32: Chapter 32 Who's there?

"Humph! Look at you all, so ignorant!"

Watching the wives look so inexperienced, Minister Wang Fugui snorted proudly and reached out to pick up a fruit.

"Let me tell you, this was personally bestowed by Zhou Yun, it's a purple jade glazed fruit!"

"purple jade glazed fruit?" First Wife blinked, looking at the sisters beside her in confusion. "Have you all heard of it?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"The name sounds quite nice... it's not jade, but a fruit?" Third Concubine leaned in to smell it, the exotic fragrance making her swallow her saliva. "So, it's edible?"

Looking at this group of "country bumpkins," Minister Wang Fugui straightened his back, his official authority even more pronounced on his face, his tone nine parts showing off.

"That goes without saying!"

"I'm afraid it might scare you, but this is... a Platinum Rank spirit fruit!"

"What?!" As soon as these words were spoken, it was like a giant boulder crashing into a calm lake.

"Plat... Platinum Rank?!" The wives' eyes widened instantly.

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In this world, the classification of items is extremely strict.

Black Iron, Bronze, Silver Rank, Gold Rank, Platinum... the gap between each Rank is a world of difference.

What is the concept of Platinum Rank?

In Flower City, even Silver Rank items are rare and hard to find!

"Heavens! Platinum Rank!" Second Concubine's voice changed pitch. "Doesn't that make it a hundred times more precious than a Gold Rank fruit?"

"Not to mention our lower-level city... even in those prosperous Intermediate cities, I'm afraid it's priceless and unavailable; you simply can't buy treasures of this Rank, right?"

"Is it real, Husband? You aren't just teasing us, are you?"

Facing the wives' skepticism, Minister Wang Fugui curled his lips disdainfully:

"Teasing you? I am now the director-general of the Trade Department! Why would I lie to you about something like this?"

He put the fruit back on the table, rolled up his sleeves, revealing his arms, which were originally somewhat flabby but now faintly showing muscle lines:

"I was just fortunate enough to be bestowed one by Zhou Yun, and after eating it, I felt my strength greatly increase!"

As he spoke, he casually picked up the thick ceramic teacup on the table.

In front of the wives, he didn't use much force, just gently closed his five fingers.

"Bang!"

A muffled sound.

The hard-textured teacup instantly crumbled in his hand, turning into fine ceramic shards and powder, falling with a rustle.

!!!

The wives looked at the ceramic powder falling from his hands, their brains completely short-circuited!

They knew their husband's background best.

In the past, he was a typical wealthy man with a weak Physique; he would pant after walking too much and struggle to carry a bucket of water. To say he had "not even the strength to truss a chicken" was no exaggeration.

But now...

Crushing a teacup with one hand?

Is this still Minister Wang Fugui?

Is this really still their husband?!

In this instant, when everyone looked at the pile of purple jade glazed fruit on the table, their gazes changed completely.

Platinum Rank is Platinum Rank!

Platinum Rank is good!

purple jade glazed fruit is good!

Platinum Rank is marvelous!

Platinum Rank purple jade glazed fruit, marvelous, marvelous, marvelous!

Gulp.

Don't know who swallowed their saliva first.

Immediately after, a sound of swallowing echoed in the hall.

Minister Wang Fugui looked at their appearance and laughed:

"Alright, stop drooling!"

"Zhou Yun, out of consideration for me, specially bestowed a few more."

"There are 10 fruits here in total. There are five of us in the family, two for each! Take them and divide them up!"

"Wow!!" The women cheered immediately.

At this moment, Dog Tail Alley, dismissing the servants, everything was thrown to the back of their minds.

"Thank you, Husband!"

"Husband is the best!"

"Husband is amazing! Husband is mighty!"

"Mwah~"

...

After getting the fruit, everyone couldn't wait to eat it.

The fruit flesh melted in their mouths, turning into a warm current that instantly flowed through their limbs and bones.

A short while later.

A magical scene occurred.

The wives' originally dull complexions became rosy and bright at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Their originally weary eyes instantly became spirited.

The back pain they often felt on weekdays was gone!

They only felt full of inexhaustible energy!

They wanted to go plow ten acres of land right now!

"Heavens... my skin!" First Wife touched her cheeks and cried out in surprise, "How did it become so smooth?"

"Eh? Why didn't I feel like I was this beautiful before?"

"Sigh~ To think I am already thirty-nine, yet I have turned out so stunningly beautiful. How are those young girls supposed to live~"

...

Looking at the spirited and radiant wives, Minister Wang Fugui picked up the teapot and took a swig directly, then asked with a half-smile:

"How is it?"

"Still weak?"

The wives shook their heads immediately.

Minister Wang Fugui asked again: "Then in the future, without maidservants to serve you, will you still easily get sick?"

The wives shook their heads again.

"That's good." Minister Wang Fugui nodded with satisfaction, stood up, swept his gaze over this group of family members who had been completely "reborn," and issued his final order:

"Since your bodies are all well, is there any problem with moving to Dog Tail Alley?"

"No!" The wives said in unison, even a little eager to try.

"Good!" Minister Wang Fugui waved his hand,

"Then don't dawdle!"

"Pack your things immediately and dismiss the servants!"

"Let's move as soon as possible!"

...

On the other side, Zhou Yun, accompanied by Wan'er and Lei Lie, arrived at the Granary of Flower City.

A Granary should be heavily guarded and well-stocked.

However, when the heavy iron door was pushed open with a teeth-grinding "creak," all that hit them was a musty, rotten smell, and a vast emptiness.

Zhou Yun walked in, borrowing the faint light from outside the door, looking at the dim environment inside and the rows of empty shelves, his brows couldn't help but furrow slightly.

Is this the foundation of Flower City?

