The chilly autumn wind rustled through the windowpanes, carrying withered leaves, yet the mud-brick walls inside the house exuded warmth. Lin Wanqiu sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), her fingertips gently stroking Nian'an's faded old cotton-padded jacket, her eyes filled with heartache—only half a month into autumn, the child had already started kicking off the covers at night, complaining of the cold. Last year's quilt had long since hardened like a shell, offering no protection against the growing chill. She looked out the window; Shen Tingzhou was carrying a hoe, turning over the firewood left over from the winter in the yard, his back ramrod straight. Remembering his words last night that he would go to the county town to buy cloth to make new quilts, Lin Wanqiu's lips curved into a smile, and she quietly touched the jade pendant around her neck—with her spatial ability, why waste money buying it? She would grow the softest cotton and sew a new quilt for the whole family that would warm them to the core.

While Nian'an played with the big yellow dog in the corner of the yard, Lin Wanqiu's fingertips traced the jade pendant. A flash of light and shadow, and she stepped into a familiar space. Unlike the desolation outside, the space was still vibrant with life: in the vegetable garden to the east, green peppers were adorned with purple flowers, and tomatoes were a bright red; the warehouse to the west was piled with seeds and tools brought from the modern world; and the patch of unused black soil in the middle was the cotton field she had chosen. Lin Wanqiu squatted down, her palms resting on the damp earth. The soil particles were fine and soft, and still slightly warm—this was the unique energy of the space, allowing crops to grow three times faster than outside. Planting cotton would yield a harvest in less than half a month.

She rummaged through the warehouse and found a bag of improved, cold-resistant cotton seeds. The bag was printed with the words "High-Yield Fine-Staple Cotton," a premium variety she had specially prepared before transmigrating. Lin Wanqiu didn't rush to sow the seeds. Instead, she took out a small hoe and carefully turned over the soil, breaking up the clods. Then, she drew warm water from the well in her space and evenly watered the ridges. She remembered that modern cotton cultivation emphasized "warm bed seedling raising," and since there was no frost in her space, the cotton seeds could germinate quickly in the warm soil.

"Mommy, are you talking to the earth?" A clear child's voice suddenly rang out. Lin Wanqiu turned around and saw that Nian'an had followed her in at some point, his round eyes wide with curiosity as he looked at the cotton seed in her hand. It turned out that she hadn't closed the entrance properly when she entered the space, and Nian'an had chased after a butterfly and wandered in. Lin Wanqiu smiled and hugged the child, picking up a plump cotton seed and handing it to him: "Nian'an, look, this is a cotton seed. When it sprouts and grows into beautiful white cotton flowers, Mommy will make you a new cotton quilt, ten times warmer than yours now, and your feet won't get cold at night anymore."

Nian'an's eyes lit up instantly. He pinched a cotton seed between his little fingers, carefully brought it close to his nose to smell it, and said in his childish voice, "Mommy, I want to plant one too! I want to help you make the cotton grow tall." Lin Wanqiu felt a warmth in her heart. She took his little hand and taught him to press the cotton seed into the soil and then cover it with a thin layer of soil. Nian'an learned diligently, not caring that his little face was covered in mud. He just stared at the patch of land he had planted and whispered, "Grow quickly, grow quickly."

When Shen Tingzhou carried firewood into the courtyard, he didn't see his wife and child. He only caught a glimpse of Nian'an's little shoes on the windowsill, and knew they had entered the space. He put down the firewood and stepped into the space as well. As soon as he entered, he saw the mother and child squatting by the edge of the field. The setting sun shone through the halo of the space and shone on them, as if they were gilded. Lin Wanqiu was patiently teaching Nian'an how to water the field. The little watering can in the child's hand was crooked, and water was spilled all over the ground, but the two of them were laughing very happily.

"Let me lend a hand." Shen Tingzhou walked over, took out a wooden rake from the warehouse, and helped tidy up the furrows. He looked at the newly planted cotton seeds in the soil, then at the expectation in Lin Wanqiu's eyes, and his heart softened. He only knew that the space could store supplies before, but he never thought it could also be used to grow crops. Wanqiu was always like this, always able to surprise him unexpectedly. "Do we need to build a shed? It's getting cold outside. Although it's warm in the space, I'm afraid the cotton will be damaged by the dew after it grows." Shen Tingzhou asked. He had studied farming in the army and knew the importance of crop care.

Lin Wanqiu's eyes lit up: "You're so thoughtful! I happen to have some canvas, let's build a simple shed, it can keep out the dew and let the sunlight in." The three of them divided the work: Shen Tingzhou used bamboo poles to build the frame, Lin Wanqiu laid out the canvas, and Nian'an helped hand over nails. The small space was filled with laughter. By the time the shed was built, it was already dark inside the space. Lin Wanqiu glanced at the field ridges; the soil was moist, and the cotton seeds should germinate successfully. She then took Nian'an's hand and left the space with Shen Tingzhou.

For the next few days, Lin Wanqiu checked on the cotton seeds' growth in her spatial dimension every day. On the morning of the third day, as soon as she entered the space, she saw tiny green shoots emerging from the furrows—the cotton seeds had sprouted! The delicate sprouts, each topped with two round cotyledons, looked like little green umbrellas, radiating vitality in the sunlight. Lin Wanqiu excitedly called Nian'an over. The child, seeing the sprouting cotton seedlings, jumped for joy and insisted on watering each one, afraid they would get thirsty.

Shen Tingzhou also came over to look, and seeing the tender green seedlings, he couldn't help but exclaim, "This space is truly amazing! Outside, cotton takes more than three months from germination to boll opening, but here it matures in just half a month. Wanqiu, your golden finger is really too useful!" Lin Wanqiu laughed and playfully punched him, "What golden finger? This is a blessing for our whole family. After the cotton is harvested, I'll make you a cotton-padded coat and Nian'an a cotton vest, so you can all stay warm and cozy this winter."

As the cotton seedlings grew day by day, the cotton field in the space gradually turned green. When the seedlings reached half a foot in height, Lin Wanqiu began to fertilize them—she used organic fertilizer from the space, evenly spreading it around the roots of the seedlings to promote growth without polluting the soil. Shen Tingzhou helped loosen the soil around the seedlings to prevent it from becoming compacted. Nian'an was also busy, going to the space every day to sing to the cotton seedlings. He said, "Mom, the teacher said that plants grow faster when they hear songs. I want the cotton to grow tall and produce lots and lots of cotton."

This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!