Laid off

"We broke up ages ago. I'm just a mountain kid. Why would she marry me? Buy a home? Could people like us even dream of buying a home in Shenzhen City?" Ye Huan thought of that pretty girl in the white dress, but he wasn't particularly sad. Who could have imagined she would become so materialistic the moment she left school?

They were adults now, and she considered things more comprehensively, so he hadn't stopped her from looking for love again. That day, he watched her get into a BMW, and their relationship ended.

"Ah, she just didn't have the good fortune. I'll have my friends in town introduce you to a few girls," his mother declared forcefully.

"Please don't, Mom. I'm focusing on my career for the next few years. We can talk about it later." Ye Huan's head ached. This was why he wasn't particularly keen on calling his parents home: the marriage nagging.

His grandfather sipped his liquor, cheerfully enjoying his grandson's predicament.

Ye Huan took out his phone and transferred three million yuan to his mother. "I'll keep one and a half million. Some people are coming this afternoon. I'm going to renovate the courtyard, put in a bathroom, and redo the kitchen."

Ye Huan's parents had worked in the city too and were used to mobile payments, so his mother didn't say much. "Do as you see fit!" She saw that her husband had fallen asleep; otherwise, she would have dragged him into town to deposit the money. She didn't dare keep so much money on her.

The Ye family's small building had only been built a few years ago, so it wasn't old or structurally unsafe. When the courtyard was renovated, they could repaint the exterior walls and do some simple interior renovations, and that would be enough.

He was living there himself, not preparing a marital home. It didn't matter; his own comfort came first.

Whatever the case, wouldn't it be better than the dozen-or-so-square-meter place he had rented while working, which still cost over a thousand yuan a month?

The construction crew arrived that afternoon, agreed on a price, and got straight to work. Fortunately, it was all renovation work, so no heavy machinery needed to be brought in. The heaviest job was digging a septic tank.

These days, Ye Huan didn't need to water every day either; once every two days was enough. His parents took over all the work in the fields. Knowing their son had struck it rich, and that the daily vegetable deliveries now brought in several thousand yuan, they burst with tremendous enthusiasm.

To his dismay, Ye Huan discovered that he had been laid off again. He didn't even need to grow vegetables anymore. All he had to do was dilute the Spirit Spring Water in the large water vat, and he had nothing else to do. As his father put it, "Your mother and I have farmed for decades. Could we really be worse at it than you?"

One sentence had left Ye Huan out of a job, but he was happy to enjoy the leisure. He only reminded them over and over not to spray pesticides. His parents nodded in understanding. After all, the vegetables sold for thirty yuan a jin; they didn't dare mess around.

They even took the opportunity to criticize him. "You've only got this little bit of land, yet you plant half and leave half empty. You really are something. Why do I find it so hard to believe you came back to farm?"

"I planted watermelons and strawberries. Aren't they almost ripe?" Ye Huan said.

"Oh, get out of here. That tiny patch? What are you leaving that whole plot empty for?" His father mercilessly exposed him.

With no answer, Ye Huan fled in defeat, taking Saihu into the mountains again. He brought Xiaobai along too, to let his father see how he was doing. His son was fine and had even grown plump.

When he reached his family's woodland on the mountain behind the house, he discovered that some fruit trees had borne fruit. On the few trees he had given special attention, the peaches were already ripe.

He casually picked one of a variety called honey peach, rinsed it with water, and bit into it with a crunch. Juice burst through his mouth. "Holy shit, this peach! Isn't it way too delicious? Yeah, it has to be because of the spring water. Haha, I'm going to strike it rich again."

As he looked at those few trees, it was as though he wasn't looking at fruit trees, but money trees. His eyes began to shine.

"I'll pick some on the way back and have Dad take them over tomorrow. Hehe, I'll let you taste them for free, then you name your price. This time, I won't agree unless I'm satisfied. These aren't vegetables, after all."

One man, one dog, and one wolf arrived at the spot where Xiaobai had been injured. "Xiaobai, do you know the way home? Lead the way."

"Awoo!" Xiaobai got down and circled around, then settled on a direction and hurried forward. Saihu kept up easily.

To his surprise, Ye Huan discovered that he could keep pace with those two without even trying his hardest. Watching himself weave rapidly through the woods, he could hardly believe it.

"Holy shit, am I this awesome now? At this speed, and in the woods too, wouldn't even Bolt be left eating my farts?"

"How long have I even been cultivating this Dao Scripture about longevity or whatever? Even with the spirit spring helping, isn't this way too powerful? Why do I feel like I'm turning into Superman?"

As for his mood, Ye Huan was definitely riding sky-high. Who hadn't dreamed of cultivating immortality? In his dreams, he could soar through the heavens and burrow through the earth, move mountains and fill seas, have wives and concubines in droves, and children and grandchildren filling the halls.

He let out a happy howl, and actually received an answer. The moment he heard it, Ye Huan knew it was Xiaobai's father, that grayish-white wild wolf.

Soon, the two sides met. Although only a few days had passed, the injury on Xiaobai's leg was already mostly healed. Spirit Spring Water was no joke, after all. Besides, one night, Ye Huan had brought Xiaobai into the space while cultivating. One day outside was ten days inside, so a night outside meant five or six days inside.

Xiaobai circled his father, overjoyed. The wild wolf nuzzled his child, then walked up to Ye Huan and nuzzled him too, expressing his thanks.

"Hehe, you're welcome. Xiaobai's doing great!" Ye Huan worked up the courage to stroke the wild wolf's big head. He realized that now that he had grown powerful, he was no longer afraid.

"Did you just hunt this?" Ye Huan watched as the wild wolf led them farther ahead, where a wild deer lay in a pool of blood.

The wild wolf nodded, dragged the deer to Ye Huan's feet, and nuzzled him again. "For me?" Ye Huan asked with a smile.

Looking at Xiaobai, the wild wolf nodded, then nudged his son over to Ye Huan's feet.

"Got it. I raise your son, and you give me prey, right? Haha, sure. I'll raise Xiaobai for you." Ye Huan guessed that the wild wolf didn't feel comfortable taking Xiaobai hunting, since he had been injured before.

The wild wolf nodded, then played with Xiaobai for a while. Half an hour later, he let out a howl and ran off. Xiaobai seemed to understand, watching his father's retreating figure.

Then he walked over to Ye Huan's feet and whined. "It's okay. We can come back to visit often." Ye Huan crouched down, picked Xiaobai up, and stroked his head as he spoke.

Saihu stared blankly at the wild deer.

"Saihu, look at him, then look at yourself. Ah..." Ye Huan said with a laugh.

"Woof!" Saihu wasn't so easily discouraged. You have to give me a leg to make up for it when we get back.

"You're pretty ugly, but you sure dream pretty. A whole leg, no less." Ye Huan regarded him with disdain.

"Woof!"

"Fine. What can I say when you bring your wife into this? You win!" This time, Ye Huan put the wild deer straight into the Spring Water Space. Dragging it home would have been too tiring.

Saihu and Xiaobai had both been inside the space with him, so it didn't matter.

Saihu knew his master must have put the wild deer into that place he liked. It was just too small, not even big enough for him to run a lap to his heart's content.

"Let's go." Seeing no mushrooms or wild vegetables around, Ye Huan headed home with them. This trip had been to meet Xiaobai's family. Now that they had, they might as well go back.

When they reached the mountain behind the house, Ye Huan took the wild deer out, tied it with vines, and dragged it out. Seeing his father still busy in the fields, he called, "Dad, come give me a hand."