CHAPTER 93: CHAPTER 93: THE LEGENDARY GIRL FAVORED BY THE GODS

Chapter 93: The Woman Blessed by the Gods

If it were autumn, Pei Shu’er could easily bring out some of the fruits from her space.

Bringing them out now would only arouse suspicion.

So, what Pei Shu’er could present were nothing more than cold-resistant foods like radishes and yams.

Everyone noticed that every time Pei Shu’er went out, she returned with gains.

Gradually, everyone liked to go out with her.

Not only would they not return empty-handed, but they also contributed to the third branch, so they didn’t have to worry about being resented by them.

While others were at a loss to find food, they managed to find some, and each time they had gains.

This was a blessing that others could only envy.

The Old Madam Tang also heard about Pei Shu’er, but her thoughts were more profound than others.

She discreetly gave Liu Xu some advice and even specifically called Tang Qingning over.

"I’ve always known Shu’er carries good fortune. Even if your third branch thrives in the future, you must not mistreat Shu’er. With her blessed presence, the family will prosper."

Liu Xu nodded repeatedly, understanding this more deeply than anyone else.

If it weren’t for Pei Shu’er, Tang Zan might have already been bitten to death by wolves.

She and her children might have died on the way too.

Even the Tang Family benefited from Pei Shu’er’s grace.

How could they forget such a great favor?

"Mother, I understand. Even if I’m hard on myself, I can’t be hard on Shu’er."

The Old Madam Tang saw that Liu Xu truly understood and naturally showed a bit more kindness towards this timid daughter-in-law.

"Live your lives in peace."

As the Old Madam Tang was leaving, Pei Shu’er happened to meet her.

She took out several large white radishes she had just "found" as a gift.

"Grandmother, these radishes are sweet. Please take them home to eat."

Her words were as sweet as sugar.

The Old Madam Tang did not refuse, noting down Pei Shu’er’s kindness.

"Next autumn, when the fields yield crops, I will send some for you to taste."

Pei Shu’er smiled and responded, "Alright, take care, Grandmother."

The Old Madam Tang saw Pei Shu’er smiling so beautifully that even the worries from the separation of the second and fourth branches faded away.

After all, children and grandchildren have their blessings. Forcing them to stay together is generally not beneficial.

Didn’t the third branch also start living better after dividing the family?

Now that the Tang Family had completely separated, she divided her time between the second, third, and fourth branches.

She patted Pei Shu’er’s head, filled with affection.

"My dear granddaughter, you must get along well with Zan’er."

Pei Shu’er nodded with a blush, looking like a shy young wife.

This winter was hard, with nearly half of the exiles dead.

Come the next spring, only fifty to sixty people were left alive.

All appeared bony and skeletal.

And by this time, it was possible to start planting.

While everyone else was troubled over seeds, the people of the third branch had already selected good seeds and were ready to sow.

They smiled at Pei Shu’er as they planted, commending her foresight.

As early as when purchasing materials, Pei Shu’er had already prepared the seeds, actually brought out from her space, and explained the truth to everyone.

During sowing, everyone worked diligently, with no slacking off.

While others were planting crops, Pei Shu’er planted fruit trees in the yard using seeds she brought from the modern era in her space.

Luckily, with some animals appearing in spring, those without seeds either searched for seeds in the mountains or hunted and exchanged with people from the third branch.

They knew the third branch used work points to clearly price goods, and the work points tokens were intricate, plus the third branch kept a master ledger, so no one attempted to forge them.

Work points could even be exchanged among individuals.

This allowed for smoother circulation of work points, and the people on the Deserted Mountain were now accustomed to the work points system.

And work points were controlled by the people of the third branch.

This was a tacit recognition of the third branch’s leadership.

A middle-aged man said, "Miss Pei, look at these two wild rabbits I caught, can I get twenty work points?"

Pei Shu’er noticed one of them was a female, and with the rabbits’ fertility, the numbers would certainly be substantial next year.

She had no intention of hiding it and smiled, "You’ve identified them as a pair, so twenty work points is reasonable."

The man’s eyes smiled, though reluctant, he couldn’t survive himself, let alone raise rabbits.

Now, he just wanted to exchange for some filling grain and seeds.

Yinxing asked, "What do you want to exchange for?"

The man stated what he wanted to exchange for and left contentedly with plenty of food.

The others were envious.

But there was no way, a pair of rabbits wasn’t a common stroke of luck.

Because Pei Shu’er opened up the exchange, creating a small market.

Everyone no longer had to worry about the lack of seeds or grain.

It gave everyone hope for life and something to strive for.

The Deserted Mountain stabilized a bit, especially when the seeds sprouted and crops grew in the fields.

Life for everyone gradually returned to normal.

However, no matter how carefully attended, the crops didn’t match those in the third branch’s land.

They grew fast, flourishing in lush green patches.

This was due to the Spiritual Spring Water and organic fertilizers.

Some people who had a chance to visit the third branch’s yard found fruit trees already knee-high, growing much better than the outside vegetables.

While others hunted in the mountains, some discovered there was also cultivation on the back mountain.

The growth was equally impressive.

But no one came to claim it, and some tried to steal crops, only to be scolded away by Yinxing.

This was secretly tilled by Pei Shu’er.

The government officers hadn’t hindered access to the back mountain, simply because its terrain was steep, so no one ventured there.

After Pei Shu’er discovered a relatively flat plot, she had the third branch’s people cultivate it.

No one knew when the third branch did it, but seeing an expanse of green made people envious.

But all they could do was envy.

The first batch of small bok choy they planted was ready to eat, and as they ate, they felt like they had stepped into another world.

Some exiles wept openly, feeling alive for the first time.

Such ordinary vegetables were flavors they tasted only after enduring life-and-death trials and the dark nature of humanity.

If not for Pei Shu’er, they wouldn’t have the fortune to taste this.

It was too hard.

This journey was truly too hard.

Even when hunting in the mountains, empty-handed returns were common.

Finding even a bit of wild game wasn’t easy.

Except for Pei Shu’er, the "legendary woman blessed by the gods," most people came back empty-handed.

So, not only did people from the third branch love to follow Pei Shu’er into the mountains, but other exiles were also willing to join her.

Those unruly ones were weeded out by the third branch.

The ones that remained were honest people who knew how to live a stable life.

The reason for following Pei Shu’er was simple: even a scrape of her fingernails meant a full meal for them.

Pei Shu’er had no choice but to show a bit; the fruit trees she planted in her space during winter had matured and started bearing fruit.

The growth rate was fast, three times quicker than outside.

It did consume quite a lot of Spiritual Spring Water.

The fruits were big and sweet, and together with her previous space stock, she decided to disperse some of them.

So when Pei Shu’er climbed the trees to pick fruits, some would fall with a clatter, many bruising upon impact.

This still excited the exiles, whose eyes turned red. As long as they could eat, who cared about appearance?

After everyone carried a few bruised fruits back, they became more determined to stick with Pei Shu’er.

Sticking with her meant they wouldn’t starve.

Seeing everyone so respectful, quietly following her, and some even secretly protecting her, Pei Shu’er was content to let them come along.

Meanwhile, with the third branch’s vast land, they hired extra labor from the Deserted Mountain.

With work points, everyone was eager to work, as these points represented supplies and food!

They were survival capital.

Some even imitated the third branch by clearing land to cultivate, though without immediate results, they obediently worked for the third branch.