Druid Fairy

Chapter 44 Rights
Zhou Yu stood there awkwardly, but secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He had heard of the hardships faced by displaced people clearing land, but he never dreamed that he himself would become one of those suffering.

He possesses a skill, but lacks any money, so his only option now is to rely on others.

Rather than relying on large landowners and small aristocratic families, where one might be forced to work like a beast of burden for life, with their descendants becoming slaves for generations, it's better to find a kind-hearted family to get through these difficult first few years without being forced by the government to reclaim wasteland.

At that time, he was destitute and starving. Li Rongzhou's two meat buns gave him great comfort and hope, which made him realize that this family was a good person.

He didn't understand what "choosing a wise ruler" meant; he just wanted to beg for food from kind families.

Zhou Yu presented the seeds of a spiritual herb and said honestly, "These were passed down from my grandfather. I don't know what kind of spiritual herb they are. No matter if I soak them in water or bury them in the soil, they just won't sprout."

If the seed can't sprout, it's useless. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been willing to take it out. In the end, he himself was skeptical about the "spiritual medicine seed".

It's only being brought out now to inflate its value.

Small farmers also have their own survival wisdom.

These are things from my grandfather's generation, at least forty or fifty years old.

Li Pingcan pondered. He had heard from the villagers that seeds are less likely to sprout if they are left unseen for a year, let alone forty or fifty years.

But when the seed, with its deep purplish-brown skin and faint metallic sheen, landed in his palm, he could feel a faint yet resilient life force.

'Zhou Yu is right, this is definitely not an ordinary seed.'

'But to call them seeds of spiritual herbs wouldn't be entirely accurate.'

The seed didn't feel like a tree ancestor to him; it was more like a precious seed, more valuable than any medicinal herb for replenishing qi and blood.

Ordinary human methods cannot catalyze the precious seed; if Li Pingcan wants it to sprout, he can only pin his hopes on Druid skills.

…………

Zhou Yu was arranged by the Li family to live alone in Wang Pozi's abandoned house.

The agreement stipulated a ten-year contract, with Zhou Yu developing medicinal herb fields for the Li family in exchange for the Li family providing herb seedlings and household registration certificates.

Both parties are quite satisfied with this deal.

After observing Zhou Yu for several days, Li Pingcan discovered that this middle-aged man was indeed honest, grateful, and diligent in cultivating the medicinal herb fields—a true farmer—so he no longer felt any initial rejection.

A few days after the Qin family purchased the grain, the price of rice in Pantao Town rose significantly. Many rumors, both true and false, circulated in the town's teahouses and taverns.

Li Pingfu returned home from town, travel-worn and dusty. Before he could even have a sip of water, he began to talk to his mother and younger brother about important matters.

"Everyone outside is saying that Fenghuang County is gone."

Do you know why?

Qin asked worriedly, as she was terrified that another "celestial calamity" would occur, disrupting her peaceful life.

"It seems to be because a great demon has appeared, but I don't know the specifics. The celestial officials have sealed off the entire prefecture."

Li Pingfu heard it from the people in the teahouse, but even they couldn't explain it clearly. They added exaggeration and other rhetorical devices, making the incident even more confusing and leaving the listeners confused and anxious.

“What happens in Fenghuang County is none of our business for now.” Li Pingcan thought for a moment and said, “Brother, go to the village chief’s house and ask the able-bodied men in the village to install a door at the village entrance.”

Peach Blossom Village is surrounded by mountains on two sides and water on the other. As long as the village entrance is sealed off, outsiders cannot easily enter.

This was to guard against refugees.

With the wisdom of the old village chief, he will surely agree.

"it is good."

Li Pingfu responded, thinking to himself that he should inform Zhou Enxian and Uncle Li Fang about this matter, as the refugees were running amok and everyone should be careful lately.

"Gah! Boss, someone's approaching Peach Blossom Village."

Black crows flapped their wings in the sky, and Li Pingcan heard Xiao Hei's warning. From the images transmitted by the mushroom, he could see several unfamiliar faces lingering at the entrance of Peach Blossom Village.

Fortunately, a wooden door blocked the way, preventing anyone from easily entering. The ragged refugees lingered for a moment before heading towards Peach Leaf Village.

Li Pingcan's mood grew increasingly depressed.

He sympathized with the refugees, yet knew that the more chaotic the times, the less one could sympathize with others; he had heard the story of the farmer and the snake since childhood. Sometimes, his indifference wasn't truly due to indifference, but rather to limited ability and an inability to act with kindness.

He is no longer as lazy as before, and has been practicing the White Crane Pose with increasing diligence lately.

Another day passed.

The commotion came from outside the house, and the village women were seen gathering in twos and threes, their faces showing relief and lingering fear.

"What happened?" Madam Qin leaned out and asked.

"Mrs. Qin, you don't know, a family in Peach Leaf Village was robbed. All their belongings were stolen, and the family is gone!"

The village woman looked at Qin with regret and fear in her eyes, but also with gratitude.

Previously, she thought Li Jiasan'er was being nosy, insisting that her husband do the work of repairing the wooden gate at the village entrance, which was a waste of effort and money. Now, however, she was extremely grateful.

Without this "foresight," it might have been Peach Blossom Village that suffered!
"They're all dead? That's so pitiful. Didn't the authorities catch the thieves?"

Qin's face was pale; she could hardly imagine the tragic scene of her entire family being killed by the thieves.

"That thief killed someone and ran away. How could the authorities possibly catch him? Besides, they couldn't care less!"

Hearing what her fellow villagers said, Qin let out a long sigh.

Especially during times like these, she misses her family members who are away from home even more and prays silently in her heart.

"May my husband and my son have a smooth and safe journey when they travel."

…………

Li Ping'an, who was being thought of, was in the examination room.

Unlike the first exam, being given the title of "County Top Scholar" still involved the same process of verifying one's identity, but the officers checking for smuggled items were much more polite and courteous than before.

Even when inspecting the food, the flatbread was cut open with a knife, not haphazardly mixed together.

They were then invited into the examination room and assigned to the most spacious examination room, far away from that smelly one.

"Please take a short rest. The exam papers will be distributed shortly. I wish you success and a bright future."

The officer said in a flattering tone, then walked out of the examination hall. Immediately, his shouts and reprimands came from outside. Soon, several disheveled candidates came in, muttering under their breath, "Disgraceful to scholars," their faces full of humiliation.

Li Ping'an appeared dazed.

He had been in a similar predicament during the preliminary exam a few months earlier, suppressing his anger and forcing himself to focus on the test.

Unexpectedly, in such a short time, he was able to enjoy a higher level of treatment, as if he had become a "superior person".

Without the title of county top scorer, I am nothing.

'To be respected and obeyed, and to prevent one's family from being humiliated, one must climb the ladder step by step, striving to be the best, to reach the highest level.'

He stroked the inkstone in his hand, his fingerprints carrying the scent of ink.

In this small examination room, Li Ping'an tasted power for the first time, and once he had tasted it, he knew it was delicious.

(End of this chapter)