Chapter 14: Tending the Garden

The two climbed the hill in silence, returning to their courtyard.

Panting, Ye Xin wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. “It’s much cooler up here. It was so hot down there!”

Naturally, since their home was on a slope, shaded by trees with mountain breezes blowing through the courtyard, it was far cooler than the valley below.

Seeing her regain her energy, Shen Zhuo glanced at the green onions and garlic in her hand and asked, “Are you planting those now?”

Ye Xin nodded. “Yeah, better plant them before they dry out.”

Shen Zhuo grabbed a hoe and shovel from the woodpile and headed toward the backyard.

A few days ago, Ye Xin had taken a moment to sow some seeds behind the house, worried that if she planted too late outside, they wouldn’t keep pace with the seeds in her hidden space. But now, seeing only a few sprouts struggling through, she realized the poor soil couldn’t support much growth.

Still… even if the ground wasn’t great, she was determined to make this garden work!

She glanced at the backyard. There was the small area she had started planting, and a larger patch overgrown with weeds. She pointed to a corner close to the mountain and instructed Shen Zhuo to start digging there for the onions and garlic.

Shen Zhuo was puzzled. “Why plant so far away?”

“It’s not far. I plan to use this whole area for the garden,” she explained. “We’ve got all these seeds, we can’t just let them sit! Once you finish that corner, keep working on the rest. We’ve got time today, let’s plant as much as we can.”

Shen Zhuo looked at the area she had marked out, pausing for a moment. “Isn’t that too much space?”

Ye Xin shook her head firmly. “Not at all! Did you see how lush Aunt Wu’s garden is, and the others too? Meanwhile, look at ours! Such a waste of space. We can’t even get fresh vegetables to eat! Trust me, if we plant enough, we can dry what we don’t eat and sell it at the market.”

The mention of making money sealed the deal for Shen Zhuo. Poverty forces tough choices, after all. And since Ye Xin was in charge of the “family finances” now, he would follow her lead, even if he doubted the land would ever compare to the others’…

The area was full of weeds and dead branches. Shen Zhuo cleared some with a shovel before starting to dig.

Ye Xin, satisfied that he was following her plan, knelt to plant the onion and garlic sprouts as soon as the first patch was ready, carefully arranging them in neat rows.

While she worked, Shen Zhuo silently continued digging nearby.

Ye Xin stood up and brushed off her hands. “You keep digging, I’ll get some water for the plants.”

Shen Zhuo was about to offer to fetch the water, but seeing the amount of land left to till, he nodded.

Ye Xin went back to the front yard, slipping quietly into her secret space to grab a bucket of water.

She had already learned about the miraculous spring in her hidden space – a spiritual fountain that could accelerate plant growth. The backyard soil may be poor, but that wouldn’t be a problem for long!

Ye Xin watered the onions, garlic, and the struggling little sprouts. Once the bucket was empty, she returned for more, making sure to water everything, even the sad little vegetables Shen Zhuo had planted earlier.

Next, she helped clear weeds and branches to make the soil easier to till, piling up the dried brush to use as kindling later. As she worked, she discreetly used more water from the spring, improving the soil with each trip.

By midday, they stopped for lunch, only to resume their hard work in the afternoon. Though some trees shaded the hill, they were both drenched in sweat, finding it just as tough—if not tougher—than working for the farm. But because it was their own land, they put in even more effort.

As she carried yet another bucket of water, Ye Xin noticed Shen Zhuo, head down, tirelessly working, his clothes soaked through with sweat. She approached, handing him a ladle of water. “Have a drink.”

Shen Zhuo took it gratefully, tilting his head back to gulp it down. The water tasted unusually refreshing today, instantly quenching his thirst and cooling him down. Surprised, he asked, “Is this from the well?”

Ye Xin didn’t flinch. “Yeah. I guess we’ve drawn so much water today, it’s nice and cool from deep down. I had some earlier too—super refreshing, right?”

Shen Zhuo thought it made sense. Living near the mountain, maybe they had tapped into some fresh spring water.

After hours of hard work, they finally finished planting the garden by nightfall.

Most of the credit went to Shen Zhuo, who had done the backbreaking labor of tilling the hardened, overgrown soil. But Ye Xin had certainly done her part, hauling bucket after bucket of water.

As they sat down for dinner, Shen Zhuo’s hands trembled slightly from exhaustion. Ye Xin noticed and felt a pang of guilt. “I pushed you too hard. We could’ve left some for tomorrow.”

