Chapter 16: Wanwan Is A＊＊, An Auspicious Beast!
Colonel Lin saw General Xie arrive and quickly had a group of disfigured bandits brought out.
This sight immediately startled Xie Chong and his entourage.
“What on earth is this!”
“Ouch, my mother! Did you stumble into a hornet’s nest? Their faces are unrecognizable.”
The bandits were in excruciating pain.
Colonel Lin coughed: “These are the bandits guarding the silver mine. We don’t know what happened, but a swarm of hornets suddenly appeared and specifically stung the bandits. The miners with them were completely unharmed.”
Xie Chong scanned the group of bandits from head to toe.
“Send a few people to take these bandits to the Prefect’s residence to exchange for silver, just like the previous ones!”
It must be said, these bandits from the silver mine were quite miserable, swollen in places here and there, their faces so fat even their own mothers wouldn’t recognize them.
However, since they were bandits, their life or death had nothing to do with them; they deserved to die from the pain.
After dealing with the bandits, Xie Chong added: “Distribute twenty taels of silver to each of the miners.”
These people who were captured were also unfortunate, but all Xie Chong could do was offer some compensation in silver.
“And the grain confiscated from the bandits, each person gets fifty catties.”
“Yes!”
Although their general looked fierce, he was actually the most caring towards his subordinates and the commoners.
The miners were overjoyed and wept upon hearing this news.
They never expected to receive money and grain, and they immediately knelt on the ground to express their gratitude.
At this moment, Keke was also incredibly excited.
“Cub, the Merit Points are continuously increasing. We’ve hit the jackpot! Your father did a great job this time, and of course, our cub is the best!”
Qin Wanwan’s Merit Points increased by over three hundred, even more than during the first bandit suppression.
Mainly, more people were saved this time, indirectly saving countless families.
“If the Imperial Court is effective and sends incorruptible officials to round up the corrupt officials here, and the farmland is distributed to the commoners, your Merit Points will definitely rise again.”
Qin Wanwan blinked her eyes, feeling like she hadn’t done anything but still received so many Merit Points.
Although the little one didn’t know how much three hundred was yet, judging by Keke’s happy expression, it must be a lot.
The little girl happily went to find her Daddy.
It was Daddy who earned the Merit Points for her; Daddy was amazing.
“Daddy, hold me.”
Xie Chong had been holding Qin Wanwan the whole way out.
The three-year-old baby wasn’t heavy and was soft, making her easy to hold.
Qin Wanwan hugged her father’s neck, her clear eyes filled with admiration and joy.
“Daddy is so powerful, he beat up so many bad guys!”
The child’s tone and gaze were exceptionally sincere, her voice milky and soothing to the heart and soul.
Xie Chong’s stoic face couldn’t help but curve into a slight smile.
“What about us, Wanwan? We also followed the General to fight bad guys.”
Hearing Qin Wanwan’s praise for the General made them feel a pang of longing.
Qin Wanwan rested on her father’s broad shoulder, her eyes curving into a smile like a little sun.
“Uncles are also amazing~”
Everyone immediately felt satisfied. Who could resist that soft, milky little voice? It sounded so good.
Of course, it would have been even better if they were called Daddy; they wouldn’t mind adopting such a daughter.
Xie Chong glanced at them, “Heh… childish.”
“Go get some people to help me fill these baskets.”
It’s a large silver mine, and it wouldn’t be excessive for them to mine some, would it?
“Yes!”
Speaking of which, the other soldiers’ voices became excited.
Xie Chong himself rolled up his sleeves and entered the mine tunnel with a shovel.
Qin Wanwan was placed outside to play on her own.
The mine tunnel was dark, and she didn’t want to go inside, so she went to play with the hornets.
The soldiers following her immediately felt their scalps tingle at the sight of the dense swarm of hornets flying towards them, letting out a scream and then running for their lives, carrying Qin Wanwan.
Qin Wanwan, still holding a hornet in her hand, looked bewildered.
“What’s happening?!”
The scream was too loud, and Xie Chong quickly emerged from the mine.
Then he saw the hornets following behind Qin Wanwan and the soldiers, and chaos ensued.
Qin Wanwan: “Daddy, don’t be afraid. They’re very well-behaved, look.”
Turning into her father’s embrace, Qin Wanwan handed him the hornet in her chubby hand to see, her eyes shining brightly.
Xie Chong gasped: “Throw it away quickly!”
This silly, reckless cub really dared to grab anything!
The swarm of hornets circled above, hesitating to descend.
The people below stood ready.
Colonel Lin swallowed hard: “Could these be the same hornets that stung those bandits earlier?!”
This place is really a bit supernatural.
