Su Ran squatted on the edge of the field, looking down at the soil at her feet, and remained stunned for a long time.
The warmth that had come from the ground had dissipated, but he could feel it—it was still there, just sunk deeper, like a seed buried in the soil, waiting to sprout when it was time.
Su Ran didn't pay much attention. He stood up, dusted off his hands, and turned to walk back. Ye Qingyu happened to be coming out of the courtyard gate. Seeing him approaching, she asked, "Why were you gone for so long?"
Su Ran walked up to her, thought for a moment, and said, "I just looked at the soil and think there's hope for improvement, so I want to stay and help Uncle Ye save that field."
Ye Qingyu looked at him, neither surprised nor asking any questions, but simply nodded. "Okay, then I'll stay too."
Su Ran glanced at her, her lips twitched slightly, but she didn't say anything.
During dinner, Su Ran told Father Ye about his thoughts. After listening, Father Ye was silent for a while, then looked up at him and said, "... Are you really willing to go through all this trouble?"
"I do."
Father Ye put down his bowl, looked at him for a while, and then said, "That's good. If you stay, Qingyu and keep us company."
Su Ran paused for a moment, then lowered her head, ate a mouthful of rice, and said nothing.
After dinner, Ye Qingyu came out of the house and said to Su Ran, "Come on, let me show you the place where I played when I was a child."
The two walked slowly along the village road. Ye Qingyu pointed to a crooked tree and said that when she was a child, she climbed up it but couldn't get down and her father scolded her for it.
He pointed to a well and said that in the past, watermelons were hung down to be chilled and eaten in the summer. When they reached the old locust tree at the village entrance, Ye Qingyu slowed down and glanced at him.
"What my dad said at the dinner table just now wasn't just about me being happy that I could stay a little longer."
Su Ran paused for a moment. "Then what's there to be happy about?"
"He's happier that you're willing to stay and help him save this land," Ye Qingyu said. "Those fields are the culmination of his life's work."
He used to think he was too old and there was nothing he could do. Now that you've come, he sees hope. He wants to thank you, but he's too embarrassed to do so, so he's using me as an excuse."
After listening, Su Ran didn't say anything, but took a step and then stopped, looking back at the field in the distance.
"I know," he said.
The next day, Su Ran got up as soon as it was light. He squatted down by the field he had looked at the day before, grabbed a handful of soil, rubbed it together, and smelled it.
This plot of land still has potential, it's just been overexploited. He stood up and glanced back at the yard— his Father Ye had already come out carrying a hoe.
"What's the plan for today?" Father Ye asked, standing on the edge of the field, his voice a few decibels louder than usual.
"First, turn over the soil and loosen the top layer of hard soil," Su Ran said. "You don't need to turn it over too deep, just break up the surface."
Without asking any further questions, Father Ye went straight to the field.
When Ye Qingyu brought out breakfast, the two of them had already been working in the field for quite a while.
She stood on the edge of the field, watching Su Ran bend over and turn the soil, her trouser legs covered in mud, but her movements no longer seemed as clumsy as on the first day.
Although her father was covered in sweat, he had a smile on his face and looked very energetic. She didn't call them to eat; she just stood there watching for a while, then turned around and went back to keep the food warm.
The news that Old Ye's fields needed to be plowed again spread faster than expected.
The next afternoon, several people stood at the edge of the field watching them from a distance. Some squatted on the edge of the field, squinting at the color of the soil they had turned over, muttering, "This is turned over too shallowly, what good will it do?"
Two more days passed, and even more people were standing at the edge of the field. After Su Ran and the others finished work, someone squatted down in the field, turned over a handful of soil, rubbed it in his palm, and turned to the person next to him, saying, "Isn't this just a waste of time? They turned a perfectly good field upside down like this. Are we even going to plant anything next year?"
Another voice chimed in, " Old Ye, why is he listening to some young outsider giving him such bad advice?"
"He's Soul Master, what do you know?"
" Soul Master can farm? How many years has he ever farmed?"
The words drifted over from across the paddy field; Su Ran could hear them, and so could Father Ye. Uncle Ye's hoe paused only for a moment, Su Ran didn't stop, and neither of them replied.
On the fifth day, someone walked directly to the edge of the field and said to Uncle Ye, " Old Ye, are you going to ruin the land?"
Uncle Ye straightened up, glanced at the person who spoke, and said, "Just because the old method didn't work doesn't mean this one taught by Little Su won't work. I still want to try it again." After saying that, he bent down again and continued flipping through the sieve. Su Ran, standing beside him, didn't look up and kept working.
And so, Su Ran began her life of farming with Father Ye.
A few days later, someone knocked on the gate of Old Ye's house.
Mother Ye opened the door, and standing outside was a woman from a neighboring village, holding the hand of a seven or eight-year-old boy. The boy timidly hid behind her, only showing half of his face.
When the woman saw Mother Ye, she first greeted her with a smile, then looked into the yard and asked, "Sister-in-law... is your daughter home?"
"She just went out, I don't know when she'll be back." Mother Ye then asked curiously, "And you are...?"
The woman rubbed her hands together and quickly introduced herself, "I'm from your neighboring village— Willow Tree Village." She paused, hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help but ask, "Sister-in-law, this child at home..."
Her Martial Soul Awakening last year, but the people from the Spirit Hall in town haven't come. I heard your daughter is Soul Master, so I was thinking of asking her to take a look..."
Mother Ye understood, and subconsciously glanced back at the courtyard. Su Ran was sitting under the shade of a tree, checking on the growth of the rice seedlings. Mother Ye thought for a moment and continued, "My daughter isn't here, but my son-in-law is also Soul Master. Why don't we let him take a look first?"
The woman paused for a moment, then glanced into the courtyard. "Son-in-law?"
Mother Ye smiled and said naturally, "Yes, it's my daughter's boyfriend. They've been dating for quite a while, and she brought him home to meet us. We all think he's a good guy."
The woman nodded quickly. "Congratulations! You already have a son-in-law..."
She offered her congratulations, but her eyes had already glanced into the yard several times, and the little boy she was holding timidly shrank behind her.
The woman hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help but ask, "Sister-in-law, your daughter isn't here today... could you please ask your son-in-law to help keep an eye on things?"
"There's no problem with that," said Mother Ye. "The child's matter is important. I believe Little Su will be happy to help. Let's give it a try."
After she finished speaking, she called out into the yard, " Little Su, come here for a second!"
Hearing the noise, Su Ran stood up from under the shade of the tree and walked over. Seeing a strange woman and a child standing at the door, she had a guess in her mind and asked Mother Ye, "Aunt Ye, what's wrong?"
Mother Ye pointed at the child. "This child's Martial Soul Awakening has been delayed, could you help take a look?"
Su Ran nodded, then squatted down to be at eye level with the child. "Little friend, what's your name?"
The little boy looked at him, then at his mother, and whispered, "... Shitou."
"Hey Shitou, try holding this ball in your hand."
Su Ran took out a soul-testing ball from the Mustard Seed Storage, squatted down in front of the Shitou, and handed the ball over.
Shitou hesitated for a moment, then reached out and cupped the ball in his hands. The ball remained still for a few moments in his palms, then emitted a faint, steady light.
Su Ran glanced at it. "It has Soul Power. It's just not awakened yet and needs an awakening ceremony."
Shitou Mother's eyes lit up immediately. "Really? Really?"
"It really is." Su Ran put the soul-testing ball away. "Bring the child over tomorrow morning, and I'll help him with his awakening."
After expressing her gratitude, Shitou's mother excitedly took Shitou back to Willow Tree Village. On the way back, she kept muttering to herself, "I have to come earlier tomorrow."