Chapter 064: Resurrection

Someone screamed, "Oh my god, it's really alive——"

Many people now dared to step forward. Seeing that Qian Zhenniang was alive, Zhao Bantou thought that he finally didn't have to report to the county government. He couldn't help but be overjoyed and joked cheerfully, "Look at you, you bastards. How can you scare away demons and monsters without courage when you're out here? I'm here today, and even the King of Hell can't snatch you away!"

Xu Qingying had just undergone a round of high-intensity CPR and now she had no strength left. Xu Degui hurriedly took out dry clothes to cover her, but Xu Qingying pointed at the frail Qian Zhenniang and said, "Mother, put some clothes on Miss Qian first..."

The maid Feng'er had already taken off her clothes and put them on Xu Zhenniang, and kowtowed to Xu Qingying, "Thank you, Miss Xu, for saving my young lady. I will never forget your kindness..."

"No need." Xu Qingying was panting with exhaustion and waved her hand. "Take good care of your young lady."

Miao said, "My fourth brother's wife has made some ginger soup. You can take your daughter to drink two bowls. Then take a nap and sweat it out. Maybe you'll be fine when you wake up tomorrow."

"Thank you, Miss Xu Liu! Thank you, Madam..." Feng'er kowtowed more sincerely, and then Xu Qingying summoned two escorts to help, and together they moved Qian Zhenniang back.

The crowd erupted in exclamations. They had never seen a drowning person, practically breathless, being brought back to life. This time, everyone looked at Xu Qingying with completely different eyes.

"Oh my God... did you see that... Miss Xu Liu blew a breath of fairy air, and Miss Qian came back to life!"

"This...isn't this really a magic technique?"

"Is there such a thing as a resurrection technique in this world? I just saw someone dead, and now they've been to the gates of hell and are back?"

"Is Miss Xu Liu the reincarnation of an immortal?"

"Hurry, hurry, everyone come and pay homage to the fairy——"

Xu Zhenying listened to the discussion among these people, and their gazes gradually became hotter as they looked at him. Some of them even fell to their knees.

Only then did Xu Qingying realize how terrifying ancient feudal superstitions were. She helped one of the gray-haired old ladies to her feet and said loudly, "This is not some magical technique. Although she has temporarily stopped breathing, her organs are not completely dead yet. I will transfer air to her and then press hard on her heart and lungs, allowing her heart and lungs to come back to life with this breath. If you want to learn, I can teach you. If you encounter a drowning person, you can rescue them like I just did—"

"The Immortal Lady has done so much good that she is willing to teach us the magic. Such a broad mind is beyond the reach of mortals like us."

"Miss Xu Liu, besides resurrection, do you have any other magical skills? Can you create fire out of thin air..." Someone scratched his head, racking his brains, "Or... or create gold, silver, and treasures?"

Xu Zhenying was stunned, then thought of the ancient times thousands of years ago when productivity was extremely backward. Science was either regarded as theology or metaphysics...

Ordinary people couldn't understand why there were will-o'-the-wisp fires in the woods, nor could they understand why a villain would turn red and bleed when slashed with a sword, and they couldn't understand what cardiopulmonary resuscitation and artificial respiration were.

She suddenly felt a strong sense of powerlessness.

She seemed to see the extremely deep chasm.

Then she smiled and said, "If I could conjure up money, I wouldn't be urging everyone to start the soap business."

"Yeah, if you really have that ability, wouldn't it be nice to just conjure up silver?"

"But resurrection is real!"

"Miss Xu, is that method you mentioned true or false? Could you teach me? I grew up by the river and have seen many people drown. If Miss Xu Liu could pass on the magic to me, it would be a great deed—"

The crowd surrounded Xu Qingying, some asking questions, some trying to kneel, and some hiding away in fear. Miao was extremely anxious, blaming these people for their lack of foresight and ignoring her daughter, who was soaking wet and shivering in the cold wind.

She stepped forward to support Xu Qingying and said, "Everyone, if you have any more questions, please wait a moment. I will go back and change into dry clothes first. Otherwise, it will be troublesome if I catch a cold..."

Team leader Zhao also shouted at everyone, "Don't crowd here, do what you need to do. Have you completed today's task? I tell you, my eyes are very sharp. Whoever doesn't complete the task later will work overtime. No one who doesn't complete it will be allowed to eat or sleep!"

Everyone then said, "Yes, yes, we've finished watching the fun and have to get back to work."

