Chapter 4 Part II

    "Ah, Xiao She, don't go that way, or Big Sister will scold you!" The small voice of He Yu shouted from the front of the house, accompanied by the sound of running footsteps towards the vegetable garden.

    Thud, thud, thud.

    "Big Sister, Xiao She probably wants to see you. Don't scold it!" He Yu called out.

    Did she ever scold it? It was always the creature that nearly gave her a heart attack.

    The giant snake slowly slithered closer, crossing over the withered vegetable plot where He Ming sat with his head down.

    "Big Sister, it wants to drink the magical water. You forgot to give it to me this morning, so Xiao She is hungry," He Yu hurriedly explained.

    "Go fetch water!"

    "Yes," he replied with a beaming smile before running to scoop water from the jar in front of the house.

    "Eh!"

    Before she could dip the golden fish scale into the water bowl that He Yu brought, the corner of her eye caught sight of the little Nengyan herb, which was wilting away, suddenly revitalized by a faint blue luminescent thread weaving around its stem. The leaves that were wilting became vibrant again slowly. Someone else might not notice, but after she had trained in spirit energy cultivation to the point of being able to create 39 channels of spirit energy, her senses became sharper. She sensed that the little Nengyan herb was gradually recovering.

    How did this happen?

    Why did it suddenly revive on its own?

    Could it be because of Xiao She!

    "What's wrong, Younger Sister?"

    "Big Brother, if I'm not mistaken, I think I have found a way for us to successfully cultivate the Nengyan herb!"

    "Really?" He Ming stood up excitedly.

    "Really."

    "How? Tell me quickly, I'll take care of it right now!"

    "I'm not entirely sure yet. You should rest today, and we can come back to check on these Nengyan herbs tomorrow."

    "As for you, Xiao She, you've been eating at our house for a long time; it's about time you worked. You'll guard these herbs tonight," she gathered her courage to instruct Xiao She.

    "Big Sister, why let Xiao She guard the herbs?" He Yu frowned, because that meant he wouldn't be able to cuddle with Xiao She tonight.

    "You'll find out tomorrow. And from now on, you're not allowed to bring Xiao She to bed with you. It must perform its duty of guarding the vegetable garden from now on. If it doesn't, it won't get the magical water anymore. Yu’er, do you understand?" She had put up with Xiao She for a long time because He Yu was very attached to it. Every night, he would bring it to sleep on the bed, forcing Zhenzhu to exile herself to her parents' room instead.

    "Understood," the little boy reluctantly nodded, looking dejected.

    "Alright, let's go inside."

    That night, He Ming couldn't sleep, thinking about how to cultivate the Nengyan herb. But Younger Sister said there was a way, he couldn't wait for morning to come to find out what Younger Sister had planned. He Ming stayed awake all night with his eyes wide open.

    As dawn broke, he quickly dressed and ran to the vegetable garden. Xiao She was still faithfully guarding the garden. When it saw He Ming coming early, it slithered to lie under the wooden bench instead, knowing its duty.

    He Ming looked at the Nengyan herb’s sprouts.

    It's alive!

    It's alive!

    How is it possible? What did Younger Sister do to these young Nengyan herbs? Not only did they not wither and die, but they also became lush and vibrant, radiating vitality.

    "Big Brother, how is it?" Zhenzhu walked into the vegetable garden, equally excited, wanting to know if what she guessed was true.

    Seeing the Nengyan herbs alive and well, her eyes sparkled. They were alive.

    "Younger Sister, quickly tell me what you did to keep them alive. Moreover, they are thriving so well."

    "It was because of Xiao She."

    "Xiao She?"

    "If I'm not mistaken, these Nengyan herbs need to be nurtured with spirit energy from another being. They're like small children; just as we couldn't feed ourselves when we were young and needed someone to feed us, the Nengyan herbs are the same. They need care and nourishment from another, and I believe once they grow a bit more, they'll be able to absorb spirit energy on their own without relying on another being to nourish them. But for now, we need Xiao She to watch over them. Its spirit energy will help them grow."

