Sleep

Shui Yue'er put away the cultivation book, picked up the bamboo basket, and followed behind her sister.

Teacher Lin had already set out the porridge and steamed buns.

Shui Yue'er placed the bamboo basket on the table and first distributed the bowls to everyone.

She left the top chopstick for Long Yao and then set out the chopsticks for Bibi Dong.

After sitting down, she saw the green fruit by the window.

The peel has turned completely yellow, with only a light green ring remaining near the stem.

Shui Yue'er picked up her chopsticks and was about to get up when she heard Long Yao speak.

"Let's eat first."

She put down her chopsticks and lowered her head to drink her porridge.

"Eat first, then we'll see."

"The fruit won't run away."

Shui Yue'er picked up the steamed buns again.

"I'm just afraid it'll overripe."

Pick them when they're ripe.

Only then did she feel at ease enough to eat.

After having breakfast, Shui Yue'er did not go to pick fruit.

She took the empty bowl to the wooden basin and washed it with her sister.

Bibi Dong wiped the table clean and put the Jade Tome she would be using that day back into the Bamboo Box.

Long Yao picked up the cultivation record and walked towards the lakeside platform.

After washing the dishes, Shui Yue'er came to the window.

She first looked at the green fruit, then at the soil in the pot of scallions.

The fruit is ripe.

The soil was still damp.

She didn't reach out to pick the scallions, nor did she ask again if she could water them.

Shui Yue'er took a small dish, picked the ripe green fruit, and placed it on the dish.

Then, she carried the fruit to the lakeside platform.

Long Yao was writing at the table.

She placed the small dish next to the cultivation manual.

"Dean, the fruit is ripe."

Long Yao at it.

"Eat it in the afternoon."

"Good."

Shui Yue'er sat down in her seat and opened the booklet.

She added a line to today's entry.

The green plums are ripe and have already been picked.

After she finished writing, she put the pen back on the pen holder.

Outside the platform, the lake water flows slowly.

The blue veins of the True Dragon Tower rotate smoothly along the stone wall.

The tea on the stone table was still warm, and the scallions by the window were still growing quietly in their pots.

Afternoon.

The sunlight on the lakeside platform gradually shifted.

After writing the last line, Long Yao put the new pen back on the pen holder.

In the small dish on the corner of the table, the ripe fruit had already been turned three times by Shui Yue'er.

Each time she turned around, she glanced at the teapot beside her.

"Dean, is it afternoon now?"

He looked at her hand.

"If you keep turning it, the peel will break."

Shui Yue'er immediately stopped.

Shui Bing'er took a small knife from inside the tower, washed the fruit, and placed it on a clean wooden board.

The blade fell.

The pale yellow flesh is divided into four segments, revealing the seed in the center.

Long Yao took one of the petals and tasted it.

The flesh is soft and the juice still retains a hint of tartness.

Shui Yue'er bit even faster.

After she finished eating, she stared at the fruit pit on the plate for a moment.

Can this be planted?

"Able."

"Plant it under the window?"

"When the tree grows tall, it will block the window."

She turned to look at the backyard.

There are already scallions and herbs placed under the window; adding another fruit tree would simply leave no room.

Bibi Dong placed her fruit peel into the empty plate.

There is also open space outside the bamboo grove.

Shui Yue'er immediately looked at Long Yao.

He put the fruit pit back into the dish.

"First wash and dry them, then ask Teacher Lin when to plant the seeds."

She didn't run outside again.

Shui Yue'er took a piece of paper, wrote these words on the side, and placed the fruit pit in the center of the paper.

Shui Bing'er reminded her.

You haven't washed yet.

She glanced down at it, then picked up the fruit pit again.

Long Yao picked up his teacup, his gaze passing over the railing outside the platform.

The lotus leaves on the opposite bank of the lake have already spread out.

A few pink and white lotus flowers were hidden among the leaves, and a small boat was moored near the rocky bank.

