Hearing that Old Lady Xu was ill, Xu Ning's sleepiness disappeared instantly. She didn't even bother to put on her shoes and ran barefoot all the way to Old Lady Xu's bed.

"Baby, what happened to my grandma?" Xu Ning was extremely anxious. Grandma Xu was obviously full of energy yesterday, so why did she suddenly fall ill today?

When people are extremely anxious, they often become at a loss, their minds go blank, and they have no idea what to do.

Fortunately, Xu Ning calmed down a little when she saw that Old Lady Xu was still asleep. She reached out and gently touched Old Lady Xu's forehead, but was surprised to find that Old Lady Xu had a fever!

At this moment, a voice sounded in her ear: "Hello player, Mrs. Xu is tired."

Xu Ning sat beside the bed with a distressed look on her face, her voice so soft that it was almost inaudible: "It seems that I took too big a step. I'm sorry, grandma."

"Daya..." Old Mrs. Xu slowly opened her eyes and found Xu Ning wiping tears beside her bed. Her heart ached and she wanted to get up anxiously, but she found that her body was as heavy as a stone and she couldn't support herself with her hands.

"Grandma!" Xu Ning quickly reached out and held down Old Lady Xu, fearing that she would move and hurt herself.

"Mom, please take a rest and don't move. We will get you whatever you need." Xu Yuan hurried over and said to Old Mrs. Xu.

Xu Yuan called up the rest of the Xu family, and everyone gathered around Old Mrs. Xu's bed.

When Old Man Xu came in with a cup of warm water, he saw his family crowded around his wife.

"Mom, what's wrong with you?" Xu Da was panicked. He had never seen his mother so weak. Normally, Old Lady Xu was in good health, rarely even coughing. Now that she was bedridden due to illness, everyone in the Xu family was worried.

Xu Ning was sharp-eyed and noticed that Old Man Xu walked in, so he quickly asked everyone else to make way.

Xu Ning took the water from Old Man Xu and was about to feed it to Old Lady Xu, but Old Lady Xu shook her head slightly. Xu Ning returned the cup to Old Man Xu and silently gave up his seat.

Under the care of Old Man Xu, Old Lady Xu managed to drink two sips of water, but she couldn't drink any more. She looked at everyone's anxious expressions and smiled comfortingly: "Don't worry, I'm just getting angry. I'll be fine in a few days."

Xu Ning felt a little guilty. She had been too indulgent yesterday and exchanged so many crayfish at once. "I'm sorry, grandma."

Old Mrs. Xu touched Xu Ning's head and said, "It's none of your business. Go and have fun. Don't hang around here."

Xu Ning also found that there were so many people gathered in the tent that the air was a bit stuffy, so he quickly stood up and walked out.

"Baby, what's wrong with my grandma? Is it really a sore throat?"

"Part of it is that her tense mind has relaxed, and part of it is that she is getting older and her physical functions have declined."

Xu Ning frowned and looked at the fortress without saying a word.

"Ningning, Mom's fine. I can feel her pulse. She's just tired. She'll be fine after a few days of rest. Don't blame yourself too much."

"Yes, second sister." Xu Feng and Xu Yuan were worried when they saw Xu Ning looking worried, and hurried to comfort her.

Xu Ning glanced at the two of them, forced a smile, then looked at Aunt Yuan beside him and said, "Aunt Yuan, I was just thinking that our family alone is still too few. Why don't we go buy some people back?"

"Buy someone?" Aunt Yuan was stunned and asked hesitantly, "Isn't it too dangerous to buy someone at this time?"

"We have to give it a try." Xu Ning shook his head and explained, "We'll have more and more livestock in the future, and we'll also have more output from the paddy fields. We can't handle it all with just the few of us."

Aunt Yuan thought it made sense, but she still asked with some concern, "Then what kind of person should we buy?"

Xu Ning thought for a moment and said, "It's best to find someone who is honest, hardworking, and in good health, regardless of gender, and not too old. Such people are easy to manage and can get the job done."

Aunt Yuan nodded and asked, "Where should we buy it?"

"We can go to the nearest town or county to have a look." Xu Ning said, already having a preliminary plan in mind.

At this time, Xu Feng suddenly asked, "Second sister, didn't you say that Uncle Feng was coming back with his family?"

Xu Ning was startled, remembering that Uncle Feng had indeed said that he would bring his family back, but the situation was complicated now. Who knew if he could still come back? She frowned and said after a moment of silence, "Uncle Feng's condition is hard to say."

Xu Feng's face showed disappointment when he heard this. Seeing this, Aunt Yuan quickly comforted him, "Xiao Feng, don't be sad. Even if Uncle Feng can't come back, we will find other people."

Xu An had been listening quietly at the side, and suddenly interrupted, "Uncle Feng may not be able to come back, because I'm afraid the situation outside is even more chaotic now."

Xu Ning nodded in agreement and continued, "Yes, after the flood, if those corpses are not dealt with in time, there's a risk of an epidemic."

When Aunt Yuan heard this, her expression turned serious and she said worriedly, "Ningning, I'm afraid it's not safe for us to buy someone."

Xu Ning pondered for a moment and said slowly, "So we can only do our best to take various protective measures and prepare more herbs and food when we go out. At the same time, we must strengthen monitoring of the surrounding environment before leaving, so that if we find any abnormal situation, we can take immediate action."

The most important point is that Xu Ning did not dare to rely on the treasure box 100%, because she always had a strange feeling that something went wrong with the treasure box.

This feeling made her feel uneasy and worried. Therefore, she never dared to rely entirely on the treasure box to solve all her problems.

Buying people is necessary, this is a fact that cannot be ignored. When the valley gradually improves, if we rely solely on the Xu family, we may not be able to effectively protect this land.

After all, no one can ensure that this place will never be discovered by others. Therefore, purchasing some manpower will become a necessary measure.

In addition, the businesses in Jiangyan and Haiqing also needed to continue operating. Once the valley was completely settled, Xu Ning planned to take Xu Feng out for a walk. Doing so would not only expand the business but also increase their knowledge and experience.

For Xu Ning, the valley is more than just a home; it's a warm harbor and a last refuge. Therefore, staying here is not enough; he must actively explore the outside world. Only by taking care of the outside world can he truly achieve peace in the valley.

Xu Ning made a decision and told everyone about the plan during breakfast. Everyone discussed it and had no objection. However, Xu Da was a little worried about only Xu Yuan, Xu Ning and Xu Feng going out at that time.

"Brother, I think it's possible. We have a carriage, bows and arrows, and daggers. We can run away in time if we encounter danger." Xu Yuan said.

"Yes, Dad, and we're just going to the nearby towns and counties first. We won't be too far from home." Xu Ning agreed.

Xu Da frowned. He knew that the children had grown up and needed exercise, but he was still worried about the three of them going out.

"Dad, there needs to be someone in the valley. Grandma and grandpa are old, my eldest brother has to focus on his studies, and mom has to take care of the chickens, ducks, geese, and the rice in the fields. You have to stay." Xu Ning explained.

After hearing this, Xu Da also felt that this was the case and stopped insisting.