CHAPTER 231: CHAPTER 223: SMALL SPRING EYE

After finishing with the snails, Han Qiwu felt a bit thirsty too and took a few sips from his water bottle.

Seeing this, Tang Qingying pulled out her own bottle, lightly clinked it against his, and cheerfully said, "Cheers!"

Watching her casual movements, Han Qiwu couldn’t help but recall the time she sneakily took half a glass of wine from Tang Jing.

"Looks like next time I treat Mr. Tang to a meal, I’ll have to bring some wine," Han Qiwu thought to himself, wondering if Egger’s shop was still open. Where had that old man wandered off to this time?

Next time he ran into him, Han Qiwu planned to figure out a way to keep him nearby.

Aunt Hong Mei, watching the two drink water, slapped her forehead and exclaimed, "Oh dear, oh dear, getting old really messes with your memory! I almost forgot there’s a spring nearby. Come on, let me take you there—the water’s so sweet and delicious!"

"There’s a spring around here?" Tang Qingying perked up immediately. "When I was little, my grandpa always took me to Old Niu Mountain to play. The spring water there was so good, but it dried up later on, and I never got to drink it again."

Aunt Hong Mei chuckled. "I’ve drunk from the spring at Old Niu Mountain too. The taste is pretty similar to this one."

Han Qiwu was intrigued. At home, he drank only boiled tap water. He had always wanted to dig a well, but between not having the time and worrying that the water might not taste good, he had never gotten around to it.

If the water here tasted good, he figured he could just have Little Prince bring some back in a big bucket every day.

It wasn’t like a few bottles of honey would break the bank.

Meanwhile, Little Prince, who was playing outside, suddenly let out a sneeze. The dog instinctively lowered its head and stretched its nose toward Little Shui’s massive paw.

Little Shui skillfully grabbed a large leaf from nearby, crumpled it a few times, and used it to wipe Little Prince’s nose.

Afterwards, it washed its hands and went back to playing in the river.

The three of them followed the river upstream, walking about two hundred meters.

The path was wild and overgrown, so Han Qiwu had to clear the way using the system scythe.

I must say, even though the scythe hadn’t been upgraded yet, it was incredibly effective against the shrubs and branches along the road—one sweep, and everything was cleanly cut.

As they walked, Aunt Hong Mei’s eyes lit up as she watched. She kept asking where Han Qiwu had bought such an amazing scythe.

Han Qiwu could only explain that it was a custom gift from a friend and wasn’t available for purchase, and that he only had this one. That seemed to satisfy her curiosity for now.

Noticing Aunt Hong Mei’s slight disappointment, Han Qiwu quickly added, "Auntie, don’t worry. If I get the chance, I’ll get one for you too."

"Alright," Aunt Hong Mei said with a wide smile. "But don’t you dare pay for it yourself—just tell me exactly how much it costs. Don’t try to save money for me just because it’s from a friend. Auntie has money!"

Han Qiwu laughed and nodded.

Since they were on the topic, Aunt Hong Mei decided to impart some wisdom. "Qingying, you ought to listen to this too. Let me tell you something: when you’re buying things from friends, never try to bargain for a discount. Real friends always give you the best they can offer, and their effort and resources are part of the cost. On the other hand, when dealing with merchants, you must always haggle. If you bargain, they’ll respect you and not cheat you. But if you don’t, they’ll think you’re a fool. With friends, though, we don’t do that—friendship is priceless."

Han Qiwu and Tang Qingying both nodded, grateful for the lesson.

Especially Han Qiwu, who found it quite touching. He thought back to the times he’d haggled with the traveling peddler. If he hadn’t bargained, how much more money would he have wasted?

And tomorrow happened to be the peddler’s next visit.

Tonight, he’d better prepare the pig feed first!

He needed to be fully ready for some intense haggling with the peddler!

Haggle him to the ground!

After chatting and walking for a while longer, the three of them finally arrived at the spring Aunt Hong Mei had mentioned.

"Whoosh, whoosh, splash, splash."

The mountain spring lay nestled among four or five large boulders, pouring out from a crack beside a rounded rock. From a distance, the spring almost looked like a small fountain, constantly spouting crystal-clear water. It seemed to have existed for ages, as the surrounding blue stones had been smoothed down beautifully by the flowing water.

Around one or two meters from the spring, there were over a dozen cracks where the spring water trickled underground. The spring itself was about 30 meters away from the nearby stream, and from the surface, they seemed completely unrelated.

It was the first time Han Qiwu had seen a natural spring, and his curiosity got the better of him. As he leaned in for a closer look, he noticed a faint glow emanating from the rounded rock in the center.

[Small Origin Spring]

[Immovable by Human Means]

[Special Effect – Gushing Spring: This spring generates 10 portions of spring water daily.]

[Special Effect – Diversion: The spring diverts its water at specific times.]

[Note: The origin spring holds countless possibilities.]

So, this thing was a system item?

Han Qiwu’s eyes gleamed with interest. He was tempted.

Spring water had so many uses—it wasn’t just great for drinking; it could also be used for brewing wine.

And if there was extra, how luxurious would it be to bathe or wash his face with?

As he pondered all this, Aunt Hong Mei knelt by the stone slab, filling three clean water bottles from the spring. She handed one bottle to each of them.

"Have a taste."

Tang Qingying nodded, tilted her head back, and took a sip. Her slender neck looked especially graceful under the dappled sunlight filtered through the leaves.

Han Qiwu suddenly blurted out, "A giraffe’s neck is so long, and it doesn’t have hands. Does it have to do the splits and lie down to drink water?"

"Cough, cough! Cough, cough!" Tang Qingying, halfway through her sip, couldn’t help picturing it in her head, and she burst out laughing, choking on the water.

"Sorry," Han Qiwu quickly apologized. He hadn’t meant to be funny.

"This kid! No jokes while drinking water!" Aunt Hong Mei scolded him while patting Tang Qingying’s back. She was exasperated.

What was wrong with Xiao Han?

In all her years, she hadn’t met many boys as clueless as Han Qiwu.

If this kid weren’t good-looking, she’d honestly be worried about him.

Tang Qingying finally calmed down and snatched the bottle from Han Qiwu’s hand, pouting. "No more drinking for you!"

Han Qiwu, knowing he was in the wrong, smiled and said, "Don’t be mad. I’ll show you how a giraffe drinks water."

With that, he dropped into a split on the spot and leaned over the spring, noisily slurping water.

"So sweet," he remarked.

The spring water was refreshing and sweet, with a subtle flavor that was utterly invigorating. It wasn’t sugary but carried a light, pure sweetness that was incredibly satisfying.

Tang Qingying, watching him, burst into laughter again, feeling strangely delighted.

Aunt Hong Mei nodded to herself in approval.

This boy had some skills!

He managed to coax laughter out of her like this?

She decided it was time to read more novels and watch a few more dramas when she got home.

Younger people’s emotions were a bit complicated.

After taking seven or eight gulps, Han Qiwu stood up and wiped his mouth clean.

The taste was fantastic. He had to find a way to claim this spring.

He figured the key lay in the spring’s special effect—Diversion.