Xia Chen’s expression turned serious. A crucial clue might have just landed in his lap.

He knew the Tian Laibao that Nan’er mentioned. The only son of the prominent Tian family in Qinghe Village, he was the same age as Xia Chen and Nan’er. Tian Laibao’s plump figure and rather simple demeanor were the result of being raised by his grandparents after his father’s death.

Rumor had it that his eight elder sisters were born from different mothers. Even Tian Laibao himself wasn’t the child of Madam Tian, who spent her days devoted to vegetarian meals and Buddhist chants.

The Xia and Tian families had a longstanding feud, and the younger generation’s relationship mirrored the conflict. When Xia Chen had still been considered the village fool, Tian Laibao had thrown stones at him. Dong’er had retaliated, landing a punch that left Tian Laibao with a swollen eye.

“They’re just plain silver bracelets. You’re sharp to notice the similarity,” Dong’er said, unimpressed by his younger brother’s observation. Seeing that Xia Chen seemed to have taken the comment seriously, he hurriedly explained, “Little Uncle, don’t listen to Nan’er’s nonsense. I saw Granny Lei wearing her bracelet just yesterday.”

Xia Chen’s mind whirred. He believed Nan’er. Dong’er, unaware of Granny Lei’s true nature, naturally wouldn’t suspect anything. But a vague idea was beginning to take shape in Xia Chen’s mind.

“Don’t be angry, don’t be angry.” He patted the fuming boy and promised him some snacks, easily placating Nan’er.

After persuading Dong’er to take his younger brother to play, Xia Chen hurried to find his mother, eager to confirm his suspicions.

Mother Xia was in her room, sorting through fabrics and preparing to make spring clothes for the family’s growing children. Last year’s garments had quickly become too small.

“Mom!” Xia Chen rushed in and leaned beside her. With a pout, he complained, “Nan’er said that Tian Laibao bullied him when he went out to play. He wants Dad to teach Tian Laibao a lesson and get revenge for him.”

He propped his face on his hands, feigning a pout while carefully observing his mother’s expression. 

Mother Xia’s smile faded swiftly, replaced by a flash of disgust and disapproval. “Your father is an adult; it’s inappropriate for him to fight with Tian Laibao. Yuanbao, stay away from that boy and don’t let him bully you,” she warned earnestly.

After a moment’s hesitation, she added, “When you go out to play, go together with Dong’er. If Tian Laibao bullies you, let Dong’er handle him.”

Xia Chen blinked. His mother seemed to truly despise Tian Laibao, or perhaps the entire Tian family. Why else would she encourage her grandson to stand up to take direct action?

“Why does Tian Laibao always bully our family?” Xia Chen pressed.

Mother Xia’s expression darkened, as though recalling something unpleasant. “That family is nothing but trouble. Their wicked ways will catch up to them eventually!” Realizing her outburst, she swiftly changed the subject. “Yuanbao, be a good boy. Mom will make you some steamed egg custard.”

Xia Chen knew further questions would only make his mother suspicious, so he put on a wide-eyed, innocent look and followed her to the kitchen.

That evening, after Father Xia returned from work and the family had dinner, Qiao Niang went back to their room with Big Brother Jinzi, while Dong’er and Nan’er bunked together. Xia Chen, usually considered in need of his parents’ care, had always slept in their room.

Entering the bedroom, he scurried to his father’s side, gazing up with pleading eyes.

Father Xia scooped his youngest son onto his knee, softening his usual stern expression.  “What is it, Yuanbao? Why are you looking at Dad like that?”

“Dad, could I have two preserved fruits?” Xia Chen asked.

Father Xia, ever doting, immediately instructed Mother Xia to bring the treats. He then asked if his son wanted something more to eat, concerned he might be hungry.

Xia Chen shook his head. “I’m not going to eat them. I want to give them to Nan’er.”

He recounted the afternoon’s conflict between Nan’er and Dong’er, omitting no detail. Finally, he added, “I promised Nan’er the fruits.  I’m his little uncle, and I have to keep my word.”

Initially, Father Xia was simply amused by his son’s earnest retelling of the childish squabble, but his expression shifted as the full story unfolded.

After Xia Chen finished speaking, Father Xia offered a few words of praise. Then, seemingly without intention, he asked, “Did Nan’er truly say he saw the Tian family maid wearing a bracelet identical to Granny Lei’s?”

Xia Chen nodded emphatically. “Yes, Nan’er even cried. He insisted he saw it clearly –  the very same bracelet, down to the intricate patterns.”

A chill crossed Father Xia’s smile. He turned to Mother Xia. “How old is the Tian family’s new maid? What does she look like?”

As a grown man, he naturally wouldn’t pay attention to the appearance of other families’ maids. If Xia Chen hadn’t brought it up, he might not even have been aware the Tian family had a new maid.

Mother Xia was a bit puzzled but still provided a detailed description, “She’s actually quite old, probably almost twenty. It’s strange that the Tian family would buy a maid of this age. Her appearance is not bad, with long eyebrows and narrow eyes. Oh right, she has a small mole above her lip. It’s just… it’s just that I don’t think she looks very proper…”

In front of her son, Mother Xia couldn’t say it too clearly. She felt that the maid had a frivolous look between her brows and eyes, unlike a girl from a good family.

Father Xia fell into silent contemplation. He had fought his way through knives and swords. When he didn’t speak, his aura was quite frightening.

“Wh-what’s the matter?” Mother Xia asked timidly.

Father Xia seemed to rouse himself. He smiled and said, “It’s nothing. Don’t worry, wife.”

