A Jiu had never hated anyone in her life, except for Steward Li.
Back when her parents weren't so good, she hadn't even hated them or her grandmother.
"You don't know anything," said Madam Wang, sitting cross-legged on the soft cushion of the carriage and snorting. "Is it easy for me to hide my identity? That Li Dachang knows me inside out. If I don't agree to his terms for now, he'll expose me and implicate you all."
"But you shouldn't have agreed to pray for rain. Steward Li definitely has an agenda."
While what she said made sense to A Jiu, she felt they shouldn't be led by the nose by Li Dachang. This was not how her grandmother usually acted.
"I didn't say I'd pray now. Look at me, my spiritual energy is almost depleted. It'll take at least three to five months to recover."
Madam Wang suddenly opened her eyes and looked at her granddaughter. Li Dachang knew her original self thoroughly. Unless she didn't travel with the girl, she wouldn't be implicated.
If they didn't travel together, where would he find spiritual spring water to replenish his spiritual energy?
After much thought, she decided to reach a temporary agreement with Steward Li. Moreover, this girl was a merchant, and her carriage could enter and exit Nanming City freely. Wouldn't that allow her to escort him out?
Hearing this, A Jiu frowned and looked at her disheveled grandmother. There was obvious soot smeared on her face.
She was likely trying to hide her divine identity from the day she prayed for rain.
"Father's words were quite right. At this time, who knows if the sun will rise tomorrow? We'll worry about tomorrow when it comes," A Jiu mumbled.
Madam Wang suddenly coughed a few times.
A Jiu immediately understood and tactfully took out her water pouch and handed it to her grandmother. "There isn't much water left now."
"What? Didn't you mention merit points? If you save a few more people at the Hualian Medical Hall, won't you get them?" Madam Wang tilted her head and drank from the pouch as if nothing had happened.
Easy for her to say. A Jiu didn't argue with her grandmother's attitude and said calmly, "I plan to farm. I have rice seeds here."
She opened her small cloth bag to show that it only contained a pound of rice seeds.
Madam Wang grabbed the water pouch and stared at A Jiu as if she had seen a ghost. "Rice? How much spiritual spring water would that waste? What are you thinking with that little head of yours? Can you even do calculations? If you give me spiritual spring water to drink, I can make it rain for the whole world. Only then will you have a chance to grow rice. Can't you figure this out?"
A Jiu scratched her head, confused by her grandmother's words.
It seemed to make sense.
But then again, it didn't quite make sense.
After leaving the city, Madam Wang used a document bearing the official seal of the Salt Guild, provided by Steward Li, to pass through the city gate.
They reached Liuxian County, and by the time the grandmother and granddaughter got off the carriage, the sky was filled with the rosy hues of dawn.
"Girl, you still haven't figured it out?" Madam Wang walked ahead with her hands behind her back, her movements brisk.
A Jiu shook her head. "I haven't. I'm thinking of planting little by little, so it won't consume too much spiritual spring water at once. When the seeds mature, I'll harvest them as seeds, and then plant again. Wouldn't that result in a steady, doubled harvest? And I won't have to worry about food or having land to farm."
Madam Wang suddenly stopped and turned to look at A Jiu with the expression of someone looking at a complete fool. Then, she turned away and continued walking. "Whatever you want."
Madam Wang felt that investing in this girl was more worthwhile than investing in farming, but she just couldn't understand why.
The grandmother and granddaughter walked one after the other, the setting sun casting their shadows longer and longer until they reached Heba Village as dusk settled.
"Has your Uncle Niu returned yet?" Madam Wang suddenly remembered this.
A Jiu shook her head. "He hasn't returned."
Madam Wang sighed. "Actually, that direction has a flaw. Sigh..."
A Jiu's spirits immediately perked up. "Grandmother, what do you mean by a flaw?"
"Southeast is the Kun trigram, which in the Eight Gates of Mystery is the Gate of Death, often bringing ill fortune. Fate cannot be defied. If he doesn't return within half a month, something must have happened."
Madam Wang's words were calm, as if she had long seen through the impermanence of life and fortune.
A Jiu didn't understand, but the word "death" was clearly not a good omen. "Grandmother, do you mean that Uncle Niu will die on this trip?"