The boat was mostly obscured by the shadows of the trees.

A few days ago, Shui Yuerou had it dragged ashore and coated with tung oil, and today it was put back into the water.

He put down his teacup.

Let's go sit on the lake for a while.

Shui Yue'er had just washed the fruit pits when she heard this and looked up.

"By boat?"

"Um."

She immediately handed the fruit pit to her sister, ran to the tower gate, and then stopped.

"Dean, what should we bring?"

Long Yao to the teapot on the table.

"Take this."

Beside the stone bank.

The wooden boat bobbed gently on the lake.

Long Yao untied the rope, first placing the teapot in the boat, then reaching out to test the planks on either side.

The ship planks are dry, and the tung oil has penetrated the wood grain.

Shui Bing'er handed him the small basket containing teacups, then boarded the boat while holding onto a stone pillar on the shore.

Bibi Dong sat at the stern of the boat.

Shui Yue'er was the last to come down.

As soon as she put one foot on the deck, the boat veered slightly toward the shore.

She subconsciously mobilized her Soul Power.

Before the lake surface could change, Long Yao had already grasped her wrist.

"Please sit down."

Shui Yue'er held onto the edge of the boat and moved to sit on the crossbar.

The ship regained its stability.

She looked down at her feet.

"I just wanted it to stay still."

"Since you came from this side, it naturally leans to this side."

He pulled the rope into the bow and picked up the oar.

The paddle blades enter the water.

The wooden boat left the stone bank and slowly moved forward along the outer edge of the lotus leaves.

Shui Yue'er watched the platform gradually recede into the distance.

"So this is how tall the True Dragon Tower looks from here."

The Azure Lotus pattern on the top of the pagoda is reflected in the water, divided into several sections by the ripples created by the boat's movement.

Long Yao did not use his source power.

He gripped the wooden oar and steered the small boat through the space between two lotus leaves.

The water droplets on the leaves rolled to the edge and fell into the lake.

A small fish swam away from the side of the boat.

Shui Yue'er leaned over and glanced at it, then sat back down in her original spot.

I didn't reach out.

"I didn't stop you."

"My sister just looked at me."

Shui Bing'er lifted up her sleeve that had fallen onto the deck.

"Your sleeves need to be wet."

She lowered her head to straighten her sleeves and placed her hands neatly on her knees.

Long Yao moved the wooden paddle to the other side.

It's cooler in the middle of the lake than on the shore.

The lotus leaves blocked the sunlight from falling directly onto the water, and when the edge of the boat occasionally brushed against the leaf stalks, it carried a small amount of fragrance to our side.

Bibi Dong looked at the oar in his hand.

"Did your master used to row boats?"

"Glided by."

"Is it a lake like this?"

"It has lakes and rivers."

Shui Yue'er took over the conversation.

Are the boats on the river even bigger?

"There are also boats."

"Can such a small boat go very far?"

Long Yao at the water ahead.

"If the waterways are open, we can go there."

She thought for a moment, then pointed towards the depths of the lotus leaves.

"It's accessible from there too."

A narrow waterway extends out from between the leaves.

At the end of the waterway, several immature lotus pods stood on the water's surface.

He turned the bow of the boat around.

The wooden oars parted the water, and the boat slowed down.

Shui Yue'er didn't say anything more.

She raised her hand to support a lotus leaf that was drooping to the side of the boat, letting the stem slide past her shoulder before letting go.

The leaves unfurled again.

Not a single water droplet fell from it.

Seeing her movements, Long Yao stopped the boat on an open stretch of water.

"Sit here for a while."

The teapot was still warm.

Shui Bing'er took the cups out of the small basket and placed them one by one on the low board in the center of the boat.

There was no stone table on the boat.

The four cups, once placed, took up most of the space.

As Long Yao poured tea, a lotus leaf was clinging to the edge of the boat.

The shadow of a leaf falls into the cup, swaying gently with the lake water.

