Cultivation Begins with Caring for Sister-in-law

"Zhi Ning, you're back. What did he say?" Hearing the door open, Xia Zhiqing, who was looking at the music score, glanced up and asked, but soon noticed her sister's expression was off, her brows furrowing: "Zhi Ning, did he bully you?"

"No... no." Xia Zhining absentmindedly replied, then said, "He said he's been busy lately, but it will settle down once he's done."

She herself forgot one thing, which was that she forgot to ask when he might be finished.

"I heard that it's harvest time outside the city now, probably busy with that," Zhiqing realized and then continued, "By the way, Zhi Ning, why are you back so late? Where did you go?"

"Went outside the city." Xia Zhining said while moving to the bed, bending over and groping under the pillow, her heart skipped a beat.

Because the gold ring she kept under the pillow was missing, she immediately turned to ask her sister, "Sis, where is the ring I left under my pillow?"

"What's wrong, didn't you say you didn't want it anymore?" Xia Zhiqing was stunned.

Xia Zhining was also taken aback.

Yes, didn't I say I didn't want it anymore, why am I anxious?

But remembering what that jerk said, "That ring looks good, remember to wear it next time."

She started to care about it again.

Suppressing her mixed emotions, she whispered, "I meant to say, we don't have much gold or silver right now, that gold ring is worth some money, could be travel expenses when we leave, it would be a pity if it got lost."

Xia Zhiqing didn't notice her sister's odd behavior, she said, "While you weren't here earlier, Chunhong came with someone to tidy up the room, the ring is on the dressing table, take a look."

Xia Zhining walked over and indeed found the ring on the dressing table, and immediately breathed a sigh of relief, quickly picking it up.

"Zhi Ning, what's that in your hand?" Suddenly, Xia Zhiqing smelled a fragrance emanating from her sister, her gaze swept over and saw the small porcelain bottle in her hand.

"This... is the perfume that jerk gave me." Xia Zhining handed the perfume to her sister.

"He gave it?" Xia Zhiqing showed surprise, set aside the book she was holding, took the perfume to examine it, saying, "What's up with him giving you stuff, could there be something strange about it?"

In her view, after the dramatic argument between her sister and Chen Mo last time, coupled with their existing conflict, he had no reason to give her gifts now.

Something odd must be going on.

Xia Zhiqing opened the bottle, poured out some perfume to inspect, but quickly exclaimed, "How fragrant, it's different from any perfume I've encountered before."

However, for some reason, hearing this, Xia Zhining felt somewhat uncomfortable, what was the deal with giving me gifts.

Why can he only give it to you, not me?

Watching her sister pour out some and apply it to her hand, Xia Zhining suddenly snatched the porcelain bottle back, under Xia Zhiqing's surprised gaze, said, "Sis, I think you're right, that jerk might have added something harmful in this, we shouldn't use it carelessly."

Having said that, she sealed the bottle with the cork.

This bottle of perfume isn't much.

Xia Zhiqing didn't doubt, instead closed her eyes to smell it carefully, then felt it and said, "It's quite nice, smells like rose fragrance, where did he get this thing from?"

"He set up a workshop in a village outside the city, this perfume was made by workers in the workshop." Xia Zhining put away the perfume.

"Did he make it himself?" Xia Zhiqing was shocked; can he make perfume?

"Why would that jerk make it, surely it's made by his craftsmen," Xia Zhining couldn't help but disparage Chen Mo.

"That's true." Perfume is meant for women, what would he know about it?

The two sisters chatted on and off.

Suddenly, Xia Zhining looked at the jade hairpin on Xia Zhiqing's head, getting more uncomfortable by the moment. She was still using a wooden hairpin, she said, "Sis, the hairpin that jerk gave, how can you really wear it, it looks ugly."

With that, she didn't hesitate to take the hairpin from Xia Zhiqing's head.

Before Xia Zhiqing could speak, Xia Zhining said, "Sis, that jerk likes you, if you wear something he gave, it might lead him to have inappropriate thoughts. It wouldn't be good if he insisted on keeping you after the debt is paid."

The hairpin was removed, Xia Zhiqing's long hair scattered over her shoulders, she frowned slightly, "Without a hairpin, how do I tie up my hair, he took my wooden hairpin."

"Use mine first." Xia Zhining took the wooden hairpin from her head and handed it to Xia Zhiqing.

Xia Zhiqing was surprised, "Then what about you, Zhi Ning?"

"I will use this jade hairpin."

Xia Zhiqing: "..."

Xia Zhining spoke without a hint of shame, "That jerk loathes me, doesn't he? If he sees the jade hairpin originally intended for you on my head, surely he'd be mad, perfect to dispel those inappropriate thoughts."

After speaking, Xia Zhining expertly twisted her hair up and inserted the hairpin.

Meanwhile, a voice rang in her head.

Since that jerk's interest is in myself, then this jade hairpin truly belongs to me.

Seeing her sister speak this way, Xia Zhiqing refrained from saying more.

