“I see you two seem to have nothing to do every day!”
“How about this—starting now, you two handle all the household chores. Little Li can finally get some rest!”
By “Little Li,” Wan mother meant the household attendant.
Sun Li and Duan Hui were shocked. Their mother-in-law was actually making them do the work.
This was practically a death sentence.
“Mom, I got injured dancing when I was young!”
“Mom, I’m already working night shifts every day; I just can’t do this!”
Both daughters-in-law were giving excuses to avoid work.
Wan mother was furious. Luckily, she had returned in time; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
“You two invited Shen Qingran here, didn’t you? Just to assert authority over the Wan family elders!”
“Well, now you’ll stay home and divide the household chores yourselves!”
“Otherwise, you’ll each pay a hundred yuan a month!”
A hundred yuan?
Both women gasped—this was basically their monthly salaries!
Compared to that, doing housework didn’t seem so bad; it was tolerable.
“Starting this month, you’ll take turns doing chores. If you don’t take it seriously, you won’t be allowed to live here!”
Wan mother shot Wan father a glance; he immediately understood.
The two women went inside, leaving Sun Li and Duan Hui staring at each other in disbelief.
……
Shen Qingran soon returned home.
On the way, a few people noticed the item in her hand and gave it curious glances.
However, seeing the large man accompanying her, they quickly gave up any thoughts of interfering.
Shen Qingran couldn’t exactly make the item vanish in front of everyone—this wasn’t a magic trick.
When she arrived at the Shen residence, people were waiting for her inside.
Shen Qingran wasn’t surprised.
Shen Yulian and her stepmother Zheng Xiuyu were both standing by the door.
“Oh, you’re back!” Zheng Xiuyu greeted her warmly.
Earlier, as Shen Qingran had left, Zheng Xiuyu had already been thinking: if she could get something from the Wan family, it could offset some of their losses.
Shen Yulian said with ill intent, reaching out: “Sister, what did the Wan family give you?”
Shen Qingran sidestepped: “Don’t even think about this. It has nothing to do with you!”
Zheng Xiuyu forced a smile: “Qingran, we’re family. The household is in trouble. If there’s something valuable, shouldn’t the family share it?”
Shen Qingran: “Auntie Zheng, I’ve never shared anything with anyone—never! Not things, not even people!”
Zheng Xiuyu’s expression changed slightly—Shen Qingran was clearly mocking her, insinuating she was trying to share a man.
Shen Qingran knew the matter was settling; there was no need to pretend any longer.
Calling this woman “Mom” was utterly disgusting.
Finally, she could stop the act.
Shen Yulian snarled: “Shen Qingran, why pretend to be so noble, so highborn!”
Perhaps realizing the situation, Shen Yulian felt her defenses beginning to crumble.
She truly didn’t want to be like her mother’s poor relatives, terrified by a lack of money.
Shen Qingran only said: “I don’t need to pretend to be highborn—I was born that way!”
Bang! She closed the door.
Without turning on the light, she placed the box by the window.
Under the moonlight, the box glowed faintly blue.
This was no ordinary box.
The blue light was reminiscent of the glowing points inside her personal space.
She wasn’t sure if it was the same.
Shen Qingran was a bit tired today. She didn’t plan to open the box yet—it wasn’t the right time.
After all, it was meant for Wan Ning. Although she was his future wife, she wanted to open it with him in the future.
Thinking this, Shen Qingran entered her personal space.
The entire area was filled with the scent of herbs, rich and fragrant.
Looking at the crops inside, she was amazed. Just one day ago, they were seeds, but now, they were nearly mature.
Even more astonishing, as soon as they matured, they were automatically stored in the herb cabinet.
This saved her a lot of work. According to her previous estimate, harvesting would have taken enormous time and effort.
She had never done farm work in her life.
Shen Qingran placed the box down and entered the spiritual spring, taking a sip. Instantly, her fatigue vanished.
Could this spring water have special properties?
If so, she could bring some to her grandmother tomorrow, perhaps improving her health.
Shen Qingran sat in meditation.
Soon, tiny blue lights began flickering in the air.
Knowledge from the Goddess Herb Scripture flowed directly into her mind as streams of blue light—truly efficient.
After about an hour, Shen Qingran’s face flushed, and her head felt slightly heavy.
She exhaled, then did some warm-up exercises. Only then did she feel better.
Yet even in that brief practice, she noticed her body’s movements felt strangely powerful.
Trying a punch, she felt unexpected force behind it.
Thinking of Baji Quan, she tried a few moves and felt strong and precise.
The basic Baji Quan techniques include the “Eight Diamond Moves”:
Cheng Chui (Exploding Bow, Shooting Arrows)
Jiang Long (Five Peaks Pointing to Heaven)
Fu Hu (Six Combinations, Tiger Strikes the Ground)
Pi Shan Zhang (Mountain-Cleaving Palm)
Tan Ma Zhang (Horse-Scouting Palm)
Hu Bao (Tiger Embrace)
Xiong Dun (Bear Squat)
He Bu Tui (Crane Step Push)
Plus six major openings, small frames, large and small strikes, and more.
This was real, practical martial arts.
Shen Qingran was satisfied with her condition—self-defense would no longer be an issue.
The spring water seemed especially nourishing.
Suddenly, the alarm outside blared.
Shen Qingran frowned, sensing danger, and appeared instantly outside.
She heard cautious footsteps—light and careful, almost imperceptible if not for her heightened spatial awareness.
After her enhancement in the space, her hearing had improved.
Who could be outside?