Chapter 101 How to Enter the Dao Without Stepping on Mortal Mud...
Cai Cai was brought in quickly, and her wound was cleaned. Old Lady Qi has lived here for many years, so she naturally knows how to treat this kind of poison. With Lin Fanxiang helping her, it was very fast, and the poison was removed in no time.
Qingyu stood up to greet Grandma Qi, "Really? Thank you, Grandma! You're amazing. What would we do without you?"
She spoke affectionately, but Old Mrs. Qi only gave a slight smile.
"You little demon, you're getting worse as you get older. Before, it was the little demon who couldn't afford to eat, but now it's the chick who eats whatever it wants."
Qingyu pursed her lips slightly and smiled sweetly, "Grandma, that chicken is like family to us... We're so grateful to have troubled you today."
"No need for that. And who are these gentlemen?"
Qingyu smiled, just as Qin Tianshu behind her stood up and bowed. The handsome scholar smiled and said, "Hello, Grandma Qi. My name is Qin Tianshu, and I am a scholar."
Zhang Xuan quickly stood up next to Qin Tianshu and said, "Hello, Grandma! My name is Zhang Xuan, and I am a sword cultivator."
Grandma Qi looked them up and down, then nodded slightly. "Very good."
As they were talking, Wen Chuan came out of the house. Qing Yu saw him and walked up to him with a smile, pulling him along and saying to Grandma Qi, "Grandma, this is Wen Chuan."
Wen Chuan greeted Grandma Qi gently, "Hello, Grandma Qi."
Before Grandma Qi could speak, she heard Qingyu whisper and laugh in her ear, "Grandma, he's my husband."
Grandma Qi glared at Qingyu with annoyance. Even now, the old lady didn't have a smile on her face, only her attitude had softened slightly.
"Yes, all is well. It's rare to have so many young people come to my little courtyard."
As she spoke, she pointed at Qingyu again, "You."
She was a quiet person and generally didn't want to be disturbed. Even though she had shared a mushroom soup with Qingyu before, it was only because she saw that Qingyu was a pitiful little demon and had a kind heart. Otherwise, her old lady would have invited her to drink soup for no reason.
When we parted, she said not to come looking for her unless it was absolutely necessary, as she didn't like seeing people, especially adults.
There are very few good people, especially adults.
Qingyu: "Sigh, who knew my spirit pet would be like this... Sigh, it's good that nothing's wrong for now."
"But to be honest, whether these things happen or not, I will definitely come to see you when I return to Yundi. Even if I don't want to bother you, I will still want to catch a glimpse of you from afar."
“I am living a good life now, thanks to your teachings in the past, otherwise I would not be where I am today.”
She winked playfully at Grandma Qi, then helped her walk, speaking to her affectionately like a child spoiling an elder in the family.
Grandma Qi looked at her quietly. The old woman had a head of white hair, her sideburns neatly combed. She wasn't exactly kind-faced, but her features were serene and clear, like someone who had lived in harmony with nature for many years, free from worldly complexities and the anxieties of cause and effect, her tranquility tinged with a quietude.
Regardless of everything else, just by looking at him, he seems like a difficult person to get close to.
Qingyu didn't care about any of that. Since she had already bothered Grandma Qi, she might as well try to please her in a clever way.
"Grandma, although this was an accident, I also think it's a good opportunity to see you."
"Look at me, I know so much now, please don't say I'm useless like before..."
"I really wanted to come and thank you; I've missed you."
Her smile was so beautiful that Old Mrs. Qi could only smile helplessly in the end, "You, you've brought me trouble for no reason."
The reason she disliked meeting people or demons was that she didn't want to get involved in karma. Her encounter with Qingyu in the past was truly a matter of fate. She had received the little girl's warning, "Be careful, the mushrooms are poisonous," and in return, she gave her a bowl of mushroom soup. It was a fair exchange, so she was neither at a loss nor indebted to her.
But fate is a mysterious thing, and today, she saved the chick that was poisoned by mushrooms.
As they were talking, Lin Fanxiang came out of the house. While inside, she had bowed to Old Madam Qi and told her that she was a medical cultivator.
“Cai Cai has vomited several times already, and Grandma, I’ve given her the medicine you asked me to give her.”
