CHAPTER 97: CHAPTER 95

While thinking, Bai Lun looked at Ruan Mian with a troubled expression, opening his mouth as if he had something to say.

Ruan Mian understood his intention and spoke first, "Since this person has been kind to you, it wouldn’t hurt to spare his miserable life out of respect for your benefactor."

Considering Li Mao’s current state of fright, death might instead be a relief.

Ruan Mian had plenty of ways to continue tormenting him.

Otherwise, how could he repay that venomous heart?

So, on the surface, Ruan Mian did Bai Lun a favor, yet the next moment the boy unexpectedly showed a relieved smile and turned to speak a few words to the servant behind him that Ruan Mian did not understand.

Shortly after, the person came over with a wooden box.

He opened the lid and handed it to Ruan Mian.

"This is a thousand-year-old ginseng from within Longchang Mountain. Because of my personal fondness, I didn’t kill the man outright. Consider this as compensation between you and me."

This ginseng is truly stunning!

The roots are thick and long, shaped like a human figure, as thick as a child’s two arms.

Not only was Ruan Mian stunned, but everyone else was also shocked upon seeing such a beautiful and rare medicine.

Ruan Mian smiled, politely declined twice, and intended to refuse.

Unexpectedly, Bai Lun directly pushed it into her hands, giving her no chance to refuse.

Even for someone who has seen numerous fine medicinal herbs, Ruan Mian immediately recognized the ginseng’s preciousness.

It seems that only the Jinsha Clan, who have been stationed year after year on Longchang Mountain, could have the opportunity to dig out such a top-grade product.

She looked at the ginseng, and suddenly an idea popped into her mind.

She accepted it, expressing a few grateful words.

She still had work to do, so she didn’t linger there, holding the ginseng while Bai Lun’s guards escorted her back to the lumberyard.

Though Bai Lun was a child, his every move carried an air of royalty, quite mature.

Especially when frightening Li Mao, his gaze seemed ready to tear him apart any moment.

No wonder Li Mao was scared into such a cowardly state.

After Bai Lun’s attendants left, she went to a secluded corner, touched the jade bracelet, entered the space, and placed the ginseng in the plantation area at the back of the warehouse.

These days, she often entered the space to plant vegetables and fruits, manage medicinal herbs, and her cotton field, which had already been harvested several times, stretched beyond sight.

The harvesting, cleaning, and drying truly took a lot of effort. Fortunately, the space’s features were powerful, allowing the finished product to be sun-dried quickly.

Moreover, she discovered that as she punished more wrongdoers, her goodwill value kept accumulating, and more medicines and supplies became available on the shelves for exchange.

There were even nutrient bag exchanges for the land inside; with those, the planted fruits and medicinal herbs could grow faster.

Additionally, as her exchange rate increased, higher-grade item seeds started appearing.

She planted this precious ginseng, watered with nutrient bags, experimented slightly, and found its roots growing rapidly.

At this rate, wouldn’t it quickly become one which grows more?

Ruan Mian was quite satisfied; now she had grasped the basic attribute of the space, a treasure for upgrading flows.

Her main thread is to punish evil people to gain that goodwill value, then continuously exchanging, absorbing, and planting in a repeated closed loop, unlocking more functions for the space.

Wonderful, excellent!

Thus, everything became more motivating!

...

After working a whole day and returning to the cellar, she used the consultation fee given by Mr. Xie to exchange for a wild chicken from the government officer, which they had just hunted.

Because they hunted several, they intended to take out one and sell it in parts.

Unexpectedly, Ruan Mian bought it all.

One government officer was plucking the wild chicken’s feathers, gazing intently at Ah Qing’s innocent and naive face, gradually lost in thought.

Others took Ruan Mian’s silver, weighed it, and remarked, "I’ve heard that after being summoned by the General, the Ruan Family gained quite a few benefits. Now, they can buy wild game from us without hesitation."

"Lv Meng! Talking to you, why are you distracted?"

That government officer noticed the man hadn’t reacted and raised his voice.

The constable named Lv Meng then smiled and agreed, "I was just lost in thought, apologies."

...

"Father! Mother! We have good food again tonight! Sister wants to show her skills and make a salt-baked braised wild chicken for us to try."

Upon arriving at the cellar entrance, Ruan Qing eagerly began to showcase to the family.

She carried the wild chicken and squatted to the side diligently, seeing Shaoxi approach to handle it; she squatted beside to support without a hint of disdain.

Mrs. Zhang saw her previously pampered daughter now fallen to this predicament, feeling deeply uncomfortable in her heart.

Her eye rims reddened, and tears fell.

Ruan Mian noticed and approached to ask, "Mother, what’s wrong?"

Mrs. Zhang held her hand, expressing her feelings repeatedly.

"Mianmian, after all, it’s us who wronged you and Ah Qing. If it weren’t for this incident, I would have already found a suitable family for both of you, living happily for the rest of your lives."

Ruan Mian could also understand Mrs. Zhang’s maternal pain.

Actually, she was also a pampered lady; both the husband’s family and her maiden family were merchants, but never allowed her to suffer since childhood, neither her father nor Ruan’s father.

Even as such a lady, after being exiled, she still whole-heartedly considered her children.

Concerned about Mrs. Chen, pregnant and uncomfortable, she watches daily, cooking soup and caring personally.

Mrs. Chen, as a daughter-in-law, felt embarrassed.

She is particularly attentive to her two daughters.

While in the reception camp, with no skills herself, she finds ways to sew new clothes for them, clean their bedding, even sometimes swallowing her pride to ask constables for edible items.

All this was seen by Ruan Mian.

She gently comforted, "Mother, actually this may not necessarily be a bad thing. We were once too protected, perhaps lacking even basic survival skills."

"Moreover, who can guarantee that the family we would have found, would treat us well forever?"

"Have you forgotten how eldest sister once was unappreciated by her husband’s family, stuck like in a mire, unable to rescue herself? If it weren’t for dad discovering in time, eldest sister might have met an untimely end."

"Now that we have learned skills, able to do embroidery, learning archery from Shaoxi, and adapting to this harsh life."

"What Mianmian says is very true."

Just as Ruan Mian finished speaking, Mr. Ruan’s voice came from afar.

She happened to notice what Mr. Ruan was holding, hesitating, "Father, is what you’re holding...?"

Mr. Ruan saw her reaction, felt a bit embarrassed, yet calmly explained.

"Some old medical books, among those your brother brought."

It turned out during the exile, he hadn’t been idle but diligently researching the medical books.

"Mianmian, although your father initially started in commerce, he always admired scholars. Last time on the exile road, you saved me from near death."

"Since then, your father resolved to study medicine well, to have at least a skill to survive in hardship."