Five copper coins weren't much, but for Jiang Ping'an to produce them, it seemed like a lot.
Jiang Ping'an was fourteen, his parents had passed away, and he couldn't farm or work, yet he was able to take out five copper coins at this moment.
This surprised Li Min greatly.
"I found money my parents hid in the ground," Jiang Ping'an had already concocted an excuse.
"Hold onto this money and wait to pay taxes," Li Min said.
He knew the other party hadn't paid land tax yet, and if he couldn't pay it next time, those scoundrels would truly kill him.
"No, there's still more at home."
Jiang Ping'an placed the five copper coins on the table, then walked to the stove and took the four steamed buns from the pot.
"Four copper coins can buy eight steamed buns, and I'll give you a rabbit leg as well."
Li Min wasn't sure if the other party had any extra money; if not, these might be Jiang Ping'an's last few days of life.
So Li Min handed him a dried rabbit leg.
"Thank you, Uncle Li," Jiang Ping'an didn't refuse; he hadn't eaten rabbit meat in a long time, usually just roasted grasshoppers.
Jiang Ping'an happily went home with the food.
Back home, he latched the wooden door, sat on the heated brick bed, and while eating steamed buns, observed the Treasure Basin, occasionally dropping a few copper coins into it to experiment.
But there were no results.
Just like that, a day passed. Perhaps yesterday, while replicating the copper coins, Jiang Ping'an put the remaining six copper coins in, and a ray of light flashed.
"It's here!"
Jiang Ping'an shot up, excitedly looking into the bronze basin.
A large pile of copper coins appeared!
Jiang Ping'an counted them—sixteen.
He had put in six, but only ten were replicated.
Jiang Ping'an guessed that the Treasure Basin could only replicate one item at a time and could replicate ten times the amount.
The condition for replication was that it could only be done once a day.
However, even so, Jiang Ping'an was already very satisfied.
He hugged the bronze basin and cried profusely. If only he had discovered the secret of the bronze basin earlier, his mother wouldn't have died from exhaustion, and his father wouldn't have been eaten by a fierce tiger while hunting in the mountains.
After crying for a long time, Jiang Ping'an wiped away his tears, put away the bronze basin, and headed to the town.
With this bronze basin, he would never lack money again. Now that his home had nothing, he would go to town to buy some rice, flour, and seasonings.
Life was developing in a good direction.
"Brother Ping'an, where are you going?"
Li Yueyue, who was playing in the mud, saw Jiang Ping'an walking out of the village and asked in a childish voice.
"To town. I'll buy you candied hawthorns later," Jiang Ping'an rubbed the little girl's head, feeling joyful.
"Candied hawthorns!" Li Yueyue's big eyes suddenly lit up.
She had eaten one before; it was sweet and sour and so delicious.
But then she shook her head, "Brother Ping'an, you shouldn't waste money."
Children in the countryside learned to be responsible early. Although she was only eight, she understood many things.
"Don't worry, Big Brother isn't short on money now," Jiang Ping'an smiled. Since his parents passed away, the little girl was his closest relative.
"Then... if you buy them, little girl will be your wife," Li Yueyue said innocently, blinking her eyes.
Jiang Ping'an didn't know whether to laugh or cry; did this little girl even know what a wife was?
He set off for town, bought a little rice, flour, and seasonings, and, of course, didn't forget to buy candied hawthorns.
"Young man, are you alone? Don't run around outside in the future. There are bandits now, often blocking roads and robbing. Not long ago, Xixi Village was wiped out by bandits."
"The world is chaotic, bandits run rampant, harsh governance is fiercer than tigers, and the people are in dire straits. It's difficult, ah ~"
The old man selling candied hawthorns saw that Jiang Ping'an was young and couldn't help but say a few words.
"Thank you for the reminder, old man."
Jiang Ping'an didn't take it to heart, humming a folk song and wearing straw sandals as he returned to the village.
The straw sandals were a bit uncomfortable, and it took him over an hour to see the outline of the village.
"When I have money, I'll buy those handsome boots, and maybe even live in town."
He began to imagine his beautiful future life, his mood incredibly joyful.
But as he approached the village, a foul, bloody smell assailed him.
"Whose family is butchering a pig?"
Jiang Ping'an entered the village, and his whole body froze. The rice and flour in his hands fell to the ground, and his expression was dazed.
Corpses, corpses everywhere! Blood stained the village red, flames burned, and women's clothes were disheveled.
"Ho... how could this happen!"
He thought of something and ran frantically towards Li Min's house.
Inside the room, Li Min lay on the ground, a large gash in his stomach, blood gushing out.
"Uncle Li! What happened!"
Jiang Ping'an was greatly alarmed, quickly dropped the things in his hands, and helped press down on the wound.
"Ban... bandits... help... help me take care of... little girl... well... in the well."
After speaking, Li Min's head drooped, and he stopped breathing.
Jiang Ping'an's heart trembled. Li Min, whom he had seen just that morning, was suddenly gone forever.
He quickly ran to the wellhead. A wooden board covered the well. He lifted the board and looked down.
Li Yueyue was sitting on a wooden bucket, trembling. The well cover being lifted startled her greatly.
When she saw it was Jiang Ping'an, she burst into tears, "Brother Ping'an! There are bandits!"
Jiang Ping'an pulled the little girl up. When the little girl saw her father had died, she cried even harder.
"Why, why do they all bully us! Soldiers, bandits, why do they all bully us!"
Li Yueyue's mournful voice was like steel needles, piercing Jiang Ping'an's heart, making him feel suffocated and pained.
Jiang Ping'an clenched his fists, his face full of unwillingness and anger.
Yes, why should they be bullied? Why did the world become like this?
Why was what his parents said about good deeds being rewarded and evil deeds punished completely nonexistent!
Jiang Ping'an couldn't understand. He didn't know how to comfort Li Yueyue, so he could only pick up the candied hawthorns from the ground and hand them to her.
Li Yueyue looked at the candied hawthorns in her hand and hugged him tightly.
"Something seems to have happened to this village... there are still survivors."
A voice suddenly rang out in the sky, and Jiang Ping'an abruptly looked up.
Seeing the scene above, his eyes immediately widened.
Several women wearing luxurious Dao robes floated in the air.
Im... Immortals!!
Are these Immortals? They can actually fly!
Jiang Ping'an was too shocked to speak. Li Yueyue also stopped crying in fright.
A woman stepped forward and pressed Jiang Ping'an's head.
"Ordinary talent, and he's already old. His path of cultivation is limited."
She then pressed Li Yueyue's head. A moment later, her eyes widened.
"Innate Water Spiritual Root! Such strong talent!"
The woman was incredibly surprised, "Little girl, how about I take you to cultivate?"
"Are... are you Immortals? Can you revive my father?" Li Yueyue asked timidly, half her face buried in Jiang Ping'an's arms, her voice a little choked.
The woman shook her head, "We also cannot revive the dead, but if you cultivate, you will never have to worry about food and clothing again, and you will be able to completely eliminate those who murdered your father."
Hearing that she could avenge her father, Li Yueyue clutched the candied hawthorns, "I want to avenge my father!"
The woman hugged Li Yueyue and said with a smile, "With your talent, as long as you step onto the path of cultivation, you will definitely be able to get revenge."
With that, she took the people and flew up, preparing to leave.
Li Yueyue suddenly shouted, "You haven't taken Brother Ping'an!"
"His talent is ordinary. You two are not from the same world," the woman said.
"No! I want to be with Brother Ping'an! I won't cultivate! Let me down!"
Li Yueyue struggled fiercely. Jiang Ping'an was now the person closest to her, and she didn't want to leave him.