Sitting in the wheelchair, Lu Qing was completely captivated by it. The “mount” given by the ancestor was truly extraordinary, so nimble and able to turn in any direction with ease.
Mrs Song and Mrs Xu, watching from the side, quickly figured out what had happened. There was no twisted ankle—clearly, the old man wanted to sit in the chair but was too proud to ask, so he staged this little act to get the kids to bring it over.
It was a bit unbecoming of his age.
Realizing his behavior was improper, Lu Qing cleared his throat and said, “This chair is rather unique.”
Lu Xingyao’s temple throbbed. A “unique” chair? Was it so unique that the old man had to go through all that trouble and pretend to twist his ankle just to sit in it?
He glanced over at Lu Xingyan, his third uncle, who usually acted so proper. How had he fallen to scheming alongside their grandfather?
Among everyone present, only Lu Zhou remained oblivious, completely believing the story. He even walked over to push the wheelchair, saying, “Father, this isn’t like driving a cart. Let me help you.”
Lu Qing smiled warmly. Each of his children was so filial—good, very good.
In truth, Lu Zhou only offered to help because he was afraid of breaking the wheelchair and upsetting the ancestor. After all, the ancestor was their family’s benefactor; without her, their family would have nothing.
That night, Lu Xingyan pulled out a few remaining sticks of dynamite from his bag, recalling the time they were used to blow away several enemies. The memory of the explosions, dust, and devastation had left a deep impression on him.
He hadn’t initially thought much of the items the ancestor had given him, but after witnessing their destructive power firsthand, he knew these objects were invaluable. Everyone still believed that the flashes and explosions that night were the work of the ancestor herself.
Now, seeing the impact of these tools, Lu Xingyan understood that he could never let them fall into the wrong hands.
In recent days, even the officials had started noticing the strange-looking chair the Lu family had, with its large wheels and the way it resembled a cart but required someone to push it.
At first, they were merely curious. But when they saw the chair moving on its own without anyone pushing it, their eyes nearly popped out of their heads.
If the food and tents from earlier had intrigued them, and the lightning strike had filled them with awe, then this wheelchair, moving independently, solidified their belief. This was indeed divine power. Even just the few items the gods casually bestowed were beyond what ordinary mortals could ever hope to see.
“Thank goodness we didn’t strike any of the Lu family members with our whips earlier.”
Some minor officials were now sighing in relief. During the first few days of their journey, they had been quick to wield their whips to assert authority, striking any prisoners who lagged behind.
But the Lu family always supported one another, never falling behind or complaining. Their whips were useless against them.
“Remember when Li Si wanted to cause trouble for them? Thank goodness we didn’t follow him.”
“Exactly! Looking back now, it’s terrifying to think about.”
They had witnessed the Lu family’s divine protection twice now. Even their leader treated the Lu family with respect. Those below him certainly wouldn’t dare to show any animosity.
Du Hangwu, overhearing the conversations of his subordinates, felt his earlier decision solidify. Once they reached the northern lands with the Lu family, he wouldn’t return to the capital.
With divine protection, the Lu family’s current troubles were only temporary. It was only a matter of time before they regained their former glory, and by staying with them, he too would find new opportunities.
He had already made arrangements with the Lu family, but as for his subordinates, he would inform them of the situation in the capital when they reached the northern lands and let them decide their own futures.
The next day, Gu Xingzhao had planned to check on the supermarket construction before heading to the Lu family for dinner. However, she received a message from Mo Li, reminding her that she had promised to deliver some vegetables after the harvest.
When Mo Li arrived at noon, Gu Xingzhao stepped out to greet her.
Mo Li, smiling brightly, said, “I wasn’t sure what vegetables you liked, so I brought a bit of everything. If you can’t finish them, feel free to share them with your neighbors or relatives.”
Feeling a bit awkward about accepting so many vegetables, Gu Xingzhao smiled and said, “Why don’t you stay for lunch? There’s a great BBQ place nearby.”
Mo Li nodded eagerly. “Sure! Let me unload the vegetables first.”
Mo Li called for her driver, who opened the truck’s rear door and began unloading a large basket of vegetables. With a loud thud, he set it down in front of Gu Xingzhao.
Gu Xingzhao was momentarily stunned. That basket must’ve weighed over 20 pounds!
She had thought Mo Li would bring a small amount, but this was enough to feed a village. Had Mo Li harvested her entire field just for her?
Before she could ask, another basket was set down with a loud thud.
Gu Xingzhao: “??”
A third basket, then a fourth, until there were six huge baskets of vegetables in total. She stood there, completely dumbfounded.
Mo Li dusted off her hands and gestured for the driver to leave. Noticing Gu Xingzhao’s dazed expression, she waved her hand in front of her face. “What’s wrong?”
Gu Xingzhao swallowed hard, pointing at the six baskets of fresh, green vegetables. “All of these… for me?”
Mo Li nodded. “Of course.”
She had even worried that it might not be enough, but her truck could only carry so much. “If you like them, I can bring more once you finish these.”
Gu Xingzhao was speechless.
She had imagined that “going back to farm the land” meant tending to a small plot, maybe harvesting 20 pounds of vegetables at most. But Mo Li had just brought her six full baskets!
Together, they moved the vegetables into the supermarket and then sat down in the living room on the second floor. As they chatted, Gu Xingzhao couldn’t hold back her curiosity any longer. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but how much land do you farm?”
Normally, such a question would be too personal, but she had to know.
Mo Li didn’t seem to mind at all. “Well, my family personally owns over a hundred acres, but since there aren’t many young people left in the village, and the older folks can’t work the land anymore, a lot of it was going to waste. A few years ago, my dad pushed for modernized management, combining all the village’s land into one large plot. When I took over, we had around a thousand acres.”
Clang.
The metal basin Gu Xingzhao had been holding to wash fruit fell to the floor with a loud crash.
A thousand acres.
She quickly bent down to pick up the basin, her hands trembling. Tending one acre was manageable, but the upkeep and expenses of a thousand acres were unimaginable.
Clearly, her limited experience had skewed her perception. Mo Li, standing before her, was the real hidden big shot.
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