“I’m afraid that won’t work.” Cheng Bodong shook his head: “Each advancement in cultivation requires a huge amount of spiritual energy as support. The spiritual energy in the space needs to be kept in balance. The excess is only enough for the two of us to reach the Foundation Establishment stage. If we want to advance further, even if we absorb all the spiritual energy in the space, it won’t be enough to condense a Golden Core. Although there is spiritual energy in the outside world, it is very little. It cannot support the daily cultivation needs of cultivators. It’s better than nothing for strengthening the body.”

"All right."

Every world has its own rules. If immortality cultivation were possible in this world, powerful beings would be flying everywhere by now.

Fang Qiao had anticipated this outcome, so she wasn't as disappointed as she had imagined after hearing it.

"As for Lin Youcai, didn't you hear everything?"

“I heard it, but I didn’t understand. You don’t want Lin Youcai to get close to Wang Yun?” Cheng Baidong asked directly, “Why? Did they have a falling out in their past lives?”

Fang Qiao nodded sullenly and told Cheng Baidong everything Lin Youcai had done in his past life. Finally, she said indignantly, "He seduced Wang Yun and then abandoned her, causing Wang Yun a lot of trouble. I hate him."

"Don't be angry, be careful not to upset the baby." Cheng Baidong comforted her, "I've seen Wang Yun a few times these past few days. She doesn't have the face of someone who is unhappy in marriage or has no children. On the contrary, she is blessed with long life and has both a son and a daughter. Don't worry, what happened in the past life is what happened in the past life, and it won't happen again in this life."

"Really?"

Cheng Baidong nodded: "Of course, a person's appearance is not immutable. Every choice in life will change the final outcome. Today you have reminded Wang Yun that, given her personality, she will not give Lin Youcai another chance to get close to her. Therefore, the two of them will naturally not get married in the future, and the tragedy will not happen again."

"That's wonderful! Wang Yun is so good, she deserves better."

Fang Qiao recalled her past life. After she returned to the city, her parents wanted to marry her off to the leader of the textile factory. The leader was almost forty years old, and his ex-wife had died in childbirth less than two months ago. He urgently needed a new wife to help him take care of his four children.

Fang Qiao was unwilling, but the leader promised to help his younger brother Fang Hai get a permanent position, so her parents disregarded her wishes and accepted the betrothal gifts without her consent, thus agreeing to the marriage.

Fang Qiao ran away from her wedding and left home, but Wang Yun took her in.

For Fang Qiao, none of her blood relatives treated her as well as Wang Yun.

She wanted Wang Yun to be happy.

With Cheng Baidong's encouragement, Fang Qiao's mood improved. She used the cloth Cheng Baidong handed her to dry her feet and snuggled into her warm bed.

Cheng Baidong blew out the kerosene lamp and hugged Fang Qiao.

Fang Qiao turned to the side, rested her head on his shoulder, stared blankly for a while, and suddenly said, "Do you think she will come if I write to my mother to come see me after I give birth?"

Since it concerned his wife's family, Cheng Baidong wisely remained silent.

Fang Qiao continued talking to herself, not expecting to hear Cheng Baidong's reply, and then said, "She definitely won't come. Of the four sisters, I'm the one she cares about the least. I've been working in the countryside for so many years, and she hasn't cared about me at all. She's never given me any money, and she's hardly ever sent me anything. When I finally get a package, there's nothing of any use in it."

"It's better if she doesn't come, so she won't have to use it to brag later. Anyway, it's her who mistreated me, not me who mistreated her. She won't expect me to do anything more when it comes to taking care of the elderly in the future."

Fang Qiao made up her mind, closed her eyes, and went to sleep!

Cheng Baidong patted Fang Qiao's shoulder tenderly and gently coaxed her to sleep.

Winter was cold, and with her big belly, Fang Qiao didn't want to go out unless it was something important.

She stayed at home sewing a little bib for her unborn baby.

The fabric was not ordinary cloth, but a unique type of silk spun by silkworms in Cheng Baidong's space. The texture was soft and delicate, unlike anything Fang Qiao had ever seen before. Cheng Baidong exhausted all the spiritual energy he had left to weave the short two-foot-long piece of cloth using magic.

This amount of fabric isn't enough to make small clothes, but it's just right for sewing two small bibs.

Fang Qiao pieced together the remaining scraps and sewed two more bibs, which she placed under her baby's chin while feeding to prevent drool rash.

Time passed day by day, and before we knew it, it was December.

Li Jinlong's parents came once in the middle, bringing over the compensation that Li Jinlong had promised, and also accepted the marriage with Cheng Hongmei, but they didn't dare to plead with Cheng Baidong.

As people age, they become more shrewd. This elderly couple knows best who they can mess with and who they shouldn't.

On the day before Laba Festival, when it was almost dark, Aunt Cheng suddenly came to our house with two ounces of brown sugar.

Her eyes were red-rimmed. Fang Qiao poured her some water and put it on the table, but she didn't drink it. She sat awkwardly on the stool, looked at Cheng Baidong, and then looked at Fang Qiao with a hesitant expression.

Fang Qiao immediately understood that Aunt Cheng wanted to get rid of her.

"I'll go check the fire in the kitchen." With that, Fang Qiao stood up and led Tian Tian out of the main room, lifting the curtain.

After drinking spiritual spring water for almost a month and soaking his feet in spiritual herbs full of spiritual energy, Fang Qiao's five senses became much more sensitive than those of ordinary people.

Sitting on a small stool in front of the stove, Fang Qiao faintly heard Aunt Cheng's sobbing voice drifting into her ears on the wind.

"Your father is so old... he's lost a lot of weight... he's skin and bones from hunger..."

"Second place is wrong... but... my ankle has been hurting for a month... it's red and swollen... it looks like I'll be limping... it might even leave me disabled..."

"Bai Dong...you used to be a good kid...how come your heart has hardened now?"

"Did someone whisper something in your ear?"

"Please, I'm begging you..."

Fang Qiao expressionlessly poked at the embers under the stove, pulling out the sweet potatoes that were roasting underneath.

There are four slender sweet potatoes in total. It's not that there aren't any larger ones, but the smaller ones are tastier and easier to roast until they release their honey-like flavor.

Fang Qiao picked out the smallest one and carefully peeled off the blackened outer layer with her hands.

Finally, he tore off a piece of corn husk to cover the dusty area before handing it to Tian Tian: "Eat slowly, be careful it's hot."

Sweetie nodded obediently: "Thank you, Auntie."

"Don't be shy." Fang Qiao smiled and patted Tian Tian's hair before starting to peel the sweet potato she was eating.

After finishing a roasted sweet potato, a little while later, the crying carried on the wind gradually faded away, and then she heard the sound of the curtain in the main room being lifted.

Fang Qiao came out of the kitchen and saw Aunt Cheng standing at the door of the main room, wiping away tears with her head down.

Upon seeing Fang Qiao, Aunt Cheng unconsciously forced a stiff smile onto her face.

She seemed a little awkward, and tried to make conversation: "Fang Qiao, you, you're done with your work, right?"