A Jiu peered into the vat, resting her elbows on the rim.
Some of the husked rice grains floated on the water's surface.
A Jiu reached in and nudged them a few times, but they still wouldn't sink.
She had been farming since she was a child and knew that only empty husks floated.
Seeing this, A Jiu was displeased. At least half of them were floating.
Had she bought half a pound of empty husks?
That merchant was a complete cheat. A Jiu was unhappy. Not only was it ridiculously expensive, but it was also mixed with fakes?
"You're actually planting them?" A voice came from beside her ear.
A Jiu knew it was Grandma without looking. Grandma had always said her nostrils weren't just for breathing; they could smell spiritual energy.
"Didn't Grandma say you have to try everything to know?" A Jiu didn't look up, her gaze fixed on the water vat.
"That's not what I meant by trying. Don't twist my words." Madam Wang glanced at her granddaughter as if she were an idiot.
"I think it's all the same." A Jiu watched as the solid rice grains at the bottom of the vat sprouted tender shoots.
She felt a pang of worry looking at the layer floating on top.
She took a cloth bag and scooped up the floating husks, packing them away. She would find that merchant to settle the score the next time she went to town. Counting on her fingers, there was a good half a pound.
"All the same, my foot," Madam Wang said, leaning in to look. "Wow, they've sprouted so quickly."
"Of course," A Jiu said, resting her chin on the edge of the vat and watching.
A deep breath reached her ears. A Jiu glanced sideways and saw Grandma sitting cross-legged on the floor. "Grandma, you..."
Before she could finish, her gaze returned to the water vat, and A Jiu was dumbfounded.
The rice seedlings that had clearly sprouted underwater were rapidly wilting.
"Grandma, what did you do?" A Jiu nudged Madam Wang.
Madam Wang's eyes snapped open. "At worst, I'll go into town tomorrow and buy you some more. It's just a little bit of rice seed."
A Jiu was anxious, looking again at the vat. The sprouts were gone.
"You definitely did something. Where did my sprouts go?"
"Er!" Madam Wang let out a satisfied belch and said nonchalantly, "A mere bit of spiritual energy, hardly worth mentioning."
"Grandma, you might not find it worth mentioning, but I do! Give me back my seeds!" A Jiu rushed forward and pushed Madam Wang.
Madam Wang felt guilty and didn't dare fight back. She was pushed down.
"Alright, alright, I'll give them back. I'll give them back, okay?"
A Jiu's lips pouted in anger, and she glared at Madam Wang with tearful eyes.
Madam Wang deliberately avoided her gaze and said guiltily, "My cultivation has been improving daily. Now I can absorb spiritual energy from a distance. This means my heavenly cycle is clear, and I can absorb the spiritual energy between heaven and earth."
Unfortunately, the spiritual spring water from this girl had the most spiritual energy in all of heaven and earth.
A Jiu, who couldn't understand her words anyway, punched Madam Wang lightly.
"I don't care about your heavenly cycle or whatever. If you don't give me back my seeds tomorrow, I won't call you Grandma anymore, and you won't get another drop of my spiritual spring water."
Hmph!
A Jiu turned and went back into the house to sleep.
"Girl, don't be angry. Grandma didn't know I would improve so quickly. Girl..." Madam Wang took a few steps.
Just now, he suddenly felt his heavenly cycle had opened, and a surge of comfort flowed through him. The Conception and Governing vessels had cycled, achieving a balance of fire and water.
A Jiu closed the door and ignored her, but how could she sleep that night?
It was too much of a欺凌! She had bought a pound of rice seeds, half a pound of which were empty, and the other half she had ruined.
Hmph.
A Jiu wouldn't give her any more spiritual spring water.
"A Jiu? Jiu'er?"
Ignore you.
"Granddaughter, my dear granddaughter? Grandma was wrong, alright?"
Hmph, I'm still ignoring you. A Jiu turned over.