“You want to pull up all my vegetables to plant pear trees?”
“Such a small pear tree, does it need to occupy the entire vegetable garden?”
“If we don’t plant vegetables, what will our family eat in the future?”
“What? You said to buy vegetables every day?”
“Oh my, what kind of family are we to even buy vegetables to eat?!”
Lady Cai blocked the entrance to the vegetable garden like a protective mother hen, lecturing Zhao Xing.
“Lady Cai, isn’t it enough if I pay for the vegetables?” Zhao Xing said helplessly.
Lady Cai said with some reluctance, “It’s not about the money. I just can’t bear to part with this vegetable garden. I like to personally plant vegetables for the family to eat…”
“I’ll pay double the price for vegetables!”
Lady Cai immediately beamed with joy and moved aside, “Pull them up as you please, as you please. Do you need my help?”
“…” Zhao Xing found it amusing; her expression changed too quickly.
“No need to trouble you, I’ll do it myself.”
Zhao Xing entered the vegetable garden, preparing to make space for the Heaven Origin Pear Tree.
At this moment, Zhao Ruide, who heard the commotion, walked over and, after hearing Lady Cai’s words, immediately frowned:
“You actually asked Xing’er for money to buy vegetables? Is that how an elder should act?”
“The third branch has a courtyard that’s overgrown; couldn’t you just plant them there?”
Lady Cai grumbled, “He said it himself, it’s not like I asked for it. Besides, won’t he eat the vegetables we buy? What’s wrong with him having the ability to show filial respect to the family?”
Zhao Ruide sighed, “You truly lack foresight. That pear tree is far more precious than ten of your vegetable plots. If it survives, will the family still lack food?”
Lady Cai looked suspicious, “How much can one pear tree be worth? He promised to pay double, you know.”
“You! How embarrassing…” Zhao Ruide pointed at her, then turned and left.
Lady Cai looked at her husband, then at Zhao Xing in the vegetable garden, and immediately became annoyed, “Oh dear, since it’s so precious, if he becomes an official elsewhere in the future, won’t this treasure pear tree be left for Zheng’er? I must have been muddle-headed just now…”
Then Lady Cai’s eyes darted around, and she also left in a hurry.
Soon after, she called Zhao Zheng over.
“Big Brother, my mother said to come help.”
“No need, go play somewhere else.”
Zhao Xing waved his hand, then began to cast a Spell.
“Wind Rise!”
Whoosh~
A strong wind blew, and all the vegetables in the soil were uprooted, even the soil was turned over.
“Wow, Big Brother is amazing, Big Brother is amazing!” Zhao Zheng clapped his hands excitedly from the side, “Big Brother, do it again!”
“Do you think I’m performing a circus act?” Zhao Xing said testily. What was this little brother thinking?
After clearing the soil, Zhao Xing once again controlled the Wind Spell.
It transformed into a small, drilling tornado, digging out a large pit.
Then he smashed the potted plant and planted the Heaven Origin Pear Tree.
“Thrive!”
Another Spell descended upon the Heaven Origin Pear Tree.
However, this was not aimed at ripening the Heaven Origin Pear Tree, but mainly to allow its roots to quickly take root and adapt to the new soil environment.
A High Grade Rank Three sapling was not so easy to move; re-rooting would require continuous Spell casting for at least half an hour.
“Big Brother, since this pear is so delicious, why isn’t Mother happy for you to plant it?” Zhao Zheng had tasted a small piece; he remembered it vividly, finding it the most delicious pear in the world, cool and refreshing, very comfortable.
“Your mother hasn’t eaten it, so she probably doesn’t know.”
“Mother really lacks taste.”
“Shut up!” Zhao Xing scolded, “Don’t speak ill of your mother.”
“Big Brother, I was wrong.” Zhao Zheng pinched his ears and obediently lowered his head.
Lady Cai, originally a singing girl, gave Zhao Ruide a child late in life. If it were anyone else, they might have been insufferably arrogant.
However, even with Zhao Ruide’s modest savings, she still didn't mind the dirt and toil of planting vegetables and cooking at home, which could already be considered virtuous!
