Chapter 49: Chapter 49: Repayment
Just beyond the crossroads, Wang Chen saw two little ones sitting in front of his home.
On the left was a girl, and on the right another.
In the middle was a basket of green peaches.
Wang Chen found them somewhat familiar and approached to ask, “Ya?”
Both girls had already stood up by then. The one on the left timidly nodded her head: “Brother Wang Chen.”
The girl on the right seemed a bit more frightened, trying to hide behind her companion.
But she was unsuccessful.
Wang Chen mused, “Ya, are you here to see me?”
Ya was Lady Chen’s daughter, only nine years old this year.
Despite her somewhat dark skin,
she resembled her mother, and one could tell she was a beauty in the making.
Ya pursed her lips, lifting the basket beside her: “Brother Wang Chen, my mother sent me to bring you peaches to thank you for helping our family with the pest problem.”
She added, “These peaches are from our own tree, very sweet.”
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As she spoke, she subconsciously swallowed.
Wang Chen laughed, “Thank you.”
A faint warmth welled up in his heart.
After experiencing the coldness of the sects and the ruthlessness of those in power, the sight of this dark and skinny girl brought Wang Chen a sense of warmth he hadn’t felt in a long time.
In fact, Wang Chen had long since forgotten about that favor he had done.
He rarely expected anything in return when he helped others.
But when the recipients of his help expressed their gratitude, it was undoubtedly a pleasing affair.
Wang Chen accepted the heavy basket of peaches.
“No need to be polite.”
The earlier conversation seemed to have exhausted all of Ya’s courage.
She replied softly, preparing to beat a hasty retreat with her companion, “Brother Wang Chen, we’ll be going now.”
“Hold on a moment.”
Wang Chen halted them.
He put the green peaches into his storage bag, then retrieved a strip of lean monster beast meat and placed it back into the basket.
He then handed it back to Ya.
Ya was momentarily stunned, unsure how to react.
Wang Chen couldn’t help but reach out and tousle her hair: “Off you go.”
This little girl reminded Wang Chen of his own younger sister in his previous life, who was also shy and timid when she was young.
But she grew up to become a real demoness!
“Thank you, Brother.”
Ya snapped back to reality, her cheeks flushing a light pink.
She held the basket in her left hand, her right hand pulling her companion, bowing respectfully to Wang Chen.
Then, like frightened rabbits, they ran away.
Wang Chen chuckled to himself, watching the two girls disappear from view.
He took out a green peach and took a bite.
The fist-sized fruit had been washed and was exceptionally fresh. The white flesh was both sweet and crisp, with a slight tang that left a pleasant fragrance lingering on the lips and teeth.
Although it couldn’t compare to a true Spirit Peach, the sweet flesh did contain a hint of spiritual energy.
Clearly, these were carefully selected quality peaches.
Lady Chen was very thoughtful.
Moreover, the pretty widow was quite considerate, seemingly wary of idle gossip under the cucumber vines and the plum trees, and therefore had sent her daughter with a friend to deliver the peaches.
Wang Chen devoured a large peach, finishing it completely.
He wiped his hands and was about to open the door.
Suddenly, a carriage came racing up and came to a steady halt before him.
The driver leaped down from the seat, and it was none other than the burly man with the twisted beard from yesterday!
He greeted Wang Chen with a fist-and-palm salute: “Immortal Master, at your service!”
Wang Chen was puzzled, “Is there a problem?”
The bearded giant seemed somewhat embarrassed as he spoke: “Immortal Master, you gave me over seventy pounds of Spirit Valley yesterday, and only today did I realize the city’s grain prices have skyrocketed. What you gave was far too generous!”
“I was wondering what was the matter.”
Wang Chen smiled, “You helped me harvest the rice, so that Spirit Valley is rightfully yours, don’t worry about it.”
This Innate Martial Artist was a man of integrity too.
