Facing these wealthy individuals, the old woman certainly wouldn't let them off the hook. After all, they were strangers, and they might not meet again. Seizing the opportunity to extort some money was the most sensible choice.
The fat man detested people who took advantage of others' misfortune, so he was already feeling angry, and his words were not pleasant.
"Fine, if you don't want to take advantage of the situation, aren't you afraid that the four of us might rob you and just drive your vehicle away without paying? Let's see if you'll still try to extort us then?"
Seeing the fat man's serious expression, the old woman suddenly became fearful. "Don't think that just because we're in the middle of nowhere, you can take our things and not pay. That's wrong, it goes against morality, and you'll be punished by heaven."
Clearly, both of them had become angry during their argument, and the negative emotions instantly transformed into black energy, drilling from Ye Tiancheng's brow into his body. Ye Tiancheng had just finished eating and felt slightly more comfortable, but now his whole body was tense, and he couldn't bear the headache.
"Fatty, don't argue with others. Your Brother Ye is under a curse and cannot withstand so much negative energy." Song Miaoyu, to quell their anger, had to solve the problem with money. "Alright, then it's one hundred thousand yuan. I can give you my bank card. I brought several bank cards, and each one has one hundred thousand yuan in it."
She disliked carrying cash, so she carried bank cards. Sometimes, fearing a lack of signal, Song Miaoyu divided the money into different bank cards.
One hundred thousand yuan was the smallest denomination. She also had cards with a million yuan, and the largest had tens of millions, but it was ridiculous to use them to buy a tractor.
So, Song Miaoyu was trying to be low-key, stating that each bank card contained only one hundred thousand yuan.
"It seems you really are wealthy people, taking out one hundred thousand yuan so easily. Fine, I'm a person of principle. Since I said one hundred thousand yuan, I won't raise the price. Others would probably triple it, but you have money anyway."
The old woman muttered, still somewhat unwilling, but she finally accepted Song Miaoyu's bank card and agreed to sell them the tractor.
After the group finished eating, they took turns resting, with someone always on watch to ensure someone remained awake. This was because the old woman was untrustworthy. She was the only one watching in such a remote location, with no other family members around. It was quite strange.
As a result, it was already getting dark after they rested, but they decided to continue moving forward. It was not advisable to stay there for long; even living in the wilderness would be better. The old woman's eyes held too much cunning and calculation, making them uneasy.
"You've received the money, so we'll be taking the vehicle now."
"You'd better stay the night. I need to go and check first thing tomorrow morning to see if your bank cards really have one hundred thousand yuan in them."
Seeing that the old woman didn't believe them, Little Fatty decided to pull out his trump card. "Have you ever heard of the Four Great Families? One of the Four Great Families is the Hou Family. This is the pearl of the Hou Family, Miss Hou."
Upon hearing Little Fatty's words, the old woman vaguely recalled hearing about a Miss Hou. Upon closer reflection, she had indeed seen her before, and this beautiful woman in front of her bore a strong resemblance.
"Alright, I'll believe you for now. Hurry up and take the vehicle."
And so, the group drove the tractor and set off again. It was fortunate that Little Fatty had some experience driving tractors from working on the farm in his hometown a few years ago; otherwise, an ordinary person might have had trouble figuring it out on their first try.
The tractor chugged along, making it impossible to hear each other even when trying to talk. Ye Tiancheng couldn't sit up straight and had to lie in the back of the tractor, with Song Miaoyu looking after him.
Lin Xue sat next to Little Fatty, responsible for navigation, as it was getting dark and visibility was poor.
"There are forests on both sides of the road. If we can't see anything later, we'll go into the forest to rest."
Lin Xue had already made plans. Before leaving the old woman's place, she had bought a few old blankets, which could be used if the temperature dropped at night.
Little Fatty agreed. Time passed quickly. The sun set rapidly, and it was completely dark within half an hour of driving. Although there weren't many cars on the road, it was a cloudy day, making it difficult to see the path. Continuing like this would be very dangerous.
So, Little Fatty and Lin Xue discussed it and decided to stop temporarily, find a spot in the forest, spread out the blankets on the ground, and set up a temporary resting place. They would sleep for a while and continue their journey at dawn.
Perhaps it was because they were getting closer to their destination, but everyone's mood improved significantly. They slept soundly, and after waking up, they could set off again.
As the sunlight warmed their faces, they opened their eyes to a new day, feeling refreshed, as if they had been reborn.
The closer Ye Tiancheng got to the destination, the less pronounced the effect of the black energy on him became; it was gradually fading. Crucially, when he woke up, he smelled a rich aroma that awakened his dormant taste buds.
