Fang Jinzhu’s thumb hovered over the answer button for a long moment without pressing down.
The two little ones looked up at her eagerly, their entire beings radiating obedience, with even a faint trace of anticipation and anxiety visible in their eyes.
Faced with such lively eyes and two living, breathing people, she couldn’t dismiss the parallel dimension they came from as mere illusion.
In a place she couldn’t see, fifty thousand soldiers and civilians were starving and 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 an immortal with the art of turning stone into gold!!
Even if you gave all the Farm’s supplies to Northern 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 couldn’t bear to look at the hopeful eyes 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 northern part of the city in the same situation as yours, also struggling and urgently looking to sublease. They’re offering the same price as you, but their scale is much larger than yours…”
“Your Auntie Han insists I go sign the contract with them right now, but since your dad and I were old classmates, I thought I’d call and ask you first. If you could lower the price by another twenty percent, Uncle Yang would do everything to convince your Auntie Han to come sign with you…”
“Hello? Xiao Fang? Xiao Fang, is your signal bad? Hello?…”
A cold, mocking glint flashed in Fang Jinzhu’s eyes as she angrily pressed the end call button.
Whether the Farm in the northern part of the city was really up for sublease, she didn’t know. But asking her to slash nearly eight hundred thousand at the first mention—what was that if not taking advantage of her misfortune!
Fang Jinzhu turned around, her mind in turmoil, and immediately drowned in Shu Shu’s innocent, wide eyes.
“Sister…”
Seeing her bad mood, Shu Shu cautiously walked up and gently tugged at the hem of her clothes. “We… we’ll go back now. Sister, don’t be angry, okay?”
Rui Rui also nodded repeatedly. “Uncle said… if we go back, he’ll seal the little door. Sister, don’t worry. We… we won’t come bother sister again!”
As he spoke, he stepped forward and took Shu Shu’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…”
Rui Rui and Shu Shu turned around, their eyes lighting up in unison.
Fang Jinzhu’s heart raced 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 form one after another.
“Rui Rui, Shu Shu, wait here for me. Wait obediently. Sister will be right back!!”
Fang Jinzhu hurriedly instructed the two little ones. “Don’t run around. Stay right here and wait for me, understand?”
The confused little ones nodded repeatedly. “Mhm, mhm! We’ll wait obediently 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.
“Rui Rui, take this back quickly and give it to your uncle. Sister and Shu Shu will wait here for you, understand?”
Once again racing back to the chicken coop, Fang Jinzhu stuffed the paper into Rui Rui’s hand and gave him a solemn instruction, while also opening the top door of the coop.
Rui Rui nodded vigorously and hurriedly stepped through the door, disappearing from sight.
General’s Mansion.
Chu Ye and the other two were kneeling devoutly before the grain bin, their eyes fixed unblinkingly on the small door.
When they saw Rui Rui emerge hurriedly from the small door, their expressions tightened instantly.
“Uncle, Sister’s letter!”
Before Chu Ye could even speak, Rui Rui quickly handed him the paper in his hand.
Chu Ye’s eyes lit up, and he eagerly took it, unfolding it to read.
Lady Chu 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 Rui Rui and Shu Shu deliver, and I am deeply moved!
I am no immortal; I am merely an ordinary person living in a different era from you, General. The heavy responsibility you entrust to me fills me with trepidation.
Though my strength is limited, I cannot bear to see lives devastated and famine spread across the land. Thus, I have thought of a method that, if executed properly, may be able to assist you.
The era you live in and mine are separated by centuries. Items from your time may be worth a fortune in my era. If you trust me, you may entrust vases, paintings, or even pots, bowls, and utensils from your mansion to Rui Rui to bring to me.
I will sell them and exchange them for an equivalent amount of food for Rui Rui to bring back.
I may not stay here for long, so I urge you to decide quickly.
Fang Jinzhu.’
Chu Ye’s brows furrowed and relaxed as he read the contents of the letter. By the end, after only a moment of contemplation, he abruptly stood up. “Rui Rui, go and deliver a message to Sister. Tell her I agree and ask her to wait a moment!”
“Mother, stay here and watch over Rui Rui in case the immortal sends him back with another message at any moment. Wei Momo, come with me quickly!!”
…
Upon learning that Chu Ye had agreed to exchange resources, Fang Jinzhu breathed a sigh of relief. To show her sincerity, while waiting, she quickly caught over a dozen chickens in the coop, tied them up, and had Rui Rui and Shu Shu drag them back to the General’s Mansion.
Almost all the valuable items in the General’s Mansion had already been sold off. In Chu Ye’s study, only two ordinary paintings remained, along with a flowerpot in the corner.
Though he felt these items were hardly presentable, adhering to the principle of selecting the best from the mansion, he emptied the soil from several carved ceramic flowerpots in the corner and stacked them together. Wei Momo also rummaged through the kitchen and picked out a few slightly better bowls and plates.
Worried that 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 grain storage.
As soon as they entered, Wei Momo 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.
Regardless of whether his own items could be sold, before he had even sent anything over, Miss Jinzhu had already sent so many livestock. She must have 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!