Chapter Three: Can Having a Handsome Man by Your Side Really Cure All Illnesses?

Old Bai blurted out, "I know, it's a house right at the entrance of Huanghua Village."

Su Zhenzhen frowned. "Aren't you going to ask which Xu Hua it is?"

"Hey." The old man was excited. "Your Excellency, you must be joking. There's only one family in our whole village with the surname Xu, and only one named Xu Hua. Who else could it be?"

He became increasingly animated as he spoke, “That young man was destined for great things. He had originally fled with his village. His father had died, and he and his mother managed to settle down in Huanghua Village. He wasn’t even sixteen years old then. The villagers all advised his family to find partners, but he was stubborn. This kid was clever and daring from a young age. He built his own fortune by collecting local goods from various villages and stealing cattle and sheep from the pastures of the Hu people across the border.”

Su Zhenzhen and Hensheng both looked grim. Old Man Bai sensed something and lowered his voice, "What's wrong? Was it Xu Hua who died?"

Su Zhenzhen nodded. "Is Xu Hua's house far from here?"

"It's not far, only three or five miles away."

Su Zhenzhen took out a flashlight from her backpack and instructed Old Man Bai, "Eat a couple of bites to fill your stomach and put away the fire. We're going to Xu Hua's house."

Old Bai stared at the flashlight, nearly dropping his jaw in astonishment. "This...this is some kind of divine artifact?"

In contrast, Hensheng was much calmer. He grabbed the heated dry rations and ate them in large mouthfuls, mumbling, "Father, you should eat too, don't delay the gods from working."

While they were eating, Su Zhenzhen was truly able to clear her mind, but the comments in her mind were restless.

Why didn't the female lead eat? Did she look down on farmers?

What should you do if you encounter danger while traveling at night?

Su Zhenzhen had a headache from the noise. Even though the Blue Star civilization was highly developed, not everyone had manners.

Seeing Su Zhenzhen rubbing her forehead with concern, Hensheng asked, "Lord Yin Messenger, are you feeling unwell? Did the wind catch you? Father, quickly bring out the blanket."

Su Zhenzhen really wanted to say no, that no matter how much the wind blows in the middle of summer, it won't cause any problems, but her mind was really about to explode.

Old Bai didn't even have time to eat. He quickly found a blanket in his luggage, took it from Hensheng, and draped it over Su Zhenzhen.

Strangely, the moment the blanket was on my body, those annoying comments in my mind did indeed fade a bit.

Su Zhenzhen wrapped the blanket tighter around herself. Could it be that the wind was giving her a headache, causing her thoughts to be magnified?

Now that the wind is blocking out, it's much better. After calming down for a while, Su Zhenzhen said, "It's alright, go ahead and eat."

After the father and son finished their meal, they tidied up their belongings. They didn't have much; just a pot, a bag of dry food, a bundle of clothes and bedding, a bamboo basket, a hoe, and a wood-chopping knife.

They took up exactly the remaining seven storage compartments, so Su Zhenzhen simply put them all away.

As these things vanished into thin air, the old man's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "This...this is a thief!"

Su Zhenzhen reassured her, "I've put them all away. It's inconvenient to bring so many with me when we go to Xu Hua's house later."

The blanket was still draped over her body, but the comments in her mind became clear again.

Why didn't the female lead put it away sooner? Why did she make the male lead carry it for so long? Didn't she realize he was frail?

Seeing Su Zhenzhen facepalm again, Hen Sheng anxiously moved closer, but mindful of the proper separation between men and women, he kept a certain distance between them.

"Lord of the Underworld, why don't you rest here for the night? My father and I will keep watch over you."

Su Zhenzhen looked at the excessively beautiful but slightly frail man in front of her with a deep gaze, as if the annoying comments would fade as soon as he got closer.

"Come closer to me."

"Huh?" Although Hensheng didn't understand, he still obediently did as he was told.

