Six Years of Teaching the Dao

In the room.

Jiang Tu remained silent for quite a while.

At first, he had not wanted to marry because he felt that the bond between husband and wife was a burden to one seeking immortality. The other half would grow old, fall ill, and die; she would become entangled in more karmic ties, become a vulnerability others could seize upon, a soft spot they could use to control him—a deadweight. What he needed was a fake wife who could silence the endless gossip, an identity displayed openly before the world, not a true companion.

But after four years, he realized that he had been wrong.

Not until tonight, when they had half-laid their cards on the table, did he truly see Ning E clearly... She was clever, cautious, patient, tolerant, gentle, and clear-minded. Far from being deadweight, she was someone who could stand shoulder to shoulder with him.

She possessed the same low-key caution that seemed to run in his own blood. Though only in her early twenties, she was more clearheaded than many who had lived most of their lives. She was a truly independent woman, nothing like an inexperienced young girl.

What man could fail to love such a woman?

Man was not grass or wood; who could be without feeling?

Jiang Tu looked at his wife and was about to say something when Zhou Ning'e suddenly raised her head and stared blankly at him, her expression somewhat dazed.

"Hubby... If you are an immortal cultivator from the Daoist Sect, undergoing a worldly trial, then your lifespan must far exceed mine! Then you..."

In that moment, all her previous calmness and gentleness vanished. Her eyes suddenly reddened. She abruptly rolled over with her back to him, buried her face in the pillow, and spoke in a muffled voice.

"Good... this is good too. You were already eighteen years older than me. I had always feared that you would leave before me, leaving me alone in this world... Good, this is good too..."

Jiang Tu's heart softened. He reached out and wrapped an arm around her. "Don't be afraid, wife. You're still young."

"Young, my foot. Sooner or later, you'll be lying in my arms, calling me Mother..."

By the end, even her voice had changed, tinged with a sob she could not suppress. Her emotions were beyond words.

Beauty faded easily, lifespans could not endure; birth, aging, sickness, death, clouds and sunshine, waxing and waning moons—these were the ordinary course of life. For a moment, she imagined herself decades from now, white-haired and aged, while he still wore the handsome face of a young man... What agony would that be?

Jiang Tu fell silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "So what? I can call you Mother right now."

Zhou Ning'e's tearful voice abruptly stopped. "?"

What?

"Still, suddenly making me call you Mother is a little hard to say aloud. How about you call me 'good Daddy' first, so I can hear it?"

Zhou Ning'e: "???"

She froze for a moment, then flung his hand away and wrapped herself tightly in the blanket.

Are you even human?!

I'm heartbroken over here! And you're still taking advantage of me?! You even want me to call you good Daddy? What lovely dream are you having?!

Your map of the Yan Kingdom is a little too short! Those abacus beads of yours are clacking far too loudly!

Jiang Tu burst out laughing.

Zhou Ning'e gave a muffled hum from beneath the blanket, seeming to truly begin sobbing softly.

Jiang Tu reached out to wipe away her tears and said seriously, "Wife, starting tomorrow, come work the fields with me. I'll teach you how to plow and plant. At night, come with me to see the underground fields, and I'll teach you how to cultivate superior seeds."

Zhou Ning'e stared blankly. "...Huh?"

"I hope you won't only be my virtuous helpmate at home. I hope you can also contribute to the family estate."

Zhou Ning'e blinked. She had thought Jiang Tu would say something comforting, like, "I'll treat you well from now on." Yet what he said was... Come work the fields with me tomorrow?

Wasn't this method of comforting someone a little too hardcore?

Yet warmth suddenly welled up in her heart. He was willing to bring her into his fields, into his domain. Was that not the best comfort he could give her?

It meant that her husband had truly begun to trust her with all his heart and was truly willing to entrust some important matters to her.

"...Mm. I'll listen to you, hubby."

Jiang Tu smiled.

For the past four years, he had always raised Ning E like a flower in a greenhouse, dressing her in fine clothes and feeding her rich food, letting her live free of worry. He had thought it would be enough for her to remain happy all her life. But now, he felt that Ning E might be capable of much more.

If she had the talent, she would become the first person Jiang Tu actively taught the Dao to, the Jiang Household's second Agricultural Path Cultivator.

The two of them could practice the Agricultural Path together in pursuit of immortality, keeping each other company amid the mortal world. That too would be one of life's pleasures, with a flavor all its own.

"Oh, right. Don't let the fake pregnancy be exposed. At best, only Xianggua, Xueli, and Father-in-law should know. No one else can be trusted—"

"Even those three are better off not knowing." Zhou Ning'e was exceptionally clearheaded. "Xueli and Xianggua grew up with me, so they can be considered trustworthy. But they will have to marry someday; they cannot remain in the residence forever. As for Father... His health has been poor these past years. Learning suddenly that he has descendants will naturally make him happy. Why trouble him by telling him the truth? Let him stay happy for the rest of his life."

"Let heaven know, let earth know, let you know, let me know. There must not be a third person who knows. Matters succeed through secrecy."

Jiang Tu lowered his gaze to her, and the last trace of vigilance in his heart fell away. "Very well. I'll find a way to make you a fake belly that looks real enough to fool the eye, then invite a few fake physicians to put on a show. When the time comes, I'll have to trouble you, wife, to learn the mannerisms of a pregnant woman well. Be careful in all things when entering and leaving the residence."

Zhou Ning'e nodded and reached out to poke the little Straw Figure atop the pillow. The Straw Figure slowly turned its head and tilted it at her, its eyes hollow and vacant.

