The system notification brought Jiang Qinyu back to her senses. This time, she didn't think about continuing to exploit the system's bug to find water. After all, if she missed this opportunity, she wasn't sure if she could complete the task in one go.
So, before anyone else could react, Jiang Qinyu had already placed her hands flat on the water.
She was thinking about collecting a thousand liters of water and submitting it to the system, but in just a moment, the system's notification sounded in her mind again.
[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have completed the task of unlocking the seafood section! The supermarket seafood section has been unlocked!]
[Mission: Please collect 1,000 bolts of cloth to unlock the daily necessities section! Mission progress (0/1000), Mission deadline: 30 days!]
Jiang Qinyu's lips twitched. What the heck? A thousand bolts of cloth? And it has to be completed within a month? Why doesn't the system just steal it?!
No, even if she tried to rob it, who knows where she could find a thousand bolts of cloth!
Even if she had the money to buy it, given the current situation in Yongshan County, did the system think only the common people were fleeing famine? Most of the merchants in the county town had also moved away!
Moreover, the greedy system swallowed up all the gold and silver she had previously acquired from Qinggang Mountain. Now, all she has left are the eight taels of silver that Lu Yancai had obtained from the slave trader, and less than a thousand copper coins that the original owner had saved up over the years through frugality.
At this moment, Jiang Qinyu was devastated, tears welling up in her eyes. She was truly on the verge of tears!
...
Meanwhile, after Jiang Qinyu and the others left, the villagers who remained began to have all sorts of worries.
The first day was fine, since everyone knew they wouldn't be back until the second night.
But by the evening of the next day, many of the village women couldn't sit still and rushed to Meng's place to ask what was going on.
Meng was also worried that something might happen to Village Chief Li and the others in the mountains, so she tried to calm herself down and persuaded them to leave by saying things like, "Once they're out there, they won't be able to do what they want" and "So many of us went, nothing will happen to us."
Jiang Qinyu initially thought that only thirty or forty people would be enough, but after the previous grain distribution incident, each family in the village had their own ideas about this kind of collective action. As a result, in addition to the people who were assigned by Village Chief Li to guard the village, a dozen or twenty more people went along.
However, by the evening of the third day, the people who remained in Dingshui Village could no longer sit still.
Knowing that they would definitely come to cause trouble for Meng again, Chen brought Shufan and Pan'er over in advance to inform them.
"Sister Meng, why don't you stay away from here? The villagers are saying some unpleasant things; don't let them affect you," Chen advised.
Actually, she was also very uneasy. After all, Old Man Lu and Jiang Qinyu had gone. If something really happened to them, what would she do with two children on her own?
But deep down, she had a feeling that Jiang Qinyu would never give up on the two children easily, and that unless something terrible happened, they would definitely come back.
Madam Meng shook her head and sighed, "What good will it do to hide this time? As long as the people who went up the mountain haven't returned, they won't let me go."
“But you…” Chen was aware of this problem and didn’t know how to persuade her for a moment.
Just then, a series of shouts came from outside the courtyard of Village Chief Li's house.
"Hey, village chief's family, we know you're in there! Come out now! Give everyone an explanation!"
"Yes, it's been three days already, and my scoundrel and the rest of the villagers still haven't returned. Don't even think about fooling everyone today!"
"Auntie, please come out and say something! When are my dad and brothers coming back?"
"..."
There was a commotion outside the courtyard; everyone was waiting for Meng to give an explanation.
Inside the house, Meng patted Chen's hand, "Sister, you two stay inside and don't go out. I'll go check on things."
"No, I'll go out with you!" Chen squeezed the two children's hands and said to them, "You stay inside and don't open the door, okay?"
Shufan and Pan'er exchanged a glance and nodded obediently.
They really miss their aunt, but she told them that she might be gone for a while this time, so all they can do now is wait.
Meng looked at Chen with some gratitude, "Alright! Let's go out together!"
Apart from her daughters-in-law, all the men in her family had gone up the mountain, so there were no men in the house right now, and the daughters-in-law couldn't show themselves, as she had just locked them inside.
How could she not be grateful if someone was willing to support her unconditionally at a time like this?
Meng pushed the door open abruptly and shouted angrily, "What are you shouting for? So what if they're a day late? Are you all so sure they won't be back today?"
“Yes! I heard from Lao Lu that this time they’re going into the mountains not only to find food, but also water. Is that so easy? Who knows how deep into the mountains they’ll have to go? The mountain roads are difficult to travel. What’s wrong with them coming back a little late?” Chen also shouted.
Outside the courtyard, Granny Wang saw them come out and immediately went up to them, spitting on the ground. "Pah! You talk a good game, but if something really happens, can you take responsibility?"
"Wang Pozi, you'd better watch your mouth! Only one person from your family went, but all the men in my family went. Do you think I'm not more anxious than you?" Meng said angrily, hands on her hips, pointing at Wang Pozi.
Mrs. Chen chimed in, "That's right, two of my family members went too. We shouldn't be arguing about who should be responsible, but rather thinking about what we should do if they don't come back tonight."
She tried to shift the focus to finding a solution, but was pulled back by a single sentence from Granny Wang.
"Old Lu, you're kidding me. Don't think I don't know that it was your daughter-in-law, who lost money, who told the village chief to send everyone up the mountain! If you ask me, your family will bear the greatest responsibility if anything happens!"
Chen's face turned pale, and her mind suddenly went blank.
Jiang Qinyu had mentioned these things before, and she knew that Granny Wang was right. But if everyone really couldn't come back, how would her family survive in the village?
Suddenly, Meng stepped forward, shielding Chen behind her. "Old Wang, stop talking nonsense! This decision was made by my husband, Old Li, after discussing it with the village elders and heads of various households. What does it have to do with the Lu family?"
"It's hilarious! You two families are in cahoots, tricking my husband and so many strong men in the village up the mountain. Who knows what kind of evil schemes you're plotting? You probably want them to do illegal work so you can make money off them, right?" Granny Wang said excitedly.
Two years ago, many young and middle-aged men in Dingshui Village were tricked into working illegally and ended up dying in the mines. Wang Pozi's words were undoubtedly the last straw that broke the camel's back, causing many people to lose their minds at the mere mention of working illegally.
“We don’t care about anything else, my husband and son went out with the village chief. I just want to ask you for them!”
"Yes, hand over the person!"
"Hand it over!"
In an instant, the crowd was agitated, and as they were about to ram the courtyard gate, Meng's face turned pale.
Just then, someone outside the crowd shouted in a hoarse voice, "What are you all doing surrounding the village chief's house? Hurry up, someone help us move the wild goats and tigers! Chen Shao and the others can't lift them!"
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