The next morning, Zhenzhu was up early to help with chores. While watering the vegetables, Baihu informed her that five men were trapped in the Flowers Engulf Sky Formation she had set up. Illusionary Character attacked them, they were exhausted and severely injured, and without intervention, they would likely die in that illusory field. Ah...someone had actually tested her Flowers Engulf Sky Formation. Zhenzhu Looked out at the sparkling garden, not a single plant missing. Who dared to steal the He family’s vegetable? However, not wanting any deaths to bring misfortune to her land, she decided to go to where they were, meant to open a path for them to escape to the road through the maze instead. ‘Why run? You cannot get out without destroying the core of my formation,’ she thought, proud that her first formation worked so effectively, beyond her expectation, yet she still curious about the identity of these men. Were they locals trying to steal vegetables, or had someone sent them? "Zhu’er, who’s running around by the fence?" He Lei approached his daughter, noticing five men running back and forth beside their property fence, seemingly fleeing something. They drew their weapons, fighting against the void, their clothes torn, and bodies covered in wounds, looking utterly disheveled as if went through hundreds of battlefields. "They’re thieves trying to steal our vegetables, father. They’re trapped in the illusory field." Ah...Zhu’er’s illusory field was that formidable. It was fortunate they came after the Flowers Engulf Sky Formation was set up; otherwise, who knows how much the He family might have suffered. Zhenzhu tapped a small, inconspicuous stone embedded in the ground. The moment she drew something on it, the exit from the formation was opened. Not so long till they could run out to the street, five men scrambled along the path, collapsing exhaustedly on the side. "Eh, who’s that lying over there?" A merchant passing by in his cart spotted them and stopped to check. Googlᴇ search 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡~𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢~𝙣𝙚𝙩 "Hey, they’re injured. Quick, let’s take them to the doctor." He called his friends to assist. The five men were aided by passersby one by one. No one knew who they were, where they came from, or how they got injured. Yet, the five men dared not tell their story for fear of being arrested for trespassing into someone else’s garden. The beast in Master He’s garden remained a secret, and they swore even at the cost of their lives, they would never set foot in Master He’s vegetable garden again. In the late afternoon, as the sun mellowed and a gentle breeze blew, Zhenzhu lounged comfortably on a bench under the shade of a large tree, holding a brush and a board that used for supporting the back of a paper while practicing new characters. Sometimes, when she got bored, she would switch to designing fabric patterns and clothes, incorporating the current fashion into new and unique designs. "Big sister, what are you drawing?" The little boy leaned in to see what his sister was sketching. "Drawing a pretty dress for Yu’er, how about that?" "Really? That’s great! Can Big Sister draw other things too?" "I can manage a bit. Why do you ask, Yu’er?" "That’s great! Can you teach me to draw? I want to draw beautiful pictures." "Do you like drawing, Yu’er?" Zhenzhu asked, furrowing her brows. Perhaps her little brother wanted to follow the path of an artistic spirit energy cultivator. "Yes, I like it. But Teacher Li isn’t good at drawing." "Yes, then shall I find a skilled painting master to teach you, Yu’er?" It can be said that there is another spiritual cultivation path that is not very popular: the path of the spiritual artist. To become a spiritual artist, one must have a great passion and love for painting. There are not many master artists in the Yan Kingdom because the artist profession is not popular, and few master artists are recognized in the Yan Kingdom. However, the paintings they create are extremely valuable. A great master artist can create immensely valuable works. For example, one painting by Master Chi Yong can captivate the viewer’s soul. That painting can draw the viewer into a trance, where they can cultivate their spiritual energy twice as effectively. Therefore, that painting is a highly prized and incredibly valuable treasure." Let’s have He Yu tries drawing. If he enjoys it, he can also pursue the path of an artist. "That would be great!" The boy’s eyes sparkled, finding drawing much more enjoyable than practicing writing. It was not boring, and he could have a nice picture to look at. "Big Sister Zhu, about Elder Zhi’s land, I asked him, and he said he wants to sell," Xin Xi walked toward her to report, he had just driven the cart over. "Really? That’s wonderful. Have you made an appointment with Elder Zhi?" Zhenzhu asked excitedly. "Not yet. I came to ask you first, Big Sister Zhu." "Then, could you make an appointment for me with Elder Zhi for the day after tomorrow?" "Sure, Big Sister Zhu." "Ah, there’s Teacher Li. You two go to your lessons," Zhenzhu saw Teacher Li approaching. He Yu flinched a bit then quickly ran to grab his homework. After Zhenzhu greeted the teacher, she gathered all her things and returned to her quarters. "Eh?" Her gaze caught the talisman bundle given by the old monk. He told her it contained plant seeds. She hadn’t opened it since receiving it, leaving it untouched for days. Zhenzhu picked up the talisman bundle and unwrapped it