"Hmm, let's wait a little longer, and the chick will be jumping around again tomorrow."
A cool and gentle young woman walked out. As Grandma Qi spoke, Qingyu couldn't help but smile. Her eyes were filled with relief that Zhang Xuan was still there. He had been the most anxious before, but now he could finally feel completely at ease. They looked at each other peacefully, thinking that as long as Cai Cai was alright, that was all that mattered.
Grandma Qi looked at the young people standing straight in front of her. In the distant spring sunshine, whether they were smiling or not, they were all equally beautiful and carefree, full of vigor and spirit. Their eyes also contained the spiritual energy of their talents and the pure Dao. Standing there, they seemed to be the embodiment of the entire land.
It's been so long since I've seen anyone; upon seeing them again, I realize they are all just ordinary people.
The old lady squinted and glanced at the sky again. It was fine; it was almost noon.
She finally smiled and sighed, then looked up at them and said,
"I won't save your spirit pets for nothing,"
"Well then, I'm tired today, so why don't you help me with some things?"
...
In the rice paddies.
The boy, his sleeves and trouser legs rolled up high, took a hoe and began turning over the soil, breaking up the hardened clods. When he encountered larger stones, he scooped them out and threw them to the edge of the field. He was exhausted in no time.
Zhang Xuan wiped his sweat and called out to Qin Tianshu, who was not far away, "Brother! This is even more tiring than swinging a knife!"
Qin Tianshu, leaning on his hoe and catching his breath, looked up. The scholar... oh, the farmer in blue, looked up and said, "You're right, we have to finish planting this acre of land today!"
Grandma Qi, what a ruthless person!
How did she manage to maintain so many acres of rice paddies and vegetable fields at her age? My goodness! I admire her!
Planting rice, growing vegetables, going into the mountains to pick mushrooms and wild vegetables, cleaning such a big yard, and finally starting a fire to cook.
Grandma Qi! She's a miracle worker!
Zhang Xuan looked at the distant sky, then at the fields before him. For the first time, the boy felt so powerless. "Brother, can we really do this?"
Qin Tianshu shouted and raised his hoe, furiously turning the soil, intending to quickly level it. "Yes!"
Wen Chuan shouted from a short distance away, "Don't use so much force, or the soil will be unevenly distributed!"
He stood by the field, watching the seeds soak evenly in the warm water.
In the morning, Grandma Qi had already selected the rice seeds and irrigated the fields. She was going to do farm work this afternoon anyway. The seeds were soaked in warm water for two hours to speed up germination, and the fields were turned over again to ensure they were level.
Now that they've arrived, there are three strong young men here. With a little effort, they can cultivate one acre of land in one afternoon!
Qin Tianshu: "You come here! It's my turn to look at the seeds!"
Wen Chuan: "Okay, you come!"
Zhang Xuan: "What are you saying! Huh!"
Wen Chuan went straight to the field and switched places with Qin Tianshu. Qin Tianshu went to check the seeds, while Wen Chuan cleared weeds on the ridges of the field, and Zhang Xuan wielded a hoe to rake the field.
Qingyu looked at Qin Tianshu and shouted, "What's the point of meddling with those seeds? Why don't you come and help us till the land!"
Not far away, on dry land beside the rice paddies, Qingyu was also turning over the soil with a hoe, while Lin Fanxiang was diligently digging drainage ditches around the plot of land.
This plot of land was reserved by Grandma Qi to grow water spinach; it's perfect, the young girl is capable.
Qin Tianshu said irritably, "What are you talking about? Why didn't you call out to Wen Chuan when he was standing here? You're just worried about him, and now I have to boss him around!"
Qingyu groaned a few times, but the girl, leaning on her hoe and laughing under the sun, exclaimed, "You're wronging me! I almost fell over here just now, I didn't see him guarding the seeds!"
Wen Chuan was picking weeds by the edge of the field when he looked up and said, "Wait here, I'll be there in a bit!"
"Oh no, no need! You should hurry up and plant the rice!"
Qingyu quickly said, "To be honest, her and Fanxiang's water spinach plot isn't very big, but Wenchuan and the others are actually going to plant a whole acre of rice. They'll probably be busy until dark!"
