Chapter 43: Drawing Lots

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Chen Mingtang’s hair had turned white from worry as he sighed deeply at home. The Wang family was filled with curses, each person bringing up the matter of Chen Qiuyang sleeping at the Wang household and the death of the widow who guarded the mountain, leaving him utterly helpless.

The Zhang family’s Xiuying said she would go ask around and think of a solution, but as a woman and an outsider to the Chen family, what say did she truly have in the Zhang household?

As for the Chen family, upon hearing about the drawing of lots, some claimed they did not meet the criteria, others said the same, and out of over a thousand Chens, only a little over a hundred tickets were finally produced.

“Why did you take on such a bone-breaking task? Let Chen Yinshan handle it!” Sun Xiao scolded her husband in frustration. Despite being a respected security chief, he was bullied by a mere warehouse keeper. Even the team leader bullied him.

Chen Mingtang remained silent.

“Mother, Sister’s here!” Little Xiuzhen ran in shouting.

Sun Xiao quickly fixed her clothes and hair, then happily ran outside.

“Mother! Xiuying’s here. Oh, Dabo and Xiaobao too! They’re wearing new padded jackets—how lovely! And that haircut is perfect, did Xiaohuacheng give it to them?” Sun Xiao was overjoyed. Usually, she could only visit quietly, but now that father and daughter had reconciled, her daughter could come to visit.

Chen Mingtang immediately put on a stern face but glanced at Dabo and Xiaobao.

“The clothes on Dabo and Xiaobao look good. Hu Chen has been decent to you and the kids.” Seeing his daughter’s new cotton shoes and the kids’ new padded clothes, Chen Mingtang sighed silently, regretting the earlier harshness. After all, everyone lives life together.

“Mother also has new clothes, just not finished yet!” Dabo quickly said.

Chen Xiuying hurriedly pulled Dabo aside.

“Father, the Zhang family has decided. Huacheng will be the mountain guard, and Huacheng asked Er Gou from the Wang family to join him; Er Gou agreed. Now only the Chen family needs to provide one.”

Chen Mingtang was stunned, pausing for a moment before muttering. His mind buzzed.

What was going on? His daughter’s words carried such weight in the Zhang family? No wonder they said to leave it to her. And it was Huacheng, the former barber, going as mountain guard? Er Gou from the Wang family also listened to Huacheng? Both the Zhang and Wang families agreed, leaving only their side’s spot? Wouldn’t a draw settle everything?

“Did you tell them? They know the rules for mountain guards, right?”

Mountain guards lived off what they hunted and gathered from the mountains; the commune provided no grain, so they were no longer commune members. Their only job was to guard the mountain.

Was the Zhang family really that easy to negotiate with?

“Isn’t your younger uncle a barber now? Barbers make good money. Are they crazy?” Sun Xiao found it hard to believe. What were the Zhangs thinking?

Chen Xiuying shook her head: “Mom, the Zhang family has about a hundred people, old and young, seventy or eighty of them. Only a few meet the requirements. Huacheng volunteered. The Zhang family is united, unlike our Chen family.”

“How can you say that!” Chen Mingtang was displeased.

“Isn’t it true? Your own brothers stab you in the back. Xiuying isn’t wrong. How many good people are left in the Chen family? You’re supposed to be security chief, but you’re more like a servant of security!” Sun Xiao saw Chen Mingtang was unwilling to hear criticism of their daughter.

He always made their men handle all the rotten business, never thinking of the good.

“Enough, the children are here.”

Chen Mingtang’s face reddened.

“Dabo, Xiaobao, Grandma will get you some steamed corn buns, okay?” Sun Xiao warmly went to fetch the children.

“Corn buns aren’t tasty, Grandma. Is there any peach pastry?” Dabo’s eyes lit up.

“Ah? Grandma doesn’t have any.”

Sun Xiao felt awkward—there was no such delicacy at home.

Dabo had even eaten peach pastry before?

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“Corn buns aren’t tasty. I want meat!” Xiaobao shouted.

“Steamed buns are fine. Grandma, don’t you have white steamed buns at your place?” Dabo asked when Grandma didn’t reply.

“Dumplings are tasty too, but must have meat!” Xiaobao added.

