Chapter 020 Air Mail

Half a year would be more than enough time for Qingjin to develop the territory. In truth, regardless of what scheme the Ren family harbored, the Dao Court's edict was clear: as long as a pioneer lord did not give up and remained alive, no one could seize the territory, no matter how it was acquired. Therefore, the most effective way to deal with a pioneer territory was to see the lord dead.

Qingjin secretly guessed that this was precisely the Ren family's plan. Once the lord died, the land would naturally revert to them, since it was their application in the first place. What puzzled him was why, at such a time, they would push their own younger sister forward as the lord. Why not choose someone from their own household to manage the domain? Qingjin could not fathom the answer, no matter how he pondered.

While he was lost in thought, the birds that had flown for a day and a night finally arrived at their destination.

With a thunderous thud, the massive birds descended upon the stone-paved square before the grand entrance of the Shen family estate, each impact leaving gaping craters in the stone. The small attendant perched atop the lead bird leapt down and addressed the swiftly approaching members of the Shen family, "Which among you is Lady Feng, Fourth Mistress?"

"I am," answered a beautiful young woman, stepping forward from the crowd, her expression tinged with confusion. Since her children had departed for the Eastern Wilds, she no longer worked at the family’s wine shop. No matter how hard she labored for the family, her children still ended up being sent away; what was the point? She resolved not to exhaust herself further.

"Lady Feng, there are ten crates of air delivery for you."

"Air delivery?" Lady Feng echoed in astonishment.

"Yes, mail sent by flying bird express," the attendant clarified, gesturing at the great birds behind him.

"Oh, I see. But who would send mail to me?" she asked, even more bewildered.

"Your son and daughter sent these from the Eastern Wilds," the attendant replied.

"Truly?" Lady Feng’s face lit up with delighted surprise.

"Indeed, and here is a letter from your daughter for you. Please keep it safe. Now, where shall I unload these ten crates?" the attendant asked.

"Just bring them to my courtyard, it’s not far from here," Lady Feng replied at once. Even as the eyes of her kinsfolk bored into her like daggers, she stood her ground, unwavering in her choice.

"Very well, lead the way," the attendant responded.

Fearing he might not recognize her courtyard, Lady Feng sprang atop the roofs, leaping across several small courtyards before landing atop her own home. "Here! Right here!"

"One moment," the attendant said, as he and his team guided the great birds to land, unloading the large crates from their backs. "All done. Please check the number and contents of the crates. If there are no issues, I’ll take my leave."

"I’ll check right away," Lady Feng responded, opening one crate immediately. Inside, the contents were packed in ice talisman-sealed cold: fresh chunks of ninth-tier giant grass carp. Her daughter, Qinghu, was truly filial! It must have been she who sent these.

In that instant, Lady Feng forgot her son entirely, her heart brimming with pride for her thoughtful daughter.

After inspecting all ten crates, Lady Feng happily closed them up again and, in her enthusiasm, gave the departing attendant fifty red gold coins.

By the time Shen Fangxu hurried home, Lady Feng had already had all the crates delivered to her small storeroom.

Shen Fangxu, having seen off the escort team and the horses in Meishan County, rode his demon horse home alone at full speed. Even so, he only returned late last night, three days since his departure. Yet, early that morning, the clan leader had sent him out on errands, only to call him back before the task was done. The real reason: his daughter and son had sent his wife ten large crates of goods, using the extravagantly expensive flying bird express—a service the family itself could hardly afford.

"When Qinghu set out to pioneer, the family did not hold her back—we gave her people, farm tools, and even ten thousand pounds of spirit grain. So, should not the goods Qinghu has sent back count as the family’s share too?" the clan leader said.

Shen Fangxu’s expression tightened at these words.

"I’ll go home first and see what exactly was sent," he replied, not giving a direct answer, but asking to check first.

The clan leader looked at him, a hint of disappointment in his eyes, but finally said, "Very well, go have a look."

So, Shen Fangxu hurried home.

"I thought you’d only be back tonight?" Lady Feng greeted him with a radiant smile, her spirits undampened by his unexpected return.

"I heard Qinghu sent you things? Ten whole crates, no less? Yet she didn’t think to send anything to her father, after all the trouble I went to personally escort her to the frontiers?" Shen Fangxu asked, his tone tinged with envy.

"Why would you need anything? It’s not as if you lack for it," Lady Feng replied airily, waving her handkerchief.

"What did she send?" Shen Fangxu asked, curiosity piqued.

"What else but food? Your daughter cares for nothing but eating," Lady Feng said, exasperated.

Shen Fangxu was even more exasperated. "I never let you go hungry when you were pregnant, so how did Qinghu turn out this way?"

"Never let me go hungry? Only you know the truth of that," Lady Feng retorted, instantly bristling.

"All right, all right, my mistake. But what exactly did Qinghu send you from so far away that has you so pleased?" Shen Fangxu pressed.

"She sent me a thousand jin of ninth-tier giant grass carp, all sealed with freezing talismans. It’ll last me quite some time," Lady Feng said, her earlier irritation dissolving into delight at the thought of the fish.

"What?" Shen Fangxu leapt from his chair in shock. "A thousand jin, all ninth-tier giant grass carp? That’s worth over twenty thousand red gold coins!"

The price for such rare beast meat here was far higher than in the Eastern Wilds—at least twenty red gold coins per jin, and even more if fresh. Unbelievable! He had only just left those two troublemakers behind, and they had already caused such a commotion—did they already think him dead?

"And more than half of it is fish belly. There are no fish heads or tails. Clearly, Qinghu couldn’t bear for her mother to eat the less desirable parts, so she sent only the best," Lady Feng said happily.

"Did they say whether there were any casualties, hunting so many ninth-tier beasts?" Shen Fangxu asked in haste.

"Hunting? Those fish leapt ashore of their own accord, only for my son to dispatch them with a single swing of his blade. How could there be any injuries?" Lady Feng rolled her eyes.

"Leapt ashore of their own accord? Have those beasts gone mad?" Shen Fangxu was left even more speechless. Did they take him for a fool?