Qin Wanwan’s soft, mellow voice rang out: “Daddy, you don’t like them?”
Xie Chong: “What do you think?”
Who would like these things?
Qin Wanwan drooped her little head and said “oh”: “Then I’ll tell them to go back.”
The bees were so nice and powerful, why didn’t Daddy like them?
Qin Wanwan muttered softly, then waved at the swarm of hornets.
“Go back, go back.”
Something strange happened; the swarm of hornets actually flew away.
Everyone: “!!!”
Wh-what’s going on?!
Everyone was dumbfounded, looking at the hornets and then at Qin Wanwan, their minds struggling to comprehend.
No, they really… left?
“You, you…”
Xie Chong quickly reacted, glaring at his subordinates with his tiger-like eyes: “What ‘you,’ what are you still standing here for? Get to work, don’t make a fuss.”
Everyone immediately flinched. Uh… isn’t this shocking?
But seeing their general’s calm expression, they had nothing to say.
Carrying their shock and confusion, they each returned to the mine tunnel.
Xie Chong and Qin Wanwan were left looking at each other.
“Daddy?”
The little one’s eyes were very innocent.
Xie Chong calmed himself down; he was also shocked.
Fortunately, his face rarely showed any expression.
“Don’t say anything for now, I need to go dig for silver.”
He needed to calm down first.
Qin Wanwan obediently said “oh.”
This time, she didn’t run off. When she got bored outside, she toddled into the mine tunnel, her chubby hands busy helping to load the silver ore into the baskets.
The mine tunnel was a bit dark, with kerosene lamps lit.
“What are you doing here? Go out, don’t get stepped on.”
Qin Wanwan pouted, very unconvinced: “Wanwan is also big!”
She swung her chubby arm, drawing a very large circle.
“You won’t get stepped on.”
But compared to them adults, she was indeed very small.
Watching the little one busy working diligently beside the General, everyone temporarily forgot the shock brought by the hornets and couldn’t help but smile.
After working all afternoon, the remaining baskets were finally filled. Everyone cheerfully carried the bamboo baskets filled with silver ore towards the camp.
Although tired, they were spirits high.
Qin Wanwan, however, had fallen asleep on her father’s shoulder.
Before falling asleep, she propped her eyelids open and mumbled: “Daddy, I want, I want to wash my face, be clean.”
Xie Chong tutted: “You like to be clean, yet you followed me into the mine tunnel.”
Despite saying that, upon returning, he still had someone bring water to wipe the little one’s hands and face clean before putting her in the carriage to sleep.
He still couldn’t sleep; there were many things to busy himself with.
After another round of rewarding merits, everything that could be taken was set aside to be taken the next morning, and what couldn’t be taken was hidden away, just waiting for someone from Shangjing to come and take over.
The clothes of those bandits were repurposed for the miners and villagers who were scantily clad.
They didn’t mind; although the clothes were stained with blood, it was the blood of their enemies.
Some clothes were torn, but with a patch, they could be worn again.
The next morning when they left, the Li siblings came to the military camp, bringing some wild fruits and were very reluctant to part with Qin Wanwan.
*Sniffle sniffle*… The little fairy was leaving.
“Can I join the army? I want to be a man who can protect his family in the future.”
The Li brother asked Colonel Lin, as he had spent the most time with him and wasn’t as afraid.
Colonel Lin looked at the young man with amusement.
“First, grow your body well. Being a soldier is no joke; one can easily die on the battlefield.”
“I’m not afraid!”
Colonel Lin laughed heartily: “Good kid, you’ve got guts. When you grow up and still want to be a soldier, go to the border pass and find the Xie family army.”
At the final farewell, Qin Wanwan gave the Li siblings some pastries and candy, which her father had bought for her again.
Daddy had refilled her little bag.
The military flags fluttered in the wind. They had a big feast last night, and this morning everyone drank meat soup, with some lucky ones even getting slices of meat.
Everyone, full of spirit, embarked on the journey to the border pass.
Qin Wanwan sat on the horse, nestled in her father’s embrace, her round, beautiful eyes looking at the display screen in front of her.
Another item could be unlocked to purchase.
Keke said that was called wheat, fragrant flatbread, and that buns and steamed buns were made from it.
She poked the wheat pattern in the air with her little hand, and a voice appeared in her mind.
‘Wheat （, with incomplete genes ）, a grain crop, a product of human research from a modern technological plane. Advantages: high output, approximately 1500 catties per mu. Disadvantages: poor taste, and seeds cannot be saved.’
‘Improvement plan: 1. Soak in spiritual spring water and plant in spiritual soil. 2. Nurture with the spiritual charm of an auspicious beast for ten days.’
