Chapter 3: Spring Water Effects

Unfortunately, in his childhood, Li Feng had seen those large birds that are now rarely seen, especially the egrets and swans. He had eaten a few white swans when he was young, but now he hears that they have not been seen for several years. The egrets, on the other hand, can still be seen occasionally. These birds do not have as much meat as the white swans, and with the improvement in people's living standards in recent years, they are too lazy to hunt these birds that yield only a few pounds of meat

"Alright, the food my son cooked is indeed fragrant, don't you think so, old man?" Zhang Lan praised it even before tasting, and she didn't spare Li Shan, who had just sat down either

Li Feng nodded, watering the vegetable garden, a task he could handle himself. However, when it came to weeding, he felt a lingering apprehension. Carrying a shovel, he strolled around, greeting his uncles and cousins. Observing the simple smiles on the faces of the villagers, Li Feng felt increasingly at peace. After chatting for a while, he inquired whether there were any construction teams in the village, wanting to gather information early on; he couldn't wait until the matter was urgent. When the fire was at his heels, it would be too late to seek help.

Ah, there is a little carp. Its body is half-dyed in red and yellow, about a zhang long, with whiskers at the corners of its mouth, perhaps one day it will transform into a dragon and ascend. The older generation often says that carp leap over the dragon gate, or that they soar through the mist on foggy days. Many people recount stories from before the liberation or from the 1950s and 1960s, claiming that on foggy mornings they found carp in front of their homes, which were then wrapped in red cloth and released into the river. Unfortunately, Li Feng has never seen this; it was only mentioned frequently by his grandfather when he was alive, and now few people know the truth of it.

"Mom and Dad, wash your hands before eating, and try your son's cooking." Li Feng felt somewhat proud; after being away from home for several years, he had indeed gained some experience. He could now do his own laundry, cook meals, and clean the house, which was a far cry from his childhood when he would often run home for help. During high school, he would bring his clothes back home every weekend for Zhang Lan to wash. He couldn't even manage to wash his socks and underwear. Over the past few years in Beijing, he had endured many hardships and learned a great deal.

With some leisure time, I thought about going online to check www.hetushu.com to buy some flower and plant seeds to decorate my space. This gray and dull area has become quite unappealing after a while. Planting flowers, plants, and trees would be comforting to look at. Speaking of trees, Li Feng already has some plans in mind. In a couple of days, he intends to go into the mountains to dig up some saplings to bring back. As for the peach tree in the yard, he plans to wait for the one that will be removed when the house is built; it should go unnoticed. If that doesn't work, he can only see if there are any peach saplings in the mountains, but those wild peach trees require grafting, which he does not understand.

Mom, I am here to help you. Is there anything else that needs to be done? I can skip the weeding. " Li Feng inserted the shovel into the ridge and looked around, unsure of what he could do. The corn seedlings were only about ten centimeters tall, requiring no pollination and no husking, leaving him genuinely at a loss for what to do.

Li Shan picked up a steamed bun and took a big bite of the vegetables. Although he did not say anything, the smile on his face made Li Feng realize that his father was genuinely happy, a happiness that came from the heart

For dinner, Li Feng personally cooked. Of course, Li Feng's culinary skills were just passable, preparing ordinary home-cooked dishes such as stir-fried water celery and dried tofu, wild garlic with eggs, smashed cucumber with cilantro, and a pot of red bean porridge, along with steamed buns made in the morning. Everything was ready, and within a few minutes, his father Li Shan and mother Zhang Lan entered the door, carrying hoes and buckets.

Alas, although the village is somewhat more prosperous than in previous years, it can only meet basic needs, and there is still some distance to achieving a moderately well-off status. Not only in my own household, but among the thirty to forty families nearby, there are very few that go to the market to buy groceries, unless a guest arrives.

"Hehe, old man, look, Xiao Bao has actually learned to cook." The surprise and joy on Zhang Lan's face were beyond words, and as she looked at the old man's contented smile, she felt increasingly happy

Such a beautiful scene made Li Feng's mouth water. "Let's do it this way," he said, grabbing a shovel and running to the peach orchard. Looking at the thatched cottage at the foot of the mountain, Li Feng suddenly felt that the cottage might be more poetic. "Forget it, I already have a small thatched cottage; I can't always live in a cottage, can I"

Indeed. Li Feng slapped his forehead, recalling that he had long desired to have his own house. Now that he had both land and money, he was increasingly eager to build a small villa with a garden. The more he thought about it, the more impatient he became. He had already decided on the location, which was a vacant plot in the peach orchard near the thatched cottage. It should not require cutting down too many peach trees.