As they were talking, Lin Fanxiang cleared away the soil she had just dug out and carried it outside the plot of land. She called out, "Qingyu, take a look and see if I dug this drainage ditch correctly!"
The purpose of this drainage ditch is to prevent rainwater from damaging the water spinach. At first, you have to use a wooden stick to measure and mark the area. During the digging process, you also have to ensure that the ditch walls are vertical and flat. Grandma Qi can usually do it with just a glance, but a novice can't do it. Lin Fanxiang worked for quite a while under Grandma Qi's guidance before she finally understood it.
"I'm coming right away!"
Qingyu hoeed the ground with a heavy sigh, then ran over to Fanxiang's side, her feet still muddy, to watch over them. They huddled together, whispering and discussing what to do next: sowing, covering the soil, and watering—all things to be done this afternoon!
By this time, they had probably worked for about an hour, and there was no longer any strict separation between men and women or any particular concern about propriety.
Several men, their trousers rolled up, trudged through the mud, each carrying a hoe. Their clothes were covered in mud and water stains. They occasionally exchanged smiles, both tired and exasperated, yet they had to be careful, for if they bent over, they wouldn't be able to straighten up again.
The vegetable garden was almost finished being turned over. Qingyu and Fanxiang were busy cleaning up the soil dug from the drainage ditches. They were sweating profusely as they wielded their hoes and had to repair the ditch walls from time to time to ensure smooth drainage later.
Lin Fanxiang was a little weaker, and after working for so long, the girl was sweating and her face was a little pale. Qingyu stood next to her and raised her hand slightly to shield her from the sun. "Xiangxiang, why don't you take a break? There's still a little bit left, I can do it."
To be honest, Qingyu felt that it was already quite remarkable that Fan Xiang was willing to step into the mud, but Old Lady Qi just said...
"Young lady, you are a healer. As a healer, how does the pain of broken bones and gushing blood in the wounded compare to the toil of farmers sowing seeds under the scorching sun?"
"For cultivators, the great path is nothing more than the word 'humanity.' They can endure a hundred years of lonely and arduous cultivation, but can't they withstand a day of wind and sun in the fields?"
"What ordinary mortals do, why can't those high and mighty cultivators do?"
"Above is heaven and earth. Cultivators talk about this and seek that all day long, only thinking about becoming people in heaven."
"Then this land is unimportant?"
The old lady finally brushed off her sleeves, decisively went into the house, and left them with only a few words.
"I don't care, you have to finish planting this rice paddy and vegetable garden by this afternoon. If you don't finish, I'll slaughter that chicken."
"A bunch of kids, huh."
...
Lin Fanxiang caught her breath and smiled, "It's okay, we're almost there. We'll be able to plant the vegetable seeds soon."
Qingyu pursed her lips and reached out to wipe Fanxiang's sweat. She smiled in the sunlight, looking full of energy. "Okay! You can put the vegetable seeds in later, and I'll hoe the soil behind you. It'll be over in no time!"
"good."
While they were busy finishing up the drainage ditches, Wen Chuan and his group were almost done leveling their rice paddies.
Qin Tianshu asked Zhang Xuan, who was looking at the seeds by the field ridge, "Little Zhang! We're almost done here, are the seeds soaked yet?"
Zhang Xuan stared at the rice seeds in the warm water. The boy sighed, then shouted, "Brothers, how do you tell if the seeds are soaked properly?"
Wen Chuan put down his hoe, wiped his sweat, and asked Zhang Xuan, "Has the color changed?"
"Hmm...it's changed! It's gotten deeper!"
Qin Tianshu bent over, leaning on his hoe, while the farmer in blue, supporting himself on the hoe handle, looked up. "Feel it, is it soft? Can you feel any moisture inside?"
"Touch it...it's soft! It's all soft!"
Wen Chuan and Qin Tianshu exchanged a glance. Okay, the seeds are almost ready.
Carrying hoes, they walked step by step back to the ridge of the field, preparing to distribute seeds and plant them in different areas. As they passed by the dry land next to them, they also exchanged a few words of comfort with Qingyu and Fanxiang.
Wen Chuan: "How is it?"