Keke was furious. What kind of garbage was the Heavenly Dao giving its cub? Seeds with incomplete genes, and it had the audacity to offer them!
While cursing internally, dark clouds gathered overhead.
Keke: …………
Can’t I even curse in my mind?
Not daring to curse the Heavenly Dao anymore, during a break when Xie Chong wasn’t around, Keke told Qin Wanwan to quickly buy some seeds and keep them on her person.
“Cub, buy some wheat seeds and carry them with you. After ten days, the incomplete genes of these seeds can be perfected for planting.”
Qin Wanwan was very obedient, tapping on the two unlocked item seeds. Before long, her Merit Points had been significantly consumed.
Pasture grass seeds: thirty Merit Points per portion. Wheat seeds: fifty Merit Points per portion. Each portion can sow approximately one mu, with a germination rate of 100%, and each portion contains fifteen catties of seeds.
The little girl hid behind a rock to secretly buy seeds, but after taking out all the seeds, her little face turned red, and she couldn’t lift them.
Keke: …………
Damn it, I was careless!
She had no space or magic power on her now. The cub and she didn’t have much strength, and how were they going to explain these suddenly appearing seeds to Xie Chong?
“What are you hiding here for?”
Xie Chong found the little cub.
Qin Wanwan looked at him pitifully.
“Daddy, I can’t carry them.”
Keke had already feigned death, asking it nothing, it knew nothing.
Xie Chong squatted down and opened the contents of the small cloth bag in front of Qin Wanwan.
“This is, wheat?”
This wheat was plumper than any he had ever seen; it was clearly good seed.
As for the other bag with small, dark particles, they looked like seeds of some plant, but he couldn’t recognize them.
“Where did they come from?”
Qin Wanwan opened her mouth: “The Heavenly Dao gave them to me.”
“What did you say?”
Xie Chong clearly saw the little cub open her mouth, but he heard nothing.
Qin Wanwan said it again, but Xie Chong still didn’t hear.
Xie Chong frowned; this matter was becoming rather strange.
To be precise, things had been strange since the little cub appeared, especially the talking bird beside her and the incident with the hornets.
He had seen crows that could mimic speech, but never a bird that spoke so fluently and could even argue with people.
And concerning the silver mine incident that day, he had asked two soldiers who intended to protect Qin Wanwan and leave. They said that on the way back, a large number of snakes suddenly appeared.
But Qin Wanwan was not afraid of snakes at all, and after she left, those snakes also rapidly disappeared.
It was as if those snakes had been summoned by her.
It sounded unbelievable, but Xie Chong felt that it was likely related to this little cub.
After all, he had witnessed the hornets himself.
Qin Wanwan didn’t want to hide anything, but something didn’t want him to know.
Once Xie Chong realized this, he stopped questioning.
He half-squatted down, meeting the little baby’s moist, innocent, big eyes.
“Are you some kind of mountain spirit or monster?”
He used to not believe in such things, but now he was beginning to believe.
He also spontaneously imagined a scenario where the incapable little one was bullied by bigger mountain spirits and had to flee the mountains, coincidentally meeting him and recognizing him as her father.
Qin Wanwan pouted: “Wanwan is not a mountain spirit or monster, Wanwan is a **, an auspicious beast.”
Very well, two words were not heard clearly; it seemed they were also not meant to be spoken.
Xie Chong had a strong capacity for acceptance and actually believed this little one was an auspicious omen.
Could he have gotten so much silver on this trip if she wasn’t an auspicious omen?!
Regardless of what he thought, Xie Chong’s attitude towards Qin Wanwan remained unchanged.
Whether she was an auspicious beast or a little spirit, this little one was too weak and a bit clumsy.
Without an adult to look after her, she would end up giving away her silver to others if she was deceived.
Xie Chong picked up Qin Wanwan with one hand and carried the two bags of seeds with the other.
“From now on, don’t tell anyone these things, and don’t show your abilities in front of others, understand?”
Xie Chong admonished.
Qin Wanwan perfunctorily nodded: “Mhm.”
What abilities did she have?
When riding the horse, the seeds were hung on the side of the horse.
Seeing Qin Wanwan return, Xie Chong’s horse seemed very happy.
Was it an illusion, or did the horse seem to have more energy the longer it ran, its eyes becoming more spirited?
Xie Chong didn’t tell anyone about Qin Wanwan’s strangeness, and he would have to deal with those people from yesterday at some point.
This little cub was very foolish.
No wonder she was bullied and ran out, and then with poor judgment, sought him, a poor general, to recognize as her father.
Since she had recognized him as her father, he would raise her as an ordinary child.