Li Feng's vegetable garden is located behind the small courtyard, covering half an acre of land, where a variety of vegetables are grown, including tomatoes, green peppers, beans, and bok choy. Along the edge of the wall, loofah is planted, and in the far corner, there are winter melon vines, chives, and asparagus lettuce, connected by a small row of garlic sprouts. Seeing such an abundance of vegetables, Li Feng was slightly taken aback, realizing that his parents must rarely go to the market.

The more I think about it, the more it feels like a cat scratching inside my heart, an itch that cannot be ignored. However, considering that my parents are unlikely to agree, and I lack a reasonable justification for wanting to renovate a house simply because I like it, I wonder if the villagers will think I am foolish. Sitting helplessly on the cool bed in the thatched cottage, I ponder continuously about what I can do.

"Oh, Mom, where did these bell peppers come from? They are so big!" Upon returning home and seeing the fresh bell peppers in the basket, Li Feng felt puzzled and asked Zhang Lan, who was nearby.

Looking at the green peppers, which have already grown to the thickness of a little finger, they are much earlier than those from other places. The eggplants have also started to bloom, and the tomatoes are the size of marbles. Li Feng glanced around, noticing that he was mostly surrounded by poplar trees. A thought crossed his mind: why bother to water the ditch in front, which is so far away? The water from his space keeps bubbling up every day, and it doesn't seem to diminish at all; even when he fills a bucket, it doesn't decrease. What a strange phenomenon

In the following days, Li Feng went to the town and bought some seeds at the agricultural technology station, including lotus roots, lotus flowers, and water chestnuts, spending nearly 300 yuan. The seeds are indeed quite expensive, it is really outrageous.

Li Feng held a shovel, looking around, and began to dig. The soil was not much; after digging less than half a meter, he had already encountered rocks, perhaps too close to the foot of the mountain. This place is backed by a great mountain, with peach orchards in front, the fragrance of fruit in the air, and a white ribbon drifting in the distance, creating waves like a celestial being. It perhaps possesses more vitality than Tao Yuanming, being only a few hundred meters from the village. The roadbed can be repaired without cement, using only the blue stone slabs from the hillside, adding a unique charm. This place is backed by a great mountain, with peach orchards in front, the fragrance of fruit in the air, and a white ribbon drifting in the distance, creating waves like a celestial being. It perhaps possesses more vitality than Tao Yuanming, being only a few hundred meters from the village. The roadbed can be repaired without cement, using only the blue stone slabs from the hillside, adding a unique charm.

Holding a wooden bucket, I easily watered the vegetable garden. Wiping the sweat from my forehead, I realized how weak my body had become. Every day spent sitting in the office, sleeping after work, and playing on the computer has made me lose track of how long it has been since I last exercised. Back in school, my physical condition was excellent; no one on the basketball team could match my fitness. Yet, in just a few years, my physical quality has declined so much.

Looking around, there was an abandoned pond beside the thatched cottage, not large, about half an acre in size, with water from the mountain springs, clear and tranquil. Occasionally, a few small fish could be seen swimming by: crucian carp, loach, and mud loach, but no large fish were spotted. The pond was also filled with a considerable amount of aquatic plants that had not been cleared for many years, with a clump of reeds in one corner. From time to time, a kingfisher would fly by, diving into the water to catch a small fish about an inch long. The white water birds, with white feathers and red claws and beaks, played leisurely in the pond, seemingly unbothered by anyone. Such water birds were most commonly seen in flocks along the riverbank of Lijia Gang, and people did not know their name, referring to them as fish eagles, since they ate fish. In fact, after Li Feng later went to university, he took some time to visit a few websites about water birds, and he found out that these birds had a nice name called the red-billed gull.

Li Feng sat alone on the threshold after finishing his lunch, contemplating his future life. He was unwilling to return to Beijing, despite receiving numerous calls from friends and brothers in recent days. However, upon returning, Li Feng did not wish to go out again. At home, one must have something to do to earn some money for daily expenses. Over the years, he had saved a bit of money; while it was not much in the capital, having around 200,000 yuan was considered quite wealthy in Lijia Gang.