Shen Zhuo shook his head, switching his chopsticks to the other hand. “It’s better to get it done.”

“Yeah, the sooner we plant, the sooner we harvest!” Ye Xin smiled gratefully, placing a perfectly golden fried egg on his plate. “Here, have a fried egg—it’s a reward for all your hard work!”

The mouthwatering aroma was irresistible. As Shen Zhuo ate, he asked, “Aren’t we running out of eggs?”

Ye Xin savored her own egg happily. “We’ve got two left. We can have them tomorrow, but we’re out of oil. We’ll have to go to town soon to stock up.”

Shen Zhuo hesitated, thinking how extravagant it was to eat eggs every day. But remembering her logic about “eating well to work hard and make more money,” he couldn’t argue with her.

However, next time, he wouldn’t let her pay for everything.

“I’ll sell the herbs I’ve gathered,” he said.

Ye Xin nodded. “Sounds good! But we might need more to make it worth the trip. How about we go up the mountain again to collect more herbs in the next few days?”

Shen Zhuo agreed. They had harvested only a small batch so far, not enough to bring in much money. With most of the farm work done, they could afford to spend half the day gathering herbs.

“Let’s work the farm in the morning and collect herbs in the afternoon,” he suggested.

“Perfect!” Ye Xin beamed. “And we can collect the tiles for the roof in the evening, then fix it the day after.”

Shen Zhuo, hearing the enthusiasm in her voice, felt some of his own weariness fade.

Ye Xin suddenly remembered another task. “Shouldn’t we build a fence around the garden? And we’ll need poles to support the beans and melons.”

Shen Zhuo nodded. “I’ll cut some tomorrow.”

With their plans settled, the two cleaned up and went to bed.

Ye Xin, however, made her nightly trip into her hidden space.

She was too tired to work more in the garden tonight. Instead, she grabbed a book and settled down to read, finally piecing together the mystery of her secret space.

It turned out, this space was a “small world” left behind by ancient cultivators, where all kinds of plants could thrive. Thanks to the abundant spiritual energy in the air, crops grown here would not only sprout faster and stronger but would also yield higher quality produce, imbued with faint spiritual energy that was beneficial to health.

This small world was originally created for cultivating medicinal herbs, particularly rare and powerful ones to aid in cultivation. However, it could also be used to grow ordinary crops like rice, fruits, and vegetables. The harvest would yield spiritual grains and fruits, free of impurities, which were highly favored by cultivators when they wanted a break from fasting.

The spring outside was actually a remnant of a small spiritual mine, brought in by the original creator of the space to maintain the flow of spiritual energy. Watering the crops with this spring water would greatly accelerate their growth, increasing their spiritual properties.

As for the large tree beside the spring, it wasn’t just any ordinary tree. It was a rare treasure, called the “Biyun Tree,” brought from the outside world. Its fruit, known as Biyun Fruit, had remarkable properties for strengthening the body and even extending life, all without side effects. However, the tree had a slow cycle, only blooming and bearing fruit once every three years. Every part of the tree—flowers, leaves, fruit, and seeds—could be used for medicinal purposes or refining elixirs.

The previous owner of this space was an alchemist, and the reason the land outside was barren, with the warehouse empty, was because the owner had harvested and moved the herbs elsewhere, leaving behind nothing but a few treasures like the spring and the Biyun Tree.

Such a spiritual space was rare, even in ancient times, and had been the subject of fierce battles. For some unknown reason, it had survived through the ages, somehow ending up with Ye Xin in her era. It seemed almost absurd to think that it was the cause of her falling off her bike, hitting her head, and now gaining this magical ability in her current life—a secret gift she could now make the most of.

After reading all this in the book, Ye Xin stepped outside and looked up at the graceful Biyun Tree standing tall before her.

Its lush branches spread like clouds, perfectly justifying its name. It sounded elegant and fitting.

But for now, the tree was only adorned with leaves, no blossoms in sight, and certainly no fruit for a long time. All she could do was sigh and wait.

…

The next day, Ye Xin and Shen Zhuo followed their plan. In the morning, they worked on repairing a collapsed section of the road, a relatively easy task. They worked while listening to the villagers chat, and before long, the work was done.

At noon, the roof tiles they had been waiting for arrived, much sooner than expected.

The village leader, Li Jianbang, knew everyone was in a rush to get the tiles and fix their roofs before the scorching summer sun made things worse. So, before dawn, he led a group of strong men to set out for Huangjia Village, walking two hours to get there and arriving just before eight. They quickly purchased the tiles and hurried back. The return trip took longer, over three hours, but they made it back by noon.

