Huang Rang gently caressed the hem of one garment. That skirt hem was trimmed with feathers, extraordinarily soft and supple.

Lord Jianzheng turned and left. Huang Rang stood dazed for a long while before realizing he truly intended to leave!

“Where are you going?” Huang Rang asked, baffled.

The Jianzheng was even more baffled. “Is there something else?”

Huang Rang simply couldn’t believe her ears. Was everything just now this old lady’s hallucination?

She touched the clothing before her again, looked at the box full of field deeds and land contracts, and after a long while asked: “You’re… really planning to go back?”

“What else?” Lord Jianzheng raised an eyebrow.

—If it weren’t for the fact you’re so young, this old lady would snap you in half!

Huang Rang forcibly suppressed the fire in her heart and hinted: “How about… we go out for a meal, drink a little wine, and then… I’ll change into each of these garments, one by one, for Lord Jianzheng to see. What do you say?”

As she spoke, she moved closer to Di Yiqiu, gently blowing air near his ear.

Lord Jianzheng thought for a moment and said: “Public affairs are pressing today. Another time.”

Huang Rang seriously studied him, wanting to know if he meant that literally.

But Lord Jianzheng had already hurried away.

Truly… upright beyond reproach!

He was still too young, definitely too young—after all, he’d only just turned sixteen this year.

Huang Rang consoled herself as she put away these elaborately embroidered garments.

…Don’t be angry, don’t be angry.

But speaking of it, he seemed to be like this outside the dream as well.

Could this person really have some kind of problem?

In the outskirts, at the estate.

Xiyin finished cooking, stir-fried a few small dishes, and also bought a pot of wine.

She deliberately made a lot, because after Bao Wu finished his work, he would eat.

Sure enough, Master Bao fetched water, chopped firewood, and watered the fields as usual.

Then he came over and sat down at the table.

On the table was an extra bowl of noodles. He glanced at it and asked: “Your birthday?”

Xiyin smiled and shook her head. “It’s Arang’s birthday.”

Bao Wu made a sound of acknowledgment and asked: “Since you made longevity noodles, why not send them to her?”

Xiyin divided the longevity noodles into his bowl. After a long while she said: “If it were over twenty years ago, perhaps I could still have delivered them to her. Now, it’s already too late.”

She sighed softly. Bao Wu didn’t ask further.

He simply took that bowl of longevity noodles and ate it clean in a few bites.

Xiyin watched him eat, a smile at the corners of her mouth.

She hadn’t hired any servants. In this entire estate, only Bao Wu would come over regularly.

Besides tending those ten acres of land, she would occasionally write letters to Qu Manying. Qu Manying’s replies were timely and would mention that Huang Jun’s swordsmanship was progressing rapidly. Xiyin would read them carefully and thoroughly, but she never wrote letters to Huang Jun, just as she didn’t disturb Huang Rang.

Bao Wu didn’t understand these sorrowful spring and autumn sentiments. After finishing a bowl of rice, he said: “If you’re unwilling to trouble Miss Arang, then don’t make yourself suffer.”

“I know.” Xiyin said with a smile. She rose to add more rice for Bao Wu and said: “I will live well.”

Here, Huang Rang was carefully tallying up Di Yiqiu’s properties.

Ah, now they were hers.

As a competent earth spirit, she quickly made plans for all this land.

The only problem was insufficient tenant farmers.

Hmm… Huang Rang had a flash of inspiration—didn’t that group of students at the Breeding Institute lack study fields?!

So Huang Rang found Zong Zigui. She would provide the land and teach these students breeding!

Zong Zigui was delighted beyond measure and agreed without a second thought.

This group of students had been quite doubtful—learn breeding following Huang Rang, that good-for-nothing?

But these doubts were completely dispelled when they saw their future “study fields”!

Just like that, Huang Rang obtained a wave of free labor. Zong Zigui gained a free instructor, and the students acquired high-quality, vast study fields!

Huang Rang quickly made breeding plans. When the students saw the improved varieties she required them to cultivate, they immediately became dissatisfied again.

An earth spirit named Sha Ruoen said: “Breed millet? What famous variety can come from this?”