To be honest, having Lady Chen offer peaches in gratitude followed by a visit to express appreciation from the Valley Guests,
Wang Chen’s heart was truly more at ease now!
“The Immortal Master is kind and righteous.”
The bearded giant spoke in a deep voice, “I, Wei, cannot be ungrateful.”
“Today, I’ll help the Immortal Master by ploughing all ten mu of your Spirit Fields!”
The Spirit Fields must be immediately ploughed after the summer harvest to sow the new rice seeds.
Otherwise, once the season is missed, there won’t be a second harvest of Spiritual Rice in the winter.
Because all of the fields need to be deeply plowed, this task is quite arduous.
Wang Chen had planned on starting tomorrow.
He didn’t expect someone would volunteer to help.
Seeing the bearded giant’s determination, Wang Chen did not politely refuse, “Then I’ll have to trouble Brother Wei.”
“Leave it to me.”
The bearded giant seemed rather pleased.
Pounding his chest, he said, “Immortal Master, rest assured, I, old Wei, am an expert at farming!”
This, Wang Chen believed.
The bearded giant took the farming tools from the horse cart and hurriedly ran to the Spirit Fields to start working.
What is it like when an Innate Master ploughs the land?
The efficiency was truly not worse than that of a small farming machine!
Wang Chen watched in awe.
After thinking it over, he went back home to the kitchen and pulled out two pieces of Monster Beast lean meat onto a cutting board.
After hammering the Monster Beast meat repeatedly, he cut it into small pieces, added soy sauce and spices, and started to marinate it.
Lighting a fire to the stove, Wang Chen began to cook rice with the lid on.
He didn’t just sit idle in front of the stove, but instead kneaded clay in his hands to practice and improve his skill proficiency.
Wang Chen planned to advance his Mudstone Technique to the Great Achievement level, then dig out a large, durable bunker underneath the house.
When the aroma of the rice began to waft through the kitchen, he lifted the lid of the pot, used his Object-Controlling Technique to retrieve the marinated meat chunks, and mixed them into the half-cooked Spirit Rice.
He continued to simmer it.
Before long, the scent of the rice merged with the aroma of the meat, tempting one’s appetite immensely!
By the time the pot of Beast Meat Rice was fully cooked,
It was just in time for the meal.
Wang Chen carried the entire large iron pot out into the courtyard and placed it on a small table.
He also brought out bowls, chopsticks, and a rice ladle.
Then he ran outside and shouted to the bearded giant still busy in the fields, “Brother Wei, time for a meal!”
The other had helped till the fields, doing true hard work.
It was only proper for Wang Chen to offer a meal in return.
The bearded giant heard and stopped his work, rubbing his bristly beard.
After wiping off sweat, he came over.
Wang Chen invited this Innate Martial Artist to sit down in the courtyard, serving him a full large bowl of Beast Meat Rice.
The rich aroma of meat rice made the bearded giant’s Adam’s apple bob.
His eyes went wide.
“This, this is really too kind!”
Life as a Loose Cultivator was hard, with one jin of Spirit Valley divided into three meals.
The bowl of rice in front of him was too luxurious!
Wang Chen laughed and said, “It’s just a bowl of rice, what’s there to be shy about?”
“Eat!”
He too served himself a bowl, lifted his chopsticks, and started to wolf it down.
Seeing Wang Chen so casual, the initially reserved bearded giant couldn’t help but let go of his inhibitions.
He too began to eat heartily.
One an Innate Master, the other proficient in Body Refinement, both of them possessed hearty appetites.
As they ate, it was like a gust of wind sweeping through leaves!
A large pot with over a dozen jin of Beast Meat Rice was demolished completely.
Wang Chen even scraped off a thick layer of crispy rice from the bottom of the pot, sharing half with the bearded giant to chew as a snack.
The crispy bits were so delicious, one cannot even begin to describe!
The first update is here.
PS: Some content from Chapter 46 received negative feedback from readers and has therefore been revised, which does not affect the storyline.