Chapter 95: Rumors
A moment later.
Over twenty children of varying heights and with different disabilities lined up quietly, their faces showing some color and their bright eyes looking at Chen Shun’an.
They felt both awe and affection.
They knew who had brought them their current good life.
Before Chen Shun’an arrived, the Nurturing Infant Hall was filled with ‘monsters’ who could barely get out of bed, were on their last breath, and lacked both spirit and energy.
They were no longer considered human.
But after Chen Shun’an arrived, there were more people who could carry water and cook porridge, and who could line up to receive breakfast.
They went from ‘monsters’ to ‘oddities’.
They were considered human again.
It was all thanks to the effects of Chicken Head Pearl Sweet Water.
Chicken Head Sweet Water was of little use to Chen Shun’an, but greatly benefited ordinary people.
A man standing by to maintain order couldn’t help but wipe away tears.
“This is all I can do, to let the children eat only white flour steamed buns and coarse greens every day, eating them day in and day out, when will it ever end?”
Some children looked confused upon hearing this.
White flour steamed buns were soft and sweet, so delicious, how could one get tired of them? He only wanted to eat white flour steamed buns his whole life.
Eating them lying down, eating them sleeping, eating them in dreams.
A slightly bolder child lined up and passed in front of Chen Shun’an, first bowing deeply, then cautiously asking,
“Master Chen, why are you so good to us?”
Chen Shun’an paused for a moment and said,
“Because I believe in deities.”
The children listened, their young minds dawning with understanding.
Chen Shun’an said, “Perhaps it was the guidance of some deity in the darkness that led me here.”
Thus, those clear eyes gained a special hue.
And the blind children felt an inexplicable strength in their ears that heard these words.
A tiny seed of devout worship of deities was thus sown in the hearts of these naive children.
Wishes poured into Chen Shun’an’s ears.
【Wish +2】
【Wish +2】
【Wish +3】
…
【Grass Talisman（50/100）】
【Wish: 492】
【Once the Grass Talisman progress is over half, invest 5 points of divine power to choose the next Divine Aspect】
……
A moment later, Chen Shun’an retrieved the Chicken Head Pearl from the water vat, placed it in his waist pouch, and turned to leave.
He ignored the children on the road who begged for hugs and pats, appearing somewhat indifferent and dignified.
Awe and humility were the best ways to ensure that faith was offered from bottom to top.
Crackle!
Suddenly, the sound of firecrackers erupted from outside the gate.
The woman seemed to understand something, and hurriedly put down her broken iron spoon, walking to the side of the great door and behind a wall cabinet.
She opened the small wooden door, and then took a female infant from inside the wall cabinet.
Still swaddled, she had red lips and white teeth, and giggled upon seeing someone.
A note was left in the swaddling clothes—
It stated that her parents were descendants of loyal and honest officials, but were deceived by the Huo and contracted ‘Fragrant Heart Clearing Paste’.
When burning it, they were energetic and did not sleep for days; after withdrawal, they became listless, had splitting headaches, and could not sleep.
In the end, they not only lost all their wealth but could not bear the torment of ‘sleep deprivation’, seeming to see demons and nightmares, and threw themselves into the lake to commit suicide.
The neighbors, seeing the infant’s plight, had no choice but to abandon her in the wall cabinet of the Orphanage and light firecrackers as a warning, to avoid embarrassment.
Seeing the familiar yet unfamiliar bright eyes in the swaddling clothes, Chen Shun’an was taken aback, then smiled wryly,
“Alright! I didn’t check the almanac when I went out today, so this is my bad luck! I just happened to run into this!”
Chen Shun’an didn’t say much, emptying out the few taels of broken silver and the copper coins from selling water that he had on him, even leaving behind all the ginger candy he carried.
He then fled in a hurry.
To kill someone, one must see the corpse; to save someone, one must save them thoroughly.
Some people mocked Chen Shun’an, saying he could only protect the children of the Orphanage for a while, but not for a lifetime.
However, if deities truly existed in the world.
These children could very well be the helmsmen, or even the breakers, of the Sacred Dynasty’s decaying giant ship.
……
Leaving Rongyuan Orphanage and arriving at the bustling streets, seeing people carrying poles and pushing carts, Chen Shun’an quickened his pace and pushed his cart back towards Weihang Street.
In the past two months, Chen Shun’an’s biggest change was perhaps developing Rongyuan Orphanage as a ‘benefactor’.
The Orphanage was originally an official charitable institution, perhaps intended to solve the problem of abandoned infants, funded jointly by the government and private citizens.
But as time went by, it had changed.
The tragic stories of these orphans were one after another, no need to elaborate.
And the future of these orphans had become a ‘business’.
Female infants of acceptable appearance were bought to be concubines or prostitutes, those with agile legs were exploited as laborers, and even those with disabilities were fine; taught a few verses of the lotus song, they could beg on the streets.
The Four Great Huo and some lower-tier gangs loved to buy materials from the Orphanage.
Occasionally, some with good aptitude for martial arts were found and trained as suicide soldiers.
They were used for abduction, practicing evil martial arts, or as sacrifices to test paths and poisons…
Chen Shun’an’s current Rongyuan Orphanage was still considered good; the steward and his wife had some conscience.
