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Just then, He Tiantian looked down and saw that the water at her feet had disappeared again.
She thought the baby tortoise's "appetite" had increased, but when she turned around, it wasn't; it was still the same as before, which puzzled her.
The Snake King watched He Tiantian struggling to move stones, and when the water ran out, she started to get drowsy again, and he found it amusing.
"Hahaha..." the Snake King laughed, "How stupid! The water outlet is too big!"
He Tiantian was utterly embarrassed. She had figured out such a simple question just now, but she couldn't believe it the second time she encountered it. It must be that the stone was too heavy, pressing on her nerve endings and causing her to react slowly.
She resolutely refused to admit that she was stupid!
He Tiantian then moved over two stones, one large and one small, to block part of the water outlet from the left.
Sure enough, after a short while, the water in the pool gradually increased.
Before they knew it, they had been in the cave for three or four hours. If they didn't go back soon, Grandma Qi would probably wake up.
The Snake King couldn't leave He Tiantian, so he wisely entered the barrier around He Tiantian's left ankle.
But the turtles in the pond are still drinking!
"Little Turtle, are you coming or not?" He Tiantian asked. "Haven't you had enough to drink yet?"
The little tortoise slowly came to a stop and said, "This place is suitable for my cultivation. From now on, this will be my home. I'm not going back. You all go back."
"Huh?" He Tiantian was taken aback. "Aren't you scared being here all alone?"
Upon hearing this, the little tortoise quickly shook its head and said, "I've been in the river for tens of thousands of years and I'm still fine. I'm not afraid. You can go now, just come and visit me often. I'll miss you."
Not bad, this kid has good eyesight; he knows that I, the Great King, don't like it.
“But…” He Tiantian hesitated.
"Hurry up and leave, it's almost dawn," the Snake King urged. Leaving this idiot here would allow it to cultivate peacefully within the barrier without being disturbed by him.
"Little tortoise, don't wander off," He Tiantian instructed before leaving, still feeling uneasy.
When they reached the foot of the mountain, He Tiantian suddenly remembered something and asked, "Snake King, what if that little spiral turtle runs away?"
"Hmph! No way!" the Snake King said smugly. "That was a barrier I set up. Only you and I can come and go as we please. It was able to go in just now because you brought it in. If no one brings it out, it will never be able to get out. Besides, that spring has spiritual energy, which is suitable for its cultivation. For that reason alone, it won't run away."
"Great, then I'm not worried anymore." He Tiantian said with a smile. When she walked to the village entrance, cheers came from the pool a few dozen meters away.
It was getting dark, so He Tiantian decided not to approach them. She would wait until it was light to ask what was wrong.
He Tiantian returned home and slept for an hour before getting up.
Grandma Qi was cooking at home, while He Tiantian went to fetch water and check on the spring pool.
Along the way, we encountered many people fetching water, and people greeted us from time to time.
"Sister Tiantian, you're here to fetch water too?" Qi Xiaoyan caught up with He Tiantian, who was also carrying a carrying pole with two buckets hanging on either side.
"Yes, Xiaoyan, how's the packing going?" He Tiantian asked. In a few days, Qi Xiaoyan will be joining the army.
"The army provides everything, so there's not much I need to bring. I've already packed everything," Qi Xiaoyan explained. "We won't be able to play together anymore, and I'm really going to miss it."
“Alright, you’re going to join the army, you’ll come back eventually,” He Tiantian said. “Once you’re in the army, study hard and serve the people.”
"I will, Sister Tiantian," Qi Xiaoyan said. "By the way, my mother has prepared some gifts to thank Professor Wang. When you go to the livestock team later, please take me with you. I want to thank Professor Wang properly."
Qi Xiaoyan was able to get into the performing arts troupe because of her talent and hard work, as well as the systematic music instruction she received from Professor Wang, which enabled her to achieve first place in both the written and oral exams.
"Okay, we really should thank Professor Wang properly," He Tiantian said with a smile. "By the way, it's quite lively up ahead, let's hurry up and go take a look."
“I know what happened,” Qi Xiaoyan said. “My dad and his men watched the pool all night yesterday. The water in the pool kept flowing out. But in the middle of the night, suddenly the water column surged up and even more water gushed out. Just now, my dad and his men widened the outlet and diverted the water into the irrigation canal so that it can irrigate the farmland.”
"Oh my, is that so?" He Tiantian was surprised, feeling that something was not right, but she couldn't connect the spring pool with the pool in the secret base for the time being.
"At first I didn't believe it either, but after I fetched water and saw it, I believe it now," Qi Xiaoyan said. "My dad also said that if the water level in this pond stays this high, none of the fields in our village will be left uncultivated."
"That's great!" He Tiantian said excitedly. Water means there are crops and food, and we won't go hungry this year.
The two walked together to the spring pool. He Tiantian looked at the water and found that the water was clearer and cleaner than before!
What delighted He Tiantian the most was the splashing water that rose above the surface, proving that there was more spring water gushing up than before. The clear bottom of the water showed that the springhead was also larger than before, and the gurgling water flowed continuously into the stream.
The water in the stream, which was originally half a foot deep, became one and a half feet deep.
This is a good sign!
He Tiantian carried two buckets of water and went home with Qi Xiaoyan.
Qi Xiaoyan carried a bamboo basket containing two pieces of cloth, ten catties of rice, two boxes of malted milk powder, and a catty of sugar. This was the best gift Qi Xiaoyan could offer. In an era of scarcity, when there was nothing else, such as grain or cloth was a more practical and affordable option.
Upon arriving at Professor Wang's room, Qi Xiaoyan bowed to him and said, "Thank you, Professor Wang, for your guidance. Without your instruction, I wouldn't have been able to get into the performing arts troupe with such excellent grades."
Professor Wang was very happy to learn from Old Man Qi yesterday that Qi Xiaoyan had been accepted into the performing arts troupe.
"Alright, I accept your thanks. You can take the things back," Professor Wang said. In Qijia Village, without Secretary Qi's care, they wouldn't have been able to live so peacefully. She always remembered this favor, and tutoring Qi Xiaoyan was also out of a desire to repay that kindness.
"Teacher Wang, you must accept this," Qi Xiaoyan said. "This trip to Huai City made me realize how important your teachings are."
"Hehe, that's because you have talent and hard work, it's not entirely my achievement," Professor Wang said with satisfaction. He believed that Qi Xiaoyan would definitely become an outstanding people's singer in the future.
Her unintentional act of nurturing a talent is also an affirmation of her own abilities.
Furthermore, these things are very precious, especially during times of famine, so Professor Wang should probably refuse them. (To be continued.)
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