latelenovela Chapter 9 The Old Man's Advice
Chapter 9 The Old Man's Advice
Lin Yue composed herself, picked up her youngest child, grabbed the camper van, and took the child to pick up her eldest and second eldest children from school. Along the way, Lin Yue's thoughts kept drifting back to the mysterious Sumeru Ring and the various magical seeds inside.
After picking up her two eldest children, the kids chattered excitedly about the fun things that happened at school. Lin Yue listened with a smile, and her fatigue lessened a bit.
Back home, Lin Yue immediately started preparing dinner, washing, chopping, and stir-frying the vegetables, keeping herself incredibly busy. Her husband also returned and helped set the table. The family then sat around the dining table, enjoying a warm and cozy dinner together.
After dinner, Lin Yue and her husband helped their children with their homework. The children sometimes thought seriously and sometimes mischievously, and the room was filled with laughter and occasional small arguments.
After finally getting the children to sleep peacefully, Lin Yue breathed a sigh of relief and slumped onto the sofa. The day's work had left her feeling exhausted, but looking at her children's adorable sleeping faces, she felt it was all worthwhile.
Lin Yue knew that tomorrow would be another new day, and she might still be busy, but as long as her family was by her side, she would have endless strength to face it.
The night was quiet, with only the children and husband snoring softly, their snores deafening. Then Lin Yue spoke with the remnant soul Xueyang: "Tonight, let's take the seeds to the black soil and plant them, and see what grows." Xueyang agreed: "Go ahead." Then, Xueyang earnestly said, "Pay attention to that cauldron. It's quite old, and although some of its words may be unpleasant to hear, it has existed in this world for millions of years. Some of its words can help you grow."
Lin Yue nodded gently: "I understand, Xueyang, thank you for reminding me."
Then, Lin Yue quietly got up, careful not to wake her sleeping family. She silently entered the space of her Sumeru Ring, carrying the precious seeds, and headed towards the mysterious black soil. However, upon arriving, she discovered she had no tools—no digging tools, no soil-digging tools. She then returned to the room where the seeds were kept and searched everywhere. She had planned to buy them the next day, but suddenly she saw a corner of the seed storage room covered by a straw curtain. Pulling back the curtain, she found all the farming tools inside, brand new, seemingly brand new.
Lin Yue was overjoyed, thinking it was a timely help. She picked up a hoe and examined it closely. The blade was sharp, and the handle was smooth, as if it had never been used. There were also shovels, rakes, and other tools—everything was there.
Lin Yue picked out a suitable hoe and returned to the black soil. She rolled up her sleeves, ready to get to work. At first, she was a little rusty and her hoe swing was unsteady, but gradually she found the knack.
She hoeed the ground with all her might, stroke after stroke, until fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. The night breeze brought a touch of coolness, but it could not dampen her enthusiasm for work.
As Lin Yue worked, she imagined the seeds sprouting, growing, and maturing, and a slight smile crept onto her lips. After what seemed like an eternity, she finally cultivated a small patch of land.
She carefully sowed the seeds and then gently covered them with soil using a rake. After finishing, Lin Yue straightened up, wiped the sweat from her brow, and looked at the fruits of her labor with satisfaction.
As the night deepened, Lin Yue left the space of the Sumeru Ring, filled with anticipation.
She noticed that the time outside was different from the time inside. One hour outside was equivalent to four hours inside. Because Lin Yue had been busy inside for four hours, when she came out, it was only one hour later than when she went in, a ratio of 1:4.
The next morning, after dropping her child off at school, Lin Yue took Xiao Bao to a market selling insects, birds, flowers, and trees. The market was bustling with activity. Lin Yue carried Xiao Bao as they strolled among the various stalls.
She bought some vegetable seeds, including tender green spinach seeds and plump cucumber seeds. Then, her gaze was drawn to the fruit tree seedlings. She picked out cherry trees, and looking at the juicy cherry saplings, she could almost see the trees laden with bright red cherries. Next, she bought a grapevine, imagining the beautiful sight of bunches of glistening grapes hanging from the branches. Then, she saw the mango tree, and its lush foliage captivated her.
