Chapter 043: The Other Halves of the Sisters

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“When the chestnuts are harvested, make sure to send some to Jianhua and his wife. Even though they have jobs, most of their food has to be bought,” Grandfather Qi said, showing his concern for all his children.

On Xie Mama’s side, although Xie Papa worked at a food factory, he still had a rural household registration. So when land was distributed, their family of five received four acres, which meant there was never any worry about grain for the year, and there was always a surplus.

Aunt Qi Yulan and Uncle Qi Jianhua were proper workers with urban household registrations, so they had to buy their grain. However, they were well-off, and whenever the harvest was good, they would come to Xiezhang Village and, through an introduction from Xie Papa, buy grain from the villagers. Thus, they rarely worried about food shortages.

Still, whenever Grandfather Qi had the opportunity, he liked to help out, such as with the chestnuts this time. Although no one knew how big the harvest would be, chestnuts were a kind of food, and sending some over could help supplement their supplies.

“Dad, I understand,” Qi Jianshe replied without a hint of complaint.

One had to admit, while the Qi siblings might not be particularly outstanding in ability, their family bond was indeed strong.

By the time the licorice was processed and washed, it was almost ten o’clock when Xie Yihuang finally lay down on her bed.

She opened the group chat, finding everyone present.

“Hello, sisters, I’m here!” Xie Yihuang greeted.

“You’re late tonight, Yihuang,” Jin Shanhu was the first to speak.

Xie Yihuang replied, “I went up the mountain with my grandpa to gather licorice today. You have to process this herb the same day you pick it, or it loses its efficacy. That’s why I’m late. Tomorrow, my uncle and I are heading up to pick chestnuts. I’ll sneak some into my space and send you all a taste tonight.”

Liu Xianger chimed in, “I love authentic produce like that. You can get chestnuts at the supermarket, but so many are worm-ridden.”

Yan Qingqing added, “Perfect timing. I’m free lately, so I can peel and eat chestnuts all day.”

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“Is the Emperor not looking for you?” Xie Yihuang asked curiously.

“He’s taken the Empress to the Heaven Sacrifice and will be away from the palace for half a month. I was worried the Imperial Consort would give me a hard time, so before he left, I asked him to issue a house arrest order for me. This way, I just have to stay in my own palace,” Yan Qingqing sighed. “The Heaven Sacrifice is something for the legitimate couple. The Imperial Consort can’t go but still feels wronged and insists on making trouble for others. I just can’t understand what she’s after with all this.”

“She’s jealous, isn’t she?” Hu Xiaomei suggested.

Liu Xianger nodded in agreement, “Definitely jealous.”

Yan Qingqing replied bluntly, “She might be the Imperial Consort, but at the end of the day, she’s still just a concubine. Compared to the Empress, there’s no contest. What’s the point of her being jealous? She just doesn’t know her place. Anyway, I’m not leaving my quarters, so she can’t bother me.”

Bing Ying reminded, “Still, it’s wise to be cautious. You can never be too careful with people.”

“I know,” Yan Qingqing agreed, then turned to Liu Xianger, “How about you, Xianger? When’s your engagement?”

“Both families are choosing the date. No rush on my end—it’s him who’s anxious. Who would've thought that someone who used to be a playboy is now so clingy? But I can’t complain. It's just his way of showing love,” Liu Xianger said, unable to suppress a smile.

Du Wushuang looked on with envy, “No matter what, at least your man adores you. I’ve given up on marriage in this life. Even in the cultivation world, there’s the concept of Dao partners, but most people won’t easily form one. Once you do, the karmic ties grow heavier. Most cultivators choose to remain single.”

Bing Ying sighed, “I’m reaching the marriageable age next month. If I don’t find a husband myself, the central brain will assign one to me. I don’t intend to look, so I’ll just go register my data and wait to be matched. If he looks and acts pleasant enough, I’ll keep him. If not, after half a year I can file for divorce.”

“Your interstellar marriage laws are odd, but having a government-assigned husband is a pretty nice benefit,” Hu Xiaomei said with a laugh.

Bing Ying shot her a sidelong glance, “You’ll have to find a partner when you come of age too, though who knows if any of us but Wushuang will live to see it.”

One was a demon, the other a cultivator—their lifespans were unfathomable. For the rest, even Bing Ying, who might live a few centuries, would eventually pass, and the others, being ordinary humans, would see their decades of life gone in a flash.

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Hu Xiaomei thought for a moment. “Maybe I should find a child husband?”

“What? Your fox clan even has child husbands?” Everyone was stunned.

Hu Xiaomei feigned innocence, “No, but I can’t let you all miss out on my future. I could find a child husband and start off with a romance.”

“Aren’t you the Celestial Fox of your clan? Wouldn’t the entire fox tribe be shocked if you proposed raising a child husband?” Jin Shanhu asked curiously.

Hu Xiaomei tilted her head thoughtfully. “I’m not sure. How about this—I’ll ask our chieftain tomorrow.”

“You even have a chieftain?” Liu Xianger asked offhandedly.

With utter seriousness, Hu Xiaomei replied, “Of course. Our chieftain is now a Demon Lord, on par with the Immortal Lords of the Celestial Realm. He leads all of demonkind—so much so that even the Demon Emperor bows before him. It’s said he’s the only one from the Demon Realm who can freely come and go in the Celestial Realm. But he never flaunts his status, and we don’t know why he stays with us. Still, if we need anything, he answers every question we have.”

After hearing this, everyone felt a deep respect for the demon chieftain.

“To have such a leader is a blessing for your kind,” Du Wushuang said directly. “For so long, demons have been treated as outsiders by the Celestial Realm. They don’t hate demons as much as devils, but there’s always prejudice. In our cultivation world, people often slay demons to prove themselves. But with such a formidable chieftain protecting you—one who even the Celestial Realm fears—so long as your kin don’t defy the heavens, pursuing the path of cultivation becomes much easier.”

As one of the few in the group who truly understood the demon race, Du Wushuang genuinely envied Hu Xiaomei’s tribe.

People always say that humans are the most spiritually gifted, but Du Wushuang knew that, in truth, human ambition could easily breed negative consequences. In comparison, demons had far fewer complications in their lives.