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With food and drink, Fish and the two masters of Flower Palace were living quite comfortably. Under Fish's calculations, the three of them found a relatively thin section of the mountain wall. They took turns using Inner Power to strike at one spot, gradually creating a hole large enough for a person to pass through, though they still hadn't broken through the entire wall. Fortunately, Hua Wuqie and the others chose to dig from the other side of the wall. With both sides working together, it took only a short while before the wall was breached, and the two groups successfully joined forces.
Hua Wuqie and his companions assumed that Fish and the two masters of Flower Palace were starving and in dire straits. However, upon seeing them now, they were surprised to find that all three had rosy complexions and looked energetic, showing no signs of fatigue.
"Fish, aren't you hungry?" Hua Wuqie asked, wondering if there was food and drink in the cave.
Fish understood his meaning and chuckled, "Old Hua, let me tell you, when we were in the cave, we encountered a divine being..."
Watching the two brothers walk away with their arms around each other's shoulders, Compassionate Star Master hesitated before speaking to Moon Invitation Master. "Sister, should we continue with our plan? I think we should let it go. People are watching. What if we anger the divine being?"
If Compassionate Star Master had said this in the past, Moon Invitation Master would have scolded her severely. However, after experiencing the miraculous appearance of food out of nowhere, Moon Invitation Master had to admit that divine beings existed in this world, and they seemed to favor Fish. If they angered a divine being... but how could she swallow her pride if it meant preventing those brothers from turning against each other?
Compassionate Star Master understood her sister's thoughts and sighed. "Sister, it's been eighteen years since this happened. Why do you keep dwelling on it and making yourself miserable? I've heard that taking a step back can lead to broader horizons. Why not take a step back and free ourselves? Besides, do you really want to see Wuqie die at Fish's hands?"
Moon Invitation Master snorted coldly. "It might just be Fish who dies at Hua Wuqie's hands."
Compassionate Star Master sighed again. "Sister, don't you understand Wuqie's character? He would rather die himself than harm anyone else. Moreover, with divine protection, how could Fish possibly die?"
Moon Invitation Master remained silent.
After a long pause, she finally sighed softly. "Let me think about it some more."
………………
In the world of The Book and the Sword,
In Snow Valley, relying on Vulture for food, Di Yun and Shui Sheng managed to survive most of the winter. However, Vulture was becoming increasingly scarce, and food was dwindling. Di Yun and Shui Sheng could only afford two meals a day each, one of which was just meat broth with hardly any meat in it. Meanwhile, Flower Iron Stick began to contemplate ideas about dead bodies...
Shui Sheng gazed at the gloomy sky outside the cave, filled with deep concern. Spring in Snow Valley arrived later than in other places, and she wondered when the heavy snow that had blocked the roads would finally melt. Trapped in Snow Valley without food, they would soon starve. "My lord, I beg you, grant us food; let the snow blocking the road melt quickly; allow me to take my father's body back to our hometown so he can rest in peace..."
Suddenly, a rustling sound caught Shui Sheng's attention. She looked down at the ground, then slowly raised her head. In an instant, she knelt down and knocked her head on the ground nine times. "Thank you, my lord, thank you!"
Di Yun, who had just returned holding a dead Vulture, stared wide-eyed in surprise. He had witnessed the scene unfold moments ago but was slower to react than Shui Sheng. Now, he stood there dumbfounded, unsure of what to do.
Shui Sheng stood up and shot him a fierce glare. "You wicked monk, why are you still standing there? Hurry up and bow down to thank my lord!"
That evening, the two of them still had meat soup for dinner, but this time it contained several golden chunks of food.
Di Yun stared at the golden pieces in the pot and broke the usual silence. "What is this?"
"I don't know," Shui Sheng replied. Sweet Potatoes had been introduced to Huaxia from overseas during the Ming Dynasty but were not widely cultivated; very few people grew them. Neither Shui Sheng nor Di Yun had ever seen or recognized them. "It's something bestowed by the divine; it should be edible."
As they spoke, the Sweet Potatoes were ready, releasing a unique sweet aroma that mingled with the scent of meat, making it particularly enticing. Both Di Yun and Shui Sheng couldn't help but swallow hard. Shui Sheng filled a bowl with Sweet Potato and handed it to Di Yun. He took it and silently took a bite.
It was delicious! Sweet and sticky with an incredible texture. For two people who had been eating unseasoned roasted meat and soup for so long, these golden chunks were an unparalleled delicacy.
