Su Ran woke up before dawn the next day.
He crossed the courtyard, pushed open the gate, walked along the ridge to the experimental field, and squatted down. Dew soaked his trouser legs and shoes, but he didn't care and pressed his hands to the soil.
The moment my palm touched the ground, that familiar warmth washed over me again, a little less intense than last night, like someone waking up and still savoring something from a dream.
Su Ran had been replaying the words of the God of Rice in her mind all night. It wasn't nervousness or fear, but a feeling of excitement at being recognized.
The God of Rice affirmed that he was on the right path, and that the path was longer than he had imagined.
Su Ran pondered the phrase "Starting from this land, let the surrounding fields come alive" over and over again.
Previously, Su Ran could only study his own Wind Grain Martial Soul, figuring out its patterns on his own. Now, the God of Rice has given him a path—
Let him explore a wider world, observe the growth patterns of different crops, and understand the deep connection between plants and the land.
This is not just helping someone farm, but also giving him an opportunity to improve his understanding of his own Martial Soul.
He stood up and glanced at the fields beside him. Some belonged to others, while others had been abandoned for years, overgrown with weeds, and piled with withered branches and broken tiles that no one had bothered to clear.
He looked at it for a while, estimated which section would be most convenient to start flipping through, and then turned around and walked back.
During breakfast, Su Ran mentioned to Father Ye, "Uncle, I want to work on those other abandoned fields as well. Working on just one piece isn't enough; we need to connect the land."
Upon hearing this, Father Ye didn't ask any further questions, only saying, "The owners of those plots of land are no longer farming them. If you want to use them, go ahead. I'll just let them know."
Su Ran nodded.
After finishing Shitou meal, Shi Tou followed Su Ran into the field. He squatted on the edge of the field, placed his hands on the turned soil, closed his eyes to sense it for a while, and then opened his eyes. "Teacher, this is a little warmer than yesterday."
"That's right," Su Ran said. "Today I'll teach you the second step."
The Shitou looked up at him.
"It's not enough for you to just sense it," Su Ran said, squatting down beside him. "You need to try channeling your Soul Power into it yourself, so that the land can also sense you."
Shitou paused for a moment. "... How do I import it?"
"Start with your palms," Su Ran said. "Imagine a path leading from your body to your palms, and then from your palms to the earth. Don't exert any force; just let your Soul Power flow downwards on its own."
Shitou closed his eyes and tried for a while, his brow furrowed, as if he couldn't find the way. After a while, he opened his eyes. "It seems... there isn't one."
"No rush," Su Ran said. "Just try it once a day. You've already reached the point where you can sense it, which is faster than many others."
Shitou nodded and pressed his hand back into the soil. This time he lingered a little longer, quietly feeling the faint warmth in his palm. On the third try, he said, "It seems to be... moving down a little bit."
"That's right," Su Ran said. "We don't need much, just a little bit each day is fine."
The nearby abandoned fields also began to be disturbed. Su Ran and Father Ye spent two days clearing away the surface weeds and turning the soil over again.
Father Ye moved much more nimbly than before. Sometimes, after turning over a piece of land, he would straighten up and look into the distance, as if he were assessing which areas were worth working on.
Several households in the village also joined in. They listened carefully when Su Ran stood on the edge of the field to teach them the first day, and the next day some people carried hoes and went down to the fields to start turning the soil and mixing in straw ash according to Su Ran's method.
When Su Ran passed by, she would stop and take a look, occasionally squatting down to dig up the soil to check its dryness and moisture, saying things like, "This patch was turned over well" or "The ash could be thinned out a bit more."
The villagers were initially a little embarrassed, but after hearing Su Ran speak, they gradually relaxed, and some even asked, " Little Su, how deep should we dig?"
Su Ran squatted down and gestured. "About two fingers deep. If it's too deep, the raw soil underneath will come up and it won't be good." The man nodded and squatted down to turn over the soil under his feet.
Someone else handed over a handful of freshly turned soil. "How about this?" Su Ran took it, rubbed it together, looked at it, and smelled it. "It's fine. This soil is finer than yesterday's. We'll turn it again in a few days to let it breathe."
A few days later, he passed by one of the newly plowed fields, squatted down, and dug into the soil to take a look. Father Ye was waiting beside him, watching Su Ran's expression. "What's wrong?"
"This area has a good foundation," Su Ran stood up, "Next year's harvest should be good."
Upon hearing this, Father Ye's lips twitched slightly, but he remained silent.
In the evening, Su Ran sat on the stone steps in the courtyard, her trouser legs covered with dried mud, and the sweat on her forehead dried, leaving a thin layer of salt stains.
Ye Qingyu came out of the house, walked up to him, and handed him a damp towel. "Here, wipe yourself down."
Su Ran took the towel and used it to wipe his face and neck. The towel felt cool and comfortable against his skin. After he finished, he looked up at Ye Qingyu and said, "Thanks."
Ye Qingyu didn't reply, but squatted down next to him, took the towel back from his hand, and folded it neatly.
She squatted down beside him without standing up immediately. The two sat side by side on the stone steps, quietly watching the darkening sky outside the courtyard.
After a while, she spoke up, "You seem more energetic than before."
Su Ran did not answer immediately. He looked towards the direction of the field ridge in the distance. It was almost completely dark, but he could still vaguely see the few clods of freshly turned soil tinged with a light color in the twilight.
"I didn't know which way to go before," he said, "But now I do."
Ye Qingyu didn't ask any more questions. She sat quietly for a while, then stood up and went back inside.
Su Ran didn't go inside immediately. He stood at the gate of the courtyard and glanced again at the direction of the fields in the distance.
The last rays of sunlight fell on the newly turned soil, its color a darker than the surrounding old soil, as if the earth had just had a layer of skin turned over.
The experimental field he cultivated glowed with a deep green light in the twilight, and the rice ears swayed slowly in the wind.
Su Ran could feel a faint warmth emanating from the soil beneath his feet—not a divine message, not a pulse, just the earth responding, thanking him for his help. It was like an acquaintance walking beside you; you didn't speak, but you knew he was there.