Saving System: Calm Down, My Fleeing Host!

Chapter 374 - 366: In Need of a Steward

Using the light from the other person’s hand, she looked around, but found no handy weapon. Finally, her eyes landed on the only small iron pot they had after the family split, and she grabbed it in her hand.

Cheng Xiaoxiao scoffed coldly, "Do you think you can stop me with that weapon in your hand?"

Even though she’d heard the system’s description, she couldn’t help but test it herself.

"You’re just a girl who can’t even truss a chicken, what... what do I have to fear from you?"

Despite his words, as Cheng Xiaoxiao took two steps forward, the man stepped back in fear, "What do you want? We have no food left, all our belongings are right here. Take whatever you want."

"Do I look like I’m lacking these things?"

Cheng Xiaoxiao looked amusedly at the nervous man.

The young man finally examined the girl in front of him closely. Dressed in fine cotton and wrapped in a fox fur cloak, her skin was as white as snow, and her dainty little face was exquisite and cute.

She was obviously a pampered young lady, quite unlike them, the common people facing imminent death.

The young man felt ashamed of his previous assumptions, having heard from Mine Number Three about children going missing and being processed as food. He worried, albeit mistakenly, that his daughter would be taken.

Changing his mindset, calming his anxiety, he asked seriously, "I wonder what brings this miss here? This is not a good place."

A delicate lady like her could easily become a target for robbery, or worse, a victim of deceit.

"Don’t worry, I won’t do anything to you. In fact, I’m here to offer you a great opportunity, how about it?"

As she spoke, she took out a small bundle from behind, containing some dry food, medicines needed by the little girl, and millet for cooking porridge for the girl.

The girl looked so weak from illness, it seemed she couldn’t hold on much longer.

"What opportunity?" The man asked uncertainly.

He had a vague guess in his heart, could she possibly help them? But then he thought it was unlikely. They were strangers, why would she help them? Food now was so precious that people fought over a single meal.

As he was thinking, she opened the bundle, revealing white flour cakes inside.

To dispel the suspicions of the person in front of her, Cheng Xiaoxiao took a bite from the cake.

"Don’t worry, there’s no poison, eat freely. These medicines inside should alleviate your daughter’s symptoms."

Hearing this, the young woman behind could no longer stay calm. She pushed past her husband and stepped forward.

"Honored lady, what are you saying? Is there still hope for my daughter? Have you really not lied to me? No, you must be lying, you’re not a doctor, how can you be sure your medicine will save my daughter?" The woman spoke to herself, as if a drowning person suddenly found hope only to despair again.

"A child’s illness is nothing more than chills, coughs, night sweats, frailty, or stomach issues. I have medicines for those. Besides, you never asked, so how do you know I’m not skilled in medicine?" Cheng Xiaoxiao’s beautiful eyes sparkled like starlight, inexplicably inspiring trust.

The young woman seemed to see endless hope, collapsing to her knees with a thud, "Honored lady, please save my daughter, save my poor daughter. If you can save her, we’ll work for you like beasts of burden for the rest of our lives."

The young woman was full of earnestness, her thin and frail body barely carrying any flesh. Cheng Xiaoxiao could hear the sound of bones hitting the ground the moment she knelt down.

How painful it must be!

But the young woman didn’t care, continuously repeating her plea, "Please, savior, save my daughter."

She bowed her head very low. If not for holding her daughter in her arms, Cheng Xiaoxiao had no doubt she would have kowtowed on the ground.

Although the other person didn’t look like someone skilled in medicine, they had no other options now. As they watched their daughter’s condition worsen, and with not a single remedy left from the only barefoot doctor, they were helpless. Faced with this straw of hope that had suddenly appeared, no matter how fragile, they would cling to it tightly.

The man beside her also knelt down seeing the situation.

"Alright, stand up for now. I can help you, but it’s not for free."

"As long as you can help, it doesn’t matter what you ask of us."

The young woman’s tear-filled eyes finally showed a glimmer of light, and a sliver of a smile appeared on her face.

The man got up first and helped his wife to her feet, speaking to Cheng Xiaoxiao with much more respect, "May I ask what you need us to do, honored lady?"

"Eat something to fill your stomachs first! Otherwise, how would you have the strength to help me work? Also, is it convenient for me to check on the girl’s condition?"

The young woman carried the girl forward for Cheng Xiaoxiao to examine.

Although the system had already scanned her, the procedures on the surface had to be followed.

The girl was well cared for by her parents, and had not suffered from frostbite. However, her body was weak, coupled with malnutrition and the cold weather, which had led to a high fever and chills.

"Don’t worry, she can be saved. Her body is just a bit weak, so her recovery might be slow and will need several months of careful care."

Upon hearing Cheng Xiaoxiao’s words, the couple cried tears of joy.

"Sanlang, did you hear that? The honorable lady said our daughter can be saved, she can be saved."

The man’s hand was misshapen from the woman’s grip, but he didn’t mind, feeling a strong sense of joy in his heart, "Yes, yes, our daughter can be saved."

Then the couple expressed their gratitude to Cheng Xiaoxiao.

"Don’t thank me too early. Her body needs proper recuperation, and some medicines aren’t cheap. If you can get things done for me, I wouldn’t mind treating your daughter’s illness for free. But if you mess it up, I can’t guarantee I’ll come back next time."

Cheng Xiaoxiao gave a sweet promise but didn’t forget to issue a warning. With a solid hold on them, they would work more diligently.

She had too many people to save and couldn’t attend to everything, so she could only deal with matters quickly and decisively.

"Don’t worry, honored lady, we will carry out the tasks properly."

Only then did the couple cautiously eat the dry food Cheng Xiaoxiao had brought. The little girl was given medicine and some liquid food, and she looked much more spirited.

She could even smile at her parents now.

The couple couldn’t hold back their tears again.

Seeing their daughter’s slightly rosy face, they expressed endless thanks to Cheng Xiaoxiao and insisted on selling themselves to repay her kindness.

"Selling yourself isn’t necessary, but I do need a manager at the moment."

So, Cheng Xiaoxiao relayed her plan to the man.

Zhao Shimou was just an ordinary villager from the Zhao Family Village, usually making a living by mining.

During farming seasons, he also tended to the crops in the fields and helped with the autumn harvest and spring plowing.

He was a genuine person, capable of working hard from farming to mining.

After hearing Cheng Xiaoxiao’s words, the man turned pale with fright. The chilly winter air didn’t stop beads of sweat from forming densely on his forehead.