Chapter 27: Assigning Origins to Fish and Shrimp

Chapter 27: Giving the Fish and Shrimp a Cover Story

Jiang Yingxue's spiritual sense swept over the various spiritual flowers, selecting the Buddha Lotus that wasn't suitable for planting in the yard.

It wasn't because the Buddha Lotus's efficacy was poor, but because the yard lacked the necessary conditions for growing it.

The Buddha Lotus required a watery environment to grow, specifically spiritual spring water. It wouldn't deign to grow in ordinary water; even if planted in water, it would refuse to sprout. She couldn't very well plant it in the well water in the front yard—that wasn't suitable either, as the well's space was too small. That's why Jiang Yingxue picked it out.

Selecting it didn't mean she was returning it to the crystal box. Jiang Yingxue planted the Buddha Lotus in the pond where the shrimp were raised.

The pond for raising fish also had ducks. Fish and ducks could coexist, and the fish in the pond were clever. If she also raised the Buddha Lotus there, she was worried it wouldn't grow up before becoming food for the ducks and fish.

With the needed spiritual flowers in hand, Jiang Yingxue scooped up a large bass and left the space.

The room was still quiet. Xiao Zhao had already woken up, drank the chicken soup, and gone out to play.

Meanwhile, in the backyard.

The old couple, Lu Caiyun and Jiang Xianzheng, plus a bird were picking vegetables—the ones they would sell at the market that evening.

With only three people and a bird in the household, their appetites couldn't handle that many vegetables. Aside from the portion reserved for home consumption, the rest would be taken to the market to sell.

Lu Caiyun was currently picking long beans, while Jiang Xianzheng was picking cabbage.

Xiao Zhao was also helping Lu Caiyun. Every time it picked a long bean, Lu Caiyun would praise it, saying, "Xiao Zhao is so great!" One loved to praise, the other loved to hear it, so Xiao Zhao tirelessly enjoyed picking vegetables.

Jiang Xianzheng said, "Xiao Zhao, come help Grandpa pick some vegetables too. Grandpa will also praise you, otherwise I won't have a chance to."

Xiao Zhao raised its little head and chirped, then flew to the cabbage patch in front of Jiang Xianzheng. It first pecked at the outer leaves of a cabbage a few times, then used its claws to pull the cabbage up and flew over to Jiang Xianzheng.

Its eyes shone with a desire for praise, as if saying: Praise me, praise me quickly!

Watching the tiny bird clutching a cabbage several times its own size as it flew through the air, a look of surprise flashed in Jiang Xianzheng's eyes. The next moment, his face broke into a wide, genuine smile as he sincerely praised, "Xiao Zhao is amazing! Xiao Zhao is the most capable and strongest little bird I've ever seen."

Basking in the praise, Xiao Zhao placed the cabbage into the basket on the ground.

Lu Caiyun glanced back at the old man and the bird, laughing, "Xiao Zhao, time to pick long beans."

Xiao Zhao quickly switched tasks again, helping Lu Caiyun pick long beans. Whether picking long beans or cabbage, Xiao Zhao was having a great time.

Seeing such a scene, Jiang Yingxue smiled happily.

"Grandpa, Grandma, I'll help pick too." Jiang Yingxue also joined them.

During this time, Jiang Yingxue expressed her idea of planting flowers in the front yard, to which they agreed.

"Ying Xue, call Grandma when you plant the flowers. Grandma will plant them with you." Lu Caiyun was also full of anticipation for flower planting. She had wanted to plant flowers in the yard before, but there wasn't enough time. Most of her time was spent on vegetables and grains, so flowers were pushed back—and that delay lasted for decades.

"Sure," Jiang Yingxue readily agreed. She then turned and asked them about vegetable seeds. "Grandpa, Grandma, do we still have any vegetable seeds at home? I want to plant some fruits and vegetables in the space."

They were puzzled by the term "space." "Space? What place is that? Where is it?"

Jiang Yingxue explained, "A space is a storage device more advanced than a storage pouch. It has a relatively large area and can contain living things as well as sustain them. Once you successfully guide qi into your bodies, I'll take you inside to see."

"Hehe, alright. We have vegetable seeds at home. Pick whichever ones you like later." They didn't know when they would achieve the Qi Initiation described in the books.

Inside the space, apart from the newly introduced chickens and ducks, and the fish and shrimp raised in the spiritual spring water, there were no other animals. Animal young adapt more easily than humans. Going to a place like the space, rich in spiritual energy, they could adapt quickly. But humans are different; they could suffer from spiritual energy intoxication, dizziness, and even trigger a series of adverse consequences. It would be better for them to enter the space after successfully guiding qi into their bodies.

After picking the vegetables, the old couple started preparing dinner.

Jiang Yingxue had things to do and didn't join in preparing the food. Her task was to replace the soil in the yard.

Today's dinner menu consisted of stir-fried cabbage, stir-fried shrimp, steamed bass, and coconut chicken soup. The cabbage and long beans were homegrown, while the shrimp and bass were products of the space. The combination of these foods was both nutritious and delicious. For a family about to become cultivators, or for a cultivator or a Divine Bird, it couldn't be more delicious.

Since Lu Caiyun was going to sell vegetables in town today, she would pack her meal to go. So, only Jiang Xianzheng, Jiang Yingxue, and Xiao Zhao would have dinner at home today. The two of them and the bird ate happily.

Another satisfying meal.

Jiang Xianzheng patted his very full stomach and tentatively asked Jiang Yingxue, "Ying Xue, do we have more of this bass? If there's extra, I'd like to send one to your aunt." The bass on the table definitely wasn't bought from the market. Jiang Xianzheng had a vague feeling his granddaughter had many secrets.

"Yes." Recently busy with the stall, her grandparents' health regimen, and space matters, she had truly forgotten about her aunt's family.

Jiang Yingxue smiled awkwardly. "Hehe, I'll pack some fish and shrimp tomorrow to send to Auntie. I've been so busy lately, I actually forgot about her."

"Your aunt will definitely ask where you bought them after tasting them. What should we say then? Tell her straight they're raised at home, or say we bought them by chance on the road?" Without Jiang Yingxue's permission, Jiang Xianzheng couldn't very well tell his eldest daughter the truth.

Jiang Yingxue said, "Just say they're raised at home."

Jiang Xianzheng looked at Jiang Yingxue, wanting to say more but hesitating. There was no pond at home. Where were the fish raised? And where were the shrimp raised?

"The fish and shrimp are raised at home, it's just that you can't see them for now," Jiang Yingxue blinked at him playfully. "Grandpa, do you remember the space I mentioned in the yard today? The fish and shrimp are raised in the space. I dug two ponds inside, one for fish and one for shrimp."

Jiang Xianzheng suddenly understood, patting his head. "So that's how it is."

"Ying Xue, our family has a deserted pond at the foot of the mountain. In a couple of days, I'll hire someone to clean it up again, add some water, and raise some fish and shrimp there too. From now on, we can say the fish and shrimp from your space are raised in that pond."

Jiang Xianzheng considered things more comprehensively. Others would only see the family having a continuous supply of fish and shrimp but wouldn't see the source of the pond. They might speculate wildly about the origin of the fish and shrimp, which Jiang Xianzheng viewed as dangerous. So, he gave the fish and shrimp a legitimate, surface-level source—they were raised in the family pond.

Jiang Yingxue hadn't considered that much. With her cultivation level, even if others knew there was something unusual about her and grew envious, so what? If they couldn't defeat her, they'd just have to suck it up.