Volume One, Chapter Five: Is This a Confession?

After Wu Deshun and several villagers left, Shen Yulian picked up the densely written paper. At first glance, she felt dizzy and lightheaded, her legs wobbling before she collapsed to the ground. Strong hands caught her slim waist just in time. With a gentle spin, she found herself embraced in a broad, sturdy chest. Looking up, she saw Lin Xiaoxu’s handsome face.

“Sis-in-law, are you faint from hunger? You should eat some steamed buns, hehe...” Lin Xiaoxu's awkward tone was like a splash of cold water on her, instantly sobering her.

Then, on tiptoe, Shen Yulian crossed her hands around Lin Xiaoxu’s neck and pressed her delicate lips against his, her tongue slipping inside. Ten minutes later, she confessed, “Xiaoxu, I really like you! Zhao Daming sold me to you before he died; at least he did one good thing. No matter how foolish you are, I will never abandon you. I will stay by your side and take good care of you.”

Was this a confession? Lin Xiaoxu, staring at Shen Yulian’s swollen red lips, licked the corner of his mouth, recalling how he had lost his first kiss. Earlier, while brushing his teeth by the backyard well, he thought Shen Yulian had seduced him out of loneliness, confident it wouldn’t harm her reputation. He never imagined she truly liked him.

In all these years—especially the four since he became mentally challenged—only Shen Yulian and a handful of villagers had genuinely cared for him. Even Zhao Daming, his sworn brother growing up together, had coveted his little farmland. Yet Shen Yulian, a woman with no blood ties, treated him so kindly; it was truly rare.

Grateful, Lin Xiaoxu even considered taking good care of Shen Yulian for the rest of her life.

“Sis-in-law...” Lin Xiaoxu wanted to say more, but Shen Yulian’s fiery red lips silenced him again. This time, he boldly leaned in, one arm wrapped around her slender waist, the other threading through her silky black hair, savoring the softness of her lips and the curve of her form.

“Xiaoxu, you...” Shen Yulian stared down at him intently. Suddenly, Lin Xiaoxu’s face flushed as red as a ripe persimmon, and he shyly looked away, too embarrassed to meet her gaze.

Being inexperienced, Lin Xiaoxu naturally felt restrained. Shen Yulian truly wanted to pull down his waistband to see, but the paper in her hand killed all her enthusiasm.

“Xiaoxu, I roughly added the numbers on this paper; the total debt is over seventy thousand yuan,” she said, her expression darkening, tears welling as she choked back sobs. “And we have to repay it all within ten days. The time is tight and the amount huge—it’s almost impossible for us.”

What could they do? Working away would take three or four years to save that much. Borrowing money was out of the question—who would lend to a widow and a fool? Unless they could find precious medicinal herbs in the mountains, worth fifty thousand or more, this seemed the only hope.

But that was nearly impossible. Despite years of gathering herbs, Shen Yulian had never seen anything truly valuable. The overharvesting of the back mountain in recent years had wiped out the rare treasures.

“Sis-in-law, I’ll go to the mountain. You stay home and rest. I’ll pay off the seventy thousand debt. Don’t worry,” Lin Xiaoxu’s voice broke through her thoughts.

She chased after him but he was already gone.

Repaying over seventy thousand yuan in ten days was no small feat for the villagers of Taoyuan, whose average annual income was less than twenty thousand yuan.

Lin Xiaoxu’s confidence stemmed from a fortunate encounter: he had obtained the ancient “Nine Heavens Soaring Technique,” a legacy of a powerful ancient being. Now able to harness spiritual energy nourishing all things, earning a hundred thousand in ten days should be feasible.

The back mountain of Taoyuan Village was rich with wild herbs, fruits, and animals. Lin Xiaoxu moved swiftly. A path that might take an ordinary person fifteen minutes took him less than five under the technique’s blessing, cutting his travel time by more than half.

With two fertilizer bags in hand, he leisurely roamed the mountain.

“There you are!” he exclaimed, discovering a patch of wild red guavas deep in a secluded area.

Red guavas were sweet and juicy, with tender flesh and a delightful sandy texture in the ripe seeds.

Since Zhao Daming and village chief Wu Deshun had seized the family’s farmland, Lin Xiaoxu had no fields left. He could only pick wild fruits to sell, aiming to clear the debt before freeing himself to pursue other ventures.

He would become wealthy, reclaim the land Wu Deshun had taken, and give Shen Yulian a good life. Once he had capital, he would seek revenge on Xu Weilong and Yin Yangzhe—the two scoundrels who had wronged him.

Lin Xiaoxu plucked a red guava and bit into it.

“Ugh! So sour!” He shuddered and quickly spat it out, rinsing his mouth with saliva and wiping his tongue with his collar.

He suddenly recalled the guavas weren’t in season yet. No wonder the wild guavas were not only sour but also smaller than a fist.

Fingers together, he silently chanted a mantra and tried to channel his spiritual energy, eager to test if the Nine Heavens Soaring Technique was truly as miraculous as described.