Huang Rang actually wasn’t completely ignorant about cultivating the martial way.

In the past, to cultivate Xie Jiu’er, she had very carefully studied how to establish foundation and temper the body. It was just that previously, most of her dowry had been spent entirely on Xie Jiu’er. Now she could extract this portion of money in advance to enrich herself.

If her memory served her correctly, in the fifth year of Chengyuan, she would encounter Xie Hongchen. Time was pressing—she hoped there was still time.

Huang Rang didn’t want to waste a single moment. Naturally, she could no longer personally handle the matter of cultivating fine varieties.

Breeding was grueling work. Previously, vast amounts of her time and energy had all been consumed in the fields. But fortunately, Daiyue had accompanied her since childhood, so she wasn’t completely ignorant about breeding matters. This girl’s insights were already quite broad—occasionally when certain seeds were mentioned, she could speak with some reasoning.

The only deficiency was that she wasn’t born an earth spirit.

But… this was even better.

These past few days, Huang Rang had been in seclusion cultivating.

And Huang Shu, addicted to immortal grass, naturally entrusted all matters to Huang Rang. So Daiyue helped inspect the fields and look after the fine varieties the Huang family cultivated. She didn’t know from when, but she began encountering Di Yiqiu in the fields.

At first, Di Yiqiu chatted with her about drought-resistant varieties. The two often checked on the seedling in that flower pot together. The seedling’s growth was gratifying, but after all, it couldn’t remain a topic forever.

So Di Yiqiu gradually learned about Daiyue’s background.

Beyond matters of fine varieties, the two gradually had other conversations. Daiyue’s origins truly evoked sympathy. Daiyue discovered that whenever she spoke of them, she could always draw sighs from this young prince, so she would intentionally or unintentionally say a bit more.

The third day of the third month—Huang Rang’s birthday.

Huang Rang was buried in cultivation practice when Daiyue entered. She urged, “Tenth Miss, today is your birthday. Even if you must practice cultivation, you should at least eat a bowl of longevity noodles. Moreover, in a while the town’s common folk will come to celebrate your birthday!”

“No need!” Huang Rang waved her hand. She had less than five years of time left. For someone like her whose natural talent wasn’t particularly exceptional, this was already quite pressing. How could she dare to squander it?

Daiyue wanted to speak but hesitated. After quite a while, she said, “Then I’ll have them leave the gifts.”

Huang Rang made an affirmative sound. Her gaze lifted, and she inadvertently saw a pearl rope tied in Daiyue’s hair. This pearl rope was cleverly woven, the coral beads on it each plump and full, colored like ox blood. At a glance one could tell it was quite valuable.

—This thing, Huang Rang had seen before!

Hadn’t she seen it?

Just before she entered the dream, at White Bone Cliff. When Di Yiqiu came to see her, he had given each of the female physician junior martial sisters inside one such pearl rope!

This person really was…

“Ha!” Huang Rang laughed coldly, suddenly finding that pearl rope extremely irritating. Who would have thought—she didn’t have this thing outside the dream, and she still didn’t have it inside the dream!

Daiyue saw her staring at her hair ornament and immediately became somewhat flustered: “Te-Tenth Miss…”

“It’s nothing. You may withdraw.” Huang Rang set this matter aside for now. The urgent task was still to work hard at martial cultivation—she didn’t have the ability to do two things at once.

Watching as three months passed like flowing water.

The seeds in that flower pot grew rapidly, finally producing a light red grain head. One plant had twelve heads total, each grain full and plump, the leaves thick. And the entire soil—throughout the whole process, it hadn’t been watered once.

Looking at the plant in the pot, Di Yiqiu’s heart was simply shocked. Li Lu and Baowu were also so astonished they couldn’t speak.

—Three months, merely three months. This Daiyue had actually cultivated such a perfect variety.

“Miss Daiyue is a divine being!” Baowu praised.

Even Li Lu said, “The young lady’s clever wisdom is truly admirable.”

Daiyue was still somewhat blushing. She looked at Di Yiqiu with a face full of anticipation. Di Yiqiu plucked the grain heads from the flower pot and rubbed them open in his palm. The seed surfaces were rough, but the fruit flesh inside was exceptionally substantial.

He said, “I’ve already rented a plot of good farmland outside the town. Miss Daiyue can go there to trial plant. How about it?”

Daiyue simply couldn’t believe her eyes.

In the Huang family, she naturally couldn’t possibly possess her own farmland. All of the Huang family’s farmland had previously been allocated by Huang Shu to his own children, who then hired tenant farmers from Immortal Tea Town.

What seeds to trial each year was decided by them.

Later, Huang Shu became listless and dispirited, and Huang Rang took charge of the family business. These farmlands were then allocated by her to the young masters of the household. How could it be Daiyue’s turn, this mere maid?

She could only accompany Huang Rang, helping her manage the tenant farmers and doing miscellaneous tasks.

But now, Di Yiqiu was actually letting her trial plant on her own.

