Practicing Cultivation
After seeing Lin Qingyao off at the courtyard gate, Shen Jingchuan returned. Yue'er was worried about her young lady, so she and Ju'er escorted her all the way back to her residence.
Shen Jingchuan urged the sisters, Su Qingshu and Su Qinghua, to finish the porridge while it was hot. Holding their porcelain bowls, they each drank two full bowls. Only when they saw that the pot was empty and no porridge remained did they reluctantly stop.
Shen Jingchuan gently cautioned them:
"Don't eat too much at once. You've been hungry for a long time, and eating until you're stuffed will only harm your health. Take it slowly, and you'll be fine."
The sisters obediently lowered their heads and murmured their agreement.
Shen Jingchuan turned and went back inside, taking two plump Fuji apples from his storage space. Each weighed a good three or four liang, with a bright red, enticing skin. He carried the fruit outside and handed it to the sisters:
"Rinse them clean with fresh water before you eat them."
Su Qingshu and Su Qinghua had eaten apples before, but they had never seen fruit so large and red. They were filled with wonder.
The two hurried over to the washbasin and rinsed the skins clean, then held the apples up and bit into them. Sweet, refreshing juice burst into their mouths. The flesh was crisp, tender, and juicy, far tastier than the wild fruits that grew in the mountains.
The sisters ate with complete absorption, nibbling carefully at the flesh and unwilling to waste a single bit. They spat out only the seeds, the stems, and other inedible bits.
As the two were bent over their apples, taking large bites, Yue'er hurried in from outside the courtyard. From a distance, she spotted the plump, bright red fruit in the sisters' hands. Its sweet fragrance reached her nose, and she couldn't help salivating. She stood to the side, watching eagerly.
Su Qingshu spotted Yue'er and glanced down at her own apple, most of which she had already eaten. After a brief hesitation, she quickly turned the fruit around, holding the untouched end toward Yue'er:
"Have a bite from this side."
Seeing this, Shen Jingchuan chuckled:
"All right, no need. I have more here."
With that, he turned and went inside. Yue'er followed close behind, her steps light, so Shen Jingchuan had no choice but to pretend to take an apple from his backpack and hand it to her.
Yue'er took the apple. Unable to contain her curiosity, she asked quietly:
"Young Master Shen, how is your backpack just like the legendary treasure pouches? How does it have all sorts of delicious things in it?"
Shen Jingchuan's expression abruptly darkened, and his tone grew grave and serious:
"Let me make this clear. You must never touch this bag without my permission. Do you understand?"
Yue'er jumped at his sudden sternness. Her eyes reddened slightly, and she hurriedly lowered her head:
"I understand. I wouldn't dare touch any of your belongings without permission, Young Master. Please rest assured."
Seeing how frightened and aggrieved she looked, Shen Jingchuan's expression softened a little, and his tone grew gentler:
"Never mind. Take it outside and wash it before you eat it."
Yue'er was simple-hearted by nature and the sort to forget her worries in the blink of an eye. Instantly casting aside her earlier fear, she took the apple Shen Jingchuan had given her, dashed over to the washbasin, and rinsed it clean before holding it in both hands and biting into it.
Shen Jingchuan returned to the room alone and sat down in a chair, his brows knitting slightly.
On this trip, he had taken care of all the goods he needed to collect, but he had also spent nearly all the silver he had on him.
Naturally, he knew that as long as he asked, the Lin Household would offer him gold and silver with both hands. But he couldn't bring himself to ask. Holding out his hand like that was improper, after all, and far beneath his dignity.
Ultimately, he had to return to the modern world, turn the things he had brought into cash, then buy another batch of goods and come back. Going back and forth like that was how to keep the business going in the long run.
But the difficulty was obvious: with so many people watching inside and outside the courtyard, if he disappeared for most of the day without reason, it wouldn't do for him to return in the evening; it would surely arouse suspicion.
He had originally planned to go out that morning, find a secluded place to travel back, and return that afternoon once he had finished his business.
But then he remembered that the ring could only charge enough for one round trip each day. Once he came back that same day, he would have no chance to return again. If an emergency arose here, he wouldn't even have a way out.
He had always been cautious and valued his life, leaving himself three parts of leeway in everything he did. Going all in like this was improper, after all.
Not coming back at night was even less of an option. Vanishing into thin air for a whole night would only stir up an even bigger storm.
Shen Jingchuan tapped his fingertips lightly on the table. After turning it over and over in his mind, he decided that using "secluded cultivation" as a pretext was the safest course.
As for whether his cover would be blown, he would take it one step at a time. If someone did catch him, he could think of a way to explain it away. That was better than having no plan at all.
Outside, the three girls finished their apples, each thoroughly satisfied. Yue'er led the Su sisters inside to give their thanks, her eyes curving with her smile. "Young Master, these apples are so delicious! In all my life, I've never eaten fruit this sweet!"
Su Qingshu and Su Qinghua also curtsied lightly and thanked him in quiet voices.
"All right, it's nothing."
Shen Jingchuan waved a hand and took the opportunity to bring up the matter at hand. "I have an ancestral internal cultivation method that I need to practice in seclusion once every few days.
"After dinner tonight, I'll go into the inner room for secluded cultivation, and I won't come out until I'm ready. Unless there's an earth-shaking emergency involving someone's life, no one is to knock or disturb me. Otherwise, I could easily suffer Qi Deviation. Understood?"
He spoke with such solemnity that the three girls' hearts tightened.
The Lin Household was a family of martial officials, and Yue'er had grown up hearing about internal cultivation and Qi Deviation, so she had no doubts whatsoever. Though the Su sisters knew nothing about such things, they could tell the matter was serious and nodded.
"Don't worry, Young Master!"
Yue'er was the first to promise, patting her little chest. "The three of us will take turns guarding the door. We won't leave it for half a step, and we guarantee not even a fly will get in. We won't let anyone disturb you!"
Su Qingshu also said softly, "My sister and I will keep careful watch."
All three wore solemn expressions, as though they were about to guard some vital treasure vault. Shen Jingchuan chuckled at the sight and nodded.
"All right, then I'll leave it to you three."
After dinner, as the sky began to darken, the three indeed did as they had promised. Yue'er took the first shift. She sat beside a table in the main room outside the bedroom door, her back ramrod straight, looking quite serious.
When Shen Jingchuan opened the door and came out, he saw her looking as though she were facing a formidable enemy. Both touched and amused, he raised a hand and rubbed the top of her head, then turned and rummaged through his bag for a few packets of biscuits, several apples, and some assorted snacks, placing them on the table in the outer room:
"Don't just sit there like a fool. Eat if you're hungry, but don't eat it all yourself. Save some for the other two."
"Okay, I will!"
Yue'er glanced at the food covering the table, her eyes sparkling. She couldn't help wondering again: Young Master's bag has so many delicious things in it. It must be nearly empty by now, right?
Shen Jingchuan said no more. He picked up his bag, turned, and went into the inner room, gently pulling the door shut behind him.