She Rebuilt Her Fallen Country With Storage Space-Chapter 72 - While Others Catch Fish You Fish for a
Chapter 72: Chapter 72: While Others Catch Fish, You Fish for a Corpse?
Chapter 72 -72: While Others Catch Fish, You Fish for a Corpse?
A group of soldiers gathered on the bow deck, discussing in hushed voices.
“What a unfortunate thing to fish out, why did it have to be this.”
“You can say that again, it’s disgusting, and such a bad omen, can our journey ahead still go smoothly?”
When Xiang Ying walked over, she heard them shaking their heads and sighing.
From the midst of the crowd came the crying voice of Xiang Qianqian: “I… I didn’t expect the net to hold this thing.”
Supervisor Ke pointed at her and scolded: “You really are a fool. When you saw it was a dead body as you hauled it in, why didn’t you throw it back into the river along with the net?”
Xiang Ying’s voice suddenly cut in: “Dead body?”
The soldiers surrounding them immediately made way for her.
Xiang Ying stepped in to look and indeed, it was a dead body.
The body had been dead for several days, bloated from soaking in water, rendering it unrecognizable.
It could only be distinguished by the wet and damaged clothes that it was likely a young male.
There were knife wounds in the chest and abdomen.
Xiang Qianqian, fearing the wrath of Supervisor Ke and the others, saw Xiang Ying and, despite past disagreements, begged her for help while crying.
“Sister, this, this wasn’t my fault, I thought it was a fish, so I pulled it up. Didn’t you also say before that the net gets very heavy when it catches a big fish?”
Skinny Monkey somehow appeared behind Xiang Ying, lowering his voice:
“Princess, you should stay out of this matter. In our Nanyue customs, encountering a corpse on a boat signifies a doomed voyage, it’s an ill omen!”
Jie Chen received the news and also brought people over.
He happened to hear Xiang Ying’s cold chuckle.
Supervisor Ke frowned: “You can still laugh? Look at the mess your sister made!”
Xiang Ying crossed her arms: “I’m laughing at you men who have been on the battlefield and seem brave, yet are terrified to the core by a dead body in the water.”
“Isn’t it common to see dead bodies on a battlefield? You’re making a mountain out of a molehill. If I were you, I wouldn’t care about this dead body, but would be thinking about how to handle the water bandits up ahead.”
Supervisor Wei stood with hands behind his back, sternly snorting: “What’s there to fear about water bandits? When our Nanyue cavalry entered the West Zhou River and Mountains, they only knew to hide in puddles and cry.”
“Seeing six big ships of ours traveling together, accompanied by so many strong and valiant troops, if they dare to stir trouble, that would be akin to throwing an egg against a rock, sealing their own doom.”
Jie Chen spoke up in time, his tone icy: “Throw the corpse back into the water, fire a signal flare, and tell the following boats to strengthen patrols.”
Supervisor Ke and Supervisor Wei were surprised and exchanged glances.
“Jie Chen, do you also think Xiang Ying is right, are you afraid of these petty water bandits?”
Jie Chen pursed his lips: “There is a narrows in the dangerous river called Gourd Mouth, easy to enter but hard to exit.”
“The water bandits rely on the narrow waterways to establish their base there and rob passing boats.”
“No matter what, it’s better to be prepared for any situation, to have a plan is to have no worries.”
After speaking, he turned to Xiang Ying: “Let’s go, apply medicine.”
Xiang Ying did not object, she turned around and departed, and the soldiers once again cleared a path for her.
Jie Chen followed her.
Supervisor Ke, frowning, wanted to vent to Supervisor Wei: “How can he…”
“Forget it!” Supervisor Wei waved his hand, “Just do as he says.”
Supervisor Ke, helpless and annoyed, looked at the weeping Xiang Qianqian.
“You’d better pray that this doesn’t bring any disaster, or else…” he snorted and strode away, flinging his robe.
Xiang Qianqian returned to her room, dispirited.