It's cleaner than he imagined.

Wan'er, who followed behind, although her voice was calm, her tone inevitably revealed a bit of helplessness,

"Zhou Yun, yesterday I already conducted a preliminary inventory of the supplies in the Granary."

"Currently, the Granary of Flower City only has..."

"Bran rice, totaling 202 catties."

"Old quilts, 54 pieces."

"Various old clothes, totaling 106 pieces. Among them, there are 70 linen garments, 6 cotton garments, and the rest are all severely damaged single-layer garments."

"In terms of weapons, 12 long swords, 30 long spears, preserved reasonably well."

"In terms of defensive gear, slightly intact leather armor... only 3 sets."

Listening to this series of pathetic data, Zhou Yun couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Even as an F-Rank small city, the inventory of supplies was really too little.

However, this was somewhat expected.

After patiently listening to the report, he turned around and looked at Wan'er's slightly haggard face, saying gently:

"Wan'er, inventory, warehousing, and overall planning, these should have been the work of the 'People's Livelihood Department' and the 'Household Registration Department'."

"Now that these two departments have vacancies, so many things are pressed on your shoulders alone, having to manage both government affairs and logistics, it really is hard on you."

Wan'er felt a warmth in her heart and smiled: "Zhou Yun, you are too kind."

"Now that Flower City is waiting to be rebuilt, since Wan'er is deeply trusted by you and holds the position of Chief Administrator, I should naturally give my all."

Zhou Yun nodded, just about to say something more.

Suddenly.

"Clatter..."

A very slight strange sound came from the dark corner deep in the Granary.

It was like something knocked over the debris on the ground.

Although the sound was very small, in this empty and quiet Granary, it sounded particularly harsh.

"Hmm?" Zhou Yun's eyes sharpened, instantly becoming vigilant.

Lei Lie reacted even faster, his palm pressed directly on the hilt of his sword, stepping forward to block in front of Zhou Yun, shouting sharply:

"Who is it?! Who is there?!"

However, the only answer they got was their own echo.

Could it be a mouse?

A trace of doubt flashed in Lei Lie's eyes.

But Zhou Yun was staring at a dark corner piled with debris, saying indifferently: "Come out."

After saying this, he waited quietly for a little while.

Still no response.

He continued: "I have already seen you."

Another while passed.

Still no reply.

Just when he thought he might have misjudged...

A rustling friction sound came from behind the pile of debris.

Immediately after, a thin, small figure moved out from the darkness, trembling with fear.

Lei Lie's tiger eyes widened. In the heavily guarded Granary, there was actually someone hiding?

Without a word, his figure rushed over like lightning. Before the figure could react, he grabbed the back of the person's collar and lifted them up like a chick.

"Bold thief! How dare you trespass... eh?"

Just as Lei Lie lifted the person to a bright place and saw that face clearly, he froze instantly.

The hand grabbing the person also stiffened in mid-air.

"...Nuan Nuan?!"

The person caught by Lei Lie was a young girl who looked about fifteen or sixteen years old.

She was wearing an oversized linen robe that obviously didn't fit, covered in patches.

Although her face was dirty with a few streaks of black soot, and her hair was messy like a bird's nest, it still couldn't hide the breathtaking clarity and beauty between her brows and eyes.

This was a piece of unpolished jade covered in dust.

"Wuu wuu wuu... Uncle Lei..."

The girl was so frightened by Lei Lie's shout that she trembled all over, and tears instantly burst from her eyes, washing out two fair tear tracks on her dirty face:

"Don't catch me... Nuan Nuan knows she was wrong... wuu wuu wuu..."

"What's going on?" Zhou Yun stepped forward and asked.

The expression on Lei Lie's face was extremely complex, containing shock, anger, and a trace of deep pity.

He put down the girl and turned to bow to Zhou Yun to explain:

"Reporting to Zhou Yun, this girl's surname is Xia, named Xia Nuannuan."

"She is the only daughter of our Flower City's previous Granary Keeper, Master Xia Peizhi."

"Xia Peizhi?" Zhou Yun muttered this name.

"He passed away from illness a year ago." Lei Lie sighed, "When Master Xia was alive, he was an honest and upright official, and he was also my close friend. It's just that I didn't expect..."

Speaking of this, he turned his head sharply, staring at Xia Nuannuan huddled in the corner, his tone becoming severe:

"Nuan Nuan! Why are you here?"

Xia Nuannuan shrank her neck, not daring to look into Lei Lie's eyes, just lowering her head and sobbing.

Looking at her appearance, and thinking about how he couldn't find her tracks for the past year, he suddenly realized something in his heart.

"I understand..."

"After Brother Xia passed away, you have been hiding here, haven't you?"

He pointed to the old quilts and traces of life deep in the Granary, his voice raising a few degrees:

"No wonder! No wonder I searched the whole city for a year and couldn't find you! So you were hiding here!"

"You..."

His chest heaved violently, looking at the thin daughter of his old friend in front of him, his tone becoming one of "hate that iron will not become steel":

"Nuan Nuan! How could you be so muddled!"

"Your father, Xia Peizhi, guarded the Granary all his life, clean-handed, even if the family couldn't put food on the table, he would never move a grain of the public's rice!"

"As his daughter, how could you do such a thing?!"

He asked painfully:

"For more than a year, what did you eat? What did you drink? Wasn't it by stealing food from the Granary?!"

"If it was to survive, you could have come to find Uncle Lei! Why become a thief? Why tarnish your father's reputation?!"

Xia Nuannuan was scolded until she trembled, tears falling like broken beads, but she didn't dare to refute a word.

"Speak!" Lei Lie's eyes were red, and he shouted sharply:

"Confess honestly! In this year, exactly how much stuff did you steal from the Granary?!"