Chapter 217: I'll plan, you'll succeed.

Even so, after finishing her meal, Su Zhenzhen still followed the cook into the mountains. It's not a good habit to use people first and not use them later.

Furthermore, the mountain has existed for thousands of years in this era set against the backdrop of the Jiang Dynasty. Over time, it should have developed a certain spiritual energy, so there's no harm in paying homage to it.

Before me stretched a vast expanse of mountains and fields, all around silent except for the rustling of the wind. The mountains seemed to open their arms, waiting for weary travelers to stop and rest.

“Miss Su, I usually come here to worship the mountain god.” The cook pointed to the open flat area in front of her.

The terrain there was flat and covered with thick moss, making it convenient to kneel.

Su Zhenzhen nodded to the cook, stepped forward and knelt down without hesitation, clasped her hands together, and looked devoutly at the towering mountains.

The cook knelt down a step behind Su Zhenzhen, respectfully kowtowing three times. Then, she clasped her hands together and kept muttering, "May the mountain god bless us with favorable weather and a bountiful harvest this year, bless our children to succeed, and bless us so that there will be no more disaster victims outside..."

Su Zhenzhen listened, and was somewhat moved.

Thanks to Hu Wen's policy of "sealing the city gates," Yangcheng did indeed escape much of the war, and the nearby villages lived relatively peacefully. Apart from some people who fled from the south during the locust plague, the area hadn't experienced any major chaos during Hu Wen's years in charge.

An old woman from the countryside still cares about the suffering people in the world. Why do those who hold great power only care about whether they can get promoted and make money?

Su Zhenzhen silently vowed in his heart, "If one day I ascend to the heavens, I will ensure that there are no more starving people under my command."

If Heaven has a spirit, please allow me to prove my faith.

May my wisdom enlighten new frontiers, and may my brilliance illuminate future generations.

Su Zhenzhen bent down and pressed her forehead to the ground.

She was not worshipping the mountain god, but rather the heaven and earth.

That night, Su Zhenzhen stayed at the cook's house.

The cook and the old man had been sleeping in separate rooms for many years. With limited rooms available, the cook, carrying her own bedding, stormed off to the old man's room to make room for Su Zhenzhen.

Seeing this, the old man grinned again, revealing his gap-toothed mouth.

It's a good thing that the city's dignitaries can stay at home for a few more days.

Su Zhenzhen couldn't help but smile when she saw this.

The night passed quickly. As dawn broke, Su Zhenzhen got up.

The cook got up even earlier than her and was already busy at the stove.

"Miss Su, why are you up so early? Is the bed too hard? I should have put on more mattresses for you last night..."

Su Zhenzhen smiled and stopped the cook's nagging, "I'm going back to Yangcheng now. I'll give you a few days off, and you'll still get paid for those days. I'll explain to the prefect's office."

Upon hearing this, the cook felt a surge of warmth in her heart and even felt a little embarrassed. She had been working at the prefectural governor's mansion since she came to the city, and later, upon hearing that a princess was staying at the villa, she was transferred there.

Then the war broke out in Yangcheng, and she thought her old bones were nearing their end. Unexpectedly, although Yangcheng was defeated, a female official arrived. She didn't understand the intricacies of the situation, but she knew that since this female official took charge, grain prices had finally come down.

The lady said she wanted to dismiss the servants in the other courtyard, give them some back pay, and send them to farm or work.

The cook never expected to be kept on. She had been worried about going home and running out of money—the harvests were never good these days—but the prefect's monthly allowance consisted of grain, and in those days, grain was life itself!

The instructions were that someone should stay at the villa to cook for the master.

The cook wasn't sure if her mistress was referring to the princess who had moved in earlier. But the princess didn't eat at all. The cook couldn't understand it, and after seeing that Jiang Sijin hadn't eaten for several meals, she simply stopped cooking—even if she got scolded, it was better than wasting food.

Later, the princess left, and the ethereal young man and the Miss Su in front of me also left, supposedly to go south to control the locust plague.

The cook was convinced she would be laid off, but to her surprise, the adults seemed to have forgotten about it and continued to pay her monthly salary as usual.

Before she knew it, a year had passed, and the cook hadn't been able to go home even once. It wasn't that she didn't want to ask for leave, but she was afraid that her employer would fire her.

Miss Su finally returned and moved into the villa. My daily task was to cook for her.

But Miss Su's aura always made people feel intimidated. The cook couldn't quite describe the feeling, and dared not mention asking for leave.

Until the day before yesterday, she was terrified by the ghostly figure. Miss Su stayed by her side, and she noticed that Miss Su had been looking downcast lately, so she dared to suggest that they go and worship the mountain god.

That way, I can also go home on the way.

To my surprise, Miss Su took the initiative to give her a day off and didn't deduct her monthly salary!

The cook's eyes immediately welled up with tears.

Su Zhenzhen was unaware of the cook's inner thoughts and had no intention of delving into them. She followed the path she had come from for more than an hour before finally returning to Yangcheng.

Her destination was clear: she headed straight for the prefect's residence.

When Madam Hu heard of her arrival, she personally came out to greet her.

“Miss Su, you’ve arrived? But…” Madam Hu didn’t finish her sentence.

They both knew the truth.

Su Zhenzhen nodded, "We have a clue, but we still need to give it a try."

Madam Hu's smile deepened. "It's good that you've made some progress! I'll take you to see Yu'er first, and then I'll have the kitchen prepare the meal."

Mrs. Hu talked as she walked, her steps quick.

Su Zhenzhen followed without any pressure.

Even though Madam Hu wasn't in a hurry, she wanted to try the method of returning the living soul to its rightful place as soon as possible.

As for the food...

Su Zhenzhen admitted that she wanted to try the cooking skills of the prefect's chef, so she respectfully agreed.

Hu Yu'er had been staying in her room for the past few days. She thought she would have to wait ten days or half a month, but to her surprise, Su Zhenzhen arrived after only one day.

"You've come up with a plan?" Hu Yu'er's eyes lit up.

"I suppose so." Su Zhenzhen nodded slightly. "However, the planning is my responsibility, but the success is yours."

"Success depends on me?" A hint of confusion flashed in Hu Yu'er's beautiful eyes. "What can I do?"

After sending Su Zhenzhen to her daughter's room, Madam Hu went to the kitchen to prepare a meal and ordered the maid to keep watch outside the courtyard to prevent any noise during the spell from being seen by outsiders.

At this moment, only Hu Yu'er and Su Zhenzhen remained in the room.

Su Zhenzhen looked into Hu Yu'er's eyes and asked in a deep voice, "Do you want to go back to your body and start over?"

Hu Yu'er answered without hesitation, "Of course I want to!"

“Alright, then you must firmly engrave this thought in your heart, and never waver for a moment.” Su Zhenzhen’s expression was very serious. “When I cast the spell and chant the incantation later, you must use all your strength to rush into your own body! No matter what obstacles you encounter, don’t think about anything else, just remember one thing—you must come back to life! You must be reborn!”

"Remember, I plan, but you are responsible for the success."

Seeing Su Zhenzhen's serious demeanor, Hu Yu'er knew that this was no small matter, and asked with a hint of nervousness, "When do we start?"

"Right now!"