Daily Life!

Yinlian Village had a population of nearly two thousand, spread across several hundred households.

About one or two hundred years ago, some people from the north came south, bringing with them many cultures and customs from beyond the South Frontier, including surnames.

The northerners were powerful, and many among them were immortal masters. The cave-dwellers admired strength, so the villages and clans each adopted surnames of their own.

The surnames Zhao, Qian, Sun, and Li gradually became popular.

Then immortal masters brought further instruction and changed old customs. Even these remote, untamed lands slowly took on a measure of civilized life.

Several decades ago, the immortal master of Tianlin Cave, Tianlin Immortal Master, began ruling the surrounding Three Hundred Cave Villages and brought even more of them into the fold.

Marriage customs, for example, became quite respectable.

But households like Meng Nan's didn't have so many rules.

His parents had both died, leaving only his elder brother, Meng Ba, his sister-in-law, and their three children at home.

Few people, few complications.

"My sister-in-law's got a good disposition. She's just a bit talkative."

"If we lived together all the time, little squabbles would be unavoidable."

"But now that I'm married, I won't be living here. I found a piece of land a few days ago, and the location's pretty good. I'm planning to build a couple of rooms there. Then we'll move over."

Meng Nan took Zhao Xiaoshuang's hand and led her out of the house, telling her about the family and some of his plans for the future.

There was no need to go see the spot for their new home. He'd already settled on the place by the bamboo grove.

Though there wasn't a bamboo grove there yet. Meng Nan would have to plant one, and he couldn't start arranging things until after he'd built the house and moved in. There was no need to rush.

As they talked,

they stepped outside.

The sun was high.

They had both gotten up rather late.

His elder brother, Meng Ba, had gone to work long ago.

His sister-in-law was home with the three children, boiling pigweed. When she saw Meng Nan and Zhao Xiaoshuang come out, she called through the window, "I've warmed up porridge and eggs for you. Come eat."

"Oh!"

"The newlyweds are already this lovey-dovey!"

His sister-in-law's name was Sun Mei. Seeing Meng Nan holding Zhao Xiaoshuang's hand, she broke into a teasing grin.

Blushing, Zhao Xiaoshuang quickly pulled her hand away and greeted Sun Mei with a "Sister-in-law."

Sun Mei stopped teasing her.

Over the next few days,

Zhao Xiaoshuang got to know Yinlian Village while helping Meng Nan with everything—

choosing a site,

building a house,

and buying tools: a carpenter's square, saw, axe, plane, hammer, chisel, wood rasp, brace, ink line, and more. Some came from Yinlian Village; others Meng Nan made himself.

That was when Zhao Xiaoshuang learned that Meng Nan was skilled in both carpentry and bamboo weaving—something she hadn't known at all before marrying him.

And he was very good at it.

"Hey!"

"Aren't you the new bride from the Meng household? That basket of yours is quite unusual. Did you bring it from your cave village?"

Meng Nan made a few baskets and some delicate little toys, like bamboo dragonflies and grasshoppers, to make a name for himself and open up a market.

During those eight years in the future, apart from cultivating, he had mastered carpentry and bamboo weaving. Back then, the village and his home had also held the fruits of twelve years of his ingenuity. He'd learned by studying those finished pieces, then spent time practicing. His skills now were no worse than they'd been at their peak, just before he died twelve years later.

His craftsmanship was unquestionably good.

For the past few days, Zhao Xiaoshuang had been helping out, busying herself alongside him. Once Meng Nan had made some bamboo goods, she took a basket filled with little dragonflies and grasshoppers and went around Yinlian Village.

On the pretext of chatting with the village's young women, newlywed brides, and older women to get to know them,

she managed to sell quite a lot of baskets, winnowing trays, and little toys.

Although each of the Three Hundred Cave Villages around Tianlin Cave was relatively secluded, that was true only for ordinary people. Those in the Inner Qi Stage and True Qi Stage could travel between the villages to a limited extent, so the villages remained reasonably connected. And with the pleasant climate and abundant produce, no one lacked food or clothing.

Ordinary people actually lived pretty well.

Nearly every household had some spare money and was willing to buy finely crafted bamboo goods, or perhaps tables, chairs, and stools.

