Shitian Yu looked at the children in front of him as he finished speaking.
Previously, these children had secretly run into the mountains and were severely disciplined upon their return.
The wild beasts in the mountains were very fierce.
Those little kids were truly reckless to run in there like that.
Listening to his words and seeing Shitian Yu look at them, a few of the children instinctively recoiled.
They remembered the scene of being hung up and beaten when they returned last year.
He Xiuyuan's heart stirred upon hearing this.
If what Shitian Yu said was true, then were there still demons in these mountains?
No, he had heard the children say they saw a celestial crane inside.
If that were the case, the demons should have already died.
He Xiuyuan pondered to himself, as his Dao cultivation wasn't high, and if he really encountered a powerful demon, he probably wouldn't be able to defeat it.
If there were no demons, then he could go into the mountains to take a look.
As for those jackals, wolves, and tigers...
With his current Dao cultivation, dealing with these things wouldn't be a problem.
Thinking this, He Xiuyuan felt relieved and decided to enter the mountains tomorrow.
"Big brother, you don't actually believe such things, do you?"
Seeing He Xiuyuan seemingly deep in thought, Shitian Yu couldn't help but ask in puzzlement.
He looked at He Xiuyuan's expression, as if he truly believed such things, and he didn't know why he had that feeling.
He Xiuyuan smiled upon hearing this, "I'm just traveling around here and incidentally listening to some strange tales."
"That's good."
Shitian Yu breathed a sigh of relief, "You can't just casually go into those mountains; the jackals, wolves, and tigers inside are very fierce."
He Xiuyuan changed the subject and asked about Shitian Yu's family situation.
Hearing He Xiuyuan bring this up, Shitian Yu's expression darkened slightly.
His mother had passed away from overwork and illness many years ago, and then his father became seriously ill and bedridden a few years prior.
He wanted to take his father to see a doctor, but he hadn't saved enough money for medical treatment over the years, so the matter had been delayed.
He Xiuyuan nodded upon hearing this, "How much money is needed for medical treatment?"
"I asked the doctor before; my father's illness would require at least two taels of silver."
Shitian Yu shook his head, a look of bitterness on his face.
Two taels of silver—they didn't know how many years it would take for their family to save up that much.
He Xiuyuan nodded upon hearing this, no longer pressing the matter.
After He Xiuyuan sat by the stone for a moment, the old woman from inside the house came out, smiling, "The food is ready, please invite this gentleman in to eat."
Shitian Yu immediately got up and pulled He Xiuyuan towards the inside.
He Xiuyuan got up and followed him in. Upon entering the somewhat dim house, he saw a rich dinner already laid out on a table.
And in a distant partition, he could vaguely see a middle-aged man lying on a bed, coughing.
He Xiuyuan quickly said, "Please invite your father to eat with us."
Shitian Yu quickly shook his head, "My father's current body can't eat these things; he can only have some porridge. I've already prepared the porridge and will bring it to him shortly."
"Big brother, you can eat first; you don't need to mind us!"
He Xiuyuan sat at the table, looking at the large bowl of pork ribs in front of him, with pieces of meat arranged within, and a constant aroma wafting out.
After thinking for a moment, He Xiuyuan picked up the bowl of meat in front of him and walked out of the room.
The children outside had indeed not left; each of them sniffed the aroma in the air, secretly swallowing their saliva.
He Xiuyuan smiled at this, "Go, wash your hands and come get some meat."
The children were stunned for a moment, then cheered and rushed to the side to wash their hands.
Although they didn't know why they needed to wash their hands, since the big brother in front of them said so, they naturally wouldn't refuse.
After all, after washing their hands, they would get to eat meat.
A moment later, a group of children ran back. He Xiuyuan divided the meat in the bowl, giving each child a small piece.
The children held the meat in their hands, took a small bite, and their eyes immediately narrowed, smiling like crescent moons.
Shixiaoya, standing nearby, also opened her mouth happily, but after taking a small bite, she seemed reluctant to swallow it all at once.
"Big brother, can I take this back for my mother to eat?"
A child nearby hesitated, then thought of his mother who had just returned from a day of labor, and cautiously asked.
The other children also looked up at He Xiuyuan upon hearing this.
He Xiuyuan was startled, then nodded.
The children cheered, then immediately ran towards their homes, looking as if they were presenting a treasure and waiting for their mothers' praise.
"Big brother, you gave all your meat to them, so you..."
Shitian Yu saw this scene and spoke with some hesitation.
He Xiuyuan stood up and smiled, "It doesn't matter to me; it's just eating a little less. It's nothing serious."
Saying that, He Xiuyuan got up and returned to the house, scooped two bowls of rice, poured the leftover meat broth into them, and then gave them to Shitian Yu and the other person.
Although it was just some meat broth, for the two of them who hadn't seen much meat all year, it was already a delicacy.
Shixiaoya was now happily shoveling the rice in front of her, her face full of smiles.
Shitian Yu also smiled helplessly at this and thanked He Xiuyuan.
He Xiuyuan waved his hand and stayed in Shifang Village after dinner.
Some people in the village now knew that He Xiuyuan had shared the meat with the children, and their attitude towards He Xiuyuan became even kinder, all inviting He Xiuyuan to stay at their homes.
After declining, He Xiuyuan made do for a night in an empty thatched hut.
......
The next day.
Outside, the sky was just barely light when He Xiuyuan opened his eyes. He then packed his belongings and went to Shitian Yu's home.
He Xiuyuan fumbled around his body and pulled out three taels of silver.
Looking at his dwindling silver, He Xiuyuan sighed.
Never mind, for a Cultivator, money is merely an external possession.
After comforting himself, He Xiuyuan left the silver and a note.
The general meaning was that two taels of silver were for Shitian Yu's father's medical treatment, and the remaining one tael was for Shitian Yu to buy grain.
This one tael of silver could buy a lot of grain, and then he was to take the bought grain and distribute it among everyone.
After leaving the note, He Xiuyuan stepped through the dew and headed towards the Mount Shi Fang.
This time, he hoped to find someone of the same Dao.
Thinking of this, He Xiuyuan couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation.
A moment after He Xiuyuan left, Shitian Yu woke up, ready to go to work. Jobs like being a porter weren't always available.
When he woke up, he saw the silver and the note on the table.
Looking at the note, he immediately realized something and quickly took the silver to go out and look for He Xiuyuan, but after searching everywhere, he couldn't find him.
Helpless, he could only take the note to the village scholar and ask what was written on it.