Even in a famine, there's no panic; the eldest sister has stockpiled plenty of money and grain.

As an old ghost who has been unable to reincarnate for a long time, Jiang Bai has long seen through this world.

People say that reincarnation is a skill, but after spending many years in the underworld, she knows that it's not a skill at all. Reincarnation is clearly about human relationships and connections.

Especially when the chances of being reborn are limited, it all depends on your connections. Only those with connections can be reborn; those without connections, just wait, your turn will come eventually.

However, it's hard to say when that will be.

And even if it's your turn, how do you know someone won't take your place?

After moving the pigs into their den and blocking it with a large rock, Jiang Bai stopped his exploration for the day, carefully memorized the location, and slowly walked out of the mountain.

Fearing she might have forgotten the way, Jiang Bai focused intently the entire time, making sure she clearly remembered the path to the wild boar's lair before slowly descending the mountain.

As dusk fell, wisps of smoke began to rise from the village chimneys.

Jiang Bai first went to the field and saw that the water in the field had been drained. He then went to check on several other fields and found that the water in most of them had been drained. It was clear that Jiang Songhu and his companion had not been slacking off.

In just one day, the roads were covered with bamboo pipes erected by everyone, and some people had already shut off the water in their fields, just like they had done in their area.

The only bad news is that after a day of manual pumping, the water level in the ditch has dropped significantly again, and in some higher areas, the original riverbed can even be seen.

"We still need to find a water source; the water from the river alone probably won't be enough to sustain us."

Jiang Bai wiped the sweat from her brow and headed home with her basket on her back. Jiang Lu waved to her from afar.

"Sister."

Jiang Songwen standing next to her looked like a little fool.

"Sister, you're back."

Jiang Lu rushed over to take her basket, but she avoided him.

"Don't move, there's something inside, it might scare you."

Back home, Jiang Bai put down his basket and carefully took out the wild vegetables, revealing a black snake coiled up underneath.

"Ah, it's a snake."

Snakes naturally have a fishy smell, and the wild vegetables near the snake's location absorb that smell.

The snake wasn't very big, but it was jet black and quite frightening.

Jiang Songwen's eyes widened, and his previously blank expression became somewhat lively.

"Haha, was Awen startled too?"

Jiang Bai pinched Jiang Songwen's cheek, and his expression returned to that silly, blank look.

"This...this worm is poisonous, isn't it? Sister, are you alright? I heard that worms can bite really badly." Jiang Lu was frightened, but then worried. Her sister was her and her younger brother's only support, and she couldn't let anything happen to her.

"Don't worry, it's okay."

Jiang Bai comforted him with a smile.

"But we can't eat these worms. Sister, why did you bring them back? Are you going to feed them to the chicks?"

The chicks still have a lot of crabs left to eat.

"We can't eat it, but some people can!"

Jiang Bai smiled, thinking it would be a good day to ask Ji Laoliu about his family situation and take the opportunity to use his place to deal with the four wild boars.

Take out the wild vegetables, wash them thoroughly, and cook them together with broken rice to make a thick porridge.

Most of the oil used now is lard; the cooking oil at home was made when her father passed away, and there's not much left.

Wild vegetables have a strong flavor, and if they are not stir-fried with plenty of oil, they will taste bitter and astringent, and are not very tasty.

Jiang Bai and the others had to observe mourning, so they couldn't eat lard. Instead, they blanched it and cooked it into porridge, treating it as a way to supplement their dietary fiber intake.

After dinner, Jiang Bai glanced at the water tank; only a single layer of water remained.

"I'll go fetch some water tomorrow."

Although it hasn't rained for several months, the water in the well hasn't been affected much because the temperature isn't too high; only the river's water level has dropped significantly.

We haven't found a new water source all day, so we'll have to keep looking later.

"You take Awen to sleep first, I have to go out for a bit."

"Lock the door. Don't answer anyone who calls you except when I come back, understand?"

The snake had been cleaned and tied up with straw rope by Jiang Bai. The snow-white snake meat looked crystal clear. Jiang Lu swallowed and nodded obediently.

"Wen, be a good boy and wait for your older sister to come back, okay?"

Jiang Bai squatted down, his gaze seemingly looking through Jiang Songwen's lifeless eyes into his heart.

His eyes were unfocused, and he didn't even blink. Fortunately, Jiang Bai didn't care. He slung his basket over his shoulder, carrying the peeled snake meat, and headed towards Qianshan Village under the cover of darkness.

Qianshan Village was completely silent.

Ji Yanwen returned to the village under the stars and moon, exhausted.

"Who?"

Before he even got home, he spotted a dark figure outside his door. A dagger flashed from his sleeve, and a cold glint suddenly appeared in his eyes.

"it's me."

"Where did Scholar Ji go so late at night? Why is he only coming back now?"

Jiang Bai had been waiting for a while, looking at the figure under the moonlight with a bit of curiosity.

"So it's Miss Jiang."

"May I ask what business Miss Jiang has with me?"

The dagger was naturally concealed in his sleeve, and the wariness on Ji Yanwen's face faded.

"I've come to deliver something to Scholar Ji."

Jiang Bai raised her hand, and the long, thin object dangled in her palm.

"By the way, I would like to ask Scholar Ji for a favor."

He welcomed Jiang Bai into the house, lit an oil lamp, and the flesh of the worm was crystal clear. Ji Yanwen's stomach rumbled at just the right moment.

“I’ve already found out that Ji Laoliu’s family lives in Guihua Lane in the county.”

Thinking she was referring to the matter she had helped investigate last time, Ji Yanwen quickly recounted what he had found out.

"Oh? Osmanthus Lane?"

"However, I came here today to ask Scholar Ji to do something else for me."

Jiang Bai nodded, relieved to know where to stay.

"Please say."

“I took a look and found that your house is quite far from the other houses in Qianshan Village. There is also an open space behind your house. I hunted some game today and would like to borrow your house to process it.”

Ji Yanwen was slightly surprised, but then, considering her ability to crush the Iron General with her bare hands, he felt it was normal for her to be able to catch her prey.

She made this special trip, so her prey must be quite large.

"Why not handle it at your own home?"

Jiang Bai covered his lips with his hand and coughed lightly.

"Um... there are too many prey, it's not very convenient."

"Don't worry, I'll pay you after you've taken care of it."

"A bit too much" means...?

"Ah, that is, four wild boars."

Ji Yanwen's lips twitched slightly. Four heads? And that's all?

"Miss Jiang... is truly a divine being."

He gave her a thumbs up. Four wild boars, at the current price of meat, could probably fetch over a hundred taels of silver.

I just don't know whether the wild boar was big or small.

"I love helping others. Miss Jiang gave me chicken last time, and now she's brought me worms. I'll definitely help her out."

"Do you need my help to carry the wild boar down?"

Thinking that if he helped this young lady Jiang, she would give him about a hundred copper coins, Ji Yanwen readily agreed.

"No need, just fetch more water and boil it."

Having received his permission, Jiang Bai waved his hand, put down his basket, and headed up the mountain.

As she left, she didn't notice that Ji Yanwen's gaze, fixed on her retreating figure, gradually deepened, as if he were calculating something.

But that expression quickly disappeared, and when you looked at him again, he was still the ordinary scholar Ji.