Chapter 186: A Troubled Family in Front of the Cave
Next to the vegetable garden, there was also a man-made fish pond, already filled with rainwater. Yu Luo released the fish she had caught along the way into it, ensuring that they would have a steady supply of fish in the future. In this desolate land, having access to fresh fish was a rare luxury, unless one traveled a thousand miles to the distant coastline.
“Oh my, this mansion is way too big for just the three of us. It’s kind of eerie. Even with Tao Ming here, it still feels empty. Why didn’t the system just make a smaller one? Just managing this huge estate will be exhausting,” Ye Jiamei grumbled as she finished her tour. The excitement on her face gradually faded, and she started feeling uneasy about the vast emptiness of their home.
Yu Haojie, however, was still beaming with joy.
As someone who had loved studying antiques in his past life, suddenly owning such a grand, classical mansion felt like stepping into a dream come true. Nothing could make him happier than this stroke of fortune.
“Maybe the system has its own reasons. Forget the mansion for a moment—an entire city has been built for us. Why not buy some servants?” Yu Luo suggested thoughtfully.
Though hiring people in this area seemed difficult, it was the only viable option they had at the moment.
“That makes sense. I think buying some servants would be the safest option. The Bai, Liu, and Zhang families who came with us, and even the second and third branches of the Yu family, wouldn’t be suitable to invite here.”
Yu Haojie snapped out of his excitement and returned to reality.
And when he spoke of this, he naturally didn’t even consider the legitimate members of the Yu family. He wasn’t about to invite them over, especially since they hadn’t even had the time to settle things with Old Madam Chen yet.
“Father is right. Even if we’ve shared hardships together, we still need to maintain boundaries. Just like us, they are all exiled criminals. By providing them with work to sustain themselves, we’re already helping them enough. If we give too much, greed might take over, and they could become enemies instead of allies. Rather than being grateful, they might grow jealous and resentful upon learning about our massive estate. That kind of resentment could lead to trouble, so we need to think carefully about this.”
“But where do we even go to buy servants? Do we have to go to Fengcheng?” Ye Jiamei asked eagerly. She had no objections to hiring help—after all, it meant she wouldn’t have to wash clothes, cook, tend to the vegetable garden, or feed the livestock anymore. That way, she could spend more time studying medicine and improving her skills.
“We don’t even know if Fengcheng has servants for sale. That place is full of all kinds of people, including wanderers and outlaws. Buying servants from there might not be the safest choice.”
“If safety is the concern, I have a solution. Have you forgotten how I controlled the Zhang family with medicine before?”
Indeed, when the Zhang family had decided to split from them after dividing up supplies, Ye Jiamei had anticipated the possibility of them betraying them for profit or under pressure from the authorities.
So, before they left, she had secretly drugged their food. The effects of the drug would only appear six months later, and if they didn’t take the antidote each month after that, the cycle would shorten to three months, then two, then one.
If they took the antidote at the first sign of symptoms, the drug would reset and reappear six months later.
It wasn’t that Ye Jiamei was cruel—she had merely been cautious. When their daughter was kidnapped by bandits, and the Zhang family remained indifferent, she had realized that she couldn’t fully trust them.
Hearing Ye Jiamei’s reminder, both father and daughter understood immediately.
“But what exactly happened to Zhang Yuan’s family? They had several skilled fighters—there’s no reason they should have ended up in such a dire state. Now, they seem terrified to even talk about what happened after we split. Not only that, but all the women and children in their family have vanished, yet the remaining men seem oddly calm about it. That seems very suspicious.”
Yu Haojie frowned, deep in thought. Yu Luo recalled their strange behavior and also found it unsettling.
“No matter what, even if only the strong men of the Zhang family remain, we still can’t trust them too much.”
“My daughter is right. I think they should stay in their original cave. At least they won’t starve. We can let the third branch of the Yu family move into our old cave. Among everyone, I think they’re the most trustworthy.”
“My wife is right. The third branch has always been grateful for any kindness shown to them. Even though they’re poor, they always share a portion of their food with us whenever they find wild vegetables or hunt, even though they know we have our own supplies. Their sincerity and gratitude are genuine.”
After listening, Yu Luo pondered for a moment before nodding seriously.
“Alright. The system said the rain will last for at least ten days, maybe even longer. We can’t just sit around and wait. In a few days, I’ll go to Fengcheng. I’ll bring Tao Ming and a few others who know martial arts. If we use light-footed movement techniques, we can make a round trip in a day. But if we find suitable people to bring back, it’ll take at least two or three days to transport them.”
“Then don’t use light-footed techniques. Since you’re going to buy people, take a carriage. We finally have some, so we should make use of them.”
Ye Jiamei suggested. Of course, she was worried about Yu Luo’s safety, but she also knew this was a necessary step for their future.
That day, Yu Luo and Tao Ming returned to the cave.
The families trapped inside had initially been overjoyed by the rain. But as it continued for the second day without stopping, their excitement turned into unease.
“I don’t know if this cave will collapse from all this rain. Did the heavens spring a leak or something? I’ve lived for over half my life, and I’ve never seen rain pour for two straight days and nights without letting up,” Shu Suhua muttered as she and her husband stood outside their cave, watching the torrential downpour with deepening concern.
Yu Qiang sighed. He had lost count of how many times he had come to check on the situation outside.
As a farmer, he should have been delighted by the rain. But right now, he couldn’t find any joy in it.
From a distance, he could see that the lowest part of their vegetable plot, at the base of the rocky hill, had already turned into a small river.
