Saving System: Calm Down, My Fleeing Host!

Chapter 335 - 327: Wang Family Map

"Indeed, Mr. Cheng, you might not be aware that 20 years ago, the Wang Family was the leading second-tier aristocratic family in Yuan Yang City, with industries spanning various counties, and Little Ring Mountain was one of its properties.

Little Ring Mountain features layered peaks and jagged cliffs without the presence of large beasts. The Wang Family’s ancestors planted many precious rosewood trees, and decades later, workshops were established at the foot of the mountain to process the rosewood into finely crafted furniture, creating a complete wooden production chain.

Once, when a worker was logging, he accidentally fell into a hidden pit, discovering an iron mine. Upon reporting to the family, they chose not to announce it widely. The Family Head intended to mine it secretly, but before the plan could be executed, the Wang Family faced misfortune.

Subsequently, the Wang Family was annexed by several major aristocratic families, and nearly all of its members perished. This secret was buried along with the downfall of the Wang Family."

An iron mine, what a pleasant surprise this is.

"Family Head Han, could you share how you came to know these secrets?"

Cheng Xiaoxiao was curious. Logically, the secrets of a large aristocratic family shouldn’t be easily exposed to outsiders. This must be confirmed; if it’s a trap, things won’t be pleasant.

At this point, there’s nothing unspeakable. Han Xifeng just hesitated for a moment before slowly revealing, "Over 30 years ago, the Han Family was already declining, seeking to cling to the Wang Family to maintain its position. The former family decided to strengthen ties through marriage, marrying their legitimate second daughter to the youngest son of the Wang Family, Wang Tianba, thus creating a marital bond between the two families.

Wang Tianba spent his days frivolously, doing nothing serious, not a suitable match at all, but the former family was determined to secure the Han Family’s status, even at the cost of a daughter, to establish this connection.

In the subsequent years, the Han Family indeed reaped many benefits and temporarily alleviated crises. However, Wang Tianba neglected his duties, favored concubines over his wife, and brutally tormented his legal wife, who was pregnant at the time, to death. It was said she was carrying a formed male fetus, but sadly both perished, with only a five-year-old legitimate daughter left behind.

Unfavored by her father, she was invisible in the residence, living worse than the servants, barely enduring her days in the inner chambers, trembling with fear.

Ten years later, her father decided to marry her off as a remarriage to a wealthy merchant. A few days before the wedding, she hid a lot of food in a dry well and managed to jump into the well herself, planning to stay hidden until after the marriage day to escape tragedy.

In a few days, the Wang Family faced familial upheaval. The Family Head only revealed the iron mine secret to Wang Tianba and hid him in the dry well with the hope that he could use this foundation to rebuild.

Furthermore, the Family Head was aware of the granddaughter’s actions and didn’t expose her, unwilling to let a promising granddaughter marry such a person. If not for the son’s actions making headlines across the city, he wouldn’t have agreed, so he turned a blind eye to the granddaughter’s choices. After the upheaval, he recalled the granddaughter in the well and decided to hide the son too.

After the two of them successfully escaped, they hid and wandered, living extremely difficult lives. Wang Tianba, however, didn’t change his temperament and frequently abused and forced his daughter to sell herself for money to buy wine.

One harsh winter, unable to endure her father’s ceaseless verbal abuse and torment, the girl pushed him into the Ice River.

She later returned, drifting back to the Han Family but was tormented by her conscience and went insane.

Three years ago, as she neared her end, she cleared her mind momentarily and revealed the map, which was then obtained by the Han Family, who dared not act recklessly as the territory didn’t belong to them and thus preserved it until now."

Cheng Xiaoxiao listened expressionlessly, yet inwardly sneering: What an annual melodramatic drama, it could probably be turned into a tragic short film.

Adding in a fickle childhood friend, tsk tsk, all the more intriguing...

System: "Why not have her meet a perfect gentleman after her father’s death, who loves and spoils her, but as she falls into the river of love, the gentleman tricks her for the map, climbs up to marry a noblewoman, reaches life’s pinnacle, leaving the pitiful heroine to realize the deceit, only to seek out Chen Shimei and be beaten to death, dying in a dark corner."

’Damn it! Tongzi, you’re too cruel. Are you even human?’

System: "..." It’s not human, the host’s brain got out of order.

’Honestly, what have you been up to lately, couldn’t be...’

"Host, what are you thinking? I was just bored lately and watched random dramas from the previous world."

’Haha, no wonder!’

In a past life, such ridiculous web dramas came in droves, yet few were quality.

Conclusion: My dear 77 has been led astray by web dramas.

Ahem!

Refocusing thoughts...

"Family Head Han, what do you wish to exchange for this map?"

Cheng Xiaoxiao knowingly asked, knowing the other’s goal is one thing, seeing if they would ask extravagantly is another.

"Mr. Cheng, please discern. I hope to exchange qualifications to enter the Underground City."

"You do know, I don’t accept just anybody." Her meaning is clear, she dislikes those self-important old codgers and is unwilling to let them easily enter.

If Han Xifeng can ensure control over those people, she may make an exception, being a model citizen nurtured under the red flag, not one of great evil, her conscience wouldn’t sit well leaving him to die, but helping would bring trouble.

Therefore, the matter must be spoken clearly. She may offer the opportunity, but it’s up to individual fortune to seize it.

"I understand, so I do not plan to bring them this time. Apart from my family, there are subordinates and some servants, totaling eighty-nine people."

He already tried persuading them, but some people’s ingrained ideologies are too entrenched to change.

Additionally, I hope Mr. Cheng will give me a chance to lead my people to join the 132th Regiment."

This truly surprised Cheng Xiaoxiao, a Family Head willingly saying they wish to join her group. With the iron mine as leverage, they don’t need to, making her inexplicably proud.

"Aren’t you going to bring those dear and respected family elders?" Cheng Xiaoxiao teased joyfully.

Han Xifeng laughed self-deprecatingly, "To be honest with Mr. Cheng, I have resigned from being Han Family Master."

So that was it, she knew it. How come those old folks were agreeable? It turns out it was from relinquished power.

Her team precisely needs a manager like Han Xifeng. Since the Han Family posed a potential threat to Cheng Xiaoxiao previously, she’d had the system monitor it from the start.

Han Xifeng’s character is commendable, though sometimes self-righteous, he dares to act and take responsibility, cherishing family, nurturing and obliging, being a kind and righteous leader to subordinates, not a hypocrite who casually abuses servants.

In the Han Family, he was often constrained and hindered. She believes that here, he will find vast sky to soar free.

"Family Head Han, I’ve accepted your sincerity. Entry into the city is not a problem, as for joining the 132th Regiment, you should be aware of the process."

Han Xifeng’s anxiety and impatience settled at this moment, relieving the tension like a weight off his shoulders.