to discover several smaller cloth packages inside. She randomly selected one, opened it, and found seeds of a plant she recognized. They were small, slender seeds similar to grains of rice. Were these strawberry seeds? It was astonishing. Zhenzhu remembered the words of the Monk Xin Gong, who mentioned receiving these seeds from a foreign traveler with a different appearance, possibly a Westerner, that was why he had such exotic plant varieties. Excited, Zhenzhu unwrapped the other packages to find seeds of some plants she didn’t recognize and others she did, like blueberries, blackberries, and grapes. For the unfamiliar seeds, she decided to plant them and wait to see what they grew into. But for now, she must plant the strawberries first. Zhenzhu hurried outside with the cloth bag, intent on sowing them right away. "What’s that you’re planting, Zhu’er?" Miss Wang, who was sewing, called out, seeing her daughter rush by. "These are straw... ah, caomei seeds, mother. It’s a type of fruit I’ve recently acquired. I’m going to plant them." "Oh, do you need help sowing them?" She soaked the Caomei seeds, which needed to be soaked in water for 2-3 days before sowing. Zhenzhu hummed happily, thrilled to have such rare seeds to plant suddenly. She envisioned a future. Should she hire more workers to help with the fruit garden, or should she use the land she planned to buy from Elder Zhi as a fruit garden? This would include various kinds of fruits, both local fruits and the new varieties from the seeds she’d just received. She could open a He family’s fruit shop beside the He Family’s Vegetable Shop, her fruits would be spirit fruits, and with her offering new kind of fruits that local did not recognize, attracting their attention, that would gain more income for her family. She thought that spirit energy cultivator might want to have new kind of spirit food, not boring vegetable. Fruits would be a new kind of dessert for those with wealth, they could have spirit fruits instead of spirit vegetables. But first, she needed to hire more workers. Her family, Xin Xi, and the three servants wouldn’t suffice for her grand plans. She decided to buy more slaves. After soaking the caomei seeds, Zhenzhu consulted her father in the garden that she wanted to plant fruits garden and that she needed to hire more workers. Zhenzhu told He Lei about her plans elaborately. "Um, some fruits do take a long time to grow, while others don’t take as much time. Buying slaves for long-term work isn’t a bad idea. However, I think we should buy a plot of land and build living quarters for them outside," he expressed his concern about overcrowding at home. Acquiring a large number of slaves could lead to a lax selection process, so having separate living accommodations in an area not too far away seemed preferable. "Should we survey the area around here first? See if there’s any land the owners might want to sell." "Um, I’ll have Xin Xi try to ask around," He Lei was pleased with Xin Xi’s diligence and ability to work. He was careful and knew many people. Frequently, he would delegate tasks to Xin Xi, who could reliably carry them out. "That’s great, father. Thank you," said Zhenzhu. Zhenzhu was startled awake early in the morning by the shouts of He Yu, as he usually wakes up before her and goes to the garden with their parents every morning. Today, there must have been something exciting for him to shout so loudly. "Big Sister Zhu! Big Sister Zhu! Come see quickly, Big Sister Zhu!" "I’m coming, I’m coming. What’s so exciting?" "Look at this, the Erdan mushrooms have sprung up everywhere!" "Really?" Zhenzhu was thrilled because it was now entering autumn, and Erdan mushrooms in the forest were gone, but the occurrence of Erdan mushrooms here meant that her formation, the Rainy Formation, was effective. She joyfully observed the small Erdan mushrooms sprouting up within 10 mu area, coloring the ground with the color of white, red, yellow, a dazzling sight. Yet, these mushrooms also emitted a spirit energy. Erdan mushrooms even had dark blue spirit energy! "You’re really talented, Younger Sister Zhu. From now on, our house will have a new product to sell, Erdan mushrooms. How much should we sell them for, Father?" He Ming was excited and eagerly discussed with his father. "Um, how about 1 taels per jin?" proposed Wang Wang. “I think selling it for 2 taels per jin would be better, Mother. These mushrooms are not available anywhere else, and they also possess spirit energy. How about we try selling them first? If we can’t harvest them all, it’s alright because these mushrooms can become spores for new mushrooms if they age," Zhenzhu proposed, explaining her reasoning, and the He family nodded in agreement. Xin Xi, Peipei, Feng Yi and Feng Xian watched the He family agree with admiration. Everything this family touched turned to gold, truly admirable. "Let’s go with what Zhu’er suggested," He Lei concluded. "Alright, let’s divide the tasks. Women will collect the mushrooms here, and men will go harvest the vegetables in the garden," He Lei assigned tasks because Erdan mushrooms are very delicate and can be easily bruised if handled too roughly, necessitating careful and gentle handling, which is why he assigned the task to the women. Everyone carried out their assigned tasks, collaborating to collect Erdan mushrooms and vegetables. After collecting a satisfactory amount, they loaded them onto a cart and headed to the He family’s vegetable shop as usual. Some customers had been waiting since dawn to buy