"There are over sixty Golden Sweet Potatoes; if we ration them, they should help us get through this winter," Shui Sheng said after swallowing a piece.
"Golden Sweet Potato?" Di Yun asked in confusion.
Shui Sheng nodded. "We don't know what this is called. Since it's all golden inside, let's call it Golden Sweet Potato."
Di Yun agreed with a nod. "That's a good name."
After winter passed, the road from Snow Valley to the outside world finally reopened. Shui Sheng and Di Yun left Snow Valley at last. They each had their own matters to attend to and thought that they might never see each other again in this lifetime as they parted ways.
Di Yun left Jingzhou City, holding Water Spinach, and set off on his journey alone. He no longer wished to linger in the martial world; he wanted to find a remote place where no one would tread, to raise Water Spinach into maturity.
He returned to the Hidden Border's Snow Valley. The heavy snow began to fall like goose feathers as he arrived at the entrance of the cave from his past.
Suddenly, he spotted a girl standing in front of the cave from a distance. It was Shui Sheng!
Her face was full of joy as she ran towards him, calling out, "I waited for you for so long! I knew you would come back!"
Di Yun's heart was instantly filled with warmth, and he managed to show Shui Sheng a rare smile. "I’m back."
Shui Sheng took the Water Spinach from him and pulled Di Yun over to the side of the cave. "Look, what is this?"
Di Yun stared curiously at the unfamiliar vines near the cave. Although he had lived in the countryside with Qi Chang and recognized all kinds of crops, he had no recollection of this plant before him.
Anticipating Di Yun's reaction, Shui Sheng said, "Dig up a piece of its root from the soil and see."
Di Yun naturally complied, and soon he harvested a large number of bulbous items. "Golden Sweet Potato?"
Shui Sheng nodded. "When we left before, I buried an uneaten Golden Sweet Potato in the ground. I didn't expect it not only to mature but also to yield even more Golden Sweet Potatoes."
Hearing this, Di Yun sighed in admiration. "Truly a gift from the divine."
The three of them settled down in Snow Valley, and with Sweet Potatoes at their disposal, they had no worries about food. Every autumn, they would exchange their harvested Sweet Potatoes for other grains with others, spreading the crop around. Some people began to try planting Sweet Potatoes themselves; the high yields brought joy to those who cultivated them and envy to those who did not. Thus, more people started growing Sweet Potatoes. Gradually, Sweet Potatoes were accepted by farmers in Huaxia and saved many lives during the Ice Age. This could be considered a merit for Di Yun and Shui Sheng, indirectly also for Hanno and Porcelain Jar. Unbeknownst to Hanno, Porcelain Jar absorbed these merits and slowly began to restore itself!
Hanno sat in the first-class cabin of the high-speed train, which had recently opened its route from D City to Provincial Capital. Now, the journey only took half an hour, saving a significant amount of time, and the fare was as cheap as taking a bus. However, Hanno noticed that many people seemed unaware of the train's operation, as there were relatively few passengers on board.
With her headphones on and eyes closed, she listened to music. She preferred Huaxia Style songs and had gone through a phase of enjoying Korean music, but eventually found that her own country's Huaxia Style songs held more meaning for her. Most of them were theme songs or soundtracks from films and games.
"A heart can be divided into several petals; why linger in Man Ting's fragrance? Could it be that the only promise in deep affection is a smile? A lifetime together is but a wishful thought; from the resoluteness in your eyes, I realize how delusional I am. How laughable is the beautiful encounter in the snowy night among the plum trees, beautiful enough to exhaust my infatuation and youth. Gathering herbs, gathering bitterness; with thorny hairpin and cloth skirt dwelling in the southern mountains. Returning late, the sound of the flute lingers like a gentle breeze; tears welling up, feelings slow to unfold—how can one bear such worries..."
Dong Zhen was Hanno's favorite Huaxia Style singer. From her initial song "Carefree Journey" to "Mountain High," Hanno had downloaded all of her songs onto her phone.
Just as she was lost in the music, she suddenly felt a nudge on her arm. Hanno opened her eyes unhappily; given the spaciousness of first-class seating, it was unlikely for someone to brush against her without reason. To her surprise, she saw a very displeased face.
"What are you doing here?" Hanno asked irritably as she pulled down her headphones.
"I didn't want to see you either," Lansiya huffed.
"Then why did you come find me?" Hanno shot back. Previously, she had been sitting next to a man; how had it suddenly changed to Lansiya?
