News that Grandma Wang had broken her leg after running into a ghost spread quickly through the village, like it had grown wings.
And the story got stranger each time it was retold.
Some said she was haunted by an old ghost from the Yu family's ancestral grave.
Some said it was karma.
Others claimed they saw a woman in white floating on a locust tree. They were so scared they didn't dare go out at night anymore.
Mother Zhou and Shenan also heard about it.
The two looked at each other and instantly understood.
Who else could it be, if not Celine?
"This child…" Mother Zhou couldn't help but sigh.
Shenan smiled. "Mom, don't blame Celine for being reckless. She knows what she's doing."
From childhood, Grandma Wang had never shown any love toward their family. Instead, she treated them like a source of free goods, constantly taking things from them.
During the holidays, other kids got new clothes and candies.
But the siblings could only wear clothes patched over and over, watching other kids laugh and play while they stood aside.
For the children's sake, Mother Zhou had to endure it all quietly.
In the countryside, even if an elder is unfair and cold, children are still expected to show respect. That was tradition passed down by their ancestors.
And she, a widow from another family name, had to raise six children alone in the village. The hardships she faced were unimaginable.
Whether it was building a house or working the fields, there were always conflicts. And Mother Zhou was always the one who lost out.
She had no husband, no in-laws to support her. She could only endure the unfair treatment in silence.
In the past, Celine's grandfather and uncles would sometimes speak up for them. But even that came at the cost of giving in and offering benefits.
After all, in that village, the Yu surname carried more weight than Zhou.
Now that all six siblings were grown, and except for the youngest, Minoo, who was a bit withdrawn, the rest could all earn money and support the family.
Celine naturally didn't want her mother to suffer anymore.
This time, messing with Grandma Wang wasn't just to make her stop targeting them. It was also to stand up for Mother Zhou.
And Mother Zhou understood her daughter's intentions.
How could she bear to blame the girl who stood up for her, even if she had frightened her grandmother?
Mother Zhou touched her rough hands, eyes turning slightly red.
As for Shenan and Eleanor, they would never blame Celine either.
She had simply done what they'd always wanted to do, but never had the courage for.
In fact, they even felt secretly pleased.
"Celine did great this time!" Eleanor bit into her bun and said with admiration.
Shenan nodded, his deep gaze drifting toward the window, a faint smile on his lips.
But Celine wasn't thinking about Grandma Wang at the moment.
Hogan had shown up in the trading space.
He wore the same black robe, his hair tied with a jade crown. He had a calm and elegant presence, and his expression looked confident.
Seeing him still made Celine feel excited.
In both her past and present lives, she had always been a regular person. Now, she could actually talk face-to-face with someone straight out of the history books. It felt unreal.
Still, she hid her excitement well and kept a polite smile.
"Mister Hogan, do you need anything today?" she stepped forward with a light tone.
Hogan appreciated her warmth.
He was naturally quiet and not great at conversation, so Celine's friendliness made up for his weakness. He felt more relaxed around her.
"Miss Celine." Hogan gave a small bow and replied gently.
Celine invited him to sit under the osmanthus tree. There was a small stone table and two stone stools.
She thought about making tea but wasn't confident in her skills. Instead, she brought out some juice and watermelon.
"Mister Hogan, we don't have anything fancy here. Please make do with this." She placed the cut watermelon and juice on the table.
Hogan looked at the bright colors of the juice and the red watermelon with black seeds. A curious light flashed in his eyes.
He had never seen this kind of fruit before, let alone tasted it.
"What is this?" he asked, pointing to the watermelon, with a rare childlike curiosity in his voice.
"This is watermelon. It's a kind of fruit. Very sweet." Celine picked up a piece of watermelon and handed it to Hogan. "Try it."
With Celine gently encouraging him, Hogan gave it a try and took a bite.
The sweet juice burst in his mouth right away. He had never tasted anything like it before. His eyes lit up in surprise.
"Delicious!"
He truly meant it. Then he quickly ate a few more pieces and even drank the juice.
Watching Hogan enjoy the food so much made Celine feel a little proud inside.
Her family wasn't rich, but she was still someone from the modern world who had tasted all kinds of food. Now that she was able to use something like watermelon to impress someone from ancient times, it felt like a special kind of success.
Hogan was so focused on the food that he completely forgot why he had come.
It wasn't until he finished the last piece of watermelon that he suddenly remembered. He had come to see Celine to trade for more crystal cores.
"Oh, I forgot." Hogan looked slightly embarrassed and cupped his hands politely to Celine. "I almost forgot my purpose for being here."
Celine gave a small smile. She already understood.
What Hogan meant by "business" was, of course, the so-called immortality medicine — the crystal cores.
"Are you here for the crystal cores, Hogan?" Celine asked directly.
Hogan nodded, clearly excited. "Yes! Celine, that immortality medicine... it's truly amazing."
He paused for a moment, trying to find the right words to describe how powerful it was.
"When I first used it, I felt a warm energy flowing through my body. All my fatigue disappeared. I felt full of energy."
"But when General Meng used one, the result was even more incredible."
"General Meng has been fighting in battles for years. He has many old injuries."
"After using just one of those pills, not only did his hidden injuries heal, but he also looked a few years younger. Now he's full of strength, just like he was in his prime."
Hogan couldn't hide his excitement as he spoke.
General Meng was his teacher, his close friend, and one of the most important generals in Qin. His good health was important not only to Hogan but to the entire country.
Celine didn't know what Hogan was thinking, but what he said shocked her.
One crystal core?
General Meng used up a whole crystal core in one go?
Her big brother Shenan and younger sister Eleanor had been using the cores for two days, and the cores only showed a thin gray layer on the surface. They were far from used up.
She hadn't expected that the famous general of Qin, General Meng, could use up an entire core at once.
It looked like the more damaged the body was, the stronger the effect of the core, and the faster it was used up.
This discovery made Celine feel more cautious. She now had a deeper understanding of the crystal cores' power.
She looked at Hogan and spoke seriously. "Hogan, there's something I need to tell you. This thing isn't really an immortality medicine."
Hogan blinked and looked at her, waiting for her to continue.
"Even though it can heal injuries and help people live longer, it can't actually make someone live forever."
Celine paused before continuing. "Also, I've noticed that its effect depends on the person's condition. The more damage in the body, the stronger the effect, but it also uses up more of the core."
"Like with General Meng, he used up a whole core in one go. But my brothers used it for two days and only used a small amount."
"And by the way, this thing is called... crystal core."
"Crystal core?" Hogan repeated the name, his eyes focused on the glowing stone.
The small stone gave off a faint light. It did look like a shining fruit pit.
"Crystal core..." Hogan said again, as if he had come to a realization. "That name fits it well."
He looked up at Celine, full of gratitude. "Celine, thank you for telling me all this."
He knew Celine truly wanted to help him and help the people of Qin.
"You don't need to thank me, Hogan." Celine smiled softly. "I just hope these crystal cores can help the people who really need them."
Hogan nodded seriously and pushed the wooden box in his hands toward her. "Celine, please accept this money."
"Thank you, Hogan." Celine didn't refuse and took the box.
There was still a long road ahead of her. She needed to become stronger if she wanted to protect what she cared about.
And this money might just be the key to changing her fate.