vegetables, mostly servants from large households who hurried to buy vegetables to prepare breakfast for their masters, and some were traders with some money to buy ingredients for cooking. "Wait a moment, please. Today, the He family’s vegetable shop has a new product to introduce," Zhenzhu greeted the customers with a smile and pushed the cart to the back of the shop. After unloading the vegetables and mushrooms on the display table, she opened the shop door. "Dear customers, today the He family’s vegetable shop introduces a new product: Erdan mushrooms with spirit energy." "What? Erdan mushrooms?" "Isn’t it past the season for Erdan mushrooms?" "How come there are Erdan mushrooms? Were they found on the mountain?" "How is that possible? Didn’t you hear Lady He? She said the Erdan mushrooms have spirit energy. That means Master He must have cultivated them himself." "Right, how could Erdan mushrooms appear at this time?" "Master He is truly talented to be able to cultivate Erdan mushrooms." "How could Master He be an ordinary person?" "He really is skilled." "The Erdan mushrooms from the He family’s vegetable shop have spirit energy and are sold for 2 taels per jin. If anyone is interested, you can buy up to 3 jin per person," Zhenzhu announced. "Oh, Lady He, please sell more. If I only buy 3 jin, it won’t be enough for all the masters in the mansion," one servant lamented. "I’m sorry, but we have to follow the rules. Please share with others. Our shop will continue to sell Erdan mushrooms periodically," Zhenzhu replied with a smile. "Oh, Lady He," the servant looked dejected, knowing that if he only bought 3 jin, it wouldn’t be enough, and he would get scolded, but not buying any would lead to even more scolding. Sigh, this was hard. Next time he would have to bring more friends. Zhenzhu invited the first 10 customers into the shop. Each bought 3 jin of Erdan mushrooms, as per the purchase limit. Soon, all the Erdan mushrooms were sold out, leaving the later customers regretting not arriving earlier for such a rare commodity. "Eh, brother, what is that in your basket?" a foreign merchant passing by was surprised to see something white and yellow in a basket of a man who had purchased vegetables from the He family’s vegetable shop. "Oh, this? These are Erdan mushrooms cultivated by Master He. They’re being sold for the first time today, and they’re spirit Erdan mushrooms." "Really! Master He of your town managed to cultivate spirit Erdan mushrooms?" The foreign merchant exclaimed, his eyes almost popped out. He envied the people of Fengfu City. Master He’s reputation from Fengfu City had reached his town, known as a cultivator who sold vegetables at low prices, enabling the townspeople to eat vegetables with spirit energy. Now, even the son of a small shopkeeper began to practice spirit energy cultivation. Vegetables from Master He were so sought after that they sold out quickly. As a foreigner, he envied them, but it was too far to queue for the purchase; the vegetables would spoil before getting home. Thus, some wealthy people started buying homes in Fengfu City as vacation homes, with some even moving here, raising the price of land in Fengfu City continuously. "It’s true, isn’t it? How could our Master He be just an ordinary person, even growing Erdan mushrooms?" The man said with pride, as if Master He was his own son, implying that Master He belonged to them all. "You people of Fengfu City are indeed fortunate. Normally, I pass by here often, but it’s a pity I can’t bring anything back due to fear of spoilage. Sigh, if only it wouldn’t spoil, I would stop by more often," the merchant expressed regretfully. Zhenzhu, with her great hearing ability as a dark blue-tier spirit energy cultivator, overheard the conversation clearly between the two men. If it wouldn’t spoil, they could indeed stop by more often, right? The towns around Fengfu City, usually a 1–2-day journey by cart, or even 2-3 days if farther, wouldn’t allow them to bring vegetables home. If it were winter, those nearby might manage, but in summer, the vegetables would wilt and spoil before reaching. If only there were a container that could keep freshness intact, Zhenzhu thought about the Preservation Character she had inscribed onto the dimensional stones. If she could inscribe the Preservation Character onto baskets and sell them to foreign merchants, they could then bring vegetables and mushrooms home. These merchants form a customer base too significant to overlook. If she were to expand her garden in the future, both vegetable and fruit gardens, these foreign merchants could become a secondary market, allowing her to offload more produce. Zhenzhu planned in her mind. She should first try inscribing the Preservation Character onto a basket. Without delay, as the customers thinned out, Zhenzhu left the management of the vegetable shop to Miss Wang and Peipei, while she headed home with a basket. Once home, she sat on a bench under a tree and carefully started inscribing the Preservation Character. Soon enough, she was done, and the basket emanated power from the character inscribed. A plain basket was now golden. The character within could keep the contents fresh for two months, and the Preservation Character itself would last for two years. Two years. If handled carefully, it wouldn’t break prematurely. As a bonus, she thought of inscribing the Enduring Character just to be sure. Read ‘Rebirth: This Farmgirl Has Spirit Fish Scales’ before anyone else with more Chapters at https://www.jinovel.com/en