Shui Yue'er accepted the teacup with both hands.

"Dean, are we not Lotus Seed today?"

"It's not fully grown yet."

"Teacher Lin said yesterday that the Kitchen is almost out of Lotus Seed."

"Have someone buy it from the city tomorrow."

She looked at the lotus pods not far away.

"So, we'll leave this part here?"

"Wait until it grows up."

Shui Yue'er took a sip of tea and suddenly pushed the cup forward.

"Try it, isn't it sweeter than the ones on the shore?"

Long Yao did not answer.

He picked up his glass and slowly took a sip.

"The same pot of tea."

But there are lotus flowers here.

Shui Bing'er looked at her younger sister.

"The lotus flower didn't fall into your cup."

"Smelling it counts too."

Bibi Dong placed the teacup steadily and raised her hand to catch a delicate petal that had fallen from between the leaves.

The petals are thin, with a light pink tip.

Shui Yue'er immediately moved closer.

Can this be put in tea?

Long Yao had seen that petal.

If you want to try it, go back, wash it, and then soak it.

She took a handkerchief from her bag and held it in her palm.

Bibi Dong placed the petals on it.

Shui Yue'er folded the four corners of the handkerchief but did not tie it tightly, simply placing it flat in the small basket.

"I'll take it back and ask Teacher Lin."

A breeze stirred on the lake.

The lotus leaves tilted to one side, and the small boat turned half a circle accordingly.

Long Yao extended his wooden paddle and gently pushed it into the water.

The bow of the ship came to a stop.

He looked down at the lotus leaves.

A waterbird emerged from the shadows of the leaves, followed by several fluffy little heads.

Shui Yue'er saw it too.

Just as she was about to get up, Shui Bing'er pressed down on her knees.

She sat up straight again, shifting her body only half an inch to the side.

One after another, small waterbirds swam past the boat.

The last one fell far behind, circled the lotus stem once, and then chased after it again.

Long Yao placed the wooden paddle horizontally in front of his knees.

The group waited until the birds swam far away, and none of them stirred the lake water.

Only after the last fine line disappeared did Shui Yue'er raise her head.

"They live here every day?"

There are grassy nests on the shore.

How come I never saw this before?

He looked towards the platform in the distance.

"You stand there every day, surrounded by nothing but Heavy Water."

Shui Yue'er followed his gaze.

The platform was blocked by lotus leaves, and only the top edge of the bamboo curtain could be seen.

"I'll come back to check on you after practice tomorrow."

"You can just watch from the shore."

She nodded and didn't mention going to find the grass nest again.

On the return journey, Long Yao handed the wooden oar to Shui Bing'er.

She took it and tried it in the same direction as before.

The oars were pointing too straight down, and the wooden boat moved forward a little, causing the bow to veer to the right.

"Don't just suppress it."

He raised his hand to gesture for her to look at the oar handle.

"Send it backwards, then flip it over when it comes out of the water."

Shui Bing'er lowered the oar again.

This time, the boat slid forward a short distance.

Shui Yue'er watched intently.

"Sister, could you swipe it again?"

She rowed again.

The bow of the ship turned even further.

Bibi Dong picked up another spare wooden oar and repaired it at the stern.

The ripples on the water dispersed on both sides, and the small boat headed back toward the rocky shore.

Long Yao sat down against the bow of the boat and picked up the tea that he hadn't finished drinking.

Shui Yue'er looked around.

"Then what should I do?"

"Put the cup away carefully."

She looked down at the low board, put the empty cups back into the small basket one by one, and then moved the handkerchief further inside.

There was only one cup left on the boat.

Long Yao finished drinking and handed it over.

After catching it, she used a dry cloth to separate the rim of the cup so that they wouldn't bump together when the boat moved.

The rocky shore is getting closer.

Shui Bing'er was a fraction of a second too slow in retracting the oars, and the bow of the boat continued to slide forward.

Long Yao reached out and grabbed the wooden stake on the bank.

