Spirit Grain Ripens

Su Ye made short work of the two bamboo steamers of soup dumplings. He pulled out a tissue, wiped the soy sauce from the corner of his mouth, paid, and left.

Then Su Ye went to the supermarket and bought some gifts for his visit to Auntie Guo before returning to his rented room.

"I can't cultivate anymore, or I'll have to run downstairs and find something to eat again in a little while," Su Ye said helplessly.

Then Su Ye began planning where he should go to make his way. He couldn't go back to the company now...

"How about going back to my hometown and starting a business? I'm a cultivator who's at least caught a glimpse of the path now, and I have the Immortal Spirit Space besides," Su Ye murmured.

"Gradually forgetting, forgetting the time, I need only follow the path ahead, to its deepest reaches, even if it lasts but an instant..."

Just then, Su Ye's phone rang.

Su Ye picked it up and saw that it was his mother calling. He answered.

"Little Ye, are you up yet?"

"Mom, I've been up for ages."

"How's work in the big city? Do you have enough money to get by? If not, I'll send you some more."

"I have enough, Mom, don't worry. I'm working now. How could I still ask you and Dad for money?"

"How can you say that? What doesn't cost money in a big city? Rent, water, electricity, food-they all cost money. How can your internship pay of 1,500 be enough? Besides, you need to hurry up and find a girlfriend. On that salary of yours, you'd have to tighten your belt just to buy a girl a cup of milk tea." Su Ye's mother talked on at length on the other end of the line.

"All right, Mom, I know."

"That's settled, then. I'll have your dad go into town and transfer another 2,000 yuan to you later," she said.

"Mom, you really don't have to..."

Before Su Ye could finish, his mother hung up.

"Ugh, what is all this..." Su Ye said, at a loss for words.

After the call, Su Ye watched TV for a while out of boredom, until Li Zhaozhao came upstairs to call him.

"Brother Su Ye, are you there?" Li Zhaozhao called, knocking on the door.

"Coming, coming," Su Ye called back as he went to open it.

"I'll go downstairs and get the lunch boxes first. Call me when you come down," Li Zhaozhao said.

"Okay, no problem."

Su Ye turned around, picked up the gifts he had just bought, locked his door, and went downstairs.

"Zhaozhao, let's go," Su Ye called from the restaurant entrance.

"Coming." Li Zhaozhao picked up the lunch boxes and walked over to Su Ye. Then the two of them took a taxi to the hospital.

Lingnan First People's Hospital.

Su Ye was back here again, though this time he was visiting.

Li Zhaozhao's mother was staying on the third floor of the hospital's inpatient building.

"Mom, I brought breakfast for you and Auntie," Li Zhaozhao said, pushing open the ward door.

"Oh, come in and put it on the table. Huh? It's Little Ye. Look at you, why did you bring gifts? You're practically family," Auntie Guo said.

Auntie Guo's full name was Guo Shuxiu. She looked to be in her forties, and years of hard work had left crow's-feet at the corners of her eyes. Her thick, glossy short hair was still quite black, however. Though her eyes had single eyelids, they were delicate and bright.

Hearing Auntie Guo's teasing, Li Zhaozhao's face immediately turned bright red, making her look utterly adorable.

"Don't tease me, Auntie Guo. I only came along to visit after Zhaozhao told me you were in the hospital. I heard that eating more nutritious food helps you recover faster, and I just want you to get discharged soon," Su Ye explained as he set the gifts beside the hospital bed.

They chatted for a while. During that time, Su Ye used the excuse of pouring Auntie Guo some water to get her a cup of spiritual-energy water from the Immortal Spirit Space.

"Huh? Why does this water taste so good?"

"It must be because you're so happy," Auntie Guo's older sister teased.

After a while longer, Su Ye excused himself, saying he had something to do, and left Li Zhaozhao and Auntie Guo's older sister at the hospital to look after her.

Seven days passed like that.