"I..." Lansiya choked on her words, biting her lip and unable to continue.
"What is it? If there's nothing important, please don't disturb me while I'm listening to music," Hanno replied coldly. She disliked Lansiya just as much as Lansiya disliked her.
"I'm sorry," Lansiya quickly threw out those three words.
"Huh? You actually apologized to me?" Hanno was taken aback.
Having said the hardest words, Lansiya felt relieved and added nonchalantly, "I was wrong about you before, influenced by Ma Yanli's instigation. Now I realize some things have nothing to do with you, so I owe you an apology."
Though Lansiya had a bit of a proud princess complex, she still took responsibility for her actions. The incident at the class reunion had revealed Ma Yanli's true nature to her and made her question what she had previously believed about Hanno. Reflecting on it all made many things clear. Although she hadn't liked Hanno before, it hadn't reached the level of outright hatred; most of it stemmed from Ma Yanli's many provocative remarks that had soured her impression of Hanno over time.
"I accept your apology." Hanno calmly acknowledged Lansiya's words. Although she was somewhat surprised by Lansiya's behavior and her impression of her had slightly changed, Hanno still felt that she and Lansiya were not on the same wavelength. She did not feel inclined to engage warmly with her or become friends just because of the apology.
Lansiya huffed, "As long as you accept it, I owe you nothing now."
With that, she stood up proudly and walked back to her seat in her high heels. Hanno then realized that Lansiya's seat was not far from hers, just a few rows behind along the aisle.
When Lansiya caught Hanno's gaze, she turned her face away, adopting an attitude of "out of sight, out of mind," thinking to herself: It seems I really can't be friends with Hanno.
Hanno pursed her lips and withdrew her gaze.
When the train arrived at the station, Hanno followed the crowd out. Shen Chuiyang had sent a car to pick her up, but Hanno noticed not only Shen Chuiyang but also someone who should have been in the Provincial Capital.
Hanno glanced at Shen Chuiyang and then at Chang Miao. "You two..."
Shen Chuiyang's face was a mix of dark red and embarrassment, while Chang Miao boldly wrapped her arm around Shen Chuiyang's, lifting her chin proudly as she said, "Just as you see."
"Your moves are quite swift," Hanno remarked. She was certain that it was Chang Miao who had taken the initiative.
Chang Miao beamed with pride. "Of course! Good men are too rare; when you find one, you shouldn't let him go."
Hanno smiled genuinely and congratulated them. "Congratulations to both of you."
Chang Miao chuckled. "Nono, when we get married, you'll be both the matchmaker and the bridesmaid!"
Hanno opened her palm. "Matchmaker's red envelope."
"Just put it on my tab for now," Chang Miao said as she playfully swatted Hanno's hand away.
"Then let's leave it as a debt," Hanno said, retracting her hand. "But just so you know, I won't accept any half-hearted gestures."
"Don't worry, you'll definitely get a big red envelope," came the reassuring reply.
Shen Chuiyang watched the two sisters bicker with a smile, choosing not to intervene. Her gaze mostly rested on Chang Miao, soft and warm.
Shen Chuiyang couldn't drive; that was naturally Chang Miao's responsibility. Shen Chuiyang had specifically bought a car for Chang Miao to use. Chang Miao didn't refuse it pretentiously; to her, she had already been recognized by Shen Chuiyang, so she might as well accept this gift.
Shen Chuiyang had rented an office in the city as the headquarters for the Foundation. It finally dawned on Chang Miao just how incredibly lucky her cousin was to have stumbled upon such a significant opportunity to partner with Shen Chuiyang in running the Foundation. Although she was surprised, she promised Hanno that she would keep it a secret.
Once the three of them settled in the office, Shen Chuiyang began reporting on their work to Hanno. With many connections from her time in the military, Shen Chuiyang had already helped over a hundred soldiers and their families resolve difficulties through the Foundation, with total expenditures exceeding twenty million yuan. This was only assistance for a portion of those in need.
"I used to think that over a hundred million yuan was quite a lot, but hearing you talk about it now, it really doesn't seem sufficient," Hanno remarked with a sigh.
Shen Chuiyang smiled briefly before her expression turned serious. "Hanno, there are people who want to collaborate with us in managing the Foundation. I hope you can agree."
Hanno raised an eyebrow, surprised that Shen Chuiyang was advocating for someone else. "Who wants to collaborate with us?" she asked.
"People from the military," Shen Chuiyang replied.
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