Chapter 160 Convinced

Qiao Dalin and the others had also woken up and emerged from their rooms. They gathered around Qiao Suluo and Bai Qianluo, their eyes filled with urgent concern.

Qiao Suluo shook her head and said, “It’s nothing. I just feel that tonight’s torrential rain is highly unusual.”

Hearing this, Qiao Feishuang and the rest breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that their daughter and sister was unharmed. They had been terribly worried just moments ago. However, realizing that she had rushed over in the middle of the night entirely out of concern for them filled their hearts with a bittersweet warmth.

“Don’t worry. This kind of rain is very common. It will be fine once it stops tomorrow,” Qiao Feishuang said, taking Qiao Suluo’s hand and gently patting it.

“Our Cat Clan Tribe is relatively impoverished, and the village we live in sits in a low-lying area. Fortunately, we have a river nearby and the mountains at our backs, which makes everyday tasks convenient.

“If the rain gets heavier and threatens to flood, we’ll just quickly retreat to the mountains, exactly like we did last time. We’ll be perfectly fine.”

They had long grown accustomed to this routine.

“In the past, we might have worried about the rain washing away our rice crops,” Qiao Feishuang continued. “But now that you’ve taught the family the art of pastry-making, we’ve saved up quite a bit of silver over these past few days. It’s enough to comfortably feed the whole family, with plenty left over to save.

“Having a trade really puts our minds at ease.

“Not to mention, the salted egg yolk pastries we’ve been making lately are incredibly popular. Even wealthy households in the prefectural city send their servants specifically to buy them. Demand is so high every day that we simply can’t make enough. We’ve just had to buy and cure another large batch of duck eggs…”

Speaking of their business, everyone’s faces lit up with bright smiles. They found their current lives deeply fulfilling. Seeing the silver they earned every single day brought them an immense sense of security and hope for the future. Their family’s living conditions were steadily improving, and all these positive changes were brought about by Qiao Suluo. Deep down, they were more grateful to her than words could express.

When Qiao Suluo went to set up her wonton stall early that morning, she had also overheard her customers raving about the salted egg yolk pastries. Traveling merchants had caught wind of the delicacy and made special trips to the Nanfeng Building just to purchase them, with some even placing advance orders.

Any Beastman who had tasted the salted egg yolk pastry was full of praise for its unique flavor. The most crucial factor was that this specific flavor of pastry wasn’t sold anywhere else. No one else knew the recipe, and at present, salted duck eggs and century eggs hadn’t even appeared on the broader market. This exclusivity was precisely why her wonton stall’s business was booming.

“Mom, Dad, brothers,” Qiao Suluo said with a grave expression. “I have a feeling this rain won’t stop for several days. Taking shelter in the mountains will be highly dangerous this time. Rockfalls, mudslides, and collapsing trees could cost everyone their lives.”

Hearing Qiao Suluo’s dire warning, the color drained from Qiao Feishuang and the others’ faces. The village elders had indeed mentioned that decades ago, a sudden torrential downpour had caused exactly those kinds of disasters.

Qiao Feishuang turned pale and asked, “If we can’t hide in the mountains, where else can we go?”

This village was their home. For a moment, everyone stood there at a complete loss. They had no idea where they could possibly flee to.

“Mom, Dad, brothers,” Qiao Suluo said after taking a sip of water, “I’m thinking we should move north. These kinds of floods don’t happen up there, and we could rent a storefront to run our business in peace.

“Besides, I’ve heard that housing and shops are much cheaper there.”

At the mention of moving north, the family grew even more anxious.

“Su Luo,” Qiao Erlin said in a low voice, “we don’t know the first thing about the north. How would we even get there? We don’t even know the way.

“I’ve heard the northern mountains and forests are teeming with fierce beasts.

“And the winters are incredibly harsh—cold enough to freeze a person to death.”

Although they were Cat Beastmen and covered in fur, they still weren’t very resistant to extreme cold. Moreover, they had been born and raised in the south and were fully adapted to the southern environment. The prospect of moving north instinctively filled them with unease.