However, noticing the hairpin originally in her own hair now adorned her sister's head, Xia Zhiqing felt a strange pang of jealousy.

That night, Xia Zhining couldn't sleep, spending the entire night pondering the words Chen Mo had spoken to her during the day.

She was like someone poisoned, constantly wrestling with whether those words were true or false.

…

July 12th.

All the paddy fields outside Pingting County had been turned over, and were now being fertilized with manure and urine, with plans to complete planting late rice seedlings by the end of July.

There would be more late rice seedlings than early ones, because by the time the late rice seedlings were being cultivated, Chen Mo had already taken control of Pingting County, with enough rice seeds to plant all 350,000 mu of fields.

But at this moment, an urgent message from Xia Lin disrupted Chen Mo's plans.

Government Office Main Hall.

Apart from those dispatched on missions like Lu Yuan, Zhang River, Hu Qiang, Wei Qing, Su Wen, etc., the leaders of the Divine Brave Guard, Divine Martial Guard, and other teams, large and small, gathered here.

Chen Mo sat at the head seat, with Geng Songfu and Sun Meng seated first on either side.

Scanning the room, Chen Mo spoke directly: "This is an urgent report sent by Yang Minggui, stating that I should begin organizing the army to coordinate with Yuan Youchun's Tiger Swift Army, and launch an attack on Quanyang County on August 1st."

Upon hearing this, the entire hall was startled.

Sun Meng stood and said, "Coordinate with Yuan Youchun's Tiger Swift Army? Does that mean we must follow Yuan Youchun's orders?"

"Correct." Chen Mo nodded. "Although the urgent report doesn't explicitly say so, it does imply this meaning."

Chen Mo didn't look pleased; he had conflicts with Yuan Youchun, and now being asked to cooperate, he was concerned about potential tricks during the battle.

"County Magistrate, may I take a look at the urgent report?" Geng Songfu asked.

Chen Mo handed the report to Geng Songfu.

After reading it, Geng Songfu sighed: "It seems the Celestial Master Army intends to march southward, war is brewing again, and it's uncertain how many civilians will be displaced.

If Yang Minggui wants them to organize troops to attack Quanyang County, why aren't they providing us with provisions?"

"They did give provisions, but they gave them to Yuan Youchun." Chen Mo sneered: "According to spies we have inserted around various nearby places, provisions are being sent from Xia Lin to Qingtian County, Guangyou County, Celestial Water Town... with more going to Qingtian County than others.

Clearly, the cooperation suggested in the urgent report, and our provisions, are controlled by Yuan Youchun."

"Troops are required before movement; provisions must come first. Based on this, they probably don't trust us, aiming to use provisions to control us." After contemplating, Geng Songfu remarked.

Chen Mo furrowed his brows.

It appeared the previous incidents hadn't shaken Yuan Youchun's fundamental standing in Yang Minggui's mind.

A godchild is a godchild, certainly more trustworthy than an outsider like himself.

"County Magistrate, I suggest we pretend to be unaware, stay put in the city, and let them fight, as we have enough food to be self-sufficient right now." Han Wu proposed.

Their feud with Yuan Youchun was substantial; if they listened to Yuan Youchun, during the battle, the latter would definitely try to sabotage them.

"Not advisable." Geng Songfu interjected: "Since provisions are being sent to Guangyou County, Celestial Water Town, and other counties, it indicates Yang Minggui's troops are set for all-out invasion of Yu State, with County Magistrate's and Yuan Youchun's armies being just part of this plan. If the County Magistrate disobeys, it's likely the leaders of the nearby counties will unite to attack Pingting County first."

"County Magistrate Geng speaks rightly; we must indeed deploy troops, but the count of troops remains under our control." Chen Mo looked at Geng Songfu: "Does County Magistrate Geng have any solutions?"

Geng Songfu thought for a while, then suggested: "Follow orders but not commands."

I'll follow your orders to deploy troops to attack Quanyang County, yet maintain independence, not be at the mercy of Yuan Youchun.

This means obeying reasonable instructions but refusing unreasonable ones, like being cannon fodder or sent to die; there's no way we'll do that.

"However, doing this implies Yuan Youchun may not allocate us provisions, meaning we must take care of provisions ourselves." Geng Songfu noted.

"We have provisions, and as long as we can avoid losses under Yuan Youchun's command, that's sufficient." Chen Mo lightly tapped the table, deciding to adopt Geng Songfu's strategy.

Of course, some formal gestures would be necessary.

"Han Wu." Chen Mo said.

"Here, sir."

"Take a team to Qingtian County, and ask Yuan Youchun for provisions, see what he says." Chen Mo ordered.

If provisions are denied, Chen Mo intended to file a complaint to Xia Lin against Yuan Youchun, acknowledging that it was unlikely Yang Minggui would intervene, but at least it would demonstrate he communicated previously, and following Geng Songfu's course of action had correlated justifications if Yuan Youchun accused him later.