RYEY – Chapter 229 Uncle Actually Kneels

Cheng Qiao saw that the main root of the Rebirth Qilin Grass had loosened. Without hesitation, she entered the space together with the tree. The striped great tiger’s eyes suddenly contracted, and all four paws flailed as it fell from above.

Cheng Qiao watched the striped great tiger tumble from nearly three meters high, its blue stripes swaying wildly with its flips.

It was actually a tiger with broad blue-black stripes—three thick blue stripes cutting through its black fur, very imposing.

“Too bad you’re an enemy of the Rebirth Qilin Grass; otherwise, I’d really want to keep you in my space,” Cheng Qiao thought with a tinge of regret. But one cannot have both fish and bear’s paw; she understood that principle.

As soon as the Rebirth Qilin Grass entered the space, sensing the dense spiritual energy, it chose a spot and took root. However, as soon as it rooted, all the surrounding herbs withered.

Not only did the herbs wither, but almost four acres of black soil turned yellow everywhere except where the Qilin Rebirth Grass had rooted.

Cheng Qiao hadn’t expected the Rebirth Qilin Grass to be so domineering—it made her headache. If she had known, she would have harvested the herbs in the space first, preventing this waste.

Little Red quickly climbed to the base of the Qilin Rebirth Grass, wrapping its thick body around it and absorbing the immense vitality.

Cheng Qiao fetched a wooden bucket, drew a bucket of well water, and poured it over the ginseng trees that Little Red had mercilessly abandoned. The ginseng trees were barely alive, but fortunately, the Rebirth Qilin Grass hadn’t intended to completely take their life force.

Looking up outside, the blue-black striped tiger hadn’t left. It kept sniffing the place where Cheng Qiao had stood, confusion in its eyes.

“Since you won’t leave, I’ll get to work,” Cheng Qiao muttered. She began watering the land, bucket after bucket, stopping only when the water level in the well dropped below the rope’s length.

The soil was still yellow, but much better than its previous dry state. Exhausted and hungry, Cheng Qiao returned to her room to eat, bathe, and sleep.

Little Cheng Li, sitting quietly on the bed playing with toys, saw her come in and showed four little teeth. Cheng Qiao couldn’t resist kissing her son, who had grown two new teeth:

“Sweetheart, Mommy will take a bath first, then feed you, okay?”

Little Cheng Li nodded with a little “Oh ah, oh ah.”

After Cheng Qiao held Little Cheng Li and they both slept, she woke to find the blue-black striped tiger gone. A fall from two or three meters was nothing to such a tiger.

“Sweetheart, you play nicely by yourself. Mommy’s going to look for some herbs. Call me if anything happens, okay?”

Little Cheng Li obediently nodded. Cheng Qiao stepped out of the space, climbed out of the large pit she had dug, and used a shovel to fill the hole back in.

She then summoned Little Red, now her treasure-seeking snake, capable of finding all kinds of medicinal herbs if willing.

Sure enough, Fritillaria and Cistanche were found one by one, along with other rare herbs.

“Alright, that’s enough work for today. Let’s go home.”

Cheng Qiao knew why Little Red had been so efficient today—it just wanted to stay on the Qilin Rebirth Grass.

Cheng Qiao stayed in the Qilian Mountains for another three or four days, squeezing every bit of Little Red’s ability, before finally returning home. She put her thumb and forefinger to her lips and whistled.

The eagle calls drew closer and finally landed in front of her, kicking up a cloud of sand and stones with its flapping wings, forcing her to close her eyes.

“Let’s go home.”

With a gesture, the sea-eastern eagle disappeared instantly. The black-and-blue-striped tiger hiding in the distance shrank back in fear, took two careful steps backward, and ran off without a trace.

Descending the mountain, Cheng Qiao unexpectedly saw Xiao Dan napping in the driver’s cabin. She knocked on the window; Xiao Dan startled awake, quickly drawing his pistol.

Seeing Cheng Qiao, he relaxed, put the gun away, opened the car door, and jumped out: “Cheng Qiao, why are you just coming down? I was thinking of sending someone to find you.”

“You came to pick me up, right?”

“Mm, I’ve been waiting for you for two days.”

“Thanks. First, load these herbs into the car, then let’s find a state-run restaurant for dinner before heading back.”

Xiao Dan nodded repeatedly. After dinner, on the way back, he told Cheng Qiao what everyone in the stationed military already knew. That’s how she learned Li Bing had gone to the frontier.

“Is it dangerous there?”

“Dangerous indeed. There are occasional small-scale accidental shootings, and one has to be careful of sniper fire. One wrong move and you’re dead.”

“Why were they suddenly sent there?”

“Someone’s stirring trouble.”

Seeing Xiao Dan gnash his teeth in anger, Cheng Qiao immediately thought of Liu Xiaojuan, the woman whose face she had disfigured. Looks like her man had taken action—but that was none of her concern now.

Back at the cave dwelling, Cheng Qiao had just retrieved Little Cheng Li from space and placed him on the kang when a knock sounded at the door. Cheng Qiao immediately knew it was Cheng Liguo:

“Dad, I’ve returned safely.”

Seeing her completely unharmed, Cheng Liguo smiled happily but soon frowned. He called out, and an extraordinarily handsome man stepped forward.

“Uncle, why are you here?”

Cheng Qiao was surprised—it was Zhao Hui. After he had killed someone, all contact was lost. She had thought she would never see him again.

“Cheng Qiao, after I left back then, I wanted to write to you, but I feared complications, so I held back.”

Cheng Qiao nodded; the explanation made sense, and there was no need to dwell on it. After all, he had been thinking of her.

Cheng Liguo frowned—why couldn’t he understand Zhao Hui’s words? Could it be that Zhao Hui had sought Cheng Qiao? But now wasn’t the time to ask.

“Cheng Qiao, my father—your grandfather—wants to see you.”

“See me? For what?”

Seeing Cheng Qiao’s somewhat disdainful expression, Zhao Hui awkwardly lowered his head. Back when the old man had driven Zhao Min out, he would never have imagined that, in the end, he would care about Zhao Min’s child.

“Cheng Qiao, my father is near the end. He just wants to see his only daughter’s child. Please, come with me.”

“No. If he hadn’t publicly declared a break with my mother back then, she wouldn’t have died so early, and I wouldn’t have suffered so much.”

Cheng Qiao refused outright. She had no interest, nor obligation, to honor a man who severed ties at the slightest displeasure.

“Cheng Qiao, your uncle begs you. The old man regrets it. Ever since he learned of Zhao Min’s death, he’s aged at least ten years. I know he regrets it, but he can’t bring himself to say it.”

Zhao Hui then, with a “plop,” actually knelt before Cheng Qiao.