The man had some martial arts skills, and the woman knew some of the stewards, so they didn’t exploit these children too much.
And with Chen Shun’an’s current martial strength, he was already qualified to be a ‘good person’.
The Four Great Huo, idle gangs, and ruffians saw Chen Shun’an’s great benevolence, even giving up their shiny silver to protect Rongyuan Orphanage.
They therefore stopped targeting this Orphanage.
There were plenty of abandoned children without parents, so there was no need to offend Chen Shun’an for Rongyuan Orphanage!
It wasn’t worth it!
Chen Shun’an didn’t take the main street of Wusheng Street but took a detour through a small alley, slowly pushing his cart.
After all, Wusheng Street was the territory of his fellow brothers, and it was already somewhat of an offense for him, a water carrier from another well, to push his cart here.
It was already giving him, Chen Shun’an, face that the other brothers ignored him.
“It’s this scoundrel who spread rumors about the water, causing us all to panic!”
“Catch him and hand him over to the officials!”
“Why hand him over to the officials? Take him to the water station first, then beat him to death… Hey, isn’t that Old Chen?”
However, not long after he walked away, he saw a group of men armed with spears and clubs, wearing tight-fitting clothes and short outfits, who seemed to be guards from some wealthy family, surrounding and pushing and beating someone.
Pained groans could be heard from the ground.
Someone called out to Chen Shun’an, and Chen Shun’an walked closer to take a look.
A man with a rat-like face and sparse yellow hair plastered to his scalp rolled on the ground, looking utterly shabby.
At this moment, the rat-faced man had a head full of bumps, scurrying around and begging for mercy.
It turned out that this rat-faced man had been spreading rumors, both openly and covertly, in the past few days.
Saying things like ‘The Sea Eye at Liangcha River has fallen, the water veins are reversing, and the well water in the county and city will soon run dry, not even enough to draw two buckets’ and ‘Wuqing County will have no water to drink!’ and ‘The water stations are concealing information and preparing to sell at a higher price…’
Various other discouraging and inciting remarks.
Many people didn’t believe it at first, but it just so happened that Bewitching Bay, not far from Liangcha River, was bombed.
It was as if heavenly lightning had descended and flattened the area.
What if the Sea Eye had truly fallen?
Many people began to panic.
Wealthy families quickly pre-ordered well water.
Even though the water stations explained and reasoned repeatedly, urging everyone to remain calm.
It was useless!
The more they tried to appease, the more it solidified the suspicions.
You lot, water carriers who only move for profit, refusing this incoming money, there must be something fishy!
This water, you have to sell it even if you don’t want to!
As a result, two months passed, and the wells in the county town were full to the brim, reflecting like mirrors, with no sign of shortage.
Everyone was stunned.
They turned around and began to settle scores with those who spread rumors.
“Brothers, rest assured!”
Chen Shun’an, upon hearing this, became indignant, his eyes widened, the muscles on his arms bulging as he patted his chest and promised,
“This scoundrel has damaged the reputation of my water station and deceived all of you brothers. I will take him to the water prison outside the county to let him know the consequences of spreading rumors!”
Upon hearing the word ‘water prison’, the crowd seemed to recall something and felt a chill in their hearts.
The water prison of the water stations was more terrifying than the county yamen’s cangue or dungeons. No one who entered was ever seen again, with various torture instruments and many deaths.
It was eerie and chilling even for ghosts.
Then, the crowd showed satisfied smiles and said,
“Old Chen, we’ll trouble you then!”
“Brother Chen, come for drinks on the painted boat when you have time!”
“Next time I find you, don’t postpone our cricket fight again! No matter how precious your grasshopper is, if you don’t let it fight, it won’t have any fight in it!”
Chen Shun’an heartily cupped his hands in greeting, making lighthearted remarks.
He then entrusted someone to push his water cart to the well, and with hands like iron pincers, he firmly gripped the rat-faced man’s shoulder, his legs pushed off, and he drifted out like a willow catkin.
In just a few blinks of an eye, everyone lost sight of Chen Shun’an.
“Old Chen’s lightness skill is truly superb, no wonder even Flying Mouse couldn’t keep him and lost his life instead.”
“Heh, after all, he’s the son-in-law of the Zhang Mansion. Who knows how many treasures Old Lady Zhang stuffed into him for him to cultivate such advanced lightness skills? You can be envious of that…”
“Hmm, speaking of the Zhang Mansion, have you heard? The Zhang Mansion recently revised their family tree and investigated collateral branches, and it seems something happened.”
“I’ve heard a little, why bother with so much? It doesn’t affect us brothers earning one more tael of silver or saving one less copper coin.”
The crowd chatted among themselves for a few more words and, seeing that they had caught another rumor-monger, were quite satisfied.
They immediately found a tavern, ordered a few dishes, had a pot of wine, and prepared to rest briefly before going to deliver a heavy blow!
……
Splash!
In the desolate woods several miles away from Banye Ferry Crossing, where few people ventured.
Chen Shun’an casually threw the rat-faced man on the ground and said,
“Don’t return to Wuqing County for the next two years. Go south and find a place to hide. Your wife and daughter, my water station will take care of them, do not worry.”
