?48: Chapter 48: Delivered to the Door 48: Chapter 48: Delivered to the Door The villagers of Wanbao Village drooled over the two stacks of money, Sun Ke not only wanted the money, but also to vent his frustrations, while Liu Hun, apart from wanting money, wanted to solidify his status in the village.

    After returning to the temple, Liu Hun and the young women of the village neatly stacked the hollow rotten wood in the courtyard, then crushed a basket of mushrooms and sprinkled them over the hollow decaying wood.

    Du Yueling watched Liu Hun fussing and felt it was unreliable; how could mushrooms grow from crushed pieces scattered on rotten wood?

    Although worried, every time she tried to voice her skepticism, Liu Hun’s smile and confident promises came to mind, silencing her.

    She used to express her opinions and views unabashedly, especially on things that completely contradicted her education and common sense.

    But since meeting Liu Hun, she felt that anything could happen around this man, from curing her own illness to producing incredibly high yields of vegetables; perhaps he was a miracle himself.

    That night, after everyone went home with uneasy hearts and fell asleep, Liu Hun moved from one piece of rotten wood to another under the moonlight, applying Qi Force to each, before going back to his room to sleep.

    “Oh my goodness!

    This is incredible!

    Look, everyone, it sprouted!

    Everyone come look!” Qin Yue, concerned about the mushrooms in the temple, arrived early in the morning only to find that the crushed mushrooms from yesterday were gone, and new little mushrooms had sprouted on the rotten wood.

    Soon, villagers, whether they lived in the temple or not, came to see the curiosity.

    It was as surprising and joyous as the first time they saw a local opera in the village.

    “My heavens, the scoundrel did it!

    What kind of skill does the fellow have?

    Immense skill, I tell you!

    It looks like our houses are in good hopes now.”

    “Hey!

    It’s true that one would not dare to ascend Liang Mountain without three chopaxes.

    He talked the talk and is living up to his responsibility!

    As for whatshisname Strong, I think he’s a fool!

    Coming here to throw away his money!”

    “You folks better not get too carried away.

    This is only the first step of a thousand-mile journey, isn’t it just a sprout?

    Why all the fuss?

    I bet if the sun comes out and it rains, they’ll all wilt away.”

    “...”

    Watching the sprouts of mushrooms, everyone had something to say, but the happiest among them was Du Yueling.

    Witnessing each small mushroom, she couldn’t contain the smile that lit up the entire temple, experiencing once again the miracle of Liu Hun, feeling that this man was steadily overturning her world.

    “We’ve got a crop now; we should keep it safe!

    How about we arrange for people to keep watch at night to prevent any sabotage?

    What do you all think?” Qin Yue’s mind worked quickly, immediately voicing her thoughts.

    Once she brought it up, it was immediately approved by those around, so they discussed together and set up a night watch schedule.

    The first few days were quiet, nothing unusual happened, and the mushrooms on the hollow rotten wood grew promisingly.

    On the sixth night, a cold breeze woke Liu Hun.

    As he was about to turn over and continue sleeping, he suddenly felt something close in front of him and abruptly opened his eyes.

    “Hmm...” His mouth was immediately covered by someone.

    “Scoundrel, keep quiet.

    It’s me, Bai Lian.” Bai Lian whispered, her hand covering his mouth, feeling the warmth radiating from Liu Hun which tingled her heart.

    “What?

    What’s the matter, Sister Bai Lian?” Liu Hun finally saw who it was by the moonlight.

    It was indeed Bai Lian, whose formidable figure had initially blocked his view.

    “Scoundrel, I just saw a sneaky figure at the temple door.

    I was worried and scared, so I came to find you,” Bai Lian said as she pressed closer to Liu Hun, the thin wool clothes rubbing against their skin creating an indescribable sensation, as if part of his body tingled while another felt uncomfortable.

    “Quiet, let’s go check it out together!” Liu Hun whispered to Bai Lian, tiptoeing out of the house like a thief.

    Bai Lian always relished the rubbing sensation, especially at the itchy spots that made her shiver as if dogtail grass was tickling the soles of her feet, uncomfortable yet hard to let go.

    “Shh!

    Quiet, that guy is over there.” Liu Hun suddenly pulled Bai Lian down to squat, and by the moonlight, he spotted a dark figure near the hollow rotten wood, seemingly up to something.

    As Bai Lian looked, her other thoughts vanished, pulling at Liu Hun she said, “Scoundrel, he’s definitely up to no good!

    We need to catch him, or the mushrooms will be ruined!”

    Liu Hun was pondering the same thing.

    As his shout reached the brink of escaping his throat, he suddenly changed his mind and swallowed it back down, then he said to Bai Lian, “Bai Lian, let’s go back.

    Don’t make a sound.

    I have a plan for tonight.”

    Bai Lian was utterly confused.

    She wanted to say something several times, but since Liu Hun already had a plan, she obediently followed him and left quietly.

