Others might not know what was going on, but He Song secretly gathered some classified information.
Therefore, for the past two years, even though his daughter pestered him about that little scoundrel to the point of desperation, he didn't dare to have any designs on Fu Xin Ci.
The reason was simple: he feared death.
He had heard from someone that Fu Xin Ci had a reclusive master who taught her incredible skills, appearing and disappearing without a trace. She killed Tartars as easily as slaughtering chickens.
That person had also mysteriously told him, "Do you know why the Tartars haven't dared to invade Liaodong these past few years? They were scared off by that young lady.
She wiped them out in one go, twice. Have you ever considered how many Tartars could withstand her 'stewing' them like that?"
From then on, He Song was terrified. He avoided that young lady whenever he saw her.
Today, by chance, after hearing his daughter's words, he felt that if he didn't give her a lesson, she might not learn.
Having lost her reputation and been slapped by her father, He Xiao Ni felt she couldn't go on living and ran out of the house.
However, once she reached the street, she realized she had nowhere to go.
Over the years, due to her obnoxious personality, she hadn't made any decent friends.
She had a few fair-weather friends and sycophants, but at this moment, she didn't want to be with them.
Fu Xin Ci ambled along, with nothing in particular to do, and casually entered a shop, intending to buy some trinkets for Ning Er.
But as soon as she stepped inside, she heard the sound of horses approaching outside. She looked back and saw Qi He riding with his companions passing down the street.
"Qi Ge, where are you going?"
Hearing Fu Mei Mei's voice, Qi He immediately reined in his horse and quietly told Fu Xin Ci their destination.
"Starting today, my father has assigned us to patrol the coast, once in the morning and once in the afternoon."
"Then you go ahead. Be careful," she said.
"Okay," Qi He nodded, but he was reluctant to leave. He glanced back and then reminded Fu Xin Ci, "Head back early."
"Mmm, I'll just buy a few small things for Ning Er and then head back."
Qi He looked back several more times before urging his horse onward amidst the laughter and chatter of his companions.
This scene was witnessed by He Xiao Ni, who ran up to Fu Xin Ci and sarcastically exclaimed, "My cousin is long gone, and you're still staring. How shameless!"
Fu Xin Ci truly didn't want to deal with such an idiotic mind.
However, her unwillingness to engage didn't mean the two behind her were willing to let it go.
Han Xue and Chun Yu, as if in concert, simultaneously reached out, one grabbing her hair, the other slapping her face. Soon, He Xiao Ni's left and right cheeks were symmetrically bruised.
Fu Xin Ci had already walked twenty to thirty paces with her hands behind her back. Seeing they hadn't caught up, she smiled and turned back, "Alright, let it be a lesson for her. No need to hit her too hard."
Having said that, Fu Xin Ci continued on her way home, sighing inwardly. Because of this nuisance, she hadn't even managed to buy anything for Ning Er.
"Hey." Hearing their young lady speak, Han Xue and Chun Yu released He Xiao Ni, tidied the stray hairs on her forehead, and then followed their young lady.
He Xiao Ni: She was going crazy. She hadn't expected to be beaten just for mocking Fu Xin Ci a couple of times.
"I'm going to report you! I'll have you punished!"
"We'll see who gets punished," Chun Yu, who was a year younger than their young lady, spoke with a hint of childishness.
Han Xue, on the other hand, was quite good at pacifying. "Why bother with such a creature? If you're still angry, I'll go beat her up again for you."
"Mmm, Han Xue Jie Jie's idea is really good," Chun Yu said, then turned back to glare provocatively at He Xiao Ni. Her expression conveyed: Keep acting up, and we'll beat you again.
He Xiao Ni: She should just go home. It was too dangerous outside, especially with the two crazy women following Fu Xin Ci, who would grab your hair and slap your face at the slightest provocation.
She admitted she couldn't afford to play this game anymore. She was done.
A few days after this incident, Fu Xin Ci learned from Madam Zhong that He Xiao Ni and Wei Xiao Er were engaged. Madam Nie was quite displeased.
It was only after He Song promised a plot of land as a dowry that Madam Nie relented.
As night fell, Fu Xin Ci once again stood before the notice board, preparing to trade some salted duck eggs and seafood with her little friends.
They now had fifty chickens, fifty ducks, and twenty large white geese at home, and they laid eggs almost every day.
It was quite amusing how the task of collecting eggs was almost entirely taken over by the three siblings.
Especially Ning Er, who would sneak out the back door when the adults weren't paying attention.
Now, the adults at home were experienced. If Ning Er wasn't found in the yard, they knew to check the chicken coop or duck pen.
...
The lights on the vending machine illuminated, and her little friends gave Fu Xin Ci another surprise. They had not only grown potatoes using straw ash but also sweet potatoes and several kinds of small green vegetables.
Now, the mercenary teams and gangs throughout Dragon City were queuing up, waiting for the straw from Fu Xin Ci's space.
Every time she traded the straw, she heard from her little friends that it almost led to fights over it.
It wasn't surprising they almost fought tooth and nail. Only the ash from the straw traded by Fu Xin Ci could cultivate normal vegetables.
While these vegetables couldn't compare to the crops grown in Fu Xin Ci's space, their taste was basically similar to the quality of vegetables before the apocalypse.
This alone had solved many problems for everyone.
Fu Xin Ci thought: She never would have imagined that straw would one day be so sought after.
Her little friends also secretly told her that the population of Dragon City was growing, with people from Phoenix City relocating en masse.
Fu Xin Ci vaguely recalled that Phoenix City had a female city lord.
Her little friends also told her that this female city lord had been frequenting their stronghold recently.
A thought flashed through Fu Xin Ci's mind, and she sent over a note.
"Is that female city lord perhaps taken with our captain?"
Captain: He had been playing dumb, but he couldn't let others see the note.
Xiao Ai: "Captain, what did Xin Ci just say?"
"Nothing much. She was just asking if we have enough food."
Speaking of food, Yang Xin Jie chimed in, "We really don't have much food left in storage."
As if by telepathy, as soon as Yang Xin Jie finished speaking, the trading interface lit up again, and bags of rice and white flour were traded over.
The female city lord of Phoenix City was not far behind. The woman beside her kept nudging her, "Sister, see? The food that Long Teng eats is all high-quality, and they don't even need to exchange it for supplies."
Female City Lord: She knew, of course, but...
Seeing her sister not respond, the woman continued to persuade, "Sister, if you get together with Captain Long Teng, we can also eat such good food every day."