    They had no idea that Zhenzhu's guess was entirely correct. Nengyan herbs are difficult to cultivate because they require delicate nurturing with spirit energy. If a farmer who was a spirit energy cultivator did not have good control over their energy, emitted too much or too little, they will die. However, Xiao She, being a creature that has lived in nature for a long time, is tightly bound to the energy of nature and can control natural forces more delicately than humans. Thus, its unintentionally emitted spirit energy protected and nourished the Nengyan herbs, allowing them to grow.

    "Xiao She is truly a bringer of fortune!" If his body wasn't slightly... um, not so hug-inviting, he would happily embrace it right now.

    "Hmm... it does have its uses."

    Zhenzhu scooped a little water from the jar and dipped the golden fish scale into it before handing it to He Ming.

    "Big Brother, give this to it as payment for its hard work guarding the Nengyan herbs for us."

    "Alright!" He placed the bowl near Xiao She. A faint blue energy emitted from its body for a moment, probably happy to receive its reward.

    Mid-March, the weather began to warm. Zhenzhu woke up early to water the vegetables. Today was her turn to water the vegetables and herbs.

    "Oops," she exclaimed in surprise upon seeing Xiao She lying, curled up peacefully next to the herb plot, her small hand touching her chest, still not used to its presence.

    When Xiao She saw Zhenzhu approaching, it slithered away knowingly.

    She inspected the Nengyan herbs. Now, a week later, they had grown and were emitting a blue spirit energy, competing with other herbs, not willing to lose.

    "The little Nengyan has grown so much!"

    "Xiao She, thank you for helping take care of the little Nengyan," she couldn't help but thank it. Without Xiao She, she wouldn't have been able to cultivate the Nengyan herbs.

    Xiao She emitted its spirit energy in response, endearingly. Well, at least she wasn't as heart-pounding as before. Although she was still somewhat afraid of it, it had never harmed anyone and had always behaved well. She would gradually learn to coexist with it.

    "Zhu’er, how are the Nengyan herbs doing?" He Lei used his crutch to support himself along the walk to the garden. He could now walk around with the crutch, but without it, he could only take three or four steps, which was a good sign.

    "Father, please walk slowly," Zhenzhu hurried to support him.

    "Why did father come here? There are many plants, and the ground is uneven. You might trip and fall."

    "No, I'm strong now, so I wanted to test something."

    "Test what?" Zhenzhu asked.

    He Lei didn't answer but slowly supported himself towards the cabbage plot and sat down beside it because he couldn't stand for long. He lifted his empty hand, and suddenly, a faint blue light emitted from his palm, caressing the young cabbage leaves. The cabbage grew slowly, not rapidly, but Zhenzhu noticed its growth. Such subtle changes were observable to a spirit energy cultivator like her, and their spirit energy became purer and more concentrated.

    As the cabbage slowly grew, He Lei's spirit energy continuously flowed into it. His face, which was previously flushed, turned slightly pale. Sweat formed large beads along his hairline, dripping down his face, creating damp circles on his clothes from the profuse sweating. His hands trembled.

    "Heugh!" He breathed heavily as if he had just run ten laps around the village, yet he felt incredibly excited.

    His spirit energy had returned!

    "Father! Your spirit energy!" Zhenzhu exclaimed excitedly. Her father's spirit energy had returned. She had never seen a human nurture plants with spirit energy before. She was so fortunate to experience things like this. She wondered if she could do the same as her father.

    "It has only partially returned. Just 460 channels," he said.

    When he was a spirit energy cultivator, he could create up to 745 channels of spirit energy. Just a little more, and he could have advanced to the dark blue tier of spirit energy cultivation. Unfortunately, he didn't succeed. But as his health gradually improved from his illness, his lost spirit energy began to return, which also sped up his recovery. Thus, his dream of becoming a dark blue tier spirit energy cultivator wasn't too far-fetched anymore.

