xymnovel Chapter 33 is not urgent, let's wait a bit longer.
Chapter 33 is not urgent, let's wait a bit longer.
Wang Zhihuan smiled faintly and said nothing more.
He did all this not for the praise of others, but only for his own peace of mind and to safeguard this peaceful life.
He walked slowly along the paddy field ridges, checking the growth of the rice in each field.
The acidic fields to the north, which had previously been improved with lime, have now become much lighter in color.
Although it's not yet heading time, the rice stalks are much thicker and stronger than those in unimproved fields, and the growth is noticeably more vigorous.
Soil improvement is a slow process; to completely transform it into neutral soil suitable for cultivation, we need to wait at least two more crop seasons.
But if you're on the right track, you'll definitely reap the rewards in time.
Walking back to the back gate of the courtyard, I could see smoke rising from the tenants' chimneys in the distance. In the courtyard, some people were chopping wood and others were feeding chickens, a scene of everyday life.
Dog Egg led a group of children chasing and playing on the ridge of the field. Their clear laughter drifted on the wind, creating a scene that was both leisurely and lively.
Wang Zhi stood at the back door, quietly gazing at the scene before him, a sense of peace and tranquility filling his heart.
Two hundred acres of fertile land, a small farmhouse, a few cats and dogs, and the surrounding simple and kind tenant farmers and neighbors.
It has been more than half a year since I traveled back to the Zhenguan era. From having nothing to living a peaceful life, it is already a rare achievement.
When we first arrived, everyone was filled with anxiety, and our parents had passed away.
He only asked to fill his stomach and live a peaceful life before worrying about the future.
Later, I gradually calmed down, focused on farming, and helped my neighbors as much as I could, hoping to leave a trace of myself in this unfamiliar era.
Later, the lost little girl wandered into the courtyard, where she met her family and became friends with the Cheng brothers.
Before I knew it, my days, which were originally spent alone, gradually became filled with more social interactions.
He still spends his days tending to the small courtyard, tending the fields, brewing wine, studying medicine, and taking care of cats and dogs.
But outside the courtyard gate, I met more and more people, and life was no longer lonely and desolate. Perhaps that matter also held a glimmer of hope. Let's not rush it and wait a little longer.
"Master! Master!"
Gou Dan ran all the way from the edge of the field, his little face flushed red, clutching a handful of wildflowers in his hand, the stems of which had wilted from his grip.
Running up to him, panting, he shoved the wildflowers at him and pulled two still-warm eggs from his pocket: "My grandma heard you brewed some good wine, so she specially sent me to deliver these. The wildflowers and eggs are from our own garden!"
Looking at the wildflowers and warm eggs in his hand, Wang Zhi felt a warmth in his heart and couldn't help but smile.
"Please thank your grandma for me when you get back. The wine is still sealed in the cellar. I'll definitely send a bottle to your family when the cellar is opened."
Dog Egg's eyes lit up instantly, and he jumped up and down, asking, "Really? I can drink it too?"
"I'll give you the lowest alcohol content sweet rice wine, it won't harm your health."
"Rice wine is wine too! That's great!"
"Yes, rice wine is also a type of wine."
Wang Zhihuan reached out and ruffled his hair, speaking gently, "Come home and eat. The smell in your yard is amazing. Your grandma has stewed chicken. If you're late, your dad will eat it all."
With a "woof," Gou Dan turned and ran, his small figure quickly disappearing at the end of the field ridge.
Wang Zhi took the wildflowers and eggs back to the courtyard, put the flowers in a rough porcelain bowl filled with water and placed it on the stone table, and then put the eggs in the egg basket in the kitchen.
Ah Huang circled around the tree twice, but failed to get any food, so he slowly lay back down under the jujube tree roots to sunbathe and take a nap.
Dinner was simple: a plate of stir-fried eggs with chives, braised beef that Cheng Chumo had brought, and we ate it slowly with the leftover steamed buns.
