Chapter 299: Sacrificial Ceremony ( 1 )
Yao Zhi gestured for them to enter and explained, "I did bring back a group of people. Isn’t it almost the plowing season? I can’t manage the land alone, so I hired them to help me."
"Since it’s already too late, I plan to inform the Village Chief tomorrow morning. I didn’t expect everyone to be so interested in my family’s affair and visit today."
After she said this, the villagers avoided her gaze in embarrassment. Most of them came over to watch the show; only Wang Shen and the Village Chief’s family worried about her safety.
Not long after, Xi Yi brought her children out. When she saw so many people, she glanced at her master and met her reassuring gaze. She nodded and greeted everyone.
"Hello, everyone. I’m a cook hired by Yao-shi. These are my children."
Just after she finished her introduction, Ling Yi and his brothers arrived. Since they wore skin masks, contact lenses, and wigs, they looked like the Great Yan’s people.
The moment the villagers saw their robust figures, they took a step back in fear. Ling Yi walked over and asked, "Master, what’s wrong?"
Hearing him call Yao Zhi "Master," the Village Chief asked, "Yao-shi, this is..."
"This is the foreman, and these are the workers I hired. They will stay in the newly built room in the backyard during the plowing season," Yao Zhi replied casually.
"Did Squad Leader Fu know about this matter?" Wang Shen asked.
"Aunt Wang, I already talked with my husband, and he agreed with my idea," Yao Zhi nodded.
"That’s good."
Since there was another woman and children living here, the Village Chief no longer worried that these men would do something bad to Yao Zhi and ruin her reputation.
"Since it’s all a misunderstanding, then everyone should disperse," he said while waving his hand. Before leaving, he added, "In the future, everyone who falsely reports things will be punished. I don’t want to hear anyone spreading baseless rumors again."
The moment he said this, the villagers turned to the woman and gave her a knowing gaze.
Yao Zhi followed their gaze and saw the familiar face. She let out a snort and said, "It’s you again. Next time you dare to falsely accuse me, I will report you to Yamen!"
The woman was startled by her words, and her face turned pale. She quickly turned and ran away without even daring to say a word.
Seeing this, everyone lost interest and left one after another.
After everyone left, Wang Shen pulled at Yao Zhi’s hand and said, "Yao Girl, I can help you arrange a place for those workers to stay. It’s not good for your reputation if so many men live in your house."
Yao Zhi smiled and replied, "Aunt Wang, thank you for your concern. I will definitely ask for your help next time."
Since she had said so, Wang Shen didn’t insist. After she reminded her about some things, she left and returned to her house.
After locking the gate, Yao Zhi saw that everyone was still there and said, "The weather is cold. Go back to your room and rest early."
"Master, did we cause you trouble?" Ling Yi asked.
Waving her hand, she shook her head. "Even if I didn’t bring you all back with me, some people will still find a way to create trouble for me. Don’t worry about them."
Hearing this, Ling Yi exchanged glances with his brothers. Even though they were still worried, they could only nod and return to their rooms.
After they had a simple dinner, everyone washed up and went to sleep. Since the weather was too cold to sleep on the ground, Yao Zhi insisted on sharing the bed with Xi Yi, Xi Si, and Xi Qi.
The bed was big enough for the 4 of them, and with the electric blanket, they were able to sleep comfortably without waking up in the middle of the night from the cold.
Early the next morning, before dawn, Yao Zhi woke up because of Xi Qi’s cry. When she opened her eyes, she met a pair of red, wet eyes.
"Ah Qi, why did you wake up so early? Are you hungry?" she asked softly. Just waking up, her voice was hoarse.
Xi Qi nodded and puckered his mouth. After living with her, the boy was no longer as timid as before. He knew that his master loved him and pampered him. So, he dared to act coquettish with her.
Seeing his pitiful expression, Yao Zhi let out a yawn and sat up. She slept on the outer side, so she didn’t disturb Xi Yi and Xi Si when she left the bed.
Opening the window, she saw that the sky was still dark, but the snow had stopped. As the snowfall stopped, the temperature became colder, and the ground was covered with a layer of ice.
She rubbed her arms and took out a pot of fresh milk from her system’s storage. She scooped a bowl of milk and added a spoonful of honey. Then, she stored the rest of the milk and honey in her system’s storage before she returned to bed.
Smelling the scent of milk, Xi Qi grinned and crawled over. He climbed onto her lap and leaned on her body with familiarity.
Yao Zhi smiled and fed him the milk slowly using a spoon.
Not long after, Xi Yi woke up. The moment she saw her son sitting comfortably on their master’s lap and being fed, she was shocked.
As a slave, it was already an honor to share a bed with the master. She never thought that her son would be so presumptuous as to dare to sit on their master’s lap.
Seeing that she had woken up, Yao Zhi smiled and greeted her, "Good morning, Ah Yi."
Xi Yi was stunned for a moment before she replied, "G-good morning, Master."
"Since you are now a good citizen, you don’t have to call me master. Just call me Yao-shi."
"This servant doesn’t dare," Xi Yi replied with a lowered head.