“If Su Luo says we should go, she must have a plan,” Qiao Sanlin argued. “I trust her. If she says we go north, then we go north.”

In the past, Qiao Sanlin had been the one who trusted Qiao Suluo the least. However, after everything they had recently been through together, she had become the person he trusted the absolute most. He knew his sister wasn’t one to speak without cause. If she had made this decision, it was undoubtedly for their own good. Even though he felt a pang of personal unease about the unfamiliar north, his faith in her judgment far outweighed his fears.

“I think Sanlin is right,” Qiao Dalin said after a moment of thought. “Prime land is scarce around here. The village where our Cat Clan Tribe lives sits in a deep depression, and it gets flooded every time there’s a heavy rain. We have nowhere nearby to move, which constantly disrupts our farming and daily lives.

“We might as well head north. I’ve heard the northern territories are vast, with massive tracts of uncultivated land. The Da Jing Dynasty previously introduced policies to encourage northward migration, offering excellent incentives like a three-year tax exemption for reclaiming wasteland.

“If we move there early, the local officials should be able to designate a good location for our tribe.”

Qiu Bin hadn’t spoken much, but after silently mulling it over, he declared, “Then it’s decided. We will all listen to Su Luo. The sooner we move, the sooner we can settle down and build a stable life.

“Now that everyone has the skill to make pastries, we can survive no matter where we go.

“Once we get there, as long as we work hard and clear some wasteland, we’ll have even more land than we do here.

“Even if it’s remote and desolate, it’s vastly better than living in constant fear every time it rains.”

Although Qiao Feishuang was the head of the family, she was accustomed to listening to Qiu Bin’s decisions when it came to major life choices. She knew his judgment was never wrong.

“Since we’ve decided to move, it’s best to leave as early as possible before the rain makes the roads impassable,” Qiao Feishuang agreed.

Qiao Suluo had originally prepared a long list of persuasive arguments, but none of them were needed. She truly hadn’t expected her parents and brothers to place so much unwavering trust in her.

“Mom, Dad, you’ll need to take the rest of the village with you,” she instructed. “But you must make it perfectly clear that this is entirely voluntary. Whether on the road or while living in the north, no matter what happens, they cannot blame anyone else.

“I can’t even guarantee if it will keep raining or if a flood will actually happen. It’s just my personal guess.”

“Don’t worry. You know what the people in our village are like,” Qiao Feishuang said with a nod.

“Ever since you saved everyone last time, they not only trust you completely but are also deeply grateful.

“I’ll make the situation very clear to them.”

As the leader of the Cat Clan Tribe, Qiao Feishuang couldn’t just abandon her people and leave on her own. If she weren’t the leader, she could have simply relocated her own family. But holding that title meant she bore a heavy responsibility to act on their behalf.

Qiao Suluo nodded. “Mom, Dad, start preparing early. We’ll set off as quickly as possible tomorrow morning.

“I’ll head back first to notify the others.”

Bai Qianluo escorted Qiao Suluo back to the county town, where she promptly knocked on the main doors of Young Master Gu’s residence.

When Dongqing opened the door and saw her standing there, he let out a gasp of surprise.

“Miss… Miss Qiao?”

“Dongqing, are your Young Valley Master and Yue Hanzheng at home?”

“Yes, they are. Please come in first, Miss Qiao. I’ll go inform our Young Valley Master and Mr. Yue.”

Qiao Suluo and Bai Qianluo stepped into the main hall. A few moments later, Yue Hanzheng entered. He seemed to carry a crisp, cool aura with him, exuding a noble and upright elegance that resembled a bright moon over the mountains or a refreshing breeze across the river.

Upon seeing Qiao Suluo, the worry in Yue Hanzheng’s eyes melted into relief.

Ever since his body and Inner Strength had recovered, his hearing had become exceptionally sharp. He had caught the sound of her voice and immediately come over to greet her.