[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl":3,"chapter-the-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-the-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-chapter-160":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Great Jin's Most Iron Rice Bowl",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1896934,2531,"Chapter 160","the-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-chapter-160",160,"\u003Cp>After seeing all the guests off, Second Uncle Hua immediately dragged Hua Liulang into the main hall, and the rest of the Hua family followed in one after another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi guessed what they were about to say and turned to go straight back to her room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Dalang saw this and initially intended to pull her along, but recalling that Hua Liulang had been so generous in distributing spirit stones today only because he was showing the spirit mine to Ninth Lady, he hesitated a moment and abandoned the idea of calling Hua Changxi into the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fifty spirit stones for each person; Liulang, you have quite the bold hand. In just a short while, you've given away several thousand spirit stones. Since you have so many spirit stones, why not give them to your own family instead?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second Uncle Hua shouted loudly; ever since Hua Changxi stopped supplying the family with body-refining medicinal ingredients, they had to purchase spirit plants and medicinal herbs themselves if they wanted to take medicinal baths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Purchasing spirit plants and medicinal herbs required spirit stones, yet the second and fourth branches had no means to acquire spirit stones; usually, the only time they could get their hands on any was thanks to the spirit stones distributed by the Marquis Manor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dharma cultivators received one hundred spirit stones per month, while body cultivators received only fifty; one had to save up several months' allowances just to afford the medicinal ingredients for a single bath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wished he could split a single spirit stone in half to make it stretch further, so watching Hua Liulang give away several thousand at once made his heart ache terribly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Liulang felt he had done nothing wrong: \"The Sheng family dared to openly release demonic beasts to cause trouble in our home; they were looking down on us. Naturally, I had to demonstrate our family's strength.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second Uncle Hua couldn't be bothered to argue further with Hua Liulang and turned to look at Grandfather Hua: \"Father, Mother, surely you have something to say.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both Grandfather Hua and Grandmother Hua remained silent, saying nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Ninth Lady had cut off the family's supply of medicinal bath ingredients, the old couple had not been affected; whenever it was time for a medicinal bath, the eldest branch would prepare everything for them in advance, so they were not particularly urgent for spirit stones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Liulang's act of giving away spirit stones was indeed somewhat like slapping one's face to appear fat, being able to stand tall before the Sheng family made it worthwhile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the old couple remain silent, Second Uncle Hua grew anxious: \"Father, Mother, are you really going to just watch helplessly as Liulang squanders our fortune like this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Hua Liulang became unhappy: \"Second Uncle, how am I squandering anything? I am spending my own spirit stones, not the family's.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second Uncle Hua blurted out: \"What's yours belongs to the Hua family.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Liulang's face darkened and his brows furrowed; for the first time, he personally understood why Ninth Lady had resisted the family so fiercely in the past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was unwilling to turn over the things he had worked so hard to earn to the public coffer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Second Son, have you been drinking yourself into confusion again?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that everyone from the eldest branch had changed expression, Grandmother Hua immediately spoke up to scold Second Uncle Hua.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Receiving Grandmother's warning glance, Second Uncle Hua looked toward Hua Minghe and Hua Dalang: \"Eldest Brother, Dalang, you know how desperately the family lacks spirit stones; shouldn't family members help each other?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Liulang is rich enough to give away several thousand spirit stones at once, while we have to rack our brains just to earn a single one; we are all one family, so isn't this gap too large?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both Hua Minghe and Hua Dalang felt a headache coming on and simultaneously glared at Hua Liulang, who had caused the trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the displeasure on his father's and eldest brother's faces, Hua Liulang felt deeply aggrieved; spending his own spirit stones had somehow made him the one in the wrong: \"No wonder Ninth Lady was unwilling to return; if you are all like this, I don't want to come back in the future either.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having said this, he strode out of the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Second Uncle Hua pointed angrily at Hua Liulang's retreating figure: \"Eldest Brother, look at Liulang's attitude!\" Then, he turned to look at Fourth Uncle Hua with equal fury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fourth Brother, why don't you say something? Does it seem like I'm the only one playing the villain here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fourth Uncle Hua moved his lips but ultimately said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing him act this way, Second Uncle Hua was furious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Father.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Second Uncle Hua was about to reprimand Fourth Uncle Hua, Hua Shierlang suddenly stood up: \"Father, shouting and screaming here is useless because you have targeted the wrong person!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having said this, she strode out of the main hall and headed straight for Hua Changxi's room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, everyone in the main hall stretched their necks to watch; Lady Yao, worried that Hua Shierlang might start an argument with Hua Changxi, wanted to go over and dissuade her, but Hua Dalang held her back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mother, let's first see what Shier has to say.