Volume 1, Chapter 9: I Have the Gift of Foresight, Returning to Grandfather's House

Qingzhou, Lin Manor.

Lin Wufeng, the head of the Lin family, rushed back to the manor immediately upon receiving the news. The atmosphere within the estate had turned abruptly grim. At this moment, every member of the Lin family, including Lin Wanwan, stood gathered in the ancestral hall. Lin Wufeng, holding burning incense, knelt reverently before the altar and kowtowed three times. The rest of the family followed suit in silence.

Behind them, several sorcerers danced wildly, performing an exorcism to drive away evil spirits, their lips muttering incantations in a language incomprehensible to ordinary folk.

The Lin family’s assets had vanished into thin air, a mystery that had shaken all of Qingzhou. The local authorities, along with over a dozen merchant guilds and thousands of men, had searched relentlessly, yet not a single trace of the thieves had been found.

Where there is an anomaly, there is surely a demon. The family head, who had originally returned home to see his long-lost daughter, had diverted his path, arriving only half a day later with a dozen esteemed sorcerers in tow to cleanse the house.

"Who on earth could have emptied the Lin estate?!" Lin Wanwan, feigning a prayerful posture, furrowed her delicate brows. She had chosen this moment to return and claim her place in the Lin family precisely to leverage their wealth to survive the first, most critical phase of the impending famine. She never expected that upon her arrival, such a disaster would strike.

"It couldn't possibly be ghosts! Or could it... If I can be reborn, why can't ghosts exist?" Lin Wanwan had never believed in the supernatural, but reflecting on her own experience, she began to waver. Regardless, the famine in Qingzhou was imminent. She had to plan for the future.

"Father!" Once the ritual concluded, Lin Wanwan stepped forward to pay her respects.

"You must be Wanwan? Good child, stand up," Lin Wufeng said, forcing a faint, hollow smile. It wasn't that he felt any resentment toward her; it was simply that with the family in such turmoil, he lacked the mental capacity to care for this supposed daughter. Furthermore, among the stolen goods was a portion of payment intended for upcoming settlements. If not for the Lin family’s sterling reputation in Qingzhou, their business partners would likely already be at their doorstep demanding payment.

"Father, are you troubled by the theft?" Lin Wanwan looked at him and paused before continuing, "I have a plan. If it succeeds, it might just resolve your urgent predicament."

Lin Wufeng’s eyes lit up. He had already heard that this daughter, who had grown up away from home, was both talented and beautiful, her fame as a poet having spread throughout Qingzhou and even reaching the capital. Perhaps she truly possessed the ingenuity to solve his crisis.

"Come, follow me to the study," Lin Wufeng said, striding ahead, clearly impatient. Lin Wanwan followed immediately. This was her chance to shine; she had to seize this opportunity to secure her footing and establish prestige within the family.

In the study, both were struck by an awkward silence. The room had been picked clean by the thieves. Even the window frames had been removed, and the roof was stripped bare of tiles; there wasn't even a desk or chair left. It felt as though talking here was entirely pointless.

Lin Wufeng smiled sheepishly. "Forgive the state of things, Wanwan."

Lin Wanwan quickly composed herself, her expression serious. "Father, there is no need for apologies. I only wish to help you resolve this crisis as quickly as possible."

"Very well, what is your strategy?" Lin Wufeng asked, unable to hide his eagerness.

"Father, does the Third Uncle not deal in usury? Why don't we borrow from him?" Lin Wanwan spoke with ease, lacking any of the timidity one might expect from someone raised in the countryside. "On my way here, I overheard a vital secret: the Great General of the North has suddenly died, and the Hanshan Pass has been breached by the Northern Barbarians. The entire Northern Territory will soon fall, and Qingzhou is no longer safe."

"Very few powerful clans in Qingzhou know this. We can take advantage of the time difference to buy up all the grain in the vicinity at slightly above market price. Once the news spreads, grain prices will skyrocket, and we can resell for ten or a hundred times the profit. We can make a fortune!"

"Also, Father, once we have the money, we must leave Qingzhou immediately and migrate to the Lingnan region!"

Lin Wufeng was stunned, unable to process her words for a long moment. He had not reached the position of family head by being easily fooled, especially not by a daughter who had just been found, someone with whom he shared no foundation of trust.

"You must not speak such nonsense. Do you have proof? How could I take such a risk based on hearsay?" Lin Wufeng said, his voice stern and disappointed. He felt his daughter was treating this like a child's game.

Lin Wanwan knew it would be difficult to convince him. Gritting her teeth, she said, "Father, to tell you the truth, I have the ability to foresee the future. How else would I have known you were my true parents? If you do not believe me, I can tell you several things that will happen in Qingzhou over the next few days. You are free to verify them yourself."

***

Baishan Village, the Shen household.

"Little sister, why are you back? Where is your husband? Why didn't he come with you? And who is this?" Wang Fanghong, the sister-in-law of Shen Yuehua, looked at her in surprise. Shen Yuehua rarely visited her parents' home outside of holidays.

"Sister-in-law, I had some business to attend to. Are Father, Mother, and Big Brother home?" Shen Yuehua greeted her with a smile.

"Father and Mother are out drawing water for the fields, but it's so hot that the crops are long gone; watering them is a waste of effort. Your second brother went hunting in the mountains."

Wang Fanghong hurried to welcome them inside and poured them water.

"Sister-in-law, don't worry about that. Please go to the fields and call everyone back. I have something important to discuss," Shen Yuehua said, placing the gifts she had prepared on the table.

Seeing the grave expression on her sister-in-law's face, Wang Fanghong didn't delay and rushed out to gather the family.

The Shen family had been scholars in the past, but the later generations lacked talent, and the family had gradually declined. By Shen Yuehua's generation, her two brothers were just farmers. After Shen Yuehua and her husband had transmigrated, they had quietly engaged in small business to support her brothers, and life had been comfortable. Her husband, Su Yunhai, was skilled in both literature and martial arts, and he had taught his brothers-in-law how to defend themselves. Her second brother had shown great talent for martial arts and had been practicing for eight years, occasionally hunting to supplement their food.

Before long, the entire Shen family had been gathered.

"Daughter, why are you here? What is so urgent?" Old Mother Shen shouted before she even entered the room.

"Mother, Father, don't worry. Let's get inside first," Shen Yuehua said, helping them into the house.

Once everyone was gathered, Shen Yuehua explained her purpose. "Father, Mother, my husband and I are preparing to flee the famine in a few days. We cannot go on living here."

She relayed all the news she had gathered without leaving a single detail out.

"What? Daughter, you mustn't say such things! Our Great General is powerful; how could he be killed? How could the Northern Barbarians break through?" Old Father Shen was stunned by the barrage of bad news, his first instinct to deny these terrifying claims.

At that moment, it wasn't just Old Father Shen—none of the Shen family members could bring themselves to believe the news Shen Yuehua had brought.