“Both of you, shut up!” Chen Xiuying slapped them in frustration. What kind of kids were these?

Sun Xiao looked back at her husband. Was this why he always complained about how hard life was for their daughter after marriage? Could he live this hard life himself?

Chen Xiuying didn’t stay long and soon left with the two kids. As they left, Dabo said, “Grandma, Grandpa, there’s nothing tasty at your house,” leaving the elderly couple feeling embarrassed.

“I’m going to the team headquarters!”

Seeing the resentment in his wife’s eyes, Chen Mingtang decisively left to ask Wang Kui.

Sure enough, Wang Kui confirmed that Er Gou had been assigned the Wang family’s spot, which pleased everyone.

Now the Wang family praised Er Gou; he took initiative in hard times, so no one dared call him a slacker anymore.

Chen Gonglin was shocked to hear the Chen family was left behind. He immediately gathered the Chen family to draw lots, secretly resenting that unlike the brave ones from the Zhang and Wang families, they had to rely on drawing lots.

Drawing lots for mountain guards was a serious matter in the team, with even Zhang Huacheng bringing his child to watch the spectacle.

“Won’t it be Tie Zhu who gets picked?” Er Gou muttered.

“The odds are low. If he gets picked, we’re in trouble. His parents would never let it go. Where’s Chen Qiuyang? Not here?” Zhang Huacheng looked around but didn’t see Chen Qiuyang and signaled to Er Gou.

Er Gou understood instantly and blended into the crowd drawing lots.

Chen Qiuyang didn’t come because his father, Chen Yinshan, was the warehouse keeper and a team official; he didn’t need to draw lots.

This spread quickly, causing uproar and curses.

“Why isn’t Chen Qiuyang here?”

“He’s injured and hasn’t recovered, so he’s not here.”

Chen Yinshan hurried to explain.

“What happened? Sleeping with the widow and messing up? If you’re damaged, don’t think about getting a wife. We’ll make sure everyone knows!”

“Ha ha ha!”

“If he’s not here, we won’t pick. If not for him, why would the mountain guards ask to change people early?”

“He just doesn’t want to be a mountain guard. I’ve seen him; he’s fine. He’ll come out after the selection.”

The crowd murmured back and forth, with Chen Gonglin shouting in vain to control them.

Zhang Huacheng watched the commotion, holding his child.

Chen Yinshan’s face darkened with anger.

“Even Er Gou volunteered to be a mountain guard now. Who dares call him a loafer? Look at him, look at our Chen family—no one has the guts!”

“Let the party members draw first!”

“Yes, officials must draw too!”

“Who said that? Speak up if you disagree!”

Chen Gonglin was flustered.

The old uncle of the Chen family finally came, quieting the crowd. Zhang Huacheng seemed to know the old man’s authority, which dated back to feudal times when he wielded power in Chen Tang Sanliqu, deciding life and death with a word.

“Xiaoyanzi, count Qiuyang as one. Write his name and place it in the box,” the old uncle ordered. Even Chen Yinshan dared not argue.

Chen Yan quickly wrote Chen Qiuyang’s name, showed it, then dropped it into the box.

“To ensure fairness, I will draw.”

The old uncle eyed the crowd, leaned on his cane, and reached into the box.

Whoever he drew would be final; no one could contest the result.

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The test was about to begin. The monsters were inside, and if Yu Luo’s words were false, they would reveal themselves immediately.

Liu Jianing felt genuinely frightened just now but was relieved they had won. Now she pondered in her mind. This couldn’t continue like this. What if one day a teammate wanted to surrender and four votes agreed? That would be truly awkward.

Cui Bin understood his grandmother’s words and had no choice but to feed his own essence to the gu insect. Using this extreme method, he cultivated a powerful and obedient gu insect. He didn’t complain but harbored some worry.

Meanwhile, the invading Dazi soldiers, covered by the weak and elderly at the front, began their assault on the city.

On this point, this hot spring inn was far better than those Xia You had visited before.

“Comparison is possible? But a comparison without stakes is meaningless,” Cui Bin feigned surprise and hesitation, his voice lacking confidence.

Inside the mansion, Yu Luo leaned on the table, head in hand, muttering to herself.