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Shierlang arrived outside Hua Changxi's room, paused to take a deep breath, then raised her hand to knock on the door: \"Ninth Sister, it's Shier; I have something to say to you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Creak~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door opened automatically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Hua Changxi sitting by the window drinking tea, Hua Shierlang steadied her mind and stepped into the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi first sized up Hua Shierlang; ever since they began cultivation, the appearance of everyone in the Hua family had improved, and looking at Hua Shierlang, who was just over a year younger than herself, now standing tall and graceful, she couldn't help but feel a sigh of emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Didn't you say you had something to tell me? Speak.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Shierlang said: \"Ninth Sister, you are biased!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi raised an eyebrow, signaling Hua Shierlang to continue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Shierlang said: \"Sixth Brother is your elder brother, and we are also your siblings, yet you only support Sixth Brother; this is blatant bias.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi smiled and said: \"Everyone has degrees of closeness and distance; Sixth Brother and I have been close since childhood, so isn't it reasonable for me to favor him slightly?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Shierlang choked on her words: \"But... but we are also your siblings; we need your help too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi looked at her and said: \"There are too many people in this world who need help; if I were to assist every single person who needed my aid, wouldn't I tire myself to death?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Shierlang said: \"We are not other people; we are your siblings.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi replied: \"So, just because of that reason, I should help you all for free?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Shierlang very much wanted to say yes, but seeing the expression on Hua Changxi's face, she knew that answering thus would surely lead to no good, so she remained silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Hua Changxi said calmly: \"You have all been cultivating for some time now, so you should have some understanding of the cultivator's world.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You should have some idea of how rare cultivation techniques are and how expensive spirit medicines and spirit plants are.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In the past, I provided all of these to you free of charge.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But what did I receive in return for doing all this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It was your insatiable greed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shier, I do not owe any of you anything; do you understand?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing these words, Hua Shierlang felt somewhat ashamed but still believed that Ninth Lady ought to support her own siblings: \"But you are the most powerful in the family; we can only turn to you for help.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi asked: \"If you went to others for help, would you be as self-righteous as you are now? Would you feel that others naturally ought to help you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Shierlang fell silent; seeking help from others would certainly require more politeness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi looked at her and said: \"For people to walk together along the path, it relies on mutual benefit; if you want me to help you, then what can you do for me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Shierlang moved her lips but ultimately could say nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi said, \"There is no gain without pain here; everything I possess did not come from a sudden gust of wind.\" She paused, then added, \"If you truly wish to earn spirit stones, I do have a method.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you not currently learning alchemy and talisman crafting? In the future, any spirit pills you refine, spirit talismans you create, or spirit artifacts you forge can be sold at the Shennong Medicine Shop in Feng'an Market; provided they meet the standards, I will buy them all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the main hall, the Hua family members were straining their ears to listen; seeing that Hua Changxi did not truly intend to neglect her family, Second Uncle Hua immediately walked out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ninth Lady, the spirit mine is certainly short-staffed; how can Sixth Son manage everything alone? Why not let your Fourth Brother and Eighth Brother go help him?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi looked at him and said, \"Second Uncle, Fourth Brother and Eighth Brother are grown men; whatever they desire, they ought to strive for it themselves.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second Uncle Hua replied, \"They will certainly strive for themselves in the future, but right now they still need you to give them a hand.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi said, \"Second Uncle jokes; I cannot lift anyone up.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second Uncle Hua snorted, \"I see—you simply feel that Fourth Son and Eighth Son are not your full brothers, which is why you do not help them as you helped Sixth Son.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi said, \"I help Sixth Brother because he is worthy of my trust; here, everything is an exchange of value. Since Fourth Brother and Eighth Brother cannot provide the value I require, is it not normal that I do not help them?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that Second Uncle Hua still wished to speak, Hua Changxi raised her hand to cut him off: \"Enough, Second Uncle; do not bring up certain matters again, for even if you do, I will not agree.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1722,"2026-06-12T02:51:22.172Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","ede31c2de73d53b0cf7ba7b4ca81f6659f0b622c01a21e3568802c4ae3b003ce","the-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-chapter-161","the-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-chapter-159",558,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-cover.jpg"]