The next morning, Su Jinxiu was woken by birds chirping.
She had slept unusually soundly. When she opened her eyes, she realized she was actually lying in Huo Chen’s arms, one hand brazenly resting on his chest.
And Huo Chen—the tyrant—was staring at her like she was a dead object, his eyes full of dissatisfaction at being used as a human pillow.
“G-good morning, husband,” Su Jinxiu laughed awkwardly as she pulled her hand back, casually giving his chest a final absent-minded rub. “Looks like last night’s rehabilitation worked. Your complexion looks much rosier.”
Huo Chen ignored her teasing and coldly withdrew his arm, which had gone numb from being pinned.
“Go make breakfast.”
“Yes sir!” Su Jinxiu rolled out of bed quickly.
Today was a big day.
The rocky slope had been cleared—next came planting.
While simmering coarse millet porridge, Su Jinxiu opened her system panel. The hundred-plus merit points felt like a hot potato—she needed to spend them quickly.
【Shop search: medicinal seeds】
【Honeysuckle (improved): drought-resistant, disease-resistant, shortened growth cycle by 30%, larger buds, medicinal effect 1.5× normal. Price: 20 merit points/pack】
【Forsythia (improved): strong root system, suitable for poor soil, high fruit yield. Price: 25 merit points/pack】
This was practically tailor-made for that rocky slope.
Without hesitation, Su Jinxiu purchased two packs of honeysuckle and two packs of forsythia seeds.
Although she had spent nearly half her savings, these would bring in a lot of money later. This investment was absolutely worth it.
When Huo Chen wasn’t paying attention, she took the small burlap bags out of her space and deliberately dirtied them, pretending they were old seeds found in a broken box under the bed.
After breakfast, Zhang the butcher arrived on time with more than a dozen men.
Everyone stared at the basket of dark seeds with hesitation.
“Lady Su, that land is full of rocks. Even if you clear it, nothing like crops will grow there,” Zhang the butcher said honestly. “Can these flowers even survive?”
“Brother Zhang, you don’t understand,” Su Jinxiu said mysteriously. “Last night I had a dream. A deity told me this land may be barren, but it gathers energy and has good feng shui. If we plant these ‘immortal herbs,’ they’ll grow better than weeds.”
The villagers exchanged doubtful looks.
It sounded absurd—but after witnessing her miraculous medical skills, they also felt Su Jinxiu had something uncanny about her. Maybe it really worked.
“Let’s do it! If Lady Su says so, we follow her instructions!” Zhang the butcher waved his hand. “Brothers, dig holes and plant seeds!”
Planting required precision, so Su Jinxiu personally demonstrated with a small shovel instead of letting the rough men handle it carelessly.
At that moment, a “ding” echoed in her mind.
【Ding—detected that host is engaging in agricultural development, creating employment opportunities and cultivating medicinal plants for public benefit】
【Judgment: aligns with core value of “accumulating merit”】
【Reward: Basic Plant Growth Solution (1 bottle)】
【Description: Highly concentrated nutrient solution. When diluted, it can drastically shorten plant growth cycles and enhance resistance. Even in rocky soil, it can grow plants into towering trees.】
Su Jinxiu’s hand shook, almost dropping the shovel.
This system was usually stingy to the extreme—but unexpectedly generous when it came to infrastructure work.
She suppressed her excitement and calmly took out a palm-sized jade-green porcelain bottle from her chest (actually from her space).
“Alright, everyone stop for a moment,” she called out. “I have a family-secret… uh… rooting water. Add one drop per bucket of water. Don’t overdo it.”
The villagers stared at the ordinary-looking bottle, confused, but still followed her instructions.
Buckets of “divine water” were poured into the rocky soil.
For some reason, Zhang the butcher felt the water disappeared unusually fast after seeping into the ground.
By late afternoon, all seeds had been planted.
Su Jinxiu looked at the barren land that now held her hopes for wealth and clapped her hands in satisfaction.
“Everyone worked hard today. Payment as agreed—and each person gets two extra steamed buns tonight!”
The villagers cheered and left happily with their wages.
Huo Chen stood at the edge of the field with his crutch, looking at the lifeless land.
“You’re sure something will grow here?” he asked.
It wasn’t that he doubted her—it was just that the land was truly hopeless.
“Relax,” Su Jinxiu said mysteriously, winking at him. “In a few days, just wait for a miracle. By then, not only honeysuckle—even gold might grow out of it.”
Huo Chen looked at her confident expression and said nothing.
He didn’t pour cold water on her.
But his gaze lingered on that barren field for a long moment.
As long as she was happy, let her mess around. Anyway, this woman always managed to create unexpected commotion.
At this moment, thirty li away in Qingyun County.
In the backyard of a gambling house called “Juyi Gambling Den,” Li the Widower knelt in front of a scar-faced, bare-chested man with a greasy, fleshy face, crying miserably while his face was swollen and bruised.
“Cousin! You must stand up for me!” Li the Widower sobbed, tears and mucus streaming down his face. “That Su Jinxiu is bullying people too much! Not only did she injure my nephew Li the Rogue, she also humiliated me in public, calling me… calling me an old pervert! She even stole my business—now everyone in the village listens to her, and no one takes me seriously anymore!”
The so-called cousin was none other than a notorious local thug in the area—a minor leader of the Black Tiger Gang, known as “Scar Tiger.”
Scar Tiger casually toyed with two iron balls in his hands as he listened impatiently to the complaints and spat on the ground.
“Enough! Crying like a woman! It’s just a village girl and a cripple—look at how scared you are.”
“Cousin, you don’t understand! That cripple is weird—he knows martial arts, and he even uses hidden weapons!” Li the Widower exaggerated desperately. “And I heard Su Jinxiu has quite a bit of money. She made several taels of silver just from selling herbs, and even bought up barren land. Maybe there’s treasure buried underground there!”
At the mention of money, Scar Tiger’s half-closed eyes suddenly snapped open.
“Several taels of silver?” he sneered, the scar on his face twisting like a centipede. “If that woman is really that rich, then we should pay her a visit. My brothers are a bit short on cash lately.”
With a sudden crack, he crushed the walnut in his hand, fragments scattering everywhere.
“Go. Call a few brothers and bring the gear. Tomorrow we go to that poor mountain village and see what this Su woman is really about. If she’s truly rich… heh,” he grinned coldly, “then we’ll take both the money and the people!”
Li the Widower’s eyes flashed with vicious satisfaction.
Su Jinxiu, Huo Chen—you just wait! This time I’ve invited a real King of Hell. Let’s see how you die!
PS: Did everyone enjoy that opening scene of Su Jinxiu “taking advantage” of Huo Chen? Let’s just say—this tyrant may say no with his mouth, but his body is very honest, isn’t it?