As Lin Yue selected items, she haggled with the stall owner, while Xiao Bao excitedly waved its arms and legs in her arms. Before long, Lin Yue had a full haul. Carrying these treasures, she couldn't wait to return home and plant them in the space of her Sumeru Ring. Back home, Lin Yue asked the remnant soul Xue Yang, "Can I take Xiao Bao into my space?" The remnant soul Xue Yang replied, "That's uncertain. Go buy a chicken or a rabbit to experiment with."
Then Lin Yue took Xiao Bao out again. This time, they went to the flower and bird market again. Because Lin Yue drove her own car this time, she bought more. She also bought cherry saplings, apples, pears, and dragon fruit. Basically, she bought almost every kind of fruit available in the market, filling the trunk to the brim. She also bought a pair of ducks, a pair of geese, six chickens, four rabbits, and several fish.
Lin Yue returned home with a full load of treasures. Along the way, Xiao Bao excitedly pointed out the window, babbling in words only he could understand. After arriving home, Lin Yue didn't even have time to rest before starting to plan how to settle these new members into the Sumeru Space.
She drove the car to a secluded corner, away from security cameras. After looking around to make sure no one was watching, Lin Yue stored everything from the car in an open area within her spatial storage. Then, carrying her baby and a potted plant, she went home.
When they got home, Lin Yue put Xiao Bao in the living room, turned on the TV for Xiao Bao to watch, and then went into the space to check if the animals were still alive. She found that the animals were all fine; after she went into the space, they were still jumping around in their cages.
"Well," Lin Yue asked Xue Yang, "If the animals are jumping around like this, can Xiao Bao come in?"
Xueyang said, "Animals can come in, so it should be okay."
Then Lin Yue left the space, picked up Xiao Bao, and entered the space. After entering the space, she saw that Xiao Bao was fine, so Lin Yue laid an outdoor rug on the black soil and let Xiao Bao play inside. She put some toys and snacks there, and Xiao Bao sat there playing.
Lin Yue began her busy day by planting all the saplings she had bought at the flower and bird market. She marked the area on the edge of the black soil and planted them there. Then she divided the black soil into smaller plots and planted the vegetables and fruits she had bought. Besides planting one-third wheat and one-third rice, she also planted a lot of other things, such as corn, carrots, tomatoes, watermelons, eggplants, peppers, chives, garlic, cilantro, scallions, houttuynia cordata, Chinese cabbage, and radishes. She bought some of every common vegetable available in the market and planted a small corner of it, about 30 or so plants of each kind.
Lin Yue worked tirelessly, her clothes soaked with sweat, but a satisfied smile graced her face. Only after all the seeds and saplings were in place did Lin Yue finally breathe a sigh of relief. She sat down beside Xiao Bao, gently wiping the sweat from her brow. Looking at Xiao Bao's innocent and cheerful face, her heart was filled with warmth and happiness.
Lin Yue sat down next to Xiao Bao to rest, drank some water with him, and played with him for a while. Suddenly, the old man from Huoyun Peak said, "Little friend, hello! Xiao Yue, Lin Yue, Xiao Yue, yes, yes, Xiao Yue. Aren't you tired after you've finished planting all the fields?" Lin Yue said, "I must be very tired."
Why are you planting so much? Your family of five can't possibly eat this much. Mingyue said, "Because Gong Yong and I have reduced our income, if I can grow these, we can reduce a lot of expenses. If possible, we're thinking of selling them to make some money."
The old man said, "Let's grow them for our own consumption first. As for selling them, we'll wait and see. The wheat and millet aren't seeds we bought from outside; they're seeds from within our own space. We'll see what the difference is after they've grown, and then we'll see if we can sell them."
Lin Yue listened to the old man's words and thought they made sense, so she nodded and said, "Alright then, let's see how it turns out."
The old man continued, "The seeds in this space are all extraordinary; there might be a pleasant surprise."
A hint of anticipation flashed in Lin Yue's eyes: "I really hope for a good outcome."
Xiao Bao exclaimed happily from the side, "So many vegetables and fruits!" as if he too was happy for this hopeful field.
Lin Yue picked up Xiao Bao and said, "No matter what, let's try our best to plant it well, and it will pay off eventually."