"This little thing looks so dull and foolish... not lively at all. But that child just now—if it really were a child between hubby and me, how wonderful would that be... Mm, forget it. To have received such an unexpected joy, to be mother and son with it for a lifetime, is already the finest gift Heaven could give me. I am content. The things of this world have never been something one can force..."

Jiang Tu did not reply.

He silently thought to himself that if Ning E could become an Agricultural Path Cultivator under his teaching, improving her constitution, then perhaps she truly might have hope of bearing children. But he did not say it aloud. It would not be too late to tell her once it happened.

Besides, this matter could not be rushed. He did not want to somehow produce an heir for himself.

After that, a new sight became part of the Jiang Residence's daily life.

Jiang Tu no longer came and went alone. Servants and farmers often saw the master and mistress together, trouser legs rolled up, bare feet sunk in the mud. The master turned the soil in front while the mistress scattered seeds behind him, their coordination growing ever more practiced.

Everyone found it quite strange. The treasured daughter of Big Household Zhou, who had been pampered and coddled since childhood, actually knew how to work in the fields?

But as time passed, everyone changed what they said.

The mistress worked remarkably neatly. She scattered seeds more evenly than many farmers, never complained of exhaustion when bending over, and never grumbled when the sun darkened her skin.

"The master and mistress really are a match made by Heaven!"

"Who says young ladies from wealthy households can't do farm work? Look at the mistress! That bearing of hers makes her look even more like a farmer than us farming folk!"

Many farmers even began urging their own wives to join in the farm work. Everyone threw themselves into it together!

At first, Xianggua and Xueli felt it was improper for their young mistress to do such things, believing she was suffering a grievance. But later, they too followed her into the fields, running along the ridges to help feed the cattle and herd the sheep. Occasionally, they listened to Jiang Tu explain a few farming tricks. The more they heard, the more interesting they found it, adding no small amount of fun to the dull and tedious life of farming.

At night, Jiang Tu would take Zhou Ning'e into the underground fields. The Premium Quality crops and medicinal herbs hidden deep in the earth rose and fell in the faint light, each stretching and flourishing. Some were pure white throughout, some shimmered with pale violet radiance, and the edges of some grass leaves seemed inlaid with golden threads.

The first time Zhou Ning'e saw those things, she stood dumbfounded for a long while.

"You made all of these... by yourself over the past years?"

"Mm. There will be even more in the future."

After that, Jiang Tu began teaching her hand in hand how to identify medicinal herbs, distinguish soil quality, and sense the seasons. Zhou Ning'e listened with utmost seriousness. Sometimes, when Jiang Tu explained something, she would rush to speak the latter half of it herself. Her comprehension was extraordinarily high; a single hint was enough for her to understand.

Jiang Tu saw it all, and his heart settled.

Over the following months, the fake pregnancy plan proceeded as scheduled. Jiang Tu had strangers brought in from elsewhere to serve as physicians, bribed them, and announced to the outside world only that she had a joyous pulse. He also had Zhou Ning'e wear a fake belly so lifelike that it padded her waist and abdomen into a pregnant swell.

Not only was there no abnormality visible from the outside, even after removing her clothes, it was difficult to distinguish the fake belly from a real one. In her daily life, she mimicked the mannerisms of morning sickness, and when rising, entering, or leaving, she was no different from a pregnant woman.

When the news reached Big Household Zhou, the old man sat in his own main hall for an entire afternoon. Then he suddenly rose to his feet, threw back his head, and shouted, "Heaven has opened its eyes! Heaven has blessed my Zhou Household!!"

After shouting, tears streamed down his aged face. He immediately ordered a carriage prepared and went straight to the Jiang Residence.

"Brother!" The instant Big Household Zhou entered, he lunged forward and embraced Jiang Tu, crying with tears and snot running down his face. "Good brother! You truly did not disappoint me!! My Zhou Household has descendants!! This is a miracle!! A miracle!!"

"Father-in-law, please calm down..."

"I can't calm down! I have waited for this day my entire life! Ning E has done us proud! You have done us even prouder! Go! Inform the entire county that my Zhou Household will hold a grand feast for three days, celebrating that Ning E and my good son-in-law finally have descendants!!"

At the side, Zhou Ning'e supported her waist and thrust out her fake belly. Seeing her father crying and laughing, she could not help turning her head away. She secretly exchanged a glance with Jiang Tu. Neither spoke, but they shared the same thought in their hearts: as long as the old man was happy, that was enough.

There were no years in the manor; in the blink of an eye, several years hurried past.

Mountains and rivers spoke not; sun and moon spun and shifted.

Outside the Jiang Family Courtyard, the fertile fields gradually expanded to eight hundred acres. Not only were crops planted there, but precious medicinal seeds were also introduced. Herb fields and farmland were divided apart. The Premium Quality produce in the underground fields had more than doubled, and several boxes of pills refined from medicinal herbs had been stored away.

Zhou Ning'e had long since become able to independently complete the entire planting process. She had become an expert at tending superior seeds and could occasionally refine several batches of pills with quite respectable quality herself. She had thoroughly mastered the Herbal Compendium.

But... what puzzled Jiang Tu and left him restless with anxiety was that she still had not entered the Dao and become an Agricultural Path Cultivator.

Early spring, the thirty-ninth year of the Jingtai Era.

A thousand li away, the Green Mountain Lake Qin Household continued quietly farming and developing along Qingshan Lakeside.

Ten-year-old Qin Tuo Yun had grown ever more graceful. With her little hands clasped behind her back, she stood atop a great rock beside the lake, bare feet exposed. A light breeze brushed the stray hairs at her temples as she gazed at the distant lake and mountains, sensing the subtle ripples rising from deep within the earth beneath her feet.

The realm barrier that had trapped her for years was beginning to loosen—