Xiao Jingting returned later than Xu Muan. As soon as Xiao Jingting came back, he found that there were nearly 20 clusters of grapes missing.

As soon as Xiao Jingting looked at the grapevines in the courtyard, he knew that “stealing grapes” was Xiao Xiaofan’s masterpiece.

In fact, the lack of a dozen or twenty strings of grapes in the courtyard was inconspicuous when there were hundreds in the yard. It was just that the grape picker had been too arrogant and kept picking grapes from the same place until it was picked clean, so it was hard not to notice.

Xiao Jingting looked at the empty grapevines and shook his head. The grapes there were the most prosperous ones, but now they were all bare.

Xiao Xiaofan “stealthily” observed Xiao Jingting’s actions, turned his head and looked at Xiao Xiaodong anxiously. “Father seems to have found out, he will not come to hit me, right?”

“Who made you stare at the place you picked the grapes so stupidly?” Xiao Xiaodong didn’t have a good temper.

Xiao Xiaofan tugged at his sleeve, somewhat aggrieved. “That place had the biggest grapes, ah!”

Xiao Xiaodong glared at Xiao Xiaofan angrily and scolded, “You still dare say it?”

Although Xiao Xiaofan was stupid, he was very enthusiastic. When he found out that the grapes were delicious he called Xiao Xiaodong to eat them together. Xiao Xiaodong also thought that they were delicious and Xiao Xiaofan volunteered to pick two more strings.

Xiao Xiaodong felt that he had already picked the grapes anyway, and it was alright to pick two more strings. How could he know that he would get addicted to them and pick more than a dozen strings at once from the same place he picked before? By the time Xiao Xiaodong found out, the grapes had all been picked up and the vines there were in a mess.

After the grapes were picked, they couldn’t be glued back, so Xiao Xiaodong and Xiao Xiaofan shared the grapes with each other.

“Sorry! The little child was ignorant and stole your grapes.” Xu Muan walked to the courtyard and was full of apologies to Xiao Jingting.

Xiao Jingting didn’t care. “It’s alright. They’re my sons, and it’s only natural to eat what belongs to their father.” Xiao Xiaofan and Xiao Xiaodong were very good. The children on Earth were getting more arrogant nowadays and were like small overlords at home. They all wanted to be given the stars and the moon.

When Xu Muan heard Xiao Jingting’s words, he could not help but feel a little guilty about his previous vigilance against him. It seemed that Xiao Jingting had really changed.

Xiao Jingting picked a bunch of grapes for Xu Muan and said, “Have a taste!” The plants in this world were growing fast. He had cast the Growing Technique again in the morning and the grapes were already ripe. He had originally thought that it would still take a long time.

Xu Muan tasted one and said, “It tastes good, and it seems to improve the spiritual power.” Xiao Xiaofan had left two clusters of grapes for Xu Muan. In fact, Xu Muan had already tasted them in advance.

“How much do you think these grapes can sell for?” asked Xiao Jingting.

“It shouldn’t be a problem to sell them for two or three hundred copper coins. If you sell more, the price should be lower.” There were nearly 400 clusters of grapes in the yard which, according to a conservative estimate, should sell for 100 silver.

Xiao Jingting nodded. Two to three hundred coppers was quite a lot.

“You want to sell the grapes? What do you want to do when you sell them?” asked Xu Muan.

Xiao Jingting laughed awkwardly and said, “I was confused before and pawned out my family’s fields.” 

“However, I can get the fields back by paying back some interest. I think I’d better buy back those few mu of upper-grade fields first.”

Only the top-grade fields could grow high-grade spirit plants. Usually those who had top-grade fields at home planted them carefully. Who would be like the original body owner and pawn them?

“I think if we have money, it would be better to pay off the gambling debt first,” suggested Xu Muan. If they got involved with the gambling house, they would be in big trouble.

“I don’t have any gambling debts,” Xiao Jingting said.

Xu Muan was stunned for a moment before saying, “No gambling debts? Then when you met Qiu Bai before…”

“That was a lie. I’m no one to him, what does it have to do with me if his elder brother wants a wife? However, it wouldn’t be good to refuse him directly, so I used this as an excuse,” Xiao Jingting said lightly.

Xu Muan looked at Xiao Jingting only to feel that Xiao Jingting was not the same Xiao Jingting anymore.

Xiao Jingting turned his head, looked at Xu Muan, and asked, “What’s wrong with you?”

Xu Muan smiled and said, “Nothing.”

“By the way, I’m going to the city tomorrow to sell the grapes. Do you want to come with me?” Xiao Jingting asked.

Xu Muan nodded and said, “Yes!” Xu Muan secretly thought, Xiao Jingting’s grapes should make a lot of money when they are sold, while selling a child is only thirty silver. Xiao Jingting can make good money like this, and he shouldn’t be interested in the money from selling the children.

“By the way, that Wang Erhu, who came before…”

Xu Muan heard Xiao Jingting mention this person and couldn’t help being on guard. “What’s wrong?”

“I think this man seems to have an ulterior motive for approaching me. I used to gamble a lot and sold the land at his instigation. I think they may have asked him to frame me. If he comes to make trouble tomorrow, you’d better help me take care of him.

Xu Muan nodded and said, “I know.” It was this Wang Erhu, who had urged Xiao Jingting to sell his children. Xu Muan was already displeased with this person.

Edited by: Tetsu

Proofreader: Taalia

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