"That's right, get out of the way! Miss Xu Liu is still soaked, let her go back and change her clothes and drink a bowl of ginger soup—"

Someone slapped his thigh and yelled, "Oh my god, the water I just boiled—"

The farce has barely come to an end.

The Xu family was bustling with activity, scrambling to clear a tent for her. Miao urged her to change into clean clothes, and Fourth Aunt poured her two large bowls of ginger soup until she couldn't drink any more. Xu Huiming, along with a few of the younger family members, gathered firewood and quickly built a fire to keep her warm and dry her hair.

Even the aunt was cleaning up while complaining that she shouldn't have gone into the water to save people. If she got sick, the Xu family would not be able to afford the extra money to treat her.

Xu Qingying herself knew that this body was very weak, and there was a lack of medical care and medicine during the exile. She should not have been so stubborn at the time, but she could not bear to see such a life die in front of her, so she jumped into the water without thinking too much.

Now, looking at all the people busying around for her, Xu Qingying felt a rare surge of emotion in her heart.

But thinking about the production of nearly 5,000 bars of soap in the past two days, she lay down for a while, then felt uneasy again, so she had to put on her coat and get up.

The production of 5,000 bars of soap was no small matter, and the people in the third house had to keep an eye on the progress at all times. Seeing that the third house was too busy, Huang asked the fourth aunt to take care of the children, while the eldest aunt went to help prepare dinner.

Xu Qingying ran into Xu Lezhi as soon as she went out.

This time, the girl took the initiative to step back a few feet when she saw her. The story that Xu Qingying could bring people back to life with her magical energy had spread throughout the camp. Even though Xu Lezhi had seen her saving people with her own eyes, she originally thought that Xu Qingying was just showing off her strange and lewd skills, but she couldn't stand the exaggeration of everyone, which led to her now seeing Xu Qingying's nose as not a nose and her eyes as not eyes.

Xu Lezhi said sternly, "Don't wander around. If you get sick, you'll have to spend your family's money to treat you!"

Xu Qingying was too lazy to talk nonsense with her. She saw Li Zhaodi sneaking by from a distance. She was in a hurry to find Zhaodi, so she passed by Xu Lezhi.

Being ignored by her, Xu Lezhi bit his lip in anger and shouted at her back, "You love to be in the spotlight all day long. People like Qian Zhenniang are a disaster even if they are still alive. She is also determined to die. Why did you save her? I think you feel itchy all over if you don't get to show off for a day. When the soap can't be sold, you will know how harsh people's words are!"

Xu Lezhi didn't know what she was angry about, but she just couldn't stand Xu Qingying.

He had been timid before, only knowing how to follow her around and ask for things she didn't want, living under her thumb. When did the entire Xu family begin to subtly revolve around her?

Xu Lezhi felt a strong sense of crisis in his heart.

"Li Zhaodi!" Xu Qingying, wrapped in a coat, saw Li Zhaodi hiding and evading. She finally stepped in front of her, only to see Li Zhaodi looking like a frightened little rabbit, her eyes red. "Aren't you the leader of the alkali production team? Why aren't you watching them work?"

Li Zhaodi subconsciously hid her hand. She cautiously leaned over to check Xu Qingying's expression, then thought of what happened today and felt even more ashamed. "I just came to see how you were. The mountain water in autumn is piercingly cold. You're so eager to save people, so don't catch a cold."

"Since you've come to visit me, why don't you just come into the tent?"

Li Zhaodi shook her head and bit her lower lip lightly, seeming extremely embarrassed. "I wanted to go see Miss Qian just now, but her girl wouldn't let me in... I was thinking... thinking..."

Li Zhaodi hesitated, pinching the corner of her clothes, as if she found it difficult to speak. "Miss Xu, I know you don't have much money now, and I also know that my request is a bit excessive, but can I...can you please...pay me the wages first...I..."

Li Zhaodi's voice gradually lowered as she spoke. "I was just thinking about Miss Qian who had fallen into the water. I'll buy her a chicken when I go to the city in a couple of days to nourish her—"

Xu Qingying frowned, "Why?"

"My mother..." Li Zhaodi rubbed the corner of her clothes, looked at Xu Qingying's encouraging eyes, and said slowly, "I heard everything. Miss Qian trusted my mother and told her everything. She also cried and said that she had a miserable life and bad luck, and asked my mother to keep it a secret. My mother agreed immediately, but she turned around and told the eldest lady of the Xu family... At that time, when the eldest lady of the Xu family was arguing with Miss Qian, I looked at Miss Qian and felt bad. Later, Miss Qian came to my mother to make trouble, and my mother said some hurtful words..."