A gentle breeze, carrying hope and anticipation, drifts across this vibrant land.
The next day, Lin Yue went into the space to check and found that it had already started to sprout. Because the time ratio was 1:4, it might take a month outside for it to be harvested inside.
Meanwhile, Lin Yue's other vegetables began to yield harvests in the second week. For example, the scallions had grown quite tall, their slender leaves swaying gently in the breeze, as if showing off their vitality to Lin Yue. The garlic had sprouted quite a bit, its tender green tips brimming with life. The houttuynia cordata had been planted, its fresh, tender stems making one yearn to taste it. The tomatoes had begun to bud, each small bud hinting at a future bountiful harvest. The cabbages were starting to close, their layers of leaves gradually gathering, displaying their growth. The radishes had grown round and round, their plump white stems half-exposed above the soil, quite adorable.
The eggplants have already borne fruit, their deep purple color looking especially tempting against the backdrop of green leaves. The chili peppers have already blossomed, bearing small, red, and green chilies that resemble strings of tiny lanterns, adding much color to this land.
Looking at this vibrant scene, Lin Yue felt a surge of joy and a sense of accomplishment. She could almost picture her family sitting together, enjoying the fresh vegetables.
Four months have passed in the blink of an eye. Lin Yue said to the remnant soul Xue Yang, "Xue Yang, it's been almost four months since you and I got together. Last month I managed to cultivate that wisp of Qi, and I've spent the last month growing vegetables and farming. Well, my cultivation hasn't fallen behind either. I'm getting better and better now, and I can basically finish writing Fu Lu in one go. Um, I'm currently in a very tight financial situation. I'm thinking of taking the vegetables from my space out to sell. Do you think that's okay?"
The old man suddenly jumped out and said, "No, the vegetables grown here are too fresh and tender, and too full of spiritual energy. If a cultivator discovers the special nature of these vegetables, you will be targeted very quickly and may be arrested and questioned about the origin of these vegetables. What will you say then?"
Lin Yue frowned, looking troubled: "But if we don't sell some vegetables to earn money, our family's finances will be in dire straits."
Xueyang pondered for a moment and said, "The old man's concerns are not without merit. Why don't we think of other ways to make money?"
Lin Yue sighed: "What other options are there?"
For a moment, all three of them fell into deep thought.
After a while, Xueyang's eyes lit up: "Why don't we take the ordinary fruits we grow in the space out and sell them? Fruits shouldn't attract attention so easily."
The old man shook his head: "We have to be careful and not sell them in large quantities."
Lin Yue nodded: "Then let's try a small amount first and see how it goes."
Therefore, Lin Yue decided to first select some ordinary fruits from the space and try to sell them at the market, hoping to alleviate the family's financial pressure.
In the end, Lin Yue didn't sell the ordinary fruit. The difference between the fruit inside the space and the fruit outside was too great. The fruit containing spiritual energy had some medicinal properties, the aroma was too strong, and the quality was too good. In the end, Lin Yue kept the fruit for herself and didn't dare to sell it.
Gong Yong also noticed the changes at home: the fruit suddenly tasted exceptionally good, and the meals tasted particularly delicious. He also noticed his wife's transformation; her body, which had resembled that of a woman nearing 50, gradually became supple and radiant, her face as smooth as a peeled egg. Her body also slowly slimmed down, losing weight in all the right places. Lin Yue went from 158 pounds to almost 130 pounds, losing nearly 20 pounds, and still retaining her former charm.
Gong Yong asked Lin Yue curiously, "Wife, things have changed so much at home lately. Do you have some secret?" Lin Yue smiled and said, "There's no secret. Maybe we've just been having good luck lately." Gong Yong didn't believe her and pressed on, "Don't hide it from me, tell me!" Lin Yue hesitated for a moment, then decided not to tell her husband about the Sumeru Space for the time being, only vaguely saying, "I've just been eating healthier lately, and I've been exercising more." Gong Yong was skeptical, but didn't delve any further.
As for Lin Yue herself, looking at her increasingly beautiful self in the mirror, her heart was filled with confidence and joy. She knew that all of this was due to the changes brought about by the Sumeru Space, and she cherished the existence of this secret even more.