Xia Chen hid the Sprite-filled teacup and ran to find Nan’er, who was squatting in the yard, engrossed in play. “Where’s your brother?” he asked.

Nan’er pouted. “Brother thinks I’m annoying. He went out to play without me.”

Xia Chen led Nan’er to his room. “It’s okay. Little Uncle will let you taste something special. We won’t share this with your brother.” He shut the door firmly behind them and had Nan’er sit in a chair near the bedside table.

“Close your eyes,” he instructed. “No peeking.”

Nan’er obediently closed his eyes, his curiosity growing. “Why do I have to close my eyes?”

“Because this treat is celestial water, given to me by an old immortal. You can’t see how I take it out.” Xia Chen spun this tale as he retrieved the hidden teacup. “Alright, open your eyes now. Have a sip.”

Nan’er stared at the teacup. It held only a few small bubbles and looked like ordinary water. He carefully took a sip, and his eyes widened in surprise. “Little Uncle, the celestial water tastes amazing! It’s sweet, even better than honey water!”

Xia Chen smiled but inwardly sighed, marveling at the irresistible appeal of carbonated drinks for children.

“Have another sip if you like it,” he encouraged.

Despite his temptation, Nan’er reluctantly put the teacup down. “I won’t drink anymore. There’s only a little bit left. I’ll save it for Grandpa, Grandma, Father, Mother, Brother, and Little Uncle.”

Xia Chen was stunned by his usually silly nephew’s unexpected thoughtfulness. A pang of guilt touched his heart.

“Celestial water can only be drunk by little children, not adults,” he coaxed. Initially, he had planned to trick his nephews into trying Sprite for the novelty. With its resemblance to plain water, he’d been confident he could easily deceive them. If confronted, he could always claim it was simply honey water, knowing the adults would likely not take it seriously.

“Little Uncle already had some. Nan’er, go call your brother back to share the celestial water. Remember, you mustn’t tell others, not even your parents. Otherwise, the old immortal will get angry and won’t give me more treats in the future.”

Nan’er was wide-eyed with wonder but agreed. He longed to ask where Little Uncle had met the immortal, but the celestial water was more important. He ran out and quickly returned with Dong’er.

Dong’er reacted similarly to Nan’er—initial disbelief followed by delight upon tasting. The brothers slowly savored the “celestial water,” taking turns sipping from the half-filled cup. 

Dong’er even added some water to share more equally with his younger brother. Witnessing this, Xia Chen’s heart ached further; he felt he hadn’t done enough for them.

That afternoon, Father Xia and Big Brother Jinzi returned from county affairs, bringing candied hawthorns for the children. Dong’er and Nan’er cheered and jumped with joy. Xia Chen couldn’t resist taking a bite himself; it had been a long time since he’d last eaten this snack.

The taste fell short of his expectations. The small, unpitted hawthorns had little flesh and a very sour core. There was only a thin layer of malt sugar, offering little sweetness.

Xia Chen still felt happy. In his previous life, his father had never personally bought him such snacks, instead delegating such tasks to his secretary. Seeing his father’s expectant gaze, Xia Chen fed a piece each to his parents and contentedly nibbled on his own.

Dong’er and Nan’er followed suit. Xia Jinzi accepted the candy from his son, despite his scowl.

Qiao Niang sampled a piece and smiled. “This tastes good. The sour-sweet taste is quite refreshing.”

Recalling women’s general fondness for sweets, Xia Chen bragged, “When I grow hawthorns, I’ll make even better candied hawthorns for you.”

Qiao Niang couldn’t suppress a laugh, remembering the seeds he’d planted in the backyard that never sprouted. “Alright, I eagerly await the candied hawthorns made by our Yuanbao.”

Xia Chen didn’t bother arguing with her doubt. In the future, the results would speak for themselves.

That evening, Granny Lei served dinner. She had become more subdued recently and rarely approached Xia Chen. Perhaps the fate of those few families had frightened her.