Having said that, Xu Qingying roughly understood.

The Qian family's daughter was left alone in exile. The Xu family's eldest wife, upon learning she had little dowry, became indifferent to her. Desperate, Qian sought shelter with Madam Cao. Unfortunately, Qian misjudged Madam Cao and, after an argument with her, she threw herself into the river in anger.

She could even imagine Mrs. Cao's sour face. She must have said something to provoke Qian Zhenniang, otherwise Qian Zhenniang would not have jumped into the river without looking back.

Li Zhaodi's eyes were red, and her face was full of self-blame. "It's all my fault. I should have held her back when she left crying. I didn't know... that she would actually jump into the river to commit suicide... It's all my fault... She grew up without a father or a mother... Her aunt often beat her... Her life was already so hard..."

Xu Qingying patted her shoulder, but for a moment she couldn't say anything to comfort her.

What is she going to say?

The theory of eight characters is pure nonsense. Qian Zhenniang's fate has nothing to do with eight characters?

Or was it that Qian Zhenniang's choice to commit suicide by jumping into the river was due to her personality?

Ignorance of thought, indifference of onlookers, and imperfect social system are all knives that oppress people.

But she had no way of telling Li Zhaodi all this.

"Even if I pay you your wages in advance, will your parents agree to you spending the money on Qian Zhenniang? If you do that, wouldn't that be acknowledging that Qian Zhenniang's suicide was inextricably linked to your family?"

Li Zhaodi's face showed fear, and she quickly waved her hands: "I didn't mean that!"

"But your parents would think so!"

The light in Li Zhaodi's eyes suddenly went out. She clenched her fists, then slowly opened them.

"Let's not talk about anything else. Even if I give you my wages, can you keep them? Can you guarantee that your parents won't take your wages and spend them on your brother?"

"But... the money you earn should be used to support your parents. My brother is still young, and we'll need him to inherit the family in the future. Naturally, his wealth is more valuable than mine and my sister's, so it's only right that he spends more money on us!"

Xu Qingying suppressed her temper and said word by word, "Your brother is precious, but that doesn't mean I'm not precious. Your brother is already loved by your parents, and when he gets married and has children, his wife and children will also love him. But what about you, your sister? If you also despise yourself, then who in this world will love you?"

Li Zhaodi was stunned. She seemed to have been thinking for a long time, her eyes full of confusion. "Then when I get married in the future, I will naturally be loved by my husband and son. Girls can't carry on the family line, nor can they work in the fields to support their parents. Isn't it natural for my parents to prefer boys? What's more, my parents gave me my body and hair, and I have made no contribution to the family. I only waste their food. My parents have not abandoned me, which is already a great kindness. How can I have the nerve to compete with my brother for his favor?"

Xu Qingying suddenly felt angry, but she had no place to express her anger, which turned into an unspeakable sadness.

"Your parents gave you life. That was their choice, not your choice to come into this world. Therefore, there is no such thing as gratitude."

Li Zhaodi's face was filled with horror, as if she had heard something outrageous, and she stepped back in fear.

Just hearing such words will make people point at your nose and call you unfilial.

It was not until she looked around and saw that no one was paying attention that she forced herself not to run away, but her heart still couldn't stop pounding.

"Secondly, how have you contributed nothing? During this exile, didn't you wash the clothes at home? Didn't you take care of your brothers and sisters? Didn't you prepare every meal? To put it bluntly, if a prostitute were to earn a few cents a month—"

"Miss Xu, please stop talking..." Li Zhaodi stamped her feet anxiously, "This is what I should do!"

She didn't care about anything else and stepped forward to cover Xu Qingying's mouth with her hand, "Don't say anymore, if anyone hears these words, they will be struck by lightning! !"

Xu Qingying had no choice but to nod.

She said these words because she was anxious.

Now that she thought about it, if these outrageous words were to get out, she would probably be burned to death as a monster.

Sure enough, people still have to endure.

"Okay, I won't say anything."

Li Zhaodi anxiously grabbed her hand and said, "You can't say that again! If others hear it, neither of us will be in trouble."

"Okay. I promise you." Xu Qingying felt the redness and swelling on her palm and pulled her hand over, but Li Zhaodi kept shrinking back. "I was walking in a hurry just now and fell. My palm is scraped."