Chapter 175: Third Brother, Was It Really Not You?

The rain gradually came to a stop.

Inside the room, the people were still listening to Jiang Dai talk about the world she came from.

“Wait a minute!”

Jiang Dai suddenly noticed that not only the child Juanjuan, but even the Cultivation Expert, the Young Master from the General’s Estate, and the neglected young prince all looked at her with envy.

“Don’t think too highly of that world. I haven’t finished telling you everything.”

“Our country doesn’t engage in much fighting, but other countries in that world are still at war. Besides open conflicts, there are various invisible wars, like economic wars, technological wars, cultural wars, and information wars…”

“For instance, there are some thieving nations that constantly steal our culture. They keep stealing! I just want to smack them!”

Jiang Dai spoke through gritted teeth.

Sometimes, whether it’s shameless individuals or shameless countries, encountering them feels as disgusting as swallowing a fly.

“In our place, a great leader once said, ‘If you seek peace through struggle, peace will remain; if you seek peace through compromise, peace will perish.’ Peace isn’t something you beg for; it’s something you fight for.”

“So, it’s not as easy as you might think. Countless people are struggling to make a living, many are dedicated to building the nation, striving for its strength, and some have even sacrificed their lives for the country.”

“In the past, to allow the people to stand tall, our ancestors fought almost every battle they could.”

“So, you can do it too!”

Jiang Dai patted Bai Yunxing’s shoulder, showing her belief in the Mu Family Army.

Bai Tian joined the conversation, sincerely venting.

“Even in modern times, there’s competition, complicated relationships like in Jingcheng, jerks, idiots, and a bunch of snobs. Simply put, we eat better, live better, sleep better, play better, and have more conveniences.”

Bai Yunxing said, “Father, not worrying about food and clothing is a luxury for many here.”

“In recent years, things have been relatively stable, and people can still get by. But if a natural disaster strikes, food and clothing become major issues.”

“That’s true. Compared to here, I’d rather be a workhorse in modern times, with a phone, takeout, toilet paper, and a car…”

“By the way.”

Bai Tian suddenly remembered something. “If Sweet Potatoes can be cultivated on a large scale next year, even if there’s a natural disaster, not so many people will starve!”

Bai Yunxing asked, “Sweet Potatoes?”

“Yes, Sweet Potatoes are great. They grow vigorously and can survive natural disasters. I’ve already asked Liang Tian’er to help plant them. If you had mentioned it earlier, we could have had the General’s Estate present these Sweet Potatoes.”

Bai Yunxing understood Bai Tian’s meaning but shook his head.

“Let’s leave it to Sister Liang. The General’s Estate already attracts enough attention. Anyway, these Sweet Potatoes are meant for the emperor, and when grown, they’ll be for the people.”

Bai Tian looked at his second son.

【As expected of a child from the General’s Estate, well-mannered and capable of borrowing a body to return to life, truly impressive!】

Jiang Dai, who had been listening for a while, suddenly spoke thoughtfully. “I just thought of something very important.”

Everyone’s gaze turned to Jiang Dai.

Only Juanjuan glanced secretly at her third brother. She had overheard her mother’s inner thoughts.

Her mother was suspicious…

“Isn’t it strange how the Sweet Potatoes appeared? People from Niantao Village have never seen them, and we could only dig up a few a day. After we left Niantao Village, I told Granny Wang that Sweet Potatoes were edible and could be dug up if found.”

“But the problem is, after all this time, not only have there been no Sweet Potatoes, but Granny Wang hasn’t even found a single Sweet Potato Seedling. Wang Xiaoshu told me this yesterday when I went to the academy to bid farewell to the teacher.”

“I meant to tell you when I got back, but I forgot. Now that you mention it, it suddenly came to mind again.”

Bai Yun’an, quietly observing: ???

【Only now did you think of it? Finally realized it?】

【But it doesn’t matter. As long as no one sees me pulling out Sweet Potatoes with my bare hands, they can only speculate!】

Juanjuan: She knows this! It’s called being stubborn like a dead duck¹!

Jiang Dai’s gaze swept over her family, then rested on Little Juanjuan.

【Sometimes it’s troublesome when only Juanjuan doesn’t know, having to speak indirectly in front of her, or make her leave.】

【But with the whole family here, sending the little one out seems too deliberate, and I’m afraid Juanjuan might feel isolated.】

Juanjuan:?

Mother… is so considerate!

If there’s ever a day to reveal her secret, Juanjuan wants to tell her mother first.

Facing her mother’s inner concerns, Juanjuan was just about to find an excuse to leave so her parents could discuss things openly.

“I also think the appearance of the Sweet Potatoes is strange. No one around has found them, yet we can, and in a fixed amount every day! Could it be…”

Bai Tian paused, looking thoughtful.

Jiang Dai said, “There’s nothing to ‘could it be’ about!”

Bai Tian:?

Jiang Dai said, “Juanjuan, didn’t you say this morning you wanted to buy something tasty for Da Chui?”

As she spoke, she gave Bai Tian a meaningful look.

Bai Tian immediately understood and remembered that their little daughter was still present. The fact that the whole family had swapped places shouldn’t be known to her.

“Juanjuan, come on, the rain has stopped. Daddy will take you to buy something.”

Bai Tian was used to doing such things; he had sacrificed so much for this family!

Sigh…

Bai Tian bent down to pick up his little daughter and headed out.

“Daddy, Juanjuan can walk by herself.”

“Daddy will carry you. It just rained, and the ground is muddy. You’ll get dirty.”

“Oh.” Juanjuan lay on Bai Tian’s shoulder. “Then Daddy, thank you for your hard work.”

Watching the father and daughter walk away together, Jiang Dai turned her gaze to the three remaining children.

To be honest, she was somewhat suspicious of these three big shots.

As for Bai Tian, there was no need for suspicion. They were all modern young people; who didn’t know each other?

If there was really Spatial Storage or something valuable, could anyone resist using it?

Even a piece of chewing gum would be shared.

But these three sons, although they’ve confessed, Jiang Dai couldn’t gauge the credibility of their confessions.

Especially…

Jiang Dai’s gaze fell on the third son. “Shopkeeper Liang mentioned the barbecue seasoning last time. You really don’t know? Was it really not you?”

Among the three sons, only the third was mysterious enough, providing the least information.

It’s not that providing less information is wrong, nor that everything must be confessed with no secrets.

Now, she and Bai Tian had noticed something unusual and wanted to figure out what was going on.

After all, it’s Sweet Potatoes and barbecue seasoning!

In a foreign land, discovering anything from home makes one want to find out where it came from.

As it stands, the family, except for Juanjuan, who all came from another world, is the most likely to have done these things.

Not to mention, Shopkeeper Liang and the store assistant both said the barbecue seasoning came from one of their children, likely one of the twins.

The second son is part of the General’s Estate, and the whole family seems to be good officials (for now).

The second son doesn’t know about the barbecue seasoning, so the most likely candidate is the third son.

So, could it really be the third brother?

Translator’s Notes

• ‘If you seek peace through struggle, peace will remain; if you seek peace through compromise, peace will perish.’: This is a famous quote from Mao Zedong, the founding leader of the People’s Republic of China, highlighting the philosophy that peace must be actively defended through resistance rather than passive concession.