Master Xia was a benevolent landlord, collecting far less rent than the Tian family’s exorbitant 70% that left tenants struggling to feed themselves. The Xia family only required 40%, the lowest land rent in the area. Any lower would likely breed resentment from other landlords.

This earned them a respectable reputation, and most villagers trusted and respected Master Xia. Moreover, their two oxen were valuable assets; villagers could borrow them for a small fee, provided they cared for and fed them well.

The children who had bullied Xia Chen, though not Xia tenants, had also used the family’s oxen and ridden in their carts. 

Now that Master Xia had cut ties, the villagers realized these people had exploited the Xia family’s generosity, all while speaking ill of them and allowing their children to endanger the young master. While villagers occasionally mentioned the Xia family’s foolish son, it was mere gossip and held no real malice.

Consequently, those few families’ reputations quickly plummeted. Once, when Xia Jinzi drove a cart to town, villagers from the same village sought a ride, including a woman from one of those families. Xia Jinzi bluntly chased her off, causing her great embarrassment and forcing her to flee.

Granny Lei’s guilty conscience kept her from acting rashly. She worried incessantly at the Xia family’s lack of reaction against her. She lost weight rapidly, which caused her face to droop, appearing older and somewhat scary.

After the meal, as Granny Lei cleaned up, Mother Xia and Qiao Niang moved to help. 

Father Xia pulled Mother Xia aside, presenting her with a gold hairpin he had purchased from the county’s jewelry shop, crafted by their master artisan.

Mother Xia, surprised by this gesture in front of their juniors, blushed pink, casting Father Xia a reproachful glance.

Xia Chen felt joy at his parents’ strong bond, yet he couldn’t shake the suspicion that his father had ulterior motives. In this feudal era, such overt affection between a husband and wife was considered improper.

“My Dad is truly impressive, dealing with bad people like slaying small monsters, one knife for each,” Xia Chen mused to Xia Tongban. “With a golden finger like you, he might even leave me a throne to inherit.”

[The host should reflect on why he can’t secure an emperor emeritus position for his father.]

Xia Chen retorted angrily, “Isn’t it all your fault? Since when do emperors farm?”

Despite his grumbling, Xia Chen toiled in the fields that night, his breath coming in labored gasps. Some decry the arduousness of farming, yet find themselves returning to their fields each night.

Having completed the novice tasks, Xia Chen unlocked new daily tasks and access to the main storyline.

True to its name, the main storyline guided him on the path of a Divine Farmer. To achieve this, he needed to master farming, seed identification, plant knowledge, tool crafting, and the cultivation of new crop varieties.

This was only the first half. The latter portion remained hidden, hinting at the extraordinary heights the system expected him to reach as the next God of Agriculture.

Life settled into a peaceful rhythm as spring arrived. The villagers and the Xia family prepared for the spring planting.

Xia Chen tended his own field behind the house, while secretly entering the space to farm and gain experience. However, each level demanded far more experience than the last, making progress difficult.

At Xia Chen’s request, Father Xia and Big Brother Jinzi bought any seeds they encountered during their trips to the county or town, even those they didn’t recognize. A few inexpensive seeds were a small price for their youngest’s happiness.

After corn appeared in the system mall, Xia Chen painfully spent a gold piece to purchase the seeds. He meticulously planted them in the space, diligently using every available daily gathering technique to increase his corn seed supply.

With the planting season still ahead, Xia Chen held back from using all the corn seeds. He planned to plant them openly in his designated field, ensuring he wouldn’t lack seeds in the future.

Just as spring plowing began, the Xia family received joyous news: Qiao Niang was pregnant. Xia Chen would soon have another little nephew or niece.

Everyone in the family celebrated, hoping for a girl. They even chose a name, You Niang – the possibility of a boy was overlooked.

As the Xia family eagerly awaited their new addition, something unexpected occurred at the Xiannu Temple on the mountain. Old Taoist Xu returned, bringing with him a nine-year-old boy; his newly accepted personal disciple.

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