Sha Ruoen was originally from the earth spirit lineage as well—technically one of the prominent families. Unfortunately, his parents died early and the family fell into decline. To seize his family’s business, his clan members drove him out.

With nowhere to go, the Breeding Institute waived his tuition, which allowed him to stay at Si Tianjian.

Even an earth spirit like this was considered a treasure at the Breeding Institute.

The other earth spirit was similar—parents unknown, abandoned at birth. The court picked him up and kept him as a treasure at the Breeding Institute. Zong Zigui personally gave him a name: Zong Qiguang.

These two were students Zong Zigui emphasized cultivating.

Since Huang Rang had always been a good-for-nothing, naturally these two were unconvinced.

“Millet is a staple grain. Among the common people, there are at least eight thousand if not ten thousand varieties. The art of its cultivation has long been thoroughly mastered by the breeding families. There’s simply no need for cultivation.” Sha Ruoen said, “Even if we cultivate the finest improved variety, it will still be like the light of stars, hidden by the sun and moon. Better to produce exotic species instead—that would truly attract attention!”

Sha Ruoen had bred for many years and had his own insights.

The other students said nothing. On one hand, they didn’t dare offend Huang Rang, fearing they’d lose such good study fields.

On the other hand, they didn’t support Huang Rang either, since she’d always been a good-for-nothing with no prestige whatsoever.

Everyone waited to see how Huang Rang would refute Sha Ruoen.

Who didn’t love a good show?

If these two started fighting, everyone could watch the excitement.

But Huang Rang looked at Sha Ruoen and suddenly said: “I thought the same way when I was young.”

Sha Ruoen sneered coldly: “When you were young? When you were young, didn’t you fail to cultivate even a single thing at the Breeding Institute?”

Some people around laughed aloud. Huang Rang crooked her finger at him. Sha Ruoen was naturally fearless—he walked before Huang Rang. Huang Rang indicated he should open his palm, then placed a seed in his hand.

Sha Ruoen lowered his head and discovered it was a millet seed.

After giving him the seed, Huang Rang coughed heavily once, suppressing other sounds.

Everyone thought she was going to make a grand speech and couldn’t help but all look over.

Huang Rang swept her gaze majestically over everyone, waved her hand, and won everyone’s loyalty with just one sentence.

She said: “No study fields if you don’t listen!”

…

Everyone began cultivating millet according to Huang Rang’s instructions. Sha Ruoen was still unconvinced, but the Breeding Institute’s study fields were really too small…

Huang Rang watched this group of students bury their heads in sowing seeds, secretly delighted—people still needed to have fields and land, then there was no need to reason with them at all…

And even more exhilarating news came not long after.

This year, Lord Jianzheng’s purchases of improved varieties from the breeding families were only two-thirds of previous years. He set aside one-third to purchase exclusively from Huang Rang.

The condition was that these improved varieties had no acreage limitations.

Regarding this matter, the breeding families still wanted to resist.

However, when this batch of improved varieties matured, they used Di Sanmeng’s seal. When all the students saw their own names appear on Master Di Sanmeng’s seal, everyone was moved to tears, overwhelmed with emotion.

And the common people’s trust in Di Sanmeng meant this batch of improved varieties was purchased without any obstacles, selling out completely.

In the decades since the Breeding Institute was established, they had never sold such a large quantity of improved varieties.

In the study quarters, Sha Ruoen held a flowerpot and had been in a daze for a long time.

Zong Qiguang walked over and asked: “What’s wrong?”

Sha Ruoen turned his head and handed over the flowerpot.

Zong Qiguang looked at the crop in the pot—it was a millet plant. It had reached harvest time, drooping its head smugly, fuller and larger than any millet variety on the market.

Zong Qiguang examined it for quite a while, then smiled and said: “Worthy of being our teacher, isn’t she?”

Sha Ruoen said gloomily: “I want to go find her.”

Zong Qiguang said: “Why not go?”

Sha Ruoen’s face turned red as cloth: “Last time I contradicted her.”

Zong Qiguang smiled. “Let’s go. I’ll accompany you.” Sha Ruoen looked over. Zong Qiguang said: “I’ve long wanted to pay a visit anyway.”

