Saving System: Calm Down, My Fleeing Host!-Chapter 53: The Storm Approaches (Part 1)

The announcement rang out, "The spots are filled. From now on, we won’t accept new people. If any of the aunts say one more word, they’ll have to take their husbands back. We don’t need disobedient workers here."

Cheng Xiaoxiao turned to Cheng Rong, "Brother, you know all these people, right?"

She gestured towards the group of women in front.

Cheng Rong nodded.

"Then, brother, take a good look. If anyone causes trouble, we’ll send back her man too. Or, if there are several men from one family working in the pit, we’ll send them all back."

The words left the scene in silence!

Xiaoxiao was too ruthless. Couldn’t she just let it be? Why did she have to threaten? Awkwardly, some could only mumble quietly.

But there were those not afraid to die, like Aunt Liu who thought she had good relations with Cheng Rong’s family, "Xiao, you can’t..."

Cheng Xiaoxiao interrupted Aunt Liu, "Brother, note down Aunt Liu and call up her husband. We don’t need him."

Aunt Liu’s body stiffened, panic settling in her heart. Was this girl serious?

Upon hearing Cheng Xiaoxiao, Cheng Rong immediately went to call people, but Aunt Liu hurriedly grabbed Cheng Rong’s arm, pleading, "Xiao Rong, don’t. Auntie was wrong. I’m not here to register, I’ll leave straight away."

She was truly scared now, thinking if her husband found out he lost his job because of her, he might beat her to death. She might be aggressive outside, but her husband wasn’t easy to deal with. Aunt Liu, fearing the consequences, immediately admitted defeat.

"Xiao Rong, really, no need to call my man. I’ll leave right now." Saying this, she retreated quickly out of the crowd.

Cheng Xiaoxiao glanced around at the women still watching, "What, do you want to..."

A group of them hurriedly retreated, "No, no, we don’t want anything."

And with that, they all scattered!

The world finally grew quiet!

Cheng Rong stared blankly at the chaotic scene. Just moments ago it was crowded, quarreling, and in an instant, all those people were gone, afraid of being caught causing trouble.

Cheng Xiaoxiao helped pack things up, "Let’s go, brother!"

Seeing her stunned brother, "What’s wrong, not used to no noise yet?"

"No!" Cheng Rong didn’t know how to explain, feeling he lacked the courage Xiaoxiao had, feeling ashamed as a man!

Then he glanced over at his second uncle working in the distance, feeling more balanced now, realizing he wasn’t the only one lacking. In his family, perhaps only his second younger brother’s mind matched Xiaoxiao’s; the others merely worked.

Leng Qi watched from a tree in the distance, indifferent to all that was happening here, doubting Cheng Xiaoxiao’s method to catch five thousand pounds of fish, seeing that the weather seemed to threaten a heavy rainstorm.

But what did that matter!

At most, they might catch a hundred pounds, perhaps. Even with several heavy rainstorms, they wouldn’t exceed a thousand pounds. He sat here waiting to see the female Rakshasa fail again, seeing how she’d direct him next time.

In the middle of the afternoon, the sky grew darker and darker, it didn’t rain, but the atmosphere became increasingly oppressive, feeling like the sky might fall, weighing heavily on everyone’s breath, the workers in the pit hastening their movements.

They knew a heavy rain might come, not worrying about it breaking the riverbank; they’d reinforced it well, not easy to break. Their main worry was rain too heavy to work through.

The muggy air made the mosquitoes particularly annoying, buzzing restlessly in the air, driving people’s minds restless. The villagers waited anxiously for the downpour, but the overcast conditions persisted into the next afternoon without rain.

As if a knife hovered overhead, ready to drop yet unable to, driving people’s emotions to a breaking point. The villagers felt a growing unease and fear, with many coming to Cheng Xiaoxiao’s house to seek information.

The system murmured in Cheng Xiaoxiao’s mind, "Tomorrow is the tenth day term. The heavy rain should arrive in about 9 hours."

This was the fourth time the system had notified her, the atmosphere growing increasingly tense, with only 9 hours left—now approximately around 4 PM, and in 9 hours would be around 1 AM.

At that moment, some raindrops began to fall, large but sparse.

"77, is the heavy rain coming early?"

"No, just some light rain at most," the system assured.

Unsettled, Cheng Xiaoxiao got up and ran out quickly.

She reached the pit digging site and went straight to Qi Fei, asking, "Can it be done by nightfall today?"

Qi Fei was covered in mud, helping transport clods of earth. The clods were hard, some with rocky parts; the pit’s bottom was full of these, very difficult to dig.

"I can only roughly guarantee it. It’s begun to rain now, we can’t dig deeper, only wrap it up, install nets, and fortify the outlet," Qi Fei replied breathlessly.

"Okay, I think the depth is about right. Get the villagers up here to finish off," Cheng Xiaoxiao advised, worried as lives were at stake, and the situation not looking good.

Qi Fei nodded and went to make the arrangements!

Until nightfall, Qi Fei still hadn’t returned. Cheng Xiaoxiao had Cheng Jia urge him several times. The food had gone cold, with every time they were told it was almost ready.

The women at home were getting anxious too, rain now falling lightly, enveloping the night sky in darkness, deep and oppressive.

**

Meanwhile, on the other side, Yanlan stood under the gallery, for two hours now. Han Yi came to call him to eat, but Yanlan didn’t move.

He spoke in a somber tone, "Do you think that girl’s village is in the same situation?"

The oppressive clouds brewing in the sky all day hadn’t fully released, it seemed a rain disaster was indeed coming.

Han Yi didn’t know how to respond, thinking it was quite obvious. Yet the lord asked, perhaps just admitting concern for Miss Cheng would be better.

Thinking this way, Han Yi didn’t dare speak it out loud.

Could only reply respectfully, "Perhaps Miss Cheng’s side isn’t as severe; might even be better."

A response that said nothing, Yanlan wasn’t bothered, as he hadn’t expected Han Yi to answer anyhow.

More like he was asking himself a question he didn’t want answered, very conflicted.

Han Yi felt frustrated, as he didn’t know either. From the last news Leng Qi sent back, it was all about the village’s rain and flood prevention measures, and complaints about more children he taught, Cheng Xiaoxiao being unruly, whatnot.

Back then, seeing Leng Qi call Cheng Xiaoxiao a female Rakshasa, unruly, he expected the lord to get angry, surprised he laughed. It wasn’t that chilling laugh, but a genuine, warm smile, like a spring breeze.

For a decade now, the lord had felt like a heartless puppet, endlessly killing, frighteningly cold, but now he smiled.

Han Yi felt relieved, nose souring, eyes misty with crystalline tears.

At that moment, the dim sky suddenly erupted with fierce winds, blowing leaves to dance wildly across the sky.

Meanwhile, Qingshan Village became even more frightening, trees bent under the wind, dust, leaves, and branches swirling towards the gloomy sky, obscuring the sun.

The village head yelled out with his two sons in the village, "Everyone stay inside, shut the doors tight, don’t go out."

And the observing villagers, too, under the village head’s urging, hurried back home, locked doors and windows.

Such terrifying weather, like a sky that wants to devour men. Is disaster truly about to strike?