    Spirit energy cultivators need resources like spirit food or spirit-enhancing pills, but persistence, talent, and hard work are equally important. In the past, despite his family's limited wealth, his father spent a lot of money to gather resources for his cultivation, limited resources. Fortunately, he was talented and diligent, allowing him to cultivate as quickly as the wealthy nobles' children.

    Now that he had both resources and talent, he was determined to become a dark blue tier spirit energy cultivator. When that time comes, he would be able to protect and take care of his family as he should.

    "And how about you, Zhu’er? How many channels of spirit energy can you create now?" He turned to ask his daughter, noting that she had been cultivating spirit energy for a while.

    "72 channels," she replied.

    "72 channels!" He Lei exclaimed in astonishment.

    So quickly!

    He thought he was talented, but he never imagined his daughter would surpass him. She had only been practicing for a little over a month. How could she create 72 channels of spirit energy? Typically, with sufficient resources, people could only manage 10-15 channels after a month of practice. And his daughter hadn't even consumed any spirit-enhancing pills.

    Or had she secretly taken some?

    Impossible. Every tael she earned from selling herbs and vegetables was given to him for family expenses.

    He Lei could never have imagined that Zhenzhu's rapid progress in cultivation was aided by the golden fish scale.

    "Father, can I also nourish plants like you do?"

    "Wait until you have created 300 channels. It will be less strenuous that way."

    "Okay," she reluctantly agreed, her face falling slightly.

    "Oh, and how is Big Brother doing with his cultivation?" A few days ago, He Ming also began practicing spirit energy cultivation. Although he wasn't as quick at reading the manuals, his impatience led him to practice eagerly, often asking his father for clarifications. He was very determined, dedicating all his spare time to spirit energy cultivation besides watering and caring for the vegetable plots.

    "He has created 5 channels already. Not bad at all."

    "That's great," she beamed. Now, their family had three spirit energy cultivators.

    "Father, once I'm done watering, I plan to sell the remaining herbs in the city," she mentioned. The herbs she hoped to cultivate from seedlings gathered from the mountains, once sold, would be replaced with new plantings to ensure a continuous supply. Some she intended to keep until maturity to harvest their seeds, reducing the need for frequent trips to the mountains.

    "Oh, isn't Aunt Zhou going to the city today?"

    "I can go by myself."

    "That's too dangerous. You're still young," he expressed concern, especially since she was a girl.

    "Father, I'll be 9 in less than two months. I'm grown up, and I know all the horse caretakers along the way," she tried to assure him, flexing her muscles to prove her point. She lamented being trapped in a child's body, which made traveling anywhere a hassle.

    "But I’m worried. Then let He Ming goes with you, so you can help each other in case something happens." If he was in good health, he would have accompanied her himself.

    "Big Brother is busy with his cultivation. Let him be, Father."

    "Then, I will go with you." Miss Wang’s voice was coming from behind, she walked into the garden with a basket ready to collect herbs.

    "I will buy several things in the city, so I'll take you with me," Miss Wang said, picking herbs into her basket.

    Zhenzhu had no choice but to agree, wondering who had decided to trap her in a child's body, making it difficult to go anywhere.

    After watering every plot and collecting herbs, they covered the basket with a thin cloth and set off.

    "Oh, Miss Wang, where are you off to?" They were greeted by Old Man You, who was driving his cart, heading to the city, accompanied by several villagers.

    "I'm taking vegetables to sell in the city."

    "Oh, Lately, I haven't seen you bring any herbs to sell to me," Old Man You commented, steering his cart closer.

    "Ah, Miss Wang has been so successful selling vegetables, she's become rich, no longer needing to sell herbs to you. I saw a wagon full of goods being delivered to her house last month," a villager satirized.

    "Indeed. I wonder if the wealth comes from selling vegetables or something else. I heard rumors of someone in the next village being arrested for illegal trade. I wonder if we have that here too," Miss Yu who sat on the cart spoke with her high-pitch voice, leaving the implication hanging in the air for the villagers to ponder.