Chapter 209 – Strengthening the Spirit
Yan Shuqin did not notice anything unusual. In the eyes of others, Yan Xiaosi was male, and she could never imagine that Tian Dazhuang would have such feelings for Xiaosi.
Hearing Tian Dazhuang’s response, she couldn’t hide the joy on her face. Tian Dazhuang saw her happiness and after a moment of silence, said, “Thank you, Shuqin. Since you don’t dislike me, once I’ve settled things with Yan Shujing, let’s pick an auspicious day to get engaged.”
Yan Xiaosi was male, and in this life, they were destined to be only brothers. With this in mind, he decided to marry this kind-hearted, gentle, and virtuous woman before him, becoming the son-in-law of the Yan family’s third household, and could help Yan Xiaosi share the burden of supporting his family.
Tian Dazhuang’s sudden declaration took Yan Shuqin by surprise. Just yesterday, Tian Dazhuang seemed dispirited, yet today he was willing to marry her, something Yan Shuqin could hardly believe. “Brother Dazhuang, what did you just say?”
Tian Dazhuang looked at her seriously, repeating his words with great sincerity, “Once I’ve settled things with Yan Shujing, Shuqin, let’s get engaged.”
This time, Yan Shuqin heard him loud and clear. “Okay, Brother Dazhuang, I’ll wait for you.”
Seeing her touched expression, Tian Dazhuang smiled, “It’s almost noon. You should head back to the mountain now. I’ll help here a bit longer before going home.”
“Brother Dazhuang, then I’ll leave it to you.”
It was past noon when they returned to the cave on Big Sister Peak. Having eaten their fill of dumplings in the morning, Ms. Zhong made a few cornmeal potstickers and boiled a pot of cabbage soup for lunch.
After lunch and a short rest, Ms. Zhong, Yan Shuqin, and her sisters went into the mountains to pick mushrooms.
The wild mushrooms they hadn’t finished eating were boiled briefly by Ms. Zhong, then drained and set to dry. Dried mushrooms were easy to store; they could be sold at the Daxing Town market or kept for adding to dishes in winter.
Yan Xiaosi, carrying a sickle, followed them to the cave entrance, then suddenly bent over, clutching her stomach. Yan Shuqin, seeing her in pain, asked anxiously, “Xiaosi, what’s wrong?”
Yan Xiaosi looked up at Yan Shuqin with a pained expression, “I think I ate too many dumplings this morning; my stomach hurts a bit.”
Remembering how Xiaosi had overeaten that morning, Yan Shuqin’s face showed an exasperated expression. “You silly girl, who told you to eat so many dumplings in the morning?”
Hearing the indulgent tone in her voice, Yan Xiaosi grinned sheepishly, “Mom’s pork and cabbage dumplings were just too delicious. I was greedy, and before I knew it, I had eaten too much.”
Ms. Zhong sighed with concern. The children had grown up experiencing hunger, and now that they encountered delicious food, they couldn’t help but overindulge.
“Xiaosi, if your stomach hurts, just rest inside the cave.” “Mom loves me the most.”
Yan Xiaosi gave Ms. Zhong a coquettish smile, then turned around, clutching her stomach, and walked back into the cave, groaning as she lay down on the bed.
Once the sound of Ms. Zhong and the others’ footsteps had faded, she immediately got up from the bed, focused for a moment, and entered her Portable Space.
She hadn’t practiced in her Portable Space for the last two days, so she pretended to have a stomachache, seizing the opportunity to stay in the cave while Ms. Zhong and the others went mushroom picking.
Upon entering the Portable Space, Yan Xiaosi first went to the spiritual spring to plant the few Sanqi roots she had dug up the day before. Arriving at the spiritual spring, she was surprised to find that the He Shou Wu she had planted not long ago had already grown lush and verdant leaves, leaving her staring in astonishment.
To make it easier to transplant, she had trimmed off the He Shou Wu vines, leaving only the roots about the size of an egg planted in the soil. If such roots were planted in the outside world, they might have just sprouted in such a short period.
She had wondered how the previous owner of the Portable Space, Yan Nanfeng, managed to grow so much food in the small plot under the townhouse’s basement. Now, witnessing the accelerated growth rate of plants in this Portable Space, she understood. The constant temperature and perpetual daylight in the Portable Space, coupled with the extraordinary growth of plants, meant that it was possible to harvest several crops of rice or corn throughout the year. The food stored in the townhouse’s basement was merely due to Yan Nanfeng’s laziness; with diligence, the harvest could have flooded the entire house.
Seeing the He Shou Wu thriving, she quickly dug a few holes and planted the Sanqi roots. These two medicinal herbs were inexpensive when small, but greatly valuable when large, especially human-shaped He Shou Wu and Sanqi, which could be worth more than wild ginseng.
After planting the Sanqi and watering it with the spring water, she went to the third floor of the townhouse to practice cultivation in the training room. After meditating for nearly half an hour, she introspected her spiritual consciousness.
In the dark imaginary space, there was a dazzling light, at the center of which was her condensed spiritual consciousness. In her previous introspections, the light was only the size of a fist, with the core, her condensed spiritual consciousness, being the size of a walnut. Today, she found that the light had expanded to the size of a cantaloupe, with the core as large as a man’s fist.
The ancient texts left by Yan Nanfeng recorded that the stronger the spiritual consciousness, the more powerful the psychic force the cultivator could emit. Recalling this text, she was overjoyed. No wonder she had been feeling more refreshed and spirited these past few days.
After examining her spiritual sea, she continued her cultivation. Time passed quietly in the Portable Space, and almost another hour went by unnoticed. In the outside world, it was already the time for the afternoon sun to set.
Ms. Zhong, Yan Shuqin, and her sisters returned with two baskets full of wild mushrooms, entering the cave to find it dim without the oil lamp lit. Yan Shuxue lit the lamp by the stove, illuminating the cave.
Ms. Zhong scanned the cave and didn’t see Yan Xiaosi, becoming instantly anxious. When they left, Yan Xiaosi had complained of a stomachache; she feared something might have happened. “Xiaosi, Xiaosi, Xiaosi!” she called out three times without hearing a reply, growing more worried. She quickly set down her basket and told the Yan sisters, “Xiaosi is missing, let’s quickly look for her.”
Yan Xiaosi, hearing Ms. Zhong’s anxious voice from within the Portable Space, quickly opened her eyes, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and exited the Portable Space.
As Ms. Zhong and her daughters stepped outside the cave, they bumped into Yan Xiaosi, relieving their worries upon seeing her safe and sound.
Holding her stomach, Yan Xiaosi appeared slightly pale. “Mom, big sister, second sister, third sister, you’re back. How many mushrooms did you pick today?”