It was true she loved money, but she mostly just talked about it. She never demanded that Zhao Xing be driven out, wasn't it because Zhao Xing, as an adopted son, also had inheritance rights and she lacked a sense of security? That was merely her protective coloration.
Zhao Xing had no prejudice against Lady Cai, and even understood her completely. One could say all of Lady Cai’s self-interest lay with her son.
“Don’t let me hear you speak ill of your mother again, or your backside will be in for a beating, understood?”
“Understood.” Zhao Zheng nodded, half-understanding.
“Understood, Zhao Xing’s home is in Pingkangfang. I have a relative in Tongjifang, just two streets away. There will be plenty of opportunities to run into him. Chatting a bit, as neighbors, is no problem at all, Venerable One, rest assured.”
“Don’t be too deliberate.” The Master of Sanwan Hall instructed, “When you go to the East Market to sell fish, just chat normally with people.”
“I understand.” The fishmonger nodded.
“The Profound Heaven Society protects you.”
“I am willing to die for Profound Heaven.” A trace of fanaticism flashed in the fisherman’s eyes, then he picked up his pole and walked on.
【Jingxin Year Fifteen, September Thirteenth, Mid-morning, First quarter of the Snake hour.】
【Omen of Misfortune Warning: Minor Misfortune; Eyes and ears spy, hidden dangers everywhere】
“Hm?”
On this day, Zhao Xing was on his way to the Bureau of Agriculture when he suddenly found that the Omen of Misfortune Calendar automatically turned a page, showing a warning.
Immediately after, the panel provided a more detailed explanation.
【You have triggered the effect of the Rank Three treasure 'Omen of Misfortune Calendar'. Based on your Luck Rank and known information, you have received the following prompt:】
【Your three consecutive 'Excellent' ratings have attracted the attention of the Profound Heaven Sect. They have decided to send believers as their eyes and ears to monitor and investigate you. If you walk in any of the four directions, potential disasters will be laid.】
“It’s the Profound Heaven Sect again?!” Zhao Xing frowned, “Why are they still near Gucheng? Is this never-ending?”
“I don’t provoke you, so why do you keep targeting me?”
It was annoying. Zhao Xing now only wanted to steadily farm and develop himself, completely unwilling to stir up trouble. He originally thought that after the strict investigation last time, the Profound Heaven Sect had fled elsewhere, but he didn’t expect them to still be lurking here, and even starting to target him.
“It’s only a minor misfortune, which proves that the Profound Heaven Sect won’t take action yet, but they will inevitably act in the future. What did the Profound Heaven Sect do in the Jingxin Strange Case?” Zhao Xing recalled the details.
“That’s right, they captured so many agricultural officials to artificially create natural disasters in various parts of Great Zhou. Capturing weavers and artificers was purely to cover their tracks; in reality, they mainly captured those in the agricultural profession.”
“The Profound Heaven Sect is a closed sect, but its subordinate believers also have considerable influence. Causing trouble in Great Zhou is to assert their existence, sow the seeds of the Profound Heaven Sect among the populace, gain incense and faith, and lay the groundwork for the later period of resurgence.”
“The Jingxin Strange Case was re-evaluated by players afterwards. This abduction activity by the Profound Heaven Sect lasted a full ten years. For the first nine years, they secretly captured people, brainwashed officials, and secretly cultivated them. In the tenth year, they caused chaos everywhere, erupting all at once, and their ultimate goal was… Yuanling Grotto Heaven in Guangling Prefecture!”
Update times should be as fixed as possible, not exceeding 24 hours. Some days are required to meet reader retention data, but the author actually has drafts and can achieve fixed-time updates.
Also, it's normal to find four thousand words a day slow during the new book period. The author has their own writing rhythm, and it will be much better after it's put on shelves.
As an aside, the author has written successful books on Qidian, so they are an experienced writer. Those colleagues who keep changing accounts to scold, nitpick, and try to teach me how to write can save their breath. Stepping on colleagues won't improve you or have any effect. In this line of work, honest writing is the hard truth.
Unless you give a million-dollar reward? I'll immediately believe you and write as you say!!