As soon as the morning’s work was finished, everyone rushed over to Li Jianbang’s house to collect their tiles.

Ye Xin and Shen Zhuo joined the crowd. Since they had already paid, it didn’t take long to get theirs—thirty simple black C-shaped tiles, rough to the touch, the standard kind used in rural homes. Nothing fancy.

The tiles weren’t heavy. Both of them carried a stack and made their way back.

On their way, they ran into Wu Lili and Huang Yuemei, who were sitting together sewing shoe soles. Ye Xin greeted them with a smile.

In truth, Li Jianbang called Li Xingguo “uncle,” and Wu Lili called Huang Yuemei “aunt,” though the family relationships were a bit complex for Ye Xin to follow. So, she simply called everyone “auntie.”

As they passed, Wu Lili and Huang Yuemei exchanged glances and started whispering.

Wu Lili giggled, “That couple’s inseparable these days, always together.”

Huang Yuemei chuckled in agreement. “Seems like Old Shen’s choice for his son was a good one.”

Wu Lili brought up the previous day’s gossip. “You wouldn’t believe it! Yesterday, Ye Xin asked me for garlic seedlings, and I found out they didn’t even have garlic at home! Before she came, neither Shen Zhuo nor his father knew the first thing about growing vegetables. Can you imagine? Now that she’s around, they finally started planting. Just goes to show, a home needs a woman to manage things properly.”

Huang Yuemei was surprised. “Really? It looks like she’s really turned over a new leaf, working hard in the fields and even taking care of the house.”

Wu Lili laughed. “She’s definitely changed for the better. No need to keep picking on her.”

Huang Yuemei teased, “Oh please, am I the kind to hold grudges? I even went up the hill last month with my two kids to check on her when she fainted from heatstroke. I told her to make up her mind about staying or going so she wouldn’t waste Shen Zhuo’s time. She listened calmly, and the very next day, she was back in the fields, working harder than ever. I saw them walking together at the market, all close and affectionate. I knew then she’d made up her mind to settle down.”

Wu Lili praised, “It’s all thanks to you! You must’ve talked some sense into her. That’s why she’s changed so quickly!”

Huang Yuemei waved it off modestly, “Oh, I can’t take credit for that. She came to her senses on her own.”

With a sigh, she added, “After all, she’s still so young—just 16 years old. No parents around, sent to this remote countryside. It’s normal for her to act out at first, right? Especially at that age…”

Wu Lili nodded, “True. Policies are one thing, but how could her parents send her off so young? They could’ve waited a few more years…”

Huang Yuemei snorted, “I bet they didn’t care much. That poor girl’s been so malnourished. Look at how skinny she is! You don’t see any 16-year-old girls around here as small as her. Probably one of those families that only cares about sons, so they kicked her out early without a second thought.”

Wu Lili sighed, “You’re right. But in a way, coming here might’ve been good for her. Life’s hard, but the people here are kind. She might be better off here than at home…”

If Ye Xin overheard, she might’ve chuckled at how accurate their casual gossip had been.

Back at the house, they had a quick lunch and, without resting, immediately started replacing the roof tiles under the blazing sun.

Shen Zhuo did most of the heavy lifting, while Ye Xin helped with the ladder and passing the new and broken tiles using a pulley.

Within an hour, the roof was done. As Shen Zhuo climbed down, Ye Xin beamed at him. “You’re amazing, Shen Zhuo! I overheard some folks talking about hiring help for this, but you did it all by yourself—so fast, and we saved money too!”

Shen Zhuo blushed slightly, either from the praise or the sun, and replied, “I used to watch my father do it when I was little. It’s not that hard.” He set the ladder aside.

Ye Xin carried the broken tiles to the back of the yard, dumping them down a grassy slope that was becoming their natural trash heap.

After a short rest, they grabbed their baskets, machetes, hoes, and other tools, and headed up the mountain again.

This time, along with gathering herbs, they also cut down branches to build fences and trellises for the garden.

They didn’t need to go out of their way; they simply chopped down any suitable branches they found along the path. After trimming the leaves, they laid them out to dry before heading deeper into the forest to gather herbs.

Once they’d collected enough branches, they focused entirely on herb gathering.

Ye Xin trailed behind Shen Zhuo, continuing to learn how to identify medicinal plants. Most of what she learned last time was still fresh in her memory, but for anything she had forgotten, this was the perfect chance to refresh her knowledge.