The two invited each other and came together to Huang Rang’s study quarters.

As soon as Huang Rang saw the two of them, she immediately said: “Perfect timing—come help me quickly!”

The two stepped forward and discovered Huang Rang’s study quarters were full of pots and bottles everywhere.

This wasn’t strange—as a breeding master, it would be strange not to have these.

Huang Rang said: “The Breeding Institute’s study fields are free now, right? Come on, let’s go plant some new things.”

Sha Ruoen glanced at the pot and saw that the mother seedling was indeed quite peculiar.

He asked: “What is this?”

Huang Rang’s face lit up with excitement: “I want to call it… the Longevity Tree!”

“Longevity Tree?” Zong Qiguang and Sha Ruoen were completely confused.

Huang Rang said: “This tree—it can grow into a person’s name. Look, you just need to write characters in this circle when planting, and it will grow in that form.”

She pointed at the tree mold at the bottom of the pot.

Sha Ruoen said: “This… what use does it have?”

“It has no use.” Huang Rang said mysteriously, “Didn’t you want to cultivate novel species?”

Sha Ruoen scratched his head and said: “But… didn’t you tell us to cultivate staple grains?”

Huang Rang waved her hand: “Staple grains are just basic skills. You want to learn to fly before learning to walk. Come, come, today watch your Sister Rang show you how to fly!”

She enthusiastically wrote Sha Ruoen’s three characters on the mold of a tree seed.

Zong Qiguang found it interesting and also took a tree seed, writing his own name on it.

When the three trees grew up in unison and successfully formed fuzzy “Huang Rang,” “Zong Qiguang,” and “Sha Ruoen,” the people of Si Tianjian were so frightened they thought a divine miracle had occurred!

Everyone rushed over one after another to view them.

The three of them stood proud and pleased. Old Institute Director Zong Zigui watched for a while and asked: “What use does this tree have?”

“It has no use.” Huang Rang shook her head. “It just… grows into whatever name you want.”

“Huang! Rang!!” The old Institute Director picked up a broom. Huang Rang was so clever—seeing trouble, she turned and ran. The old Institute Director chased after her furiously throughout the courtyard: “You good-for-nothing! There’s so much proper work waiting for you outside, and you’re here tinkering with these useless things…”

Huang Rang led him on a merry chase, laughing loudly: “Institute Director Zong, life is but a great dream—one must always do some useless things…”

As a result, the old Institute Director complained to Lord Jianzheng.

The old Institute Director wasn’t foolish. He didn’t complain that Huang Rang was neglecting proper work. He said Huang Rang had planted three matching trees with Sha Ruoen and Zong Qiguang.

That very evening, Huang Rang was dragged by the ear by the Jianzheng and made to personally transplant her tree back to Xuanwu Division.

This tree wasn’t small. She huffed and puffed, digging and pulling all by herself, while the Jianzheng sat beside her, arms folded in observation, stubbornly refusing to lend a hand.

Huang Rang struggled mightily to drag the tree back to Xuanwu Division. After looking around for a while, she planted it in a corner.

But Lord Jianzheng still wouldn’t let it go. He forced Huang Rang to plant another tree beside it using his own name.

When “Di Yiqiu” grew up, it happened to nestle together with “Huang Rang.”

People passing by couldn’t help but show knowing smiles.

Only Huang Rang would occasionally space out.

Outside the dream in the 115th year of Chengyuan, a tree was also planted here.

It was the Nianjun’an that bloomed when it saw snow.

The tracks of time slowly changed imperceptibly, making it hard to distinguish truth from falsehood.

And the people of Si Tianjian had grown accustomed to these two trees nestled together. Huang Rang simply used this as inspiration and named this tree “Changxiangyi”—Forever Together.

Forever Together, once put on sale, immediately caused a craze.

Almost all lovers among the common people would plant two of them as tokens of their affection.

By the time “Di Yiqiu” grew taller and taller, gradually surpassing “Huang Rang,” the fourth year of Chengyuan had quietly arrived.

Lord Jianzheng’s eighteenth birthday was about to come.

Huang Rang rubbed her pair of claws together, tears flowing from the corners of her mouth.

…