Hua Hua nimbly jumped onto the stone table, squatted on the opposite side, and stared intently at the braised beef with her round eyes full of longing.
"You can't eat this," Wang Zhihuan gently advised.
Hua Hua meowed pitifully, took half a step forward, and refused to back down.
"There are Sichuan peppercorns in the braising liquid, so it's easy for you to get an upset stomach if you eat it."
The kitten meowed softly twice more, still pushing forward as if it wouldn't give up until it got the food.
Wang Zhi smiled helplessly and broke off a small piece of steamed bun, handing it over.
Hua Hua brought her nose close to smell it, then turned her head away in disgust, still staring at the braised beef, looking aggrieved.
"They're really spoiled."
He shook his head, ate the steamed bun himself, and stopped indulging it.
As darkness fell, twilight enveloped the courtyard.
After cleaning up the dishes and utensils, he washed them with well water, changed into clean clothes, and leaned against the stone bench, gazing at the moon to cool off.
The evening breeze rustled through the jujube tree, its branches and leaves making a soft sound, and occasionally a withered leaf would swirl and fall onto the stone table.
The croaking of frogs rose and fell in the distant fields, while Ah Huang slept soundly, snoring softly nearby.
The night breeze dispelled the daytime heat, carrying the fresh, moist scent of rice blossoms and earth, a truly invigorating experience.
Wang Zhi leaned quietly against the stone bench, his mind blank, feeling only leisure and peace.
The merit system occasionally popped up a few notifications, all of which were for improving crops and helping neighbors. The points were scattered, and he didn't bother to look at them carefully, letting the system accumulate them on its own.
Tomorrow I need to prepare the next course of herbal tea for Madam Li. She's been drinking the licorice and tangerine peel tea for almost a month now, so it's time to change the prescription.
He planned to go to the back mountain to find some wild Ophiopogon japonicus and Adenophora stricta. These two medicinal herbs nourish yin and moisten the lungs, and their medicinal properties are milder than licorice and dried tangerine peel, which are just right for Madam Li to slowly recuperate.
I wonder if she has been practicing the abdominal breathing method I taught her every day.
Judging from Li Zhi's relaxed demeanor and the absence of his usual melancholy when he visited recently, it seems that Madam Li's health is gradually improving.
As for that Mr. Li, who was of extraordinary status, he never wanted to delve into it.
He possessed the knowledge gained from his transmigration and was also blessed by the merit system. He was not without ambition. Who wouldn't want to leave a mark on this prosperous era and be remembered in history through their own abilities, so that future generations would have their own page in the family genealogy?
However, he had seen through the turmoil of the court and the struggle for power, and was unwilling to step into officialdom and become trapped in its constraints, nor did he want to be bound by formalities and power struggles.
He has the ability to change agriculture and people's livelihoods, and the confidence to realize his ambitions step by step, but he never wants to seek quick success or instant benefits, and he is unwilling to live a life of physical and mental exhaustion.
I only wish to use this rural land as my foundation, to cultivate it slowly in my own way, to change the surroundings silently, so as not to waste the opportunity to travel through this place, and to maintain my inner peace and composure, walking my own path at a leisurely pace.
In this era, the treacherous political landscape and the power struggles among the elites are not the path he seeks. He need not actively seek them out; he can simply remain true to himself and move forward steadily.
The bright moon climbed to the top of the jujube tree, and its clear light bathed the small courtyard.
Hua Hua couldn't stand the hunger any longer and jumped off the stone table to eat in the kitchen.
Ah Huang turned over, still fast asleep.
Tomorrow will be another ordinary and peaceful day.
Farming, gathering herbs, preparing medicinal tea, feeding cats and walking dogs, and managing the chores in the small courtyard.
It's impossible to predict whether anyone will come to the courtyard gate.
But within the courtyard gates, one can fulfill one's duties without neglecting any trivial matters, live a peaceful life, enjoy a light drink, and pursue one's heart's desires at one's own pace—this is the best time in life.