The night is as cool as frost. The cold wind mixed with snow beats against the window, making a noisy sound, with a trace of cold wind squeezing into the room through the cracks in the window sill, sounding beside the beautiful lady’s ear on the kang. An arm as white as a lotus root suddenly reaches out from under the quilt, pressing one side of her jewel-like face against the quilt; a lamp on the high table casts a dim light onto the kang. Han Anniang emerges from the bed, takes a breath of fresh air, and just as she’s about to put on the small garment beside her, Chen Mo pulls it off. Han Anniang shyly says, "Uncle, didn’t you say you would teach me to read?" "I can teach you on the kang as well." Chen Mo quickly emerges from the bed, grabs an introductory book, and quickly lies back in the bed, holding Han Anniang. "Don’t bite off more than you can chew, sister-in-law. I’ll first teach you five big characters, and once you can read and write them, I’ll teach you another five big characters." Chen Mo plans to teach Han Anniang the Blood Nourishing Technique once she can recognize characters. He doesn’t expect her to successfully cultivate it, as long as she can learn the basics to strengthen and improve her health. He asks Han Anniang to first say the characters she knows. Although Han Anniang hasn’t studied much, she doesn’t know many characters, but she can write her own name and Chen Mo’s name. After understanding the characters she knows, Chen Mo starts teaching, beginning with the five commonly used characters: fuel, rice, oil, salt, and tea. Han Anniang studies very seriously, reading while writing on her leg. But as Chen Mo teaches, he becomes somewhat dishonest. "Uncle..." Her rosy lips slightly pressed, Han Anniang’s snow-white cheeks gradually blush with a drunken red. "Sister-in-law, you must study seriously without looking around," Chen Mo says. Struggling with embarrassment, she murmurs softly, "Uncle, how can I study ?" "How can you not study ? It can also cultivate your concentration, killing two birds with one stone. Come, read to me, fuel, rice..." Han Anniang lowers her beautiful eyes, struggling with embarrassment, trembling as she says, "But uncle, , I really can’t... focus." But Chen Mo doesn’t listen. Han Anniang can only endure the embarrassment and try to adapt. Fortunately, it is only five characters, not many, Han Anniang quickly grasps them and wants to learn more. Chen Mo smiles and pinches her face, saying, "Remembering now doesn’t mean you’ll remember tomorrow. Sleep." Indeed, the next morning. Chen Mo asks her to write the five big characters she learned last night, and Han Anniang only writes rice and tea. Chen Mo can only take the opportunity at breakfast to teach her again for a while. In the morning, he practices the sword while Zhang River digs the tunnel. After lunch and a short rest, Chen Mo teaches Zhang River the sword. After sword practice, Zhang River regains his strength and continues digging the tunnel. In the eyes of outsiders who don’t know the inside story, Zhang River is being worked like an ox or a horse by Chen Mo. But for Zhang River, there’s no complaint, and instead, he feels grateful. Because Chen Mo not only includes him in lunch and dinner but occasionally lets him take some food home. In these turbulent times, food is likened to parents. Secondly, now everyone in the village knows he is Chen Mo’s little brother. The villagers greet him with a touch of respect in their voices. Time flows like water, and five days pass in the blink of an eye. During this period, Chen Mo takes Zhang River to the city and retrieves the newly crafted Tang Blade. This new Tang Blade is five pounds heavier than the previous Tang Blade. Chen Mo gives the old Tang Blade to Zhang River to use. Besides, Chen Mo also purchases a batch of food, mainly rice and pork. New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on 𝗇𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗅✦𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾✦𝗇𝖾𝗍 Food prices rise again, with spring nearing; Chen Mo must store food ahead of time. Once war starts, food prices will only rise further. However, it’s precisely on the day they return from buying food. Zhang River tells Chen Mo that many people in the village are asking if he will recruit them. Of course, Chen Mo will not recruit them. This is the Martial Arts World, not the ancient times before he crossed over. What’s the use of recruiting so many people, creating another Qinghe Gang? Don’t be ridiculous; his own expenses are already high, no way to support so many people. Even if he could support them, this is still a chaotic world with rebel forces approaching; will he recruit so many ordinary people to resist rebels? If they were martial artists, it might be different. Recruiting dozens of ordinary people as little brothers is just dozens of mouths helping him eat food, truly treating him as a philanthropist? And these people still bring their families. To put it bluntly, they are burdens. It’s best to take care of oneself first. Time comes to January 20. Although it’s still cold, the snow has stopped for two days. This day, people from the government office come. Peng Qing personally leads the team. Their purpose in coming to Fu Ze Village is to collect taxes. A new year has begun. This year’s hunting tax and body tax must be paid. But Fu Ze Village has been plundered twice by the Qinghe Gang; how can they afford to pay taxes? Does the government office know? Of course, they know. But it’s a strict order from above; if taxes aren’t collected, they must find a way to compensate themselves. Chang Yuan certainly won’t give this money. If he doesn’t pay, who will? Relying on the local noble clan lords to pay? Thus, they can only make the common people suffer. No money to pay, then take land as collateral. Many villagers still have land. For them, land is a hope for life, their roots. Unless absolutely necessary, they refuse to sell land. Peng Qing knows that such demands are excessive, so at first, he persuades them kindly, saying they can use land to pay taxes, with refunds for overpayments and compensation for underpayments. Later, when villagers don’t listen, they start using force. Fu Ze Village once again becomes full of wailing. Chen Mo pays taxes as well. This is something every household must pay. Unless he wants to rebel. Once Peng Qing and his team leave, Chen Mo sighs. What a rotten state the Court has become. If this continues, it would be unreasonable not to fall. At present, Chen Mo can only grumble and glance at the system panel. [Cultivation Technique: Blood Nourishing Technique (Great Success 283.3/1000.)] [Realm: Bone Refining (Eighth Grade).] [Skills: Demon-breaking Saber Technique (Advanced 226540/400000).] He can’t change anything. You might say some villagers still owe him food. Chen Mo hasn’t asked them to repay. In these times, Chen Mo finds it even harder to ask. Forget it, let it be. The progress on the cellar is quite good. Although the tunnel wasn’t dug very long, space was dug to accommodate Chen Mo, Han Anniang, and Zhang River’s family. Of course, Chen Mo doesn’t forget to reinforce it to prevent the cellar from collapsing. Chen Mo turns seventeen years old, and sister-in-law makes him a bowl of longevity noodles with two eggs. This day, softened by sympathy, Chen Mo lets Zhang River deliver some food to Chen Dalin and Song Tian’s family.