Sure enough, the comments weren't as noisy anymore.

Su Zhenzhen simply put away the blanket and looked at the man beside her.

There was nothing unusual about her, except that she was excessively beautiful, with features so exquisite that she didn't seem like someone who could grow up in the wild.

Can having a handsome man by your side really cure all diseases?

Su Zhenzhen was too lazy to think about it; it was more important to have Old Man Bai lead the way to do serious business.

Xu Hua's house is located at the entrance of Huanghua Village, and can be seen in its entirety under a powerful flashlight.

According to the 906th century, it was just a self-built house in the countryside, but compared to the old man's thatched house, this brick and tile house was much more luxurious.

Su Zhenzhen shone her flashlight on the neighboring houses again; they all had mud walls and thatched roofs.

How popular is Xu Hua in their village?

“Good,” the old man added, “Excellent.”

Su Zhenzhen pointed with the beam of her flashlight to the two houses next door, "Xu Hua's family lives in a brick and tile house, aren't these neighbors jealous at all?"

Old Bai pointed with his finger, "That's the village chief's house in Huanghua Village, and that's the Wu San family, the brothers of Xu Hua. Xu Hua has helped them all, or rather, he's helped the whole village get rich. Those local products are just for eating on ordinary days, but after Xu Hua collects them, he takes them to the town or county to exchange for rice and oil, so the village at least has some income. Every family in the village has more than ten people, and they can't afford to repair their houses."

How many people are in Xu Hua's family?

"It seems to be Xu Hua's wife and his mother." Old Man Bai wasn't too sure either, since although the two villages were close, they weren't particularly close.

With the moon high in the sky and visibility improving, Su Zhenzhen put away her flashlight and instructed, "My surname is Su, and my given name is Zhenzhen. Don't call me 'Lord Underworld Messenger' anymore."

The father and son nodded repeatedly.

Su Zhenzhen stepped forward and knocked on the door. The knocking sound fell on people's hearts in the quiet summer night.

After knocking for a while, a sound came from inside the house.

"Who is it?" The sleepy voice was tinged with impatience.

Su Zhenzhen knocked on the door harder.

"You're asking for trouble! Making such a fuss so late at night!"

With a creak, the door opened from the inside, and an elderly woman, draped in a robe, yawned incessantly and looked at Su Zhenzhen warily.

"Is something wrong so late at night?"

Su Zhenzhen wondered what kind of lie she was going to make up, and the old man Bai stepped past her to start a conversation.

"Hua Zi's wife, it's me, Bai Laosan. Is your mother-in-law asleep yet?"

The woman's expression softened, but her tone remained distant. "Oh, it's Uncle Bai. What's going on so late at night?"

Old Bai looked embarrassed. "You heard that the imperial court sent a celestial master here a while ago? Those people in the village are forcing me to hand over General Huo's remains. How am I supposed to do that? I can't stay in Bitter Gourd Village any longer, so I've shamelessly brought my family here to beg for a meal."

"I see." The woman's expression softened a bit, and she started chatting about everyday things. "To be honest, Uncle, you really are something else. My mother-in-law told me that when General Huo died in battle, you were the only one who was truly sincere and wanted to go and collect his body. You searched for three days and three nights outside the Great Wall but couldn't find him, and you even fell seriously ill when you came back. It's no wonder those people were looking for you; it's just that you were the closest to General Huo."

The old man looked embarrassed and awkward.

The woman was quite straightforward, "It's the middle of the night, I can't just kick you out, can I? I'll let you stay here for the night, but my family isn't exactly wealthy..."

Old Bai immediately replied, "I understand, I understand. I'm already sorry to bother you so late at night. Tomorrow I'll ask your mother-in-law if I can do some chores at your house. I definitely won't eat and stay for free."

A smile finally appeared on the woman's face, and she was about to invite Old Man Bai and his family inside.

An old voice came from inside the house.

"Chunzhi, who are you talking to at the door so late at night?"