Yu Pin and Seventh Princess had gone to check on Xiang Ying.
In the entire cabin, there was only Old Princess Consort Shangguan resting on the couch.
Hearing the noise Xiang Qianqian made, Empress Dowager Shangguan opened her Sanjiao Eyes and looked at her with a sinister gaze.
“The fishy smell on you is too strong, quickly change your clothes.”
Change clothes? There were no clothes left to change into.
“Don’t even mention clothes that could be traded, I haven’t even been able to trade for today’s meat.”
She wiped her cheek, her face roughened by the sun and wind from days of fishing on her own.
But just after a few good days, things have come to this again.
Empress Dowager Shangguan frowned: “What happened?”
Xiang Qianqian told her about the incident of fishing out the corpse.
She hung her head, sobbing: “Can you really blame me for encountering a corpse? It just floated into my net along with the river current.”
“And besides, as the eldest sister said, those soldiers who have claimed to be battle-hardened and have killed men, they are so frightened by a mere corpse, showing no guts at all.”
Empress Dowager Shangguan’s wrinkled face was full of calculations and weighings.
“Something’s wrong,” she suddenly said, “How could it be such a coincidence that you fish out a corpse as soon as you start? Xiang Ying fishes at the prow every day without any issue?”
Xiang Qianqian, wiping tears, self-pitied: “Just my bad luck!”
Empress Dowager Shangguan’s eyes turned, tapping the bed board: “You, without any ability, allowed her to take advantage of you!”
“Imperial Grandmother, what do you mean by that?”
“This Xiang Ying, she must have fished up corpses before, but she’s clever, silently throwing them back into the river without making any noise, unlike you, who are honest and foolish, giving others a handle to use against you.”
Xiang Qianqian’s teary eyes brimmed with uncertainty: “Really?”
“How could it not be?” Empress Dowager Shangguan scoffed, “Didn’t you yourself say a few days ago that Xiang Ying didn’t stop you from fishing with her? Do you really think she doesn’t care?”
Xiang Qianqian’s eyes flickered, and she finally caught on.
“I was wondering, she’s always been confrontational, how could she be so tolerant this time? She was waiting here for me.”
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After speaking, she fiercely kicked the wooden bucket at her feet.
With a smack, the bucket hit the cabin wall and shattered into pieces.
“Let her wait for me!”
Meanwhile, Xiang Ying was lying in Jie Chen’s room, letting him apply medicine.
Jie Chen’s voice was indifferent: “Have you forgotten what I said a few days ago?”
Xiang Ying glanced sideways: “Hmm?”
Seeing she really had no recollection, Jie Chen reminded: “I told you to come every day for medicine. How many days have you missed?”
Ah! That was the reason.
Xiang Ying silently criticized in her heart, she didn’t come because Jie Chen’s medicine wasn’t effective.
The spray from her space was more convenient and effective.
Jie Chen glanced at the wound on her lower back.
“Has someone else been applying medicine to you? It seems to have healed quite a bit.”
Even the bruising had lessened.
Xiang Ying casually replied: “Tao Xue helped a few times, you’re so busy every day, why should I bother you over and over again with such a minor affair.”
“I’m not busy.” Jie Chen quickly replied.
Xiang Ying silently for a moment: “I’m not so delicate.”
Now, even Jie Chen understood completely.
She didn’t need his help.
Realizing this, his movements slowed down, and his usually aloof eyes seemed to be distracted.
After the medicine was applied, Xiang Ying fastened her clothes.
She didn’t forget to remind: “These water bandits are no trivial matter, in recent years with the chaos of war, some people who couldn’t survive have joined them.”
“Now they are numerous and have plenty of weapons, do not underestimate them. By the way, I have a gift for you.”
Jie Chen’s eyes instantly focused: “What gift?”
Xiang Ying pulled a paper from her sleeve, her phoenix eyes curving into a smile.
“Take a look.”
Jie Chen unfolded it, his face froze: “This is…”
