Chapter 13: Tending the Fields

"Boom——!!!"

In the distance, the sky erupted with a rumble that made one's heart clench, causing Meow Meow, resting on Ling Yi's knee, to instinctively arch its back.

Ling Yi turned towards the direction of the sound, just in time to witness another streak of blinding light dance across the horizon.

Squinting slightly, after waiting for nearly ten breaths, he was met with another wave of thunder in his ears. Ling Yi then called out to the group of more than twenty who were working the soil nearby:

"Grandpa! Grandpa-in-law! Dad! Uncle! Brother Lei!... It's going to rain! Let's head home first!"

Upon hearing the shout, no one immediately stopped what they were doing. Instead, they continued swinging their tools—hoes and their spirit weapons, "Hoes"—at the fields in front of them a few more times before finally pausing.

Waving goodbye to the village elders, their faces adorned with smiles, Ling Yi followed Ling Changqing and others as they quickened their pace towards Ling Xiaoshan's home.

It was their turn to dine at the Ling household today.

"Boom——!"

"Splash——!!"

Just as luck would have it, as the three generations of men from the Ling and Zhang families—six in all—stepped inside, the thunder, once in the distance, erupted directly overhead. Simultaneously, spring rain began to pour down in torrents.

As soon as Ling Yi entered the house, he ignored Zhang Xin and Ling Shan playing in the corner of the main hall and didn't join his father, Ling Xiaoshan, and the others to wash the dirt from their hands and faces at the kitchen door. Instead, he dashed straight back to his small room.

Watching Ling Yi's retreating figure, neither Ling Xiaoshan nor Zhang Lei called out to stop him and ask him to freshen up first. After all, Ling Yi hadn't been working in the fields but had been leisurely resting among the "Blue Silver Grass" on the field ridge, unlike the others, who were all sweaty and dirty.

However, Zhang Xin and Ling Shan in the corner put down their clay and wooden toys, got up, and followed him into Ling Yi's room.

When Zhang Lei had finished washing up and pushed open Ling Yi's room door, he saw his younger brother Zhang Xin sitting obediently with Ling Shan on a bench, quietly watching Ling Yi work methodically at a small square table.

Just as Zhang Lei arrived, Ling Yi was about to finish his task.

Ling Yi picked the last milky-white, pebble-like seed from the clay bowl, wrapped it in a ball of dark brown mud, washed the dirt from his fingers using the remaining clear water in the clay bowl, and began tidying up the small table in front of him.

"A-Yi~"

Zhang Lei approached and glanced at the row of a dozen fist-sized mud balls, knowing each contained a small "stone."

This scene had been repeating for the past ten days, with Ling Yi preparing at least a dozen, sometimes up to forty such balls each day.

"This rain outside, who knows when it will stop..." Zhang Lei turned his head to glance at the already shut window, listening to the sound of rain falling on the roof, and remarked, "It might be a while before you can plant these in the old woods."

"It's okay~"

With the help of Zhang Lei, Zhang Xin, and Ling Shan, Ling Yi placed each mud ball under the room's window, in pots growing "Blue Silver Grass."

Holding up the now murky clay bowl of water, he walked toward the door and said, "You saw this around the same time last year as well. Leaving these seeds for another couple of days won't matter. The rain isn't likely to last for two days straight, after all—"

"But with the rain pouring down like this, it won't be easy to work in the fields afterward—"

As they said this, the four of them moved to the main room, where Zhang Lei took the two little ones to the corner to play with their toys. Meanwhile, Ling Yi headed outside to wash his hands and clean the clay bowl in the kitchen.

Before long, three square tables—two large and one small—were set up in the spacious main room. One table seated the two patriarchs, Ling Xiaoshan and Zhang Dahe, along with Ling Yi, while the other seated the grandmothers and all the household's women—his mother and aunts. Ling Yi and Zhang Lei naturally joined Zhang Xin and Ling Shan at the children's table.

Apart from the dishes served to the old men working hard in the fields, the dishes on the three tables were almost the same. Brightly colored stir-fried vegetables complemented the indispensable egg and fish soup that both families enjoyed at each meal.

After lunch, the weather turned favorable. The torrential rain outside had lessened significantly, with hopes high it would stop by afternoon.

Indeed, about an hour into the afternoon, the clouds dispersed, and the rain ceased, leaving the sky a clear blue.

It was currently April in the 2595th year of the Douluo Calendar, about half a year since Zhang Lei's martial spirit awakened. Ling Yi had just celebrated his fourth birthday two months ago. Zhang Xin and Ling Shan were one and a half and one year old, respectively.

As these two little ones grew older, both families were officially preparing to welcome more new members, confident that they could afford the upbringing with their current conditions.

After all, in Shanhai Village and the surrounding areas, the more children and grandchildren a family has, the more prosperous they are considered.

This principle stands, whether from the perspective of gaining more influence within the village or increasing the chances of having a child with soul master potential due to a larger family base.

At a certain spot 500 meters away on the outskirts of the old forest.

After tapping the ground several times with a long wooden stick, Ling Yi crouched under a large tree. He reached out with his hands covered by double-layer rabbit fur gloves, cleared away the fallen leaves and mulch, and gently buried a mud ball that Zhang Lei handed to him.

Standing up, he moved to another tree a dozen meters to the left. Disturb the grass, dig a hole, plant the seeds.

He repeated this process many times until finally planting all the mud balls. Zhang Lei approached Ling Yi, took the gloves stained with dark brown soil, put them into the backpack, and then took out a yellow-skinned gourd. Tilting it slightly, he slowly poured out the clear water inside, allowing Ling Yi to rub and wash his hands, sweaty from wearing the gloves.

"Phew—"

Ling Yi straightened up and looked around. Although what met his eyes was no different from before, his heart leaped with a flicker of joy.

"Ah Yi~"

Zhang Lei stuffed the gourd's mouth, placed it back into the backpack, mimicking Ling Yi's scanning motion as he asked, "Can these ginseng seeds survive?"

"Last year, the ones we planted didn't bear those little red berries..."

"Don't worry~" Ling Yi shook his head and said, "Whether these ginseng can take root depends on our luck. Most of the ones we planted last year did sprout and flower. As for bearing fruit... we have to wait a few years."

Hearing this, Zhang Lei's face fell. "Years?"

"Mm—" Ling Yi nodded calmly. "How long exactly, I can't say, but there will definitely be a harvest eventually."

"Let's go~"

Seeing Ah Huang marking his territory under a tree in the distance, with Meow Meow perched on a branch above, clutching a wild chicken in her mouth, Ling Yi gestured for Zhang Lei to follow him, "Let's dig up one of the ginseng roots we found last year for dinner—"

"Ah—?"

Zhang Lei, initially smiling at Meow Meow's catch, suddenly froze, a twitch at the corner of his eye.

Hastening to catch up with Ling Yi, he whispered, "Ah Yi, how about we make beggar's chicken tonight? Or maybe grilled or braised chicken—"

"If not…" Seeing no change in Ling Yi's expression, Zhang Lei pursed his lips and hesitated before continuing, "Chicken soup would do, but…without ginseng, alright?"

"Chicken soup with ginseng tastes too strange!"

"It's not chicken soup at all!"

"We're not like you, eating a stalk of Silversweet Grass every day since you were one. That stuff may have a hint of sweetness but mostly tastes bitter and astringent. Only you can bear it, sticking to it without missing a day…"

In the tranquil, ancient forest, Zhang Lei's restrained voice echoed softly, revealing the speaker's resignation and admiration.

(End of Chapter)