Vol 2 Chapter 2: Each Day a Blessing (Patreon)

I took deep breaths as filling my lungs with sweet spring air.

I had really missed this feeling. There was just something about it. The air was almost charged with energy, and it was driving into my soul, stirring me to action.

My plans were ambitious this year. Very ambitious. Last year had been the set up, this year was go time. And I was off like a damn rocket.

Besides, the faster I got the prep work done, the faster I could take it easy. Farming was hard, difficult work, but you had a surprising amount of time to kick back and relax, outside the crunch periods of spring and fall.

My section of the fields were mostly done being prepped. On the other side, both Xiulan and Gou Ren were a bit slower. But its not like I was waiting on them. There was always just that little other thing to accomplish, and I got nothing by breathing down their necks. They would finish when they finished.

So I was slacking a bit too. Juuuust a little bit though. I was sitting near the house, taking my sweet time on this task.

“Alright, which one is this?” Meiling asked her student, offering her a seed. It was the third one she had given to her, and each one before then, Rizzo had guessed right.

I smiled at the scene as I worked, cutting the eye off a potato. Rizzo examined the seed intently, her little nose twitching away.

‘Coriander, Master!’ the little one finally squeaked authoritatively. “Grows best in light shade, in a cooler part of the garden.’

Meimei nodded her head proudly.

“And this one?” she asked. Rizzo actually looked a bit insulted, and I could tell why. Peppercorns were easy.

‘In the pots over here, Master. They require little, though must still be tended for the best results!’ Rizzo declared again.

“Good, good. Now, which of these is poisonous, and which is medicinal.” Meiling brought out two identical looking mushrooms.

I turned my attention to the potatoes, but kept an ear open to Rizzo’s lessons. This stuff was interesting!

The “earth apples” that Xiulan had been given by the merchant weren’t any kind that I was familiar with. They were kind of like russets in size, but had smooth, bright purple skin once you got the dirt off.

They tasted pretty good too. Nice and fluffy, and they took the butter we had well.

I cut into a potato, carving off a section with a sprouted eye, and laying it to the side so that it could dry for a couple of days. Letting them get “calloused” helped prevent rot, and was why you let them dry out a bit instead of burying them immediately. Small potatoes you could just chuck in the ground, no questions, but these bigger ones needed to be taken care of.

I finally heard Rizzo’s answer.

‘Master tries to trick-deceive this one!’ she cried. ‘Both are poison, both are medicine!’

Meimei’s grin was massive. “Good!” She praised, and Rizzo puffed up with pride. “You’re absolutely correct. In small doses, these slow down bloodflow and improve clotting of the blood, excellent when dealing with large wounds, and preventing death by exsanguination.  But if a person who isn't bleeding takes this, or takes too much of it, it can cause paralysis of the heart.”

Huh. You learn something new every day. Xianxia mushrooms are kind of nuts.

“Now, for today, we shall finish planting this section of the herb garden.” Meimei demanded. “Remember to mark each section carefully, some of these are mildly poisonous.”

Rizzo nodded eagerly, and got her little hoe out, ready to work. It was cute as heck. Meiling walked over to look at the taters, and work more on the little signs she was making for the herb garden. I wasn't too familiar with some of the stuff Xian had given us, and told her so. So she had started working on the signs, and in the meantime, I was to study a scroll.

“Shes doing well then?” I asked.

“Yes. She hasn’t studied food as much as medicine, but she did very well today. I’m quite proud of her for figuring out the trick question.” She had a look that was half pride, and half affection on her face.

We worked together in companionable silence for a little. I cut up our bag of sprouting potatoes, and she checked her father’s written note, against little satchels of seeds.

Our silence was broken by Peppa, who had two baskets tied to her back, filled with mushrooms and fiddleheads. Big D wandered beside her, looking incredibly pleased with himself.

And not just any mushrooms, what looked like morels.

I was about to offer to cook dinner, when Meimei’s eyes widened in pleasure.

