Xiao Yi was furious.
"How could a young lady like you learn such vulgar language! You can't go to those mountains!"
The environment inside is complex, with towering trees blocking out the sun; once inside, you can't even tell which way is which!
Moreover, there are many venomous snakes and insects. The mountains stretch for hundreds of miles, and you may encounter bears, tigers, and even wolf packs. Experienced hunters have to go into the mountains in groups, let alone a weak woman like you!
Moreover, with this severe drought, people are even more ruthless than wild animals!
"I don't want to just wait to die!"
"I'm so sorry!" Xiao Yi sighed, pounding his leg hard.
Xie Yushu was just laying the groundwork for her sudden mastery of martial arts and medicine, so she said...
"My maternal grandfather was a doctor who treated patients everywhere, so he knew some self-defense skills. When I was a child, I often went to his house to play and learned a few moves from him."
I only kept it hidden because I was afraid Grandma would scold me for being wild. Now that I'm married, whether I'm wild or not is none of their business. Whether I encounter bad people or wild beasts in the mountains, I'll think twice before acting.
This was half true and half false. She wasn't afraid to reveal that her maternal grandfather was indeed a village doctor who knew some martial arts, but the original owner of this body hadn't learned any of them. She had only gone out to play a few times and stepped on some herbs a few times, but she had never gone deep into the mountains.
But her maternal grandfather has passed away, and her only uncle went traveling when he was young and has not returned since. So whatever she says is true, and no one can testify to it.
Xiao Yi looked suspicious.
Xie Yushu initially wanted to ignore his opinion, but considering that he was worried about her, she patiently got up and performed a set of military boxing moves on the spot, her movements flowing smoothly.
After a short while, he finished his practice. Although he had been hungry for a long time and was weak, not even half as strong as before, he still thought he could easily take on four or five ordinary people. So he clapped his hands smugly and said...
"So? Do you believe me now?"
"Mom is so amazing!"
"My second aunt is amazing!"
The two dolls clapped excitedly.
Xiao Yi remained unmoved. His fist technique was decent enough, but with his thin arms and legs, his strength was far from sufficient; it was all show and no substance! He didn't have any internal energy either; he could easily send her flying three meters away with a flick of his wrist!
Xiao Yi still disagreed.
Xie Yushu starts her heart-wrenching mode
"How much grain and money do you have left? Grain has already risen to two taels of silver, and that's still coarse grain. Water is even harder to buy with silver. If we don't go, how long can we hold out?"
"Second Aunt, we still have half a jar of cornmeal and a few sweet potatoes."
When Haitang saw Xie Yushu asking, she took the initiative to answer.
Xiao Yi thought for a moment, then let Xiao Jinyu play with Haitang, and took Xie Yushu into his room!
Xiao Yi's room was clean and tidy, with a spotless floor. Two quilts were neatly stacked on the kang (a heated brick bed), and there was a cabinet on the floor with two cups on it. Everything could be seen at a glance. If it weren't for the large kang, she would have thought she had entered a military dormitory!
Xie Yushu was still wondering why Xiao Yi had called her in when she saw Xiao Yi lift the straw mat on the kang (a heated brick bed), move a few bricks, and reveal a box and two black cloth bags, one long and one short.
Wow! This is showing her my secret stash of money!
No wonder the old lady couldn't find anything after searching the whole house, because it was hidden in the kang cave!
Xiao Yi opened the box, then picked up the shorter black cloth bag, took out a short knife, and handed it to Xie Yushu.
"When I came back, the court allocated me ten acres of land. I saved up some military pay. Now, most of the land has been given to my parents. I still have about twenty taels of silver here. In a normal year, it can last for a few more years. But I didn't expect to encounter a year of disaster. I don't know how long this little bit of silver can last. But don't worry about the grain. I'll ask someone to buy some more."
Water is more precious than food, and it's hard to buy even with silver. So I'll have to trouble you. The box is right here; come and get it if you need the money.
"It's not that I don't want to give you the box, it's just that you have nowhere to hide it in your room."
After Xiao Yi finished speaking, he added an explanation.
Xie Yushu put the box back into the kang (heated brick bed) passage.
"I think it's fine to leave the box here; it won't get rummaged through!"
Xiao Yi then pointed to the short knife in her hand and said...
"This short sword is made of black iron, capable of cutting through iron like mud. Since you're going, take it for self-defense."
If you encounter someone, try to avoid them; your skills aren't up to par!
Xie Yushu was quite pleased with the dagger, but when she heard Xiao Yi say she wasn't good enough, she immediately became unhappy. Not knowing anything about internal energy, she arrogantly retorted...
"Why can't I? Didn't you see how powerful and fierce my punches are? They're more than enough to protect myself! You can't do it yourself, yet you can't stand seeing others do well. I think you're just jealous!"
Seeing that she was angry, Xiao Yi explained
"I'm not saying your boxing skills are bad, but you're a woman, so you're not strong. If you encounter a strong opponent, all you'll do is show off your fancy moves!"
"Where do all these strong people come from? I am the strong one! Pshaw!"
Seeing that she didn't seem to care, and realizing that there really weren't any experts around, Xiao Yi said nothing more, only giving instructions.
"There are many poisonous snakes and wild beasts in the mountains, so you must be extremely careful."
Then he took out a packet of medicine powder from the cabinet and gave it to her.
"This is an insect repellent, and it also works on snakes. Snakes don't like the smell of this stuff. If you wear it, as long as you don't provoke them, snakes and insects won't get close."
Xie Yushu accepted the two black cloth bags without ceremony, looking at them curiously.
Seeing the curiosity written all over her face, Xiao Yi had no choice but to explain.
"Here is the same short sword as the one you're holding. The two swords are a pair, but most people aren't used to using two swords at once, so carrying both would be a disadvantage in combat!"
Xiao Yi, fearing she might think he was reluctant to give her both knives, added another sentence.
"I know that, it just so happens that I can only use a knife with one hand."
What's inside? A sword?
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