    That night, more than one shadow lurked in the temple, and it seemed only the moon knew what had happened.

    The next morning, just after Liu Hun had relieved himself at the base of the wall, Sun Ke arrived with a group, as if he had sniffed something out.

    “Big trouble!

    Huge trouble!

    Hun, you’re still peeing here...

    Sun Ke, what brings you here?” Qin Yue, still not fully dressed, ran toward the temple gate.

    She spotted Sun Ke with his group and quickly covered her chest, though she had initially planned to casually show a little.

    But seeing Sun Ke, she lost all interest in that.

    “Well, well!

    To see such a pair first thing in the morning, it really stirs my heart like oil to a flame!” Sun Ke’s eyes lit up as if he saw something utterly enticing, glaring with wide-eyed surprise.

    “Tch!

    You’re a bad seed that won’t even sprout!” Qin Yue cursed under her breath and adjusted her robe to cover herself properly, thankful that only the silhouette was shown to Sun Ke.

    After glaring at him, she pulled Liu Hun aside and whispered, “Hun, bad news, the mushrooms are all dead.”

    “Don’t panic!

    Go back and put on some clothes first.

    I’ve got it under control,” Liu Hun reassured Qin Yue, then led her into the temple.

    Sun Ke swaggered into the temple followed by a few people, and soon Ye Canghai and Fen Ran, along with the money pressed on them, arrived.

    The gambling event at Crossroad had been well publicized; today was the final day, and everyone from Wanbao Village, whether they could make it or not, crowded inside the temple.

    “I’m saying though, where are the mushrooms?

    Why didn’t I see them?

    This rotten wood is bald like a monk’s head, how could there be any mushrooms?”

    “Something’s not right, did someone sabotage them?

    I saw sprouts just a few days ago, how could they be gone today?

    Didn’t Hun pick them yesterday?”

    “If he picked them yesterday, they’d probably be spoiled by today, right?

    I bet it was some disaster at some unknown time, and now they’re just gone.

    Boy, Hun really messed up this time.

    That’s a lot of money gone.”

    “...”

    “Ahem!

    Folks of Wanbao Village, though I, Sun Ke, am not from our village, I do care about our village’s survival and development!

    I genuinely have a heart as warm as a pancake on my chest!

    I, Sun Ke, do not want everyone to be deceived by Hun, so!

    Today, right in front of everyone, I’ll expose his tricks and let everyone see what Hun really is!” Sun Ke addressed the villagers, his face reflecting his petty nature that was annoying to look at.

    Yet, unbelievably, there were still some who believed him, and someone immediately voiced their support, “It’s a good thing that someone cares about the development of Wanbao Village.

    Sun Ke came back from the county town and has seen the world.

    He knows what works and what doesn’t, unlike some who just mess around.

    Right, everyone?”

    “What are you on about?

    He’s nothing but a pretentious good-for-nothing, pretending to be virtuous.

    You really think he’s a living Buddha!” Qin Yue immediately countered, disgusted by the fence-sitters in the village who flip at the sight of profit.

    “Stop with the nonsense and let’s just settle this.

    I still have to go to town for cards later...

    ow!” Ye Canghai was impatiently complaining when Fen Ran gave him a sharp twist on his waist.

    He grimaced and said to Fen Ran, “Go easy, I’m already weak, and if you twist me like that, what happens if I can’t perform tonight?”

    “Tssk!

    Like anyone’s eager for that.

    With that broken rifle of yours, it’s a wonder it stands at all, let alone storm a fortress.

    You wish!

    So shameless!” Fen Ran scoffed, visibly irritated bringing up this topic.

    “Exactly, exactly!

    Village Chief Ye spoke rightly!

    Let’s not veer off topic.

    The scales are here, and we have the villagers of Wanbao present.

    Let’s witness this together!

    Shall we start now, Hun?” Sun Ke rubbed his hands together, eager to stir up drama.

    “Where did the mushrooms go?

    I specifically checked them last night before going to bed, and they were all still there.

    Did you pick them?” Du Yueling, frowning, questioned Liu Hun.

    She knew the man’s ambitions; this was a crucial first step, and if it faltered, it would be impossible to recover.

    “Right!

    Wasn’t Bai Lian watching over them last night?

    Where is she?

    Why haven’t I seen her?

    Come on, speak up, you’re making me so anxious I could pee!” Qin Yue said urgently to Liu Hun, crossing her legs in desperation.

    Liu Hun, however, was bright inside like a lamp in his belly; he knew that if he lost this time, not only would the hard-earned money be gone, but he would also lose the villagers’ trust, turning more of them into opportunists.

    It would then become impossible to lead them in any future endeavors.

    “Don’t worry, I’m confident about this.

    Besides, when have I ever let you down?” Liu Hun grinned at the two women, his words landing forcefully like a rock dropping onto the ground with a thunk!