“I’m cooking!” she demanded, eagerly looking the fiddleheads and morels over and sniffing at them eagerly.

I should probably check on Gou Ren and Chunky anyway.

I started wandering on over to the rice paddies, along with Big D.

There, I was treated to quite an amusing sight.

I struggled to hold my laughter in as I watched the scene unfolding before me. Gou Ren was stripped to the waist, and absolutely covered in mud. Both of his hands were pressed against the terrace wall as he concentrated, sweat pouring down his body as he made sure it was well and truly reinforced.

“All right, Chunky. Go for it.” He declared.

My Chunky Boy squealed happily, and launched into motion. His trotters tore up the ground and a slight rumbling heralded his charge. He lowered his head, and slammed into the wall with earth-shattering force.

Massive, hairline cracks radiated out from the impact point, but amazingly, the wall held. Gou Ren whooped like a madman and started dancing around, pumping his fist and thumping his chest.

I was impressed. He had gotten good at Qi reinforcement.

Chunky hopped and danced with him.

“HAHAHAHA!” My castle walls are the greatest in the realms!” He cackled.

“Hows this going, boys?” I asked, and Gou Ren turned to me with a smile, saluting.

“No rain is knocking these over. The toughest terraced walls, bar none!” He stated triumphantly.

Sure, I had asked him to reinforce the terraced walls, but I had no idea how or why he dedicated that they needed to be able to stand up to a Spirit Beast.

I nearly asked him why, but at the eager triumphant gleam in his eye, I just didn’t have the heart to. Chunky butted into my leg happily, proud to have helped. He left muddy head marks all over my pants. I gave him a good scratch..

“Good job on the terraces.” I praised, and looked him up and down. He was really, really muddy. “Go wash up.” I suggested, “Meimei is making us something good.”

He finally seemed to notice just how dirty he was, and nodded. He eyed Chunky shiftily. “Race you to the water!” he shouted, and immediately started running.

Chunky squealed in protest and shot off after him, incensed at the foul cheating. I trotted along after them. I needed to wash off my hand.

//////

Bi De sat upon the Great Pillars, and was content. Another day upon this Blessed Land, and another phase of the Moon to observe. Tonight, the Moon was once more full, shining brightly in the heavens.

It was the start of the second cycle he had witnessed in this world. Or, Bi De supposed, as it was a cycle, it had no true defined beginning or end now did it? It simply was, turning through the seasons whether he was aware of it or not. A never-ending spiral through time.

He was satisfied with this. To know that this cycle was here before him, and would be here long after. And yet though the cycle continued, it changed. Though they went through the same motions, they progressed. Each foot in front of the other, following their own path.

Bi De reflected upon his own march forward.

Bi De followed the way he knew. He announced the sun’s arrival in the morning. He patrolled vigorously at night. He exalted in the world around him, in both the base mysteries, and the profound. His voice rose, and his Great Master praised his calls.

And, he got to relive his most enjoyable memories. At first, when the Great Works began anew, he thought that he would be assigned some other task. Yet his Lord had held out his arm, and welcomed him once more onto his broad shoulders.

The memories of when he was just a young, up-jumped and foolish bag of bones and feathers, arrogant and stupid.

He had changed. He had progressed. And in this new cycle, he would endeavour to do the same.

He descended upon the base creatures that dared to impede his path, and left the rest for his gaggle of hens and offspring. The Great Master was training Ba Be, the ox, in the use of a powerful artifact. He would watch the ox closely, for if his Master was bestowing such a gift upon him, then he was sure to have some sort of potential.

The Great Master’s smile was warm and soft, as he placed his hands upon the base earth, and tamed it with a gentle hand.

These things were good, and right. He reached around with his beak, and preened the sleeping form of Sister Ri Zu.

Each day, a gift from the heavens.

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A/N: This chapter holds the dubious honour of being the most rewritten. I still think something is a bit off about this one, but I quite frankly can't tell exactly what.