Daiyue was overwhelmed by the unexpected favor and said, “But, but the family head, that venerable elder…”

Di Yiqiu considerately said, “I’ll naturally make arrangements. No need to worry.”

Daiyue’s breathing became rapid. After quite a while, she said, “Alright… I’ll listen to Your Highness.”

Di Yiqiu said gently, “In the future, Daiyue need not call me Your Highness.”

He was young and handsome, his temperament so clear and bright. Daiyue couldn’t help but shyly lower her head. After a long time, she quietly asked, “Then, then how should I address you? I heard Tenth Miss… call you Jianzheng.”

Di Yiqiu smiled and said, “You can also call me that for now.”

Daiyue gathered her courage and asked, “Can I call you Lord Qiu?”

“Of course.” Di Yiqiu still responded gently, as if he would grant any request.

He indeed rented a large plot of farmland next to Immortal Tea Town.

Looking at that plot of land, Daiyue’s heart was pounding.

—Such a large plot of land, even more than the farmland in Huang Rang’s hands. If it all belonged to her… Daiyue’s heartbeat began to accelerate.

This time for the trial planting, she didn’t tell Huang Rang.

“Tenth Miss is too busy. I don’t need to bother her with these things. Moreover, I’ve followed her all these years—so many matters I do on her behalf. As for trial planting, I can do it myself too.” She said silently to herself.

And at this time, Huang Rang’s method of stabbing her thigh with an awl was no longer working.

After all, she was a young lady—with her legs covered in black and blue bruises, what kind of appearance was that?

She could only catch a saddleback caterpillar and keep it nearby. This insect was colorfully patterned and looked quite invigorating. When Huang Rang really couldn’t sit still anymore, she would reach out and grab it for a bit. When it stung, Huang Rang would immediately jump up and perform a “hot hand dance.” That sensation was truly something only the one who experienced it would know.

Huang Rang relied on it to read through those foundation establishment classics one by one, cursing as she read—the martial way truly wasn’t meant for humans to cultivate. Xie Jiu’er back then hadn’t had it easy either.

Heavens, if she still couldn’t learn this, that saddleback caterpillar would learn it first…

Outside Immortal Tea Town.

Daiyue began trial planting. She brought the tenant farmers and directed them to begin sowing.

Huang Rang’s brothers and sisters naturally knew about this matter. Watching Di Yiqiu accompany this small maid every day, the others were naturally very dissatisfied. So people often secretly created trouble.

This caused Di Yiqiu to lose all good feelings toward the Huang family members.

Because of Di Yiqiu’s protection, Daiyue was able to open the fields smoothly. Watching the seeds begin to sprout, Di Yiqiu immediately realized something was wrong—these sprouts were quite a bit weaker than those in the flower pot.

If even he had discovered it, Daiyue naturally had discovered it too.

Her heart was in turmoil, but she didn’t dare speak of Huang Rang’s matter at this time. One lie required countless lies to fill it. She could only say, “Perhaps the fine variety isn’t stable yet. Let me research a few more days.”

Di Yiqiu wasn’t surprised. The cultivation of fine varieties would definitely not be smooth sailing. That Daiyue had produced seedlings so quickly—he had originally found it strange. Now that problems had appeared, it was actually within expectations.

So he spoke words of comfort: “Miss Daiyue need not be overly anxious. It’s not strange for the first field opening to be unsuccessful. With the young lady’s talent and wisdom, you’ll definitely succeed.”

Daiyue nodded but seemed somewhat absent-minded.

After bidding farewell to Di Yiqiu, she hurried back to the small courtyard and immediately went to find Huang Rang.

Huang Rang saw her and asked, “Ready to open the fields?”

Daiyue was stunned. Her thoughts turned several times, and she said, “Tenth Miss, it’s all Daiyue’s fault.” As she spoke, she had already knelt before Huang Rang. Huang Rang stared at her for a long moment and said, “You went to open the fields on your own?”

Daiyue’s heart jumped in alarm, and she could only find an excuse, saying, “It’s Lord Qiu—he couldn’t wait and urged me to open the fields. I originally wanted to come back to inform Tenth Miss, but…”

Huang Rang didn’t listen to the rest. She wasn’t interested in the process. So she said, “The seedlings are weak and not robust. Without water they’ll live, but they won’t produce grain heads.”

Daiyue’s face was full of shock: “How does Tenth Miss know?”

Huang Rang naturally knew. This beam rice breeding—how many famous experts had it stumped in the past? She had experimented countless times. At her most obsessed, she had one thousand eight hundred pots of seedlings in the courtyard. She said, “Come with me to look at the fields.”

Hearing she wanted to go personally, Daiyue immediately became somewhat flustered and said, “Is Tenth Miss going right now?”

Huang Rang found it strange: “Can I not go?”

Daiyue quickly said, “No no, it’s just…” By now, she could no longer hide it and could only say, “Lord Qiu rented a plot of farmland north of Immortal Tea Town. I… we’re opening fields there.”

Huang Rang was like a bamboo sieve—full of perceptive insight. How could she not understand the key points here? She said, “It seems this Jianzheng wants to establish a family fortune for you.”