Qin Tianshu helped him up and watched Qingyu and the others resting by the edge of the field. "Oh, you're all exhausted. Where have you been?"
Qingyu lazily lifted her eyelids, waving her hand at the sun-drenched girl, "Soon, we'll release the seeds soon."
Fan Xiang leaned on Qing Yu's shoulder. She was too tired to speak. Just then, the ditch was dug, and they sat on the edge of the field to rest for a while before starting again.
The two girls didn't shy away from the situation and sat down directly on the edge of the field, covered in mud. One had her head down and the other was leaning on the shoulder, breathing with her mouth slightly open. There were two muddy hoes beside them. Under the sunlight, the former beauty of the two girls was nowhere to be seen; all that remained was a comical scene.
Wen Chuan glanced at them, then said to Zhang Xuan, who was not far away, "Xiao Zhang, bring our baskets over, come and rest for a while!"
Zhang Xuan responded to him, and the boy, carrying a basket and a bamboo crate, strode over through the mud.
Qin Tianshu nodded, "Come on, take a break."
Qin Tianshu and Wen Chuan sat opposite Qingyu. Zhang Xuan brought water and sat near Lin Fanxiang. Although they were adjacent, there was still some distance between the two fields.
Zhang Xuan rummaged through the basket, took out a water bottle, and luckily, with his long arms and legs, he was able to hand the water to Fan Xiang and the others while half-stretching his back.
Qin Tianshu had one foot on the edge of the paddy field and the other in the mud. He leaned on Wen Chuan's shoulder, looked up at the sky, and sighed, "I know what Grandma Qi meant—"
"But how exactly does she manage to cultivate so many fields?!"
Zhang Xuan scoffed, the boy tilting his head back with a look of utter despair. "How long have we been doing this?"
Wen Chuan took a sip of water. "It's been almost two hours."
"Two hours... I can't feel anything anymore..."
Qingyu sat opposite Wenchuan, feeling both confused and helpless. The girl took a sip of water from her kettle, tilted her head back, and then looked at the distant sun and clicked her tongue, "Caicai, if you're not lively and energetic tomorrow, we'll be letting you down!"
Fan Xiang smiled, a rare occurrence for her. "Cai Cai is probably still dizzy."
When the topic of vegetables came up, they touched their hoes, leaned against each other, looked up at the sky, and felt the mud under their feet. Suddenly, they all burst into laughter.
Zhang Xuan asked, "When will our rice ripen?"
Qingyu: "Of course it's autumn!"
Qin Tianshu: "Don't tell me, this is double-cropping rice!"
Lin Fanxiang: "Double-cropping rice?"
Wen Chuan: "Yes, it matures in two seasons, one in July and another in October."
Zhang Xuan stroked the wooden handle of the hoe, gazing at the distant fields. The boy smiled, "This is the first time I've ever heard of this."
Qin Tianshu: "First time planting, just like before."
Who can argue with that? Among cultivators today, who has ever tilled the land?
...
Qingyu took a few deep breaths, then struggled to her feet. She shouted, "Don't think about it anymore! Let's rest and continue!"
"Get up! Get up, all of you!"
"It's still early! The seeds haven't been covered with soil, haven't been watered, and haven't been soaked! Get up, everyone!"
Zhang Xuan looked up, and the boy shouted to the sky, "Wait, we'll finish planting before dark!"
Wen Chuan shrugged, and Qin Tianshu clicked his tongue and stood up, saying, "It's just a matter of time."
Wen Chuan: "If we keep going like this, we won't be able to finish planting before dawn."
The conversation continued, but they gradually separated, each carrying a basket and burying seeds in the ground. After planting, they had to cover the seeds with soil. Qingyu and the others needed to water their vegetable garden, while the rice paddies needed to be checked for rat holes on the ridges, to ensure the water level was deep enough, and to make sure the seeds were distributed evenly...
The sun shone brightly in the distance, illuminating their busy figures.
Finally, the setting sun released its magnificent glow, pouring down its light onto the boys' silhouettes.
Carrying buckets and baskets, bending over with hoes and poles, some leaning, some straight, some laughing, some not, making noise and sighing—
The gradually changing sunlight mingled with the scent of earth as they walked arm in arm, laughing and joking, between heaven and earth.
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