Ordinary people didn't dare venture beyond their village, afraid of the poisonous insects, venomous snakes, and wild beasts outside. But there were also people in the Inner Qi Stage or even the True Qi Stage who relied on their formidable cultivation to travel among the Three Hundred Cave Villages, buying low and selling high, and raking in money.

"There are several hundred households and several thousand people in our village alone. If every household orders a set of furniture, that'll keep us busy."

"And once everyone here has what they need, there are still the other villages."

"With skills like yours, we're bound to have a good life from now on."

That evening, Zhao Xiaoshuang took the day's deposits out of her purse: a handful of copper coins and a few bits of silver. It was quite a sum.

She put the money on the table and took a sip of water. Her eyes and face brimmed with hope and longing for the future.

With a skill to rely on, they wouldn't have to worry about making ends meet.

A great weight lifted from her heart, and she was cheerful all day long.

"You've been on your feet all day."

"Come soak your feet."

Meng Nan smiled as he patted the stool beside him and called Zhao Xiaoshuang over.

"Mm."

By now, after these ten-odd days together, Zhao Xiaoshuang had grown used to Meng Nan. They already had something of the closeness of an old married couple twelve years later. She answered and came to sit beside him.

The couple soaked their feet in hot water.

Once Zhao Xiaoshuang had sat down,

Meng Nan picked up two notebooks from the bed beside him and handed her one. "We have enough food and clothing at home, so we'll have plenty of free time later. Instead of sitting around, you can cultivate with me. If you have any insights or run into any difficulties, write them down in this notebook. It might help with your cultivation."

As he spoke, he asked, "Are you interested in cultivating?"

"Cultivating?"

"Of course I am."

Zhao Xiaoshuang looked at the notebook in her hand, then shook her head. "It's just that I don't have much talent. I've practiced for two years, and I'm still only at the Fetal Breath Qi Sensing stage."

When Zhao Xiaoshuang said she was interested in cultivating, she didn't mean she dreamed of becoming an immortal master or wanted to explore the mysteries of the Great Dao and uncover the secrets of the world.

She only knew that successful cultivation could make life better.

Even without becoming an immortal master, reaching the True Qi Stage or True Essence Stage would make all the difference. In her former village, and now in this one, people at those stages were important figures.

Cultivation brought real, tangible benefits.

Of course she wanted to cultivate, and to succeed.

It was just that cultivation was too difficult. After two years of practice, Zhao Xiaoshuang hadn't even reached the Visualization Realm. If she kept at it for the rest of her life, she'd reach the Inner Qi Stage at most, which wouldn't be much use.

Besides, the people in her old household and those around her had influenced her until she'd given up on cultivation.

Most women who married into their husbands' families had to manage the household and daily life. Even if they had some free time and a little spare money, who would be willing to spend it on painstaking cultivation with no hope of success?

Zhao Xiaoshuang had thought she'd be the same, living an ordinary life from then on and never speaking of cultivation again.

But—

Judging by Meng Nan's meaning—

"You want me to cultivate with you?"

Holding the notebook, Zhao Xiaoshuang hesitated. "Cultivation costs money."

You had to eat and drink well, and sometimes you needed to buy medicinal ingredients to help you along.

Even food and drink alone cost a great deal.

Meng Nan had carpentry skills, and he could probably afford to cultivate on his own. But if he had to support her too, that might not be so certain.

They'd have to save up for the children they'd have later—three of them. There were expenses everywhere, so they needed to put some money aside.

If they both cultivated,

they'd spend it all.

What would they do then?

Zhao Xiaoshuang thought further ahead.

Meanwhile,

Meng Nan smiled. "I'm skilled, and I work fast. We have enough money at home for now, so you can cultivate. If we run short later, you can stop. It won't hold anything up."

There would certainly be no problem in the beginning.

Meng Nan said a few more things, explaining himself.

"All right, then."

"I'll cultivate too."

Only after hearing him out did Zhao Xiaoshuang agree. Then she smiled.

She wasn't happy only because she could still cultivate after getting married. More than anything, she was moved by how well Meng Nan treated her. Warmth filled her heart.

Holding the notebook,

Zhao Xiaoshuang carefully set it aside, worried it might fall into the water.

With her hand free, she hesitated, then took Meng Nan's hand and leaned her head against him. Her heart was calm and at ease.