"What delicious food are you cooking? It smells so good."
Fatty, who had been facing away from Ye Tiancheng, now turned and proudly showed him. "I stole a pot from that old lady yesterday, and I've temporarily set up a stove. The most brilliant part is that I also stole some of her dried noodles."
It seemed Fatty wouldn't let anyone take advantage of him; when the opportunity arose, he would definitely find a way to make the one hundred thousand yuan worth it.
Ye Tiancheng felt much better physically and could move freely, although his internal energy was not as abundant as before.
"Let me see how you've cooked these dried noodles so deliciously." Ye Tiancheng was astonished when he looked. The large pot contained not only dried noodles but also seasonings and even eggs. No wonder it smelled so rich; the ingredients were complete!
"You sly fatty, you're quite good at enjoying yourself, stealing eggs too. And by the smell of it, it seems like instant noodles."
Fatty fanned the burning flames with a fan. He had worked as a chef in a farmhouse before, so cooking was second nature to him. Even cooking instant noodles, he could give them a special flavor.
"There is indeed a packet of instant noodle seasoning here. This is something I carry with me. It's my special blend, prepared in case of any emergencies on the road, so we can eat something tasty and not mistreat our stomachs."
Despite his usual carefree demeanor, Fatty was very reliable in critical moments. This was why Ye Tiancheng had always considered him a good brother, and they had never fallen out, no matter what happened.
Contrary to his outward appearance, he was truly material for a good brother.
"Where are Song Miaoyu and Lin Xue?"
Ye Tiancheng helped Fatty fan the fire to make it burn brighter. After busying themselves for a while, he realized the two women were gone, which surprised him.
"Those two women are quite troublesome. Early this morning, they insisted on finding a place with water to freshen up. You see, we're more casual and don't pay so much attention to our appearance."
It turned out the two women had gone elsewhere to wash up. But it was understandable; despite their current predicament, those two women always maintained their cleanliness, especially Song Miaoyu, who still applied makeup.
No matter where they were, she always maintained her ladylike charm. This was a common trait of those who had lived in affluent environments since childhood; they always had to maintain their composure and not let themselves fall behind.
When the noodles were ready, the two women returned arm in arm, chatting and laughing. After tidying themselves up, they looked much better than they did on the tractor the previous night.
"Brother Ye, it smells so good! Did you make these noodles?"
"Bringing Little Fatty with us on this trip was the right decision. He's good at driving and cooking. He used to be a famous chef and was even featured in a food magazine, so these noodles he made are delicious."
Everyone was hungry, so as soon as the noodles were ready, they were quickly served into prepared bowls, and they all gathered to eat breakfast.
"This is delicious! Fatty, I have to say your cooking skills are incredible. I thought eating noodles with seasoning so early in the morning would be a bit greasy, but it has a refreshing taste."
Even the usually reticent Lin Xue spoke up to praise him. It seemed Fatty's noodles were a great success, otherwise, they wouldn't have elicited such a strong reaction.
"You wouldn't know this, but this is my secret recipe. I added a unique spice blend, made primarily from cucumbers and tomatoes. It's sour and sweet, very refreshing."
Because of this breakfast, Fatty's image in the eyes of the two women instantly elevated. Ye Tiancheng's physical discomfort had lessened, and he became more talkative.
"You all, if an outsider saw you, they'd think you were on a spring outing, not escaping. You're all so happy."
"Brother Ye, this is called finding joy in hardship. Our current environment is already difficult enough, so we must keep ourselves happy. Only when our spirits are bright will we strive forward, and everything will get better and better."
As they ate noodles and chatted, their laughter echoed through the forest. This was the happiest time of their journey so far.
However, time could not be wasted. They needed to reach their destination quickly so Ye Tiancheng could gather his internal energy. Therefore, after a simple breakfast, they got back onto the tractor.
"Brother Ye, I actually miss your pickup truck. Your vehicle at least drove faster than this one. This tractor feels like it's shaking my insides out; I could just spit everything out."
Lin Xue had been sitting next to Fatty before. Now that Ye Tiancheng's health had improved, he decided to let the two women sit in the back to rest.
"I miss my pickup truck too, but having any vehicle is good. We were so tired walking before. Now that we have a mode of transportation, our speed has increased significantly."
As the four-wheeled vehicle continued, the view gradually opened up. The sides were no longer endless forests but fields, with people herding cattle and sheep. It looked more lived-in and less suffocating, as if the journey would never end.
"Brother Ye, look, there are so many little goats over there, but they're black. I've never seen black goats before."
On the green fields, there were many black and multicolored little goats, smaller than ordinary goats.