Auntie Guo had been discharged just yesterday. Even the doctors were amazed that she had recovered so quickly. Of course, only Su Ye knew the real reason.

On this day, Su Ye stood in the Immortal Spirit Space, looking at the golden spirit grain. He didn't know whether the space's environment was special or the grain's growth cycle was short, but less than three months had passed inside the space, and the grain was already ripe. Its golden heads crowded together, shoulder to shoulder and ear to ear.

During this time, Su Ye had learned two basic spells recorded in Taihe Sixteen Grotto-Heavens. One was called the Qi Observation Technique, and the other was also the Qi Observation Technique...

Ahem, that went off track. The other was called the Sweet Rain Technique.

As its name implied, the Qi Observation Technique allowed one to see a person's fortune, whether good or ill. Once mastered, it could even be used to observe the stars and moon, seeking fortune and avoiding misfortune.

The Sweet Rain Technique summoned a shower of spiritual rain that could spur plant growth. Su Ye had used it several times on the ginseng and Solomon's seal growing in the corner, and they had begun to flourish. The technique consumed a great deal, however. Su Ye had only enough spiritual energy to cast it once, and he had to meditate to replenish it before he could cast it again.

Su Ye took out a sickle, cut the spirit grain down roots and all, and laid it out in bundles. Then he took a large vat he had prepared earlier out of his storage bag, put the grain inside, and began beating it.

After quite a while, Su Ye finally separated the spirit grain from the stalks and packed it into bags. He filled more than ten bags, a little over a thousand jin in total-a bumper harvest.

Once the grain was packed, Su Ye flashed out of the Immortal Spirit Space. Today, he planned to tell his landlady and say goodbye to Li Zhaozhao and her family while he was at it.

That was right. After seeing the wonders of the Immortal Spirit Space, Su Ye planned to return to his hometown and develop agriculture. With the Immortal Spirit Space as his cheat, it was bound to be worth pursuing.

Su Ye spent some time getting ready, then headed to his landlady's home on the third floor.

"Sister Wang, are you there?"

Su Ye called out as he knocked.

"Coming." A soft, gentle voice came from inside.

"Oh? It's Little Ye. Come in and have a seat."

Sister Wang's full name was Wang Sixin. Divorced from her husband, she lived here with her seven- or eight-year-old daughter. She looked to be in her early thirties, with lovely black hair cascading down like a waterfall, curved willow-leaf brows, and a pair of bright eyes that could steal a soul. She had a delicate, straight nose, slightly flushed cheeks, and cherry-red lips like dewy cherries. Her oval face was as lustrous as jade, her tender skin as smooth as ice and snow. Her figure was stunning, and she was charming and alluring.

"Sister Wang, where's Xuanxuan?" Su Ye asked.

Sister Wang's daughter was named Wang Liuxuan.

"Xuanxuan has anorexia. She's in the hospital getting treatment now. I only just got back myself."

"Was there something you needed?" Sister Wang asked.

"Oh, well, I'm planning to go home, so I probably won't be renting the room for the time being," Su Ye said sheepishly.

"That's fine. I'll give you your deposit back in a bit. Just let me know when you're leaving," Sister Wang said.

"Thank you, Sister Wang."

"By the way, Sister Wang, there's an old variety of rice grown back home. It's delicious, but the yield is a little low. My family mailed me a few jin a couple of days ago, and I still have some left. Bring Xuanxuan back tonight, and I'll cook her some congee to try. It might help," Su Ye said.

"Really? Thank you so much, Little Ye." When Sister Wang heard that it might help treat Xuanxuan, her eyes lit up and she grabbed Su Ye's hand.

"There's no need to be so polite with me, Sister Wang." Su Ye awkwardly pulled his hand back.

Sister Wang noticed what she had done and grew a little embarrassed. Blushing, she said, "All right, I'll bring Xuanxuan back tonight."

"Okay, I'll be going now, Sister Wang."

"Mm, take care."