The Joyful Sprite

Zhao Jian, once an old deadbeat, had now been thoroughly tamed by Qin Yao. Obediently, he broke off more than half of his flatbread and respectfully handed it over.

"Big Brother Qin, this is my share."

"And mine."

"Brother Yao, it's all thanks to you. This is mine too. I'll probably have to trouble you again this afternoon."

Little Liuzi and the others whom Qin Yao had helped that morning also handed over their food as agreed.

This time, Qin Yao had also helped a youth named Chen Ashui.

Counting this newcomer, Qin Yao was effectively helping five mine slaves at once.

This posed no pressure to him whatsoever.

After all, with his current Great Mastery mining skill, doing the work of six or seven people alone was more than manageable.

If he were not worried about appearing too heaven-defying, he would have dearly loved to help another two mine slaves and earn two more portions of food!

But even under the current circumstances, Qin Yao's own share, plus Zhao Jian's half-share, together with the bits and pieces Little Liuzi and the others had scraped together...

For this lunch, Qin Yao directly had five flatbreads to himself!

The sight made the other mine slaves drool with envy!

"This guy is way too loaded!"

"If he weren't so ruthless, I'd want to go up and rob the bastard."

"Ahh, if only I had Brother Yao's skills. Even leaving breakfast out of it, I could still get ten flatbreads from lunch and dinner each day."

"Eat sparingly, and it'd be enough to feed eight or nine mouths!"

"Yeah, yeah..."

"But with the way he's crazily draining his body, who knows how long he can hold out?"

"That's true. Better to take things steadily and live one day at a time!"

Qin Yao turned a deaf ear to their chatter.

Focusing on eating and raising his "proficiency" was the proper business.

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Skill "Eating" Proficiency +2

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Skill "Eating" Proficiency +3

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Skill "Eating" Proficiency...

At a certain moment—

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Skill "Eating" Proficiency +3. Current Proficiency: 302/300

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Ding! Skill "Eating" has advanced to Minor Mastery (1/1000)

"Buzz!"

In an instant, a warm current flowed through his stomach and intestines.

Qin Yao felt his digestive system becoming increasingly robust!

At first, when he wolfed down dry flatbread, his stomach would still feel a little uncomfortable.

Now, that problem was completely gone!

Even more awesome was this: just a moment ago, Qin Yao had still been fiercely hungry.

After all, before starting work, he had only eaten breakfast for himself and Zhao Jian.

Yet now, after merely half a flatbread, he was already thirty percent full!

Clearly, the Minor Mastery "Eating" skill had made his ability to draw nutrients from food even more powerful!

Qin Yao's eyes immediately lit up. Doesn't that mean I can eat my fill with just two flatbreads?

I can pack up all the rest and take them home. Grandfather and Lan'er will never have to worry about filling their stomachs again!

Save three at noon, then another three at night...

By that count, I can bring home six big coarse flatbreads every day!

If Grandfather and Lan'er can't finish them, we can even trade them for some silver.

With that thought, Qin Yao was brimming with motivation.

Even the dry, coarse flatbread became delicious to chew!

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Skill "Eating" Proficiency +2

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Skill "Eating" Proficiency +3

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Skill "Eating" Proficiency...

After the "Eating" skill advanced to Minor Mastery, each bite still only gives two or three points of experience?

Qin Yao mused inwardly, Looks like it's hit a "bottleneck," just like the Great Mastery "Mining" skill before it!

Perhaps... I need to eat some good, oily dishes and meat for the proficiency to soar?

Mm, that day will come!

After filling his stomach, Qin Yao found the overseer Li Gang and asked him to hold onto the extra three coarse grain cakes for him, saying he would take them home for his family after work.

Li Gang readily agreed.

He understood that if you wanted beasts of burden to put their full strength into their work, you still had to feed them enough "fodder"!

After lunch, the mining resumed.

The other mine slaves all wore miserable expressions, like ducks being driven onto the perch.

Qin Yao alone seemed to have been injected with chicken blood, working himself to the bone!

Skill Mining: Mastery (2456/20000)

Skill Mining: Mastery (3147/20000)

Skill Mining: Mastery (4358/20000)

Besides mining, Qin Yao had not neglected his "acting training" either!

