Fang Jinzhu’s thumb hovered over the answer button for a long moment without pressing down.
The two little ones looked up at her with pleading eyes, their whole beings radiating obedience. In their eyes, she could even faintly see a mix of anticipation and anxiety.
Faced with such vivid eyes and two living, breathing people, she couldn’t dismiss the parallel space-time they were in as mere illusion.
In a place she couldn’t see, fifty thousand soldiers and civilians were starving, waiting for death.
If she gave the Farm’s supplies…
Just as this thought crossed her mind, Fang Jinzhu slapped her own face hard.
Fang Jinzhu, don’t overestimate yourself!
Wake up!!
You’re just an orphan who lost both parents—don’t actually think of yourself as some immortal who can turn stone into gold!!!
Even if you gave all the Farm’s supplies to Bei Liao, it would only save them temporarily, not for a lifetime. But you would be shackled to debt for the rest of your life!
No…
No!!!
Fang Jinzhu didn’t dare meet the expectant gazes of the two little ones. She turned around and pressed the answer button. “Hello, Uncle Yang…”
“Xiao Fang, do you think you could lower the price a bit more for Uncle Yang? Here’s the thing—there’s a farm in the north of the city in the same situation as yours, struggling to operate and urgently needing to sublease. They’re offering the same price as you, but their scale is much larger than yours…”
“Your Aunt Han insists I go sign the contract with them right now, but since your Father and I are old classmates, I thought I’d call you first. If you can lower your price by another twenty percent, Uncle Yang will do everything to convince your Aunt Han to come sign with you…”
“Hello? Xiao Fang? Xiao Fang, is your signal bad? Hello?…”
A cold sneer flickered in Fang Jinzhu’s eyes as she fiercely pressed the end call button.
Whether the farm in the north of the city was really subleasing, she didn’t know. But asking her to slash nearly eight hundred thousand right off the bat—what was that if not taking advantage of her desperation!
Agitated and restless, Fang Jinzhu turned around and immediately drowned in Shushu’s innocent, wide eyes.
“Sister…”
Seeing her expression darken, Shushu cautiously stepped forward and gently tugged at the hem of her clothes. “We… we’ll go back now. Sister, don’t be angry, okay?”
Ruirui also nodded repeatedly. “Little Uncle said… if we go back, he’ll seal the small door. Sister, don’t worry… we won’t come bother Sister again!”
With that, he stepped forward and took Shushu’s little hand. “Little sister, let’s go…”
Watching the two little ones turn to leave, Fang Jinzhu’s hand gripping the phone tightened abruptly. “Wait…”
Ruirui and Shushu turned back, their eyes lighting up in unison.
Fang Jinzhu’s heart began to race chaotically, each beat more intense than the last.
To calm her panic, she couldn’t help but start pacing.
Fang Jinzhu, calm down, calm down!!
There must be a way. There must be a solution that works for both sides.
‘I have already sold all valuable items from the mansions and even the city to neighboring prefectures and towns in exchange for food, just to keep the soldiers and civilians barely alive…’
Valuable items, exchanged for food!
Fang Jinzhu’s mind jolted violently, and then various ideas began to unfold one after another.
“Ruirui, Shushu, wait here for me. Wait here obediently. Sister will be right back!!”
Fang Jinzhu hurriedly instructed the two little ones, "Don't run around, wait right here for me, understand?"
The two confused little ones nodded repeatedly, "Mm-hmm, we'll be good and wait for Sister!!"
After leaving the chicken coop, Fang Jinzhu practically sprinted all the way back to her office. She tore a sheet of paper from her notebook, grabbed a pen, and began writing furiously.
"Ruirui, quickly take this back and give it to your uncle. Sister and Shushu will wait here for you, understand?"
After another mad dash back to the chicken coop, Fang Jinzhu stuffed the paper into Ruirui's hand and solemnly instructed him, while also opening the top door of the coop.
Ruirui nodded vigorously, hurriedly stepped through the door, and disappeared.
General's Mansion.
Chu Ye and the other two were kneeling devoutly before the Dou Cang, their eyes fixed unblinkingly on the small door.
Seeing Ruirui emerge from the small door in a frantic hurry, their eyes suddenly widened with tension.
"Uncle, Sister's letter!"
Before Chu Ye could even speak, Ruirui quickly handed him the paper in his hand.
Chu Ye's eyes lit up instantly as he eagerly took it and unfolded it.
Chu Old Madam couldn't help but lean in to look as well.
Such white, exquisite, and delicate paper!!
Such tiny… handwriting!!
Yet it was exceptionally clear, not hindering readability in the slightest.
'General Chu, I have read every word of the letter you had Ruirui and Shushu deliver, and I am deeply moved!'
I am no immortal; I am merely an ordinary person from a different time and space than you, General. Your heavy trust fills me with trepidation.
Though I am but one person of limited strength, I cannot bear to see living beings suffer and starve. Thus, I have thought of a method that, if executed properly, may be able to assist you, General.
The era you live in and mine are separated by thousands of years. Items from your time may be worth a fortune in mine. If you trust me, you may entrust vases, calligraphy, paintings, or even pots, pans, bowls, and dishes from your mansion to Ruirui to bring to me.
I will sell them and exchange them for an equivalent amount of food for Ruirui to bring back.
I may not stay in this place for long, so I urge you, General, to decide quickly.
Fang Jinzhu.
Chu Ye's brows furrowed and relaxed as he read the letter. By the end, after only a moment's consideration, he abruptly stood up. "Ruirui, go and deliver a verbal message to Sister. Tell her I agree and ask her to wait a moment!"
"Mother, stay here and watch over Ruirui in case the immortal sends him back with a letter at any time. Nanny Wei, come with me quickly!!"
…
Upon learning that Chu Ye had agreed to exchange supplies, Fang Jinzhu breathed a sigh of relief. To show sincerity, while waiting, she quickly caught over a dozen chickens in the coop, tied them up, and had Ruirui and Shushu drag them back to the General's Mansion.
Almost all the valuable items in the General's Mansion had been sold off. In Chu Ye's study, only two rather ordinary calligraphy and painting scrolls remained, along with a flowerpot in the corner.
Though he felt it was hardly presentable, adhering to the principle of selecting the best items from the mansion, he emptied the soil from several carved ceramic flowerpots in the corner and stacked them together. Nanny Wei also rummaged through the kitchen and found a few slightly better bowls and plates.
Worried these items might not sell, Chu Ye decided to let Fang Jinzhu from the other world take a look first and then figure out a solution.
Master and servant dared not delay for a moment. Carrying the selected items, they hurried to the granary.
As soon as they entered, Nanny Wei was so startled by the flock of chickens inside that she nearly dropped the flowerpots, bowls, and plates in her hands.
Chu Ye was equally astonished.
Whether he could sell his own things was one matter, but before he had even sent them over, Miss Jinzhu had already brought so much livestock, surely having taken everything from her own home.
Though Jinzhu claimed to be just an ordinary person, in his eyes, she was the benevolent and righteous Savior Goddess!