CHAPTER 82: MUSHROOM VILLAGE 32

Xiaosong lowered his head, hugging the leather ball, and continued speaking: "The village chief said every household must raise a dog. Only by raising dogs can we support ourselves."

His voice grew quieter: "But the village chief’s dog was old. After coming back from outside the village, it died in a few days. So they need to raise a new one."

"Dad said the village chief is a good man, and he does this for the whole village. Dad went to help the village chief."

"Mom said the family also needs to have a dog, so she wants to raise a dog to support us. She said Third Uncle and Third Aunt will take good care of me."

At first, Wan Qian could understand what he said, but toward the end, she was confused. Probably the village’s education level wasn’t good, and this child’s words and sentences were strange.

He probably meant to say "work like an ox or a horse," but got it wrong and mixed up the ox and horse with a dog instead.

Wan Qian guessed the child’s parents had gone out to work to support the family and had to leave him behind as a left-behind child, being raised by Third Uncle and Third Aunt.

Hao Shijun listened nearby but felt a twinge of unease. He stepped forward, just about to keep pressing for more answers, when suddenly a man’s raised voice called out from the courtyard.

"Xiaosong, are the guests done? Come back for dinner."

Xiaosong looked back and said, "Third Uncle is calling us."

Wan Qian nodded and rubbed her already growling stomach, saying, "Then let’s hurry back."

Since arriving in this village yesterday, she hadn’t eaten a single bite. Last night, the villagers had invited everyone to join a communal meal, but something went wrong. Hopefully, nothing unexpected will happen today.

Wan Qian and Hao Shijun returned to the yard. The middle-aged man was standing at the door, smiling warmly at them.

"Ms. Wan, you’re finally back. We’ve been waiting for you to sit down and start the meal."

The warm attitude made Wan Qian a bit embarrassed. She waved her hand, saying, "I’m slow. If you’re hungry, you can start eating first."

The middle-aged man just smiled, but there was a hint of embarrassment in his smile.

"Um, Ms. Wan..." the middle-aged man hesitated, stammering as he spoke.

"Yes?" Wan Qian replied.

The middle-aged man said, "Ms. Wan, it’s like this: my family has a son, young and strong..."

Could it be that this thing—who might not even be human—actually wants to set Wan Qian up with someone?! What a vicious scheme!

Although Wan Qian is young, her strength is already not to be underestimated, and she clearly has the potential to become a main force in clearing the haunted areas. Yet these guys actually want to keep her stuck in this village using such a cruel and dirty trick!

Hao Shijun quickly looked at Wan Qian, wanting to urge her to refuse immediately. Before he could say a word, he saw the wary expression on Wan Qian’s face.

Hao Shijun felt relieved. Wan Qian was pure-hearted and kind, but she wasn’t a fool—she wouldn’t be easily fooled by the sinister tricks of these haunted creatures.

Wan Qian sized up the middle-aged man, inwardly sighing. Though he looked honest and simple, she didn’t expect he would want to take shortcuts.

Talking like this was just to sneakily get his son into their farm early.

Fortunately, Wan Qian had dealt with such matters before and had experience.

She cleared her throat and showed some difficulty on her face: "Well... this needs careful consideration. Everything must follow rules and regulations."

After a pause, Wan Qian added, "Don’t worry, if he’s good enough, I won’t hesitate to give him a chance."

What? Give him a chance? Hao Shijun’s expression changed but he quickly understood.

You can’t outright refuse; it’s better to keep some room. what if you refuse too directly, this man might get furious and stopped pretending?

The more Hao Shijun thought about it, the more it made sense; the more he looked at Wan Qian, the more satisfied he felt. She was rough but also tactful, considering even this layer.

"Hey, by the way," Wan Qian said with some confusion, glancing at the shiny kitchen knife the middle-aged man was holding—the cold, gleaming blade catching her eye.

Puzzled, Wan Qian asked, "Why are you holding a kitchen knife at mealtime?"

"Ah, I—" The middle-aged man looked at the knife in his hand, suddenly embarrassed.

Holding a kitchen knife while facing Ms. Wan was quite rude. If the village chief saw it, he’d probably scold him.

"I-I, I saw this knife was a bit dull, so I took it out to sharpen," the middle-aged man finally made up a reason.

Wan Qian nodded, seeming to accept it. "Then put it away quickly, let’s all sit down to eat."

Soon, everyone sat around one table.

Wan Qian glanced at the dishes on the table. Though time was short, the dishes were plentiful: fish and meat, both meat and vegetables.

It seemed Third Aunt was quite capable at managing the household, Wan Qian thought so. Then looked at the only woman at the table she didn’t know.

She was a typical rural woman, dressed just as Wan Qian imagined rural women: slightly dark-skinned, somewhat plump, broad-shouldered and sturdy, obviously someone used to hard work.

Wan Qian liked this kind of person. After all, her farm most needed hardworking, capable people.

Then Wan Qian thought of her farm, which didn’t have a cook yet. When she had been an intern, she mostly ate instant noodles and boxed meals, not healthy or hygienic.

If they could bring this third aunt back to the farm as the cook, it would definitely improve the staff’s meals.

Wan Qian was happily calculating this, raised her chopsticks ready to start eating. But her eyes quickly scanned the table and found something missing.

"My rabbit and mushrooms I brought—where are they?" Wan Qian asked, confused. "Are they not ready yet?"

The middle-aged man’s expression stiffened. Third Aunt immediately kicked his leg and muttered something, seemingly complaining quietly. No one else heard clearly.