Skill Acting: Beginner (196/500)

Skill Acting: Beginner (231/500)

Skill Acting: Beginner (308/500)

The afternoon swiftly drew to its end.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

As the sun dipped behind the western hills, the familiar sound of the bronze gong and shouts rang out once more: "Tools down, food's out!"

Many mine slaves breathed a sigh of relief and dragged their exhausted bodies out of the mine pit.

Yet there were also those who knew they had failed to meet their quota, their heads hanging and ears drooping as they tremblingly tried to blend into the food line.

Unfortunately, the overseers would not give them any chance to fish in muddy waters—"Smack!"

Li Gang lashed out viciously, wrapping his whip around a middle-aged mine slave's calf before yanking hard and dragging the man straight out of the line.

"Steel Head, with that piss-poor quota of yours today, you still want to sneak a meal?

"You dare try to fool me?"

Even as Li Gang spoke, the whip in his hand did not rest for a moment, lashing the man again and again.

"Ah! Ah! Master Li, please show mercy! I'll never dare again, never again!"

The mine slave nicknamed Steel Head was only the beginning.

More than a dozen overseers of the Ding section continually dragged mine slaves who had failed to meet their quotas from the meal line and gave them a vicious beating.

Whenever this happened, Little Liuzi and the others felt even more keenly how fortunate they were to be able to trade seventy or eighty percent of each meal for a day's quota.

In truth, in the eyes of many mine slaves, they really were the lucky ones.

Simply because they had latched onto the great tree that was Qin Yao, even with injuries and illnesses, they could still meet their quotas every day. Not only were they spared the whip, they could even eat half their fill. They had struck it rich!

Qin Yao collected his meal as usual.

This time, before he could even look around for anyone, Zhao Jian came scampering over on his own.

With both hands, he respectfully offered Qin Yao the coarse grain cake he had broken in half, one half slightly larger than the other. "B-Brother Qin, this is for you."

"Mm."

Qin Yao nodded and accepted it without ceremony.

He would never touch what was not his.

But what was rightfully his to take, he would never be vague about either!

Skill "Eating" Proficiency +2

Skill "Eating" Proficiency +3

Skill "Eating"...

After finishing his meal, Qin Yao retrieved his own coarse grain cakes from Li Gang, added the newly acquired one from this meal, stacked them together, and stuffed them into his chest.

That bulging, substantial feeling made the other mine slaves' eyes burn with envy.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

Urgent gong strikes rang through the gravel plaza alongside a thunderous shout: "Time's up!

"Anyone staying the night in the mine pit, get your asses back to the cave dwellings!

"Those returning to the family camp, line up with Captain Yang and put on the ropes!"

Naturally, Qin Yao was going back.

With ropes tied on and shackles fitted, there was nothing else along the way besides the routine "acting spree."

Before long.

On the western side of Tang Family Village beneath the night curtain, only scattered lights remained lit.

The mine slaves whose hemp ropes had been untied each returned to their homes.

Qin Yao wore heavy ankle shackles, walking "with difficulty" along the dirt road.

He acted every step to perfection—brows faintly furrowed, breathing occasionally ragged—flawlessly portraying a miserable mine slave who had toiled all day until his ankles were rubbed raw.

"Skill 'Acting' Proficiency +3"

"Skill 'Acting'..."

When Qin Yao returned to that rundown little house and pushed open the door.

The two familiar faces that met his eyes instantly dispelled the "exhaustion" he had deliberately put on.

"Brother!"

A voice as crisp as a yellow oriole rang out. His younger sister, Qin Lan, fluttered over like a joyful butterfly, wings flapping as she pounced toward him.

Wrapping her arms around his waist, she could not help pinching him twice. "Eh? Brother, how did you get so much fatter?"

"And the new flesh you grew is so hard it's poking me!"

"Hahahaha, silly girl, what you touched isn't flesh."

Qin Yao did not know whether to laugh or cry as he moved her little hands aside. Then, beneath the girl's thoroughly puzzled gaze, he pulled out one large flatbread after another!

"Wow!"

"Wow!"

"Wow, wow, wow—there's more, wow!!"

For every coarse flatbread Qin Yao pulled out, Qin Lan's cry of amazement grew louder.

By the end, her entire body was dancing with excitement!

Watching his sister, who now seemed like a skipping little sprite, Qin Yao felt a surge of satisfaction rise from the depths of his heart...