Chapter 7: The Coming Storm

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

After everyone fell asleep, Zhou Xiaoli took advantage of the moonlight streaming in to check the pulses of her family members secretly.

There were five techniques in metaphysics, with one of them being the ‘Mountain Doctor’s Fate Divination’. In her previous life, she often heard Immortal Tai Yi preach the Way and so, she had more or less dabbled in these techniques and knew a little about medicine.

The whole family was either sick, mute or a fool. She had to take a good look to know what was going on.

After taking Zhang Lan’s pulse, Zhou Xiaoli frowned slightly.

Zhang Lan’s physical condition was really terrible. It was a classic consequence of not having proper rest after giving birth.

Based on memory, she recalled that her grandmother, Lai Jinniang, used to order Zhang Lan to work. Even after giving birth, she was ordered to work before finishing her confinement period.

As time passed, her liver and kidneys weakened which resulted in deficient energy and blood. As a result, the body became weak. In addition, her body was injured when she gave birth to her third sister, Zhou Xiaoyu.

That was why Zhang Lan often felt pain and her entire body was heavy and weak.

After having a rough understanding of Zhang Lan’s condition, Zhou Xiaoli went to check on Zhou Yu.

Zhou Yu was not born a fool. Instead, he turned into a fool due to a heavy blow to his head. As expected, Zhou Yu’s pulse showed that his mental capacity was as such due to a blood clot in his brain which could not be dispersed.

When the blood clot disperse, Zhou Yu might return to normal.

Next were Zhou Junjun and Zhou Xiaoyu. Other than being malnourished, there were no major problems with their bodies.

As for Zhou Junjun, although he was six years old, he couldn’t speak. However, he wasn’t born a mute. When he was four years old, he knew how to say “mother”, but after Lai Jinniang hit and scolded him once, he did not speak anymore.

This should be a psychological problem caused by shock. Now that they had left the Zhou family, perhaps he could be coaxed to speak again.

After understanding the physical condition of everyone in the family, Zhou Xiaoli quietly set up a Feng Shui formation in the room.

As she was tidying up the room today, she had used the existing furniture to set up a Feng Shui formation that would be beneficial to the family. In addition, she had carved a qi-gathering talisman tonight. Although the material was average, the effect was still acceptable.

A simple qi-gathering Feng Shui formation could not immediately heal their bodies, but living in the room could keep the family’s spirits up and help both their physical and mental health.

After doing all this, Zhou Xiaoyu lay down in peace. She thought about how to earn money in the future and dreamt.

The night passed uneventfully.

The next day, Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan woke up at dawn, accompanied by the crowing of chickens and barking of dogs. On the other hand, the three children were still asleep.

When Zhou Xiaoli and the others woke up, Zhou Yu had filled the water vat with water while Zhang Lan had cooked taro millet porridge.

The millet was secretly sent over by Liu Liangcai early in the morning and could last them for a day.

Although the whole family did not say anything, they were grateful to him for it.

However, Zhou Xiaoli did not approve of Zhang Lan getting up to cook. “Mother, you need to rest more. I can get up to cook.”

However, Zhang Lan did not think much about it. “It’s fine. It’s just cooking porridge. I can still do it. If I lie on the bed and do nothing, I’ll feel terrible.”

Knowing Zhang Lan’s thoughts, Zhou Xiaoli did not continue the topic. She only told her not to overwork herself, but in her heart, she thought of how she could quickly earn money to treat Zhang Lan’s illness.

The family sat in the courtyard and ate the simple porridge. Zhang Lan had already made plans for Zhou Yu to create a vegetable field in the courtyard.

Zhou Xiaoli, on the other hand, was drinking the coarse porridge. Her gaze swept across the courtyard, and just as she saw the roof, her vision blurred, and an illusion appeared again.

In the illusion, it was a rainy night with lightning flashing and rumbling thunder. A strong wind blew and overturned the roofs of many houses.

As for their house, the roof had been in disrepair for a long time and was entirely lifted up by the strong wind. Their family was in a sorry state on this rainy night.

Zhang Lan had also caught a cold from being caught in the rain and became bedridden.

The scene disappeared in a flash.

After experiencing it twice, Zhou Xiaoli was certain that the illusion was something that would happen in the future.

In her illusion, Zhang Lan cried and said that they had only moved into this house for six days. In other words, the storm would come in five days. It was not too late to reinforce the house now.

Thinking of this, Zhou Xiaoli finished the porridge in one gulp and immediately said, “Mother, let’s not tidy up the courtyard today. Father and I will go to the riverside to cut some thatch to dry. We have to repair the roof first.”

Seeing that Zhang Lan was thinking over her words, Zhou Xiaoli added on. “Mother, the weather will change soon in this season. No one has lived in this house for a long time. If it rains heavily suddenly, the house might leak.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Lan nodded repeatedly and praised Zhou Xiaoli for being so thoughtful.

The thatch had to be dried before the roof could be repaired. This matter could not be delayed.

Zhou Xiaoli instructed Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun to keep an eye on Zhang Lan at home and not let her work for too long before leaving with Zhou Yu.

They first went to Uncle Liu’s house to borrow a sickle.

As soon as they arrived at Liu Liangcai’s house, the door opened before they could knock. Lin Xiujuan and her daughter were each holding a basin of clothes and standing at the door. When they saw Zhou Yu and his daughter outside, the smiles on their faces instantly faded.

“How unlucky!” Liu Yuanyuan blurted out.

Lin Xiujuan didn’t say anything, but she didn’t stop Liu Yuanyuan from talking nonsense.

Liu Liangcai glared at Liu Yuanyuan. “I just told you yesterday. Have you forgotten all about it?”

Liu Yuanyuan immediately shut her mouth, feeling wronged.

Liu Liangcai then looked at the duo and asked, “Little Li, why are you looking for me?”

It was then Zhou Xiaoli told him about their request to borrow their sickle.

Liu Liangcai said, “That’s it? Wait here. I’ll get your aunt to get it for you.”

With that, he asked Lin Xiujuan to go into the house to get the sickle.

Thinking of the violent storm in her illusion, Zhou Xiaoli decided to warn him about it as well. “Uncle Liu, it’s raining heavily this season. You should take some time to repair the roof.”

Liu Liangcai nodded with a smile.

At this moment, Lin Xiujuan had already taken out the sickle. When she heard this, she said, “You don’t have to worry about our house. Just take care of yourselves. You don’t even have food to eat and yet you’re worried about someone else’s house. You’re really magnanimous.”

With that, she carried the wooden basin and pulled Liu Yuanyuan away.

Liu Liangcai sighed. “Little Li, your aunt is just that kind of person. She has an unforgiving mouth, but her heart is not bad. Don’t take what she said to heart,” he explained.

Zhou Xiaoli smiled and nodded. She thanked Liu Liangcai and brought Zhou Yu to the river.

—

The river, named the Little Clear River, runs beside the Boyu Village and goes straight to the sea. The villagers in the surrounding villages would wash their clothes by the river usually.

When Zhou Xiaoli and Zhou Yu came to the river with the sickle, there were many women there washing clothes. Lin Xiujuan and Liu Yuanyuan had just arrived as well.

The sound of the women beating the clothes with the clothes rod, the gurgling of the river, and the laughter of the women entwined into a beautiful folk song by the river until Zhou Yu and Zhou Xiaoli arrived.

2 s