Chapter 6: The Celestial Spring’s Miraculous Power—Accelerated Maturation!

On the day the house was being built, people from the village came to help. Many were former tenant farmers of his family, such as Wang Xi, Wang Si, and Liang Mancang. Juhua, who had once been a servant in their household, also came. Her history was quite similar to Changgen’s; Changgen had been brought home by his grandfather, while Juhua had been brought home by his father.

Later, his father had married Juhua off to Liang Mancang. Now, just like his own wife, Jiazhen, she was pregnant, yet she still came over to help, pouring water for the workers and tending to other chores.

When the villagers saw his parents, they still addressed them with respect: "Master! Mistress!"

Father Xu waved his hand. "Don't call us that, please don't. Everyone has worked so hard!"

Xu Fugui watched the villagers so actively and willingly helping build their thatched cottage, and he felt happy.

This was all the goodwill his father had sown in the past. Whether it was the household servants or the tenant farmers, he had treated them well. In years past, when disaster struck and the harvests were poor, he had not collected rent from the tenants and had even provided seeds for the next season for free. That was why the tenants cherished his father’s kindness.

This is what they call cause and effect. Living a second life, Xu Fugui understood that being tolerant toward others was, in truth, an act of kindness toward oneself.

It took only three days to finish the thatched cottage, and the family moved in that very day.

"Dad, let me help you carry that!"

Fengxia took a small bundle from her father’s hands, looking happy. "Dad, are we living here from now on? Why aren't we living in that big house anymore?"

Xu Fugui, carrying a shoulder pole, replied, "Fengxia, when you grow up, we’ll go back to live in that big house, all right?"

"All right!" Fengxia chirped. "Dad, this thatched cottage is so pretty. Where will I sleep?"

The main structure of the cottage was finished, but there were still odd jobs that had to be done by hand; he couldn't trouble the villagers any further. Over the next few days, he first went to the nearby mountains to cut some bamboo to build a small fence around the cottage. Then, he took his dung baskets to the riverside to collect large, flat blue stones. He carried them back load by load; whenever he felt tired, he would drink some of the celestial spring water and immediately feel full of vigor. The tenant farmers working in the fields were amazed.

This Young Master Xu was truly a capable worker. Despite his lean appearance, he had immense strength. That load of stones must have weighed over a hundred jin, yet he carried it steadily and walked quickly—even they, having done farm work for most of their lives, could hardly compare.

Within a few days, a small fenced courtyard was complete. Outside the fence, he built a stone wall about half a meter high. The yard was paved with smooth, flat stones; while not as level or glossy as cement, it looked decent, and now they wouldn't have to worry about mud during the rainy days. He also built a pigpen and a sheep pen.

Once finished, Xu Fugui looked at the fruits of his labor over the past few days and felt quite satisfied.

"Dad! Mom!"

Xu Fugui said, "Soon I’ll go to town to buy a few piglets to keep in the pen. By the time the New Year comes, I’ll slaughter them. Then we won't just have pork to eat; we’ll be able to sell some for money to buy cloth and make new clothes for Mom, Dad, Jiazhen, and Fengxia."

Mother Xu nodded, looking at the thatched cottage and the scene in the courtyard; it truly felt like a home now. "Good, good. Son, come sit down and rest a while. Don't overwork yourself."

Xu Fugui walked over and sat on a bench by the doorway. His mother handed him a bowl of water. "Son, have a drink."

Xu Fugui took a sip. Jiazhen sat nearby, her belly growing larger by the day; she was close to giving birth. She supported her waist with one hand and pointed to something in the yard with the other. "Fugui, what is that thing? Is it for drying clothes?"

Xu Fugui smiled. "Jiazhen, that’s called a pull-up bar. Didn't you see them when you were at school in the county town? It’s for exercising and building arm strength. My frame is too thin, so I installed one to work out every day."

"A pull-up bar?" Jiazhen shook her head. "I've never seen one!"

Xu Fugui set the bowl aside, stood up, and walked over to the bar. He loosened his wrists, jumped up, and gripped the wooden bar with both hands. With a strain of his arms, he pulled his body up repeatedly. After seven or eight repetitions, his arms grew sore and he couldn't muster any more strength. He dropped down from the bar, panting. "Jiazhen, it’s just like this—to exercise the body."

Fengxia ran over, thinking it looked fun. She hugged his leg and said, "Dad, I want to play too! I want to play! Hold me up!"

Xu Fugui laughed. "Alright, Dad will hold you up."

He lifted his daughter, and as Fengxia gripped the bar with her small hands, she giggled, "Hehehe..."

"Fugui!" Father Xu said from the side, "Hold on tight, don't let Fengxia fall."

"I've got a firm grip, Dad!"

At night!

Xu Fugui slept with his wife, one hand gently stroking her rounded belly. Fengxia was already asleep beside them. Outside the thatched cottage, frogs croaked, and the fields were dotted with the flickering light of fireflies.

Jiazhen said, "Fugui, there’s no money left in the house, and our grain is running low. Mom and Dad are old and can't do heavy work, and I’m pregnant and can't help you much. What do you plan to do?"

Xu Fugui replied, "You don't have to worry too much. When Long Er comes around, I plan to ask someone to rent a few mu of land. We won't have any trouble finding enough to eat."

Jiazhen said, "But the grain in the house won't last until then. I’ve decided—in a couple of days, I’ll go back home and ask my father for some money. I’ll treat it as a loan and pay him back later."

"Jiazhen, don't you go," Xu Fugui said. "Tomorrow, I’m planning to head up the mountain to take a look and see if I can catch some wild rabbits or pheasants. I can take them to town to sell and make some money."

"Go up the mountain?" Jiazhen asked. "Will that work? Are there still such things on our mountain?"

"Of course there are!" Xu Fugui said. "Our Xujiachuan backs up against the vast Qing Mountain range. When I was a child, I heard my father say that tigers have appeared in the depths of those forests. As for wild boars, deer, pheasants, and rabbits, there must be plenty. If I can catch some wild boar or pheasants, not only can we sell them for money, but we can also have meat to eat from time to time. Isn't that great?"

"There are even tigers?" Jiazhen was startled. She hugged her husband and said, "Then you absolutely must not go. I remember a few years ago, a villager was working in the fields at the foot of the mountain when a wild boar suddenly charged out. It was jet-black with long, sharp tusks and must have weighed three or four hundred jin. It knocked the man right over. If it weren't for other villagers working nearby who rushed over to drive it away, he would have lost his life. What will you do if you run into a wild boar? You really shouldn't go."

"It’ll be fine!" Xu Fugui said. "I’ll just stay on the outskirts and won't go too deep!"

The reason he wanted to go hunting in the mountains was mainly to keep up appearances. Two days ago, he had made a surprising discovery: the celestial spring water in his space didn't just strengthen the body and eliminate fatigue; it had the heaven-defying ability to accelerate the growth of crops. A few days prior, he had sown some rice seeds in the soil of his space. Within days, lush, green seedlings had broken through the earth, each over a dozen centimeters long—ready to be transplanted and put into the paddies.