Oh wow, what a good man!

This is someone worth relying on!

When is my useless biological dad coming back, anyway?

From the few things Grandma had let slip, he didn’t sound like a good match at all! Only after Mama broke free from that trash could she truly blossom!

If only Handsome Uncle would make the first move…

She opened her arms toward Zhou Yu and called out in her sweet, childish voice, “Hug~”

Mama had bundled her up so thickly, it was hard to move!

But to the people watching, her struggle to lift her little arms looked incredibly endearing.

Zhou Yu subconsciously quickened his pace. When he reached them, he greeted Auntie Zhao and Qin Ying, then asked if he could hold An’an.

Seeing An’an’s “heart’s already with him” expression, Qin Ying had no choice but to hand her over and apologized to Zhou Yu.

Zhou Yu smiled and said, “Miss Qin, no need to be so formal. I really like An’an too.”

An’an tilted her head and looked at him. It’s been days since I last harvested energy from Handsome Uncle