He patted Xia Chen’s head. “Yuanbao didn’t eat much this evening. Didn’t you always love Granny Lei’s glutinous rice cakes?”

Things were progressing smoothly, yet Xia Chen hadn’t anticipated his father’s sharp mind. He immediately put on an Oscar-worthy performance.

A flicker of apprehension crossed his eyes. Head lowered, he nervously twisted his fingers.  After a long moment, he murmured, “I don’t like it anymore.”

Father Xia paused, then softened his voice as he gently cajoled his precious son. “If you don’t like it then don’t eat it. Yuanbao, if anything troubles you, you must tell me. I will always protect you, okay?”

Xia Chen nodded obediently and nestled into his father’s embrace, like a little bird returning to its nest.

He had achieved his purpose. From his mother, he gleaned hints of a feud between the Xia and Tian families, giving the Tians a motive for murder. From his father’s reaction, it seemed Granny Lei had some connection to the Tian’s new maid, a connection his father clearly understood.

His father already harbored suspicions of foul play surrounding the incident. After all, his supposed drowning raised too many questions. His life was in danger at that time, which prevented his father from thoroughly investigating.

Now, Xia Chen believed that his father, with his cunning and ruthlessness, would definitely take decisive action. He only needed a suitable opportunity to give him a push.

Before going to bed, Xia Chen made a fuss again while acting spoiled. He insisted that, as an adult, he no longer wanted to sleep with his parents. He even used his two nephews as examples, putting on an air of really caring about his reputation.

His parents were so harassed by him that they could only coax him, saying they would tidy up a room for him the next day. Xia Chen refused. He was in a hurry to enter the space to check on his radish. He didn’t have the guts to go in beside his father.

In the end, Xia Chen temporarily shared a room with Dong’er and Nan’er. The large bed easily accommodated the three children. After repeatedly instructing Dong’er, Father and Mother Xia finally returned to their own room.

Once his nephews were soundly asleep, Xia Chen slipped off the bed, hiding behind a screen and pretending to need the toilet. He quietly entered the space.

“Wow, is my radish ripe?” The seedling from earlier bloomed with thick green leaves. Xia Chen used his skill, and the words above it changed to “malnourished mature radish.”

He immediately grabbed the radish top with both hands and pulled hard. A round, red-skinned radish, the size of a man’s fist, emerged from the soil.

Curious, Xia Chen poked his first harvest. “Tongban, how come I feel this radish looks pretty good? Where is it malnourished?”

These weren’t the large, white radishes common in the markets of later generations. His space produced the petite, red-skinned kind often planted by farming families. They were smaller but known for their delicate texture and juicy sweetness, perfect for soups and stir-fries. 

His radish, in fact, seemed large compared to those he saw at home.

[The space’s soil has a certain bonus effect on crop growth. Please don’t look at things with an outdated perspective, Host.]

Xia Chen, despite the lecture, detected a hint of pride and smugness in Xia Tongban’s tone.

“Okay, okay, you’re the best.” Xia Chen was very open-minded. Anyway, the more powerful the system, the more benefits he would get. Why would he not want it?

Admiring his achievement for a moment longer, he placed his lone radish in the warehouse. He discovered there was now a “sell” option next to the storage slot. Curiosity led him to tap on it, only to be met with a notification: [The value of the goods you want to sell is too low and will not be accepted.]

His precious radish had a selling price of a measly 0.23 wen.

Xia Chen: “……”

So why were there fewer and fewer farmers? It was because they couldn’t make money. After working so hard for so long, it wasn’t even worth one copper coin. It was too heartbreaking.

“I can’t even bring myself to sell it,” he muttered, opening the main interface. The novice task “complete one harvest” now showed as completed, earning him fifteen copper coins and experience points. These, combined with the experience gained from planting and harvesting, brought him to another level up.

He saw his land had expanded again, doubling in size to four palm-sized plots. In other words, every time he leveled up, the scale of his land would double. This expansion speed was quite considerable.

Correspondingly, the experience required to level up also increased several times. Furthermore, Xia Chen observed that while planting and harvesting both offered experience, repeatedly planting the same crop gradually yielded less. He just didn’t know if there was a lower limit.

“At this expansion rate, I won’t be able to plant so much land.” Xia Chen asked Xia Tongban for benefits. While others slept at night, he dug holes and planted. Now that there was little land, it was still manageable. But when there was a lot of land, he wouldn’t be able to plant it all even if he didn’t sleep at night.

[After level 10, the first resource pack expansion will unlock automated planting.]

“That’s great!” Xia Chen was overjoyed. Calculating like this, the days of lying down and harvesting were just around the corner!

Xia Tongban silently added: [For a small fee.]

Xia Chen rolled his eyes. “…Figures.”

Too lazy to ask how much the small fee was and sorted through the new information. There was a bit of disappointment when he opened the small gift pouch and realized he hadn’t received a level gift pack this time. A quick scan revealed they came every five levels.

Time was precious. He quickly planted the three newly available palm-sized plots. Among his random seeds were bok choy, which offered more experience than radishes. It appeared different types of plants yielded varying experience.

While digging holes in the backyard that afternoon, he’d swiped a chipped water jar, hiding it in his space. It came in handy at this time, allowing him to water the plants.

With everything taken care of, Xia Chen rubbed his hands together, his eyes fixed on the faintly glowing gacha slot. 

Today’s level gift pack had included a single draw chance, which he hadn’t used earlier. But now, Xia Chen couldn’t resist anymore.

🌻🌻🌻

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