Daiyue quickly kowtowed repeatedly: “Daiyue wouldn’t dare. I know this originally belonged to Tenth Miss. Even if it comes into my hands, it still belongs to Tenth Miss.”

“Well said.” Huang Rang patted her head. “Get up. Take me to see.”

Daiyue had no choice but to lead Huang Rang all the way north of Immortal Tea Town.

Here, good fields had indeed already been opened. Huang Rang walked around the farmland inspecting it. Seeing the seedlings yellow and weak, lying down unable to rise, she could only prepare another formula to adjust the soil. This soil adjustment required changing the soil’s composition and properties.

Only an earth spirit could do it.

Huang Rang ordered all the tenant farmers to leave the farmland. Then her entire being transformed into original form. Golden earth scattered like smoke and powder, drifting and swaying, falling like flowers. The entire land was instantly mixed with golden light, warm as autumn harvest. The golden sand traveled through the entire farmland, countless soils trembling as they moved toward her.

Daiyue stood at the field’s edge, her heart filled with mixed feelings. This point—she couldn’t accomplish. In the future, even if she wanted to breed varieties, she would need an earth spirit’s assistance. She suddenly thought this might be why Huang Rang could unhesitatingly hand over the seedlings to her.

—Because she herself could never replace Huang Rang.

All these years, she had served Huang Rang. She understood too well how Huang Rang had step by step taken control of the Huang family.

This person was definitely not as spotless and flawless as she appeared on the surface. On the contrary, she excelled at calculations, advanced step by step. However gentle she appeared on the surface, she was equally ruthless behind the scenes.

Daiyue bit her lip. After a long time, Huang Rang finally finished adjusting the soil.

A handful of golden soil reconsolidated at the field’s edge, gradually transforming into a devastatingly beautiful form. Huang Rang arranged her dress and hair while saying, “Alright, have the tenant farmers straighten the seedlings again.”

Just now when she adjusted the soil, the young seedlings in the field had indeed been stirred into complete disarray.

Daiyue quickly responded affirmatively, and only then did Huang Rang leave.

The next day, when Di Yiqiu brought Li Lu and Baowu to inspect again, the seedlings in the soil had already recovered their vitality.

“Simply miraculous.” Li Lu clicked his tongue in admiration.

Seeing Di Yiqiu, Daiyue instinctively ran over. She raised a smiling face and said, “Jianzheng, last night I didn’t sleep all night and finally readjusted the soil. Sure enough, the seedlings have recovered.”

Di Yiqiu surveyed the entire farmland, nodding slightly, and said, “Daiyue is truly a remarkable woman among mortals.”

For the first time, he didn’t call her Miss Daiyue.

Daiyue was intoxicated. Her face flushed bright red as she said, “I… to be able to relieve Lord Qiu’s worries, Daiyue is also… especially happy.”

Li Lu looked and thought—this… when people’s words have reached this point, the two of them being here was inappropriate. He said, “Jianzheng, this subordinate and Baowu will help the tenant farmers with some work.”

Di Yiqiu made an affirmative sound. Baowu was still baffled—the two of us are going to do manual labor?!

Li Lu dragged him away.

By the second half of the year, a grain seed called beam rice emerged into the world. It was extremely drought-resistant and could still grow and produce grain heads in completely waterless conditions. Moreover, the leaves were thick and most capable of storing water.

In the second year of Chengyuan, Si Tianjian distributed the seeds and required all common folk to plant them.

Of course, this matter didn’t go so smoothly.

After the common folk planted beam rice, they quickly had a harvest, and then the Huang family was cursed to high heaven.

—This thing was truly too unpalatable!

Though Huang Shu had collected the silver, he wouldn’t let Daiyue take credit! He unhesitatingly pushed Daiyue forward, so everyone in the world knew this damned beam rice came from Daiyue’s hand.

Daiyue hadn’t been happy for many days when she fell into the awkward situation of being accused by the world. Fortunately, Si Tianjian sent people to protect her, which allowed her to still live well in the Huang family. For this, Huang Shu was very displeased and beat and scolded her repeatedly.

But fortunately, the great drought soon arrived.

Rivers dried up, scorched earth for thousands of miles.

Other grains gradually withered and died. The common folk couldn’t even find tree bark or grass roots. But oddly enough, beam rice was still alive. Its plant was short and robust, the leaves and stems very thick. When the common folk were truly parched beyond endurance, they discovered that chewing the raw roots and leaves could also quench thirst.

Though the taste was indeed terrible, to survive, who could care about such things?!

In an instant, the cursing suddenly stopped, and what followed was all praise.

The name Daiyue—blessing in disguise—became known throughout the world!

And at this time, Huang Rang was still practicing cultivation.

The world’s affairs were isolated outside. To the common people, this was a major matter of livelihood. But to her, when all was said and done, this was merely a dream. When the good dream concluded, the world would awaken, and only she would sink back into the abyss.

Her time was so precious—how could she have the mind to do anything about beam rice…

Until this day, when Di Yiqiu came to the Huang family to propose marriage!