Zhai Yue no longer questioned. She hid her doubts and focused on remembering the four soul curses, determined to prevent the battle between immortals and ghosts.

Seeing Cui Bin ahead, Ren Xinlu followed him. This scene was noticed by Ruan Qingyu.

But Xiong Li was a general focused only on warfare. The headaches of Yanzhen he simply reported back to Xiao Town. After Xiong Li captured Anding State and entered Yanzhen, Xiao Mo saw the information. Though not present, the data was precise.

Tang Qiao nodded, realizing the ones he had slain were but three clones of Qianmian.

If a promising company tried to expand into the provincial capital, they would sabotage it. If the opponent’s background was weak, they would block them. If the opponent was formidable, they used various methods to mend old grievances.

Having understood this, he crushed his guilt deep inside and used the key to open the door.

Empress Dowager Yan shook her head, signaling her to finish. Shangguan Ai, seeing this, remained silent.

He sensed that in their brief clash, Old Bai hadn’t fully exerted himself, while he had reached his limit and was still no match. Old Bai’s skill was unfathomable.

“Everyone has their ambitions; we can’t force others to make the same choices,” Li Youqian said calmly. Human nature seeks benefit and avoids harm. To him, other classmates choosing private reconciliation was understandable.

She still refused to return to his side. Maybe he overestimated his charm. He knew the feud between the Luo and Chu families left shadows on her, and he was powerless.

This trip was like a son traveling; Xia Zimo and Dongfang Chen also traveled together.

“Impossible, absolutely impossible!” The middle-aged cultivator trembled, as if seeing a ghost, disbelief etched on his face.

“Enough nonsense, continue!” Qiao Yifan already knew this well. He wanted to hear if Chen Li had other theories.

At Yijianfeng’s words, the humanoid beast Black Wing Tiger howled and wisely fell silent. The three then headed to the treasure shop ‘Baofangzhai’ in the Wild King’s City.

Wang Hu dismounted quietly from the Golden-winged Roc’s back, waved his hand, and countless treasures previously looted with the roc flew towards it.

Cheng Feng sat cross-legged on the bed, his mind filled with Xu Xinyi’s image until long after, forcing himself to let go.

He suddenly retreated a step, gathering profound energy on his back. This retreat was actually a forward move, as he turned his back on Fu Mingzhu.

If these words linked with the next two lines, the poem would read like a myth.

Without close observation, just reading the classics, one could never comprehend the ethereal, neither light nor air.

She not only opened her double eyelids wide, eyes larger than an ox’s, but the black pupils contracted sharply.

Everyone was stunned. The disruptive cough came from Wan Qingsong.

They looked deep into the Guanghan Palace. Chang’e was still in seclusion. Wang Hu greeted Jade Rabbit and Li Nan, told them to notify him if the fairy emerged, then left.

“Uh...” Faced with Yu Fu’s barrage of questions, Qin Yibai frowned, lost in thought.

Qi Jing was no connoisseur but had years of experience. He could tell good from bad at a glance and, with a touch, be almost certain. With no lack of money, he shopped wildly.

Xiang Qiu was displeased that the merchant dared eavesdrop on his conversation with Zhang Ruyun. Seeing the merchant fabricate their words, he grew angry and kicked him.

In this Maya ancient city, all life was wiped out by a divine shout, yet inanimate objects like buildings were unharmed.

After being carried back to bed by Yin Niang, Zhang Ruyun was wiped down again, feeling somewhat refreshed, though his legs trembled uncontrollably.

He walked over slowly, the light casting on his face, his poised yet fierce demeanor sending a chill down Fang Yongwang’s spine.

The evening breeze stirred fallen leaves like dead butterflies rising into the night sky. It tousled the high-up hair and billowed the wide Yunji robes.

“Help Li Fei.” Rong Fei looked haggard, eyes lifeless. The princess was injured, and she would never have children. With the princess dead, what meaning did she have in the harem?

“Brother, what are you doing here?” Gu Anliang and Xizi brought their son up the mountain, surprised by the visitor.

“That’s exactly the past you wanted to see,” the King of Shadows said slowly. He had intended to leave but paused seeing Meiyang’s strong reaction.