In the Peach Blossom Hut lies the Peach Blossom Temple, beneath the Peach Blossom Temple resides the Peach Blossom Immortal; the Peach Blossom Immortal plants peach trees, and picks peach blossoms in exchange for wine money. When sober, I sit before the flowers, when drunk, I sleep beneath the flowers; half awake and half drunk, day after day, flowers fall and bloom year after year. I wish to grow old and die amidst flowers and wine, not willing to bow before carriages and horses; the dust of carriages and the hooves of horses are the interests of the wealthy, while the wine cup and flower branches are the fate of the poor. If one compares wealth and nobility to poverty, one is on level ground while the other is in the sky; if one compares poverty and lowliness to carriages and horses, he drives and gallops while I enjoy leisure. Others laugh at me for being too mad, I laugh at them for not seeing through; not seeing the tombs of the heroes of Wuling, with no flowers or wine, I wield a hoe to till the fields. If one compares wealth and nobility to poverty, one is on level ground while the other is in the sky; if one compares poverty and lowliness to carriages and horses, he drives and gallops while I enjoy leisure. Others laugh at me for being too mad, I laugh at them for not seeing through; not seeing the tombs of the heroes of Wuling, with no flowers or wine, I wield a hoe to till the fields. Li Feng is most envious of such a scene, now that he has the ability to realize his dreams, how can he not be excited

Hehe, it's just from the backyard. I don't know if it's because of the excess fertilizer, but the seedlings are thriving. Just a few days ago, they were only as thick as my little finger, and now they are ready to eat. I thought I wouldn't be able to eat them for another couple of days. I'm making scrambled eggs with green peppers for lunch today, which you loved the most when you were little. Zhang Lan also felt a bit strange; the vegetables in her garden were all growing vigorously, perhaps due to the thick layer of compost accumulated over the years.

Li Feng took out the water from the space and compared it to the spring water in the pond. The water from the space was clearer, while the others appeared just like ordinary water, showing no particular qualities. Perhaps it was a psychological effect, but Li Feng always felt that the water in the space was extraordinary, although he could not discern any notable differences. Finally, the last bucket of water was poured onto the root of a peach tree, and the bucket was tossed back into the space. Li Feng checked the time; it was still early. He picked up a shovel and strolled slowly to his cornfield, where his parents were currently tilling the soil and weeding. Li Feng looked at the hoe and felt dizzy; he had no interest in the semi-circular hoe. No, it was the hoe that held no interest for him. He remembered that every time he weeded, he always ended up removing more corn seedlings than weeds, which had led to several reprimands from his father, Li Shan. Gazing at the hoe made him feel dizzy, and ultimately, he had no love for tilling the land.

Li Feng glanced at a loofah in the corner, remembering that it had not been watered. The leaves and seedlings were noticeably larger than those of the smaller plants nearby. It seemed that the spring water in his space had a certain promoting effect on plant growth. The results were quite evident, with vegetables being ready for harvest four to five days earlier at least. It appeared that he needed to be more cautious when using the spring water in the future.

As he looked on, Li Feng suddenly recalled that he seemed to have a pond of the same size in his space. Unfortunately, the spring water was too scarce. Picking up the net bag placed in the thatched cottage, Li Feng scooped a few times in the aquatic plants, and to his surprise, there were quite a few fish in the pond. He watched several lively crucian carp swimming about.

At dinner, Zhang Lan and Li Shan were all smiles, and Li Feng also felt that today's meal was particularly fragrant and sweet, eating an extra steamed bun. In the evening, after waiting for his parents to fall asleep, Li Feng entered the space, wondering if his computer could receive a signal. The mobile wireless service he set up had not been used for the past two days.

Hehe, this child, there's nothing going on here, you're just bored. Go water the vegetable garden at home; it hasn't been watered for several days. Zhang Lan looked at her son with a furrowed brow, finding it amusing. She noticed the old man's lips curling up slightly, reminiscing about the time when her son was little and was chased and spanked by the old man for damaging the seedlings while weeding. How adorable he was back then, and in the blink of an eye, he has grown up like this

"Is that so, Mom? I will go check the backyard." Li Feng thought anxiously to himself, eager to find out whether it was the effect of the spring water in his space. Upon arriving in the backyard, Li Feng was taken aback; the vegetable garden had undergone quite a transformation compared to just a few days ago. Whether it was the eggplants, peppers, or tomatoes, each one was robust and sturdy, resembling little calves. Perhaps only rich soil could have such vigor.

However, seeing the carp inevitably reminds one of childhood legends, which always adds a touch of fondness. Carefully, I cradled the carp and placed it into the pond in the space, along with several pieces of crucian carp. I initially thought these fish might feel a bit uncomfortable, but to my surprise, they swam about joyfully. Even Li Feng felt a twinge of envy, thinking how wonderful it is for the fish to swim freely. Observing that the spring water was fine, I took a wooden bucket from the thatched cottage and filled it with a bucket of spring water. Li Feng felt a twinge of envy, thinking how wonderful it is for the fish to swim freely. Observing that the spring water was fine, I took a wooden bucket from the thatched cottage and filled it with a bucket of spring water