The wooden boat came to a gentle stop.

Shui Yue'er picked up the small basket and waited for her older sister to get ashore first before handing the basket over.

This time, she didn't rush to take a step.

She held onto the wooden stake and made sure she was steady before leaving the deck.

Long Yao came up last and re-tied the cable.

He pressed the knot down, leaving enough space for the lake water to rise and fall.

Shui Yue'er stood beside him, waiting.

"Dear Dean, could I row next time?"

"While waiting for an empty boat, test it on the shore first."

Why is the ship empty?

"You've already misjudged the bow of their boat twice."

She turned to look at Shui Bing'er.

My older sister was carrying a tea basket, a smile in her eyes.

Shui Yue'er smiled too.

"Then I'll try it first, and I'll ask you to sit down after I've learned how."

On the platform.

Long Yao changed the tea leaves in the pot and poured the cooled tea onto the outside of the stone steps.

Shui Bing'er and Bibi Dong used the wooden oars to return the boat to the shore.

Shui Yue'er then took the handkerchief and went to the Kitchen.

When she returned, she had a small Xiao Bai plate in her hand.

The petal had been washed clean and placed neatly on the plate.

"Teacher Lin said you can try it, but this piece won't yield much flavor."

He took a small cup.

You want to take a bath?

She put the petals in and added only half a cup of hot water.

The petals unfurled upon contact with water and floated on the surface of the cup.

Shui Yue'er lowered her head to smell it, and then carefully tasted a little.

Long Yao at her.

"How?"

She waited a moment.

"It's still water."

"Teacher Lin has already told you."

But I have to try it to know.

She didn't pour out the half-cup of water.

Shui Yue'er placed the small cup in front of her, took out her cultivation book, and turned to today's page.

Long Yao sat back down at the stone table.

Instead of looking through the records, he took out an old book from inside the tower.

The book records the mountains and rivers of various places, and also includes a few travel notes.

The book turned to a scene of a river crossing.

A small boat, drawn with ink lines, is moored beside the reeds, with only half a bamboo basket visible under the awning.

After writing the date, Shui Yue'er looked up and saw the picture.

"This boat has a roof."

"That's a boat awning."

"Can I sit here even in the rain?"

"Light rain is fine."

She glanced at the shore, then at the awning hanging in the picture.

"Can we add one more to our ship?"

"That boat is used on the lake; it doesn't need to be covered up so thoroughly."

Shui Yue'er did not ask any further questions.

She picked up a charcoal pencil and drew a small boat in the corner of the book.

There were four small dots lined up inside the boat.

Long Yao glanced at it and pushed the old book toward her.

"That's not how you bow the boat."

She carefully narrowed the front end by referring to the diagram in the book.

After finishing the last stroke, she added a few lotus leaves to the side of the boat.

Bibi Dong returned carrying an empty basket and stood by the table for a moment.

Where's the wooden paddle?

Shui Yue'er looked down and saw that two more long lines had been added.

Shui Bing'er placed the washed cups back on the tea tray.

There's no cable either.

She picked up the charcoal pencil again.

Long Yao, holding the teacup, waited for her to finish mending the knots on the side of the boat before reaching out to turn a page of the old book.

Shui Yue'er didn't watch this time.

She lowered her head and wrote a line.

Today, while on a boat, I saw six water birds.

The pen paused for a moment.

She recounted the small heads she had just seen and changed six to seven.

Long Yao saw the changed words on the paper but didn't point it out.

She finally included the little waterbird that lagged behind.

Evening.

The lotus flowers on the lake gradually closed up.

Long Yao read the last entry in the journal and moved the thin bamboo slip tucked between the pages back a few pages.

Shui Yue'er had already finished drinking the cup of flower petal water.

She washed the cups and went back to check on them in the backyard.

This time, she did not fetch water immediately.

She first probed the soil around the edge of the pot with her finger, then brought over half a bowl of water and poured it along the outside of the scallions.