Chapter 218 - Chapter 218: Chapter 213: The New Talent of the Grade Five Ant Queen_1 (1/2)
Chapter 218: Chapter 213: The New Talent of the Grade Five Ant Queen_1
Translator: 549690339
At midnight, Shuangfeng Village lay eerily silent.
A swath of dark clouds drifted slowly across the sky, gradually swallowing up the hanging moon.
Qin Niu, who practiced the Everlasting Spring Technique to absorb Moonlight Power, found his cultivation halted as the moonlight vanished and darkness enveloped the earth.
A cool night breeze whistled gently, and the medicinal herbs in his backyard were thriving joyfully, nourished by the power of his Everlasting Spring Technique.
On a whim, he leapt onto the roof of the granary to observe the bees’ nocturnal activities.
They were quite still at night.
But still, a portion of the bees bustled about within their nests.
After watching for a moment, he casually sat down on a horizontal beam next to the beehive, from where he could admire the view of half the village.
However, the dim light made it difficult to see clearly at night.
Staring into the darkness ahead, his mind wandered, recalling the struggles and joys he had experienced along the way.
In less than a year, he had completely turned his life around, acquired a distinguished status, moved into a large, imposing residence, and amassed a considerable fortune.
Soon, he should be able to become the second Yan Family of the locale.
Master of hundreds of acres of fertile land and thousands of acres of mountains.
He guessed that servants and maidservants would soon follow in abundance.
Those lands would generate a substantial income for him continuously.
At that moment, a figure stumbled from afar, swaying unsteadily.
Qin Niu’s gaze sharpened. Even though the starlight was dim, he could instantly tell that the figure was Zhang Banzui.
Why would Zhang Banzui be out and about at this hour, coming from the direction of the mountain, instead of staying at home?
He was probably drunk again and had lost his way.
Qin Niu shook his head inwardly, feeling sorry for Zhang Banzui.
All alone, he had to tell fortunes for people everywhere just to earn some drinking money. And then, often getting beaten for inaccurate predictions. Drunk, he could fail asleep lying on the roadside or under an eave.
Someday he might even freeze to death outdoors, and no one would care.
Gradually, Zhang Banzui reached the door of Wang Furen’s house. Bowing his head and staggering every few steps, he still clutched his liquor gourd.
Compared to daytime, he wasn’t muttering incessantly.
He was probably afraid of disturbing others’ sleep at night and getting beaten for it.
Qin Niu silently watched as Zhang Banzui passed by the door and headed towards the village entrance. His figure grew smaller and farther away until it seemed like he had gone home.
He really worried that Zhang Banzui might one day get drunk, lie down in the mountains at night, and feed the dhole beasts.
The next morning, Qin Niu was still thinking about the mysterious strong man who had entered the village.
That man hadn’t come out since he entered, which was rather odd.
The problem was, as long as this man stayed hidden, Qin Niu dared not enter the mountains.
His Ink Blade needed a large amount of Banyan Tree Blood daily to nourish it and enhance its power.
The termites in the mountains also required his cultivation and care.
Without further hesitation, he promptly sent out dozens of bees to scout.
Before long, the dispatched bees returned.
They didn’t detect anything unusual.
Qin Niu still dared not venture into the mountains but decided to find someone to scout out the path.
“Parting ways does not mean death, dear friend.”
If there were any danger, he would certainly cherish his life.
From afar, he saw Liu Shengli’s wife twisting her hips, carrying a basket of clothes, presumably preparing to wash them by the stream.
One has to admit, Liu Shengli really had an eye for choosing the woman whom his cousin was supposed to marry.
The woman was pretty with a voluptuous figure, not only frugal and a good housekeeper, but she was also quite adept at handling relationships. She had a good reputation in the village.
Even Xu Zhenchang would think of her whenever something good came up.
“Mrs. Liu!
it
Qin Niu called out.
“All!” She responded crisply, looking up. Upon realizing it was Qin Niu calling her, she immediately flashed a charming smile, respectful. “So it’s Master Qin calling me! Is there anything 1 can help you with? Please feel free to ask.”
She knew Qin Niu was like a god of wealth.
Whenever he sought help, he never let anyone toil for nothing; he always gave a generous reward.
Carrying the basket, she sashayed over to Qin Niu.
“We’ve run out of firewood at home, and 1 would like to buy some from your husband. I don’t have any special requirements, just some thick hardwood logs will do. It doesn’t matter if they’re not split; just have them cut in the mountains and delivered to my house. As for the price, I’ll pay twenty percent above the market rate. In these next three days, 1 will take whatever he can chop. He can also recruit two people to help him out.”
Qin Niu was wealthy and generous; buying some firewood was but a drop in the bucket for him.
Spend two to three hundred wen, and it’s enough for Liu Shengli and his helpers to be busy in the mountains for several days.
“Alright then! I’ll go home right now and get Shengli to take people up the mountain to chop for you. Thank you for looking after our family!”
She gave Qin Niu a sweet smile, her peach blossom eyes filled with gratitude.
Dealing with such a woman, few men could likely resist her charm.
Qin Niu, however, just nodded indifferently.
All he had to do next was wait at home.
Money was indeed a fine thing; it might not make ghosts grind away for him, but getting these villagers to work for him was as easy as turning over his hand.
Before long, he saw Liu Shengli entering the mountain with his cousin and brother.
When there was a good opportunity, people always looked out for their kin first.
Qin Niu waited patiently at home.
He even sent out the bees again to survey and monitor Liu Shengli and the others.
Less than an hour passed, and Liu Shengli came back with a large bundle of freshly cut logs.
“Master Qin, I wasn’t sure what kind of firewood you wanted, so 1 brought back a bundle first. If you need them cut or split, I’ll do it according to your specifications.”
Liu Shengli was mopping the sweat from his brow, respectfully inquiring about Qin Niu’s preferences.
“It’s fine just like this, I’ll cut it myself. Just leave them in the front yard.”
Qin Niu realized that human strength was indeed very limited.
Liu Shengli, a strong and young man, had exerted tremendous effort to carry the firewood all the way back. With Qin Niu’s current strength, lifting those logs was as effortless as holding a twig.
“You all must be careful when chopping wood in the mountains. If you encounter any dangerous beasts, flee immediately and report back to me.”
If there had been any abnormalities, the bees he had sent out to scout would have already returned with news.