Chapter 14.1

“White radish are something delicious!”

The smiling Cheng Zheng Yuan explained to the person in front of him, then turned back to Cheng Xiao Xiao, “Big sister, quick! Take them out. Let Danhang ge try some too. I’m sure he’d like it!”

Cheng Xiao Xiao gave him gave him a stare then turn around and quickly grabbed three white radishes from the dimension and gave each of them one.1 She walked over to another tree and down under it and started eating the white radish.

Liu Danhang looked at the two of them chowing down on the white radishes. A glimpse of shyness crossed his simple smiling face. Then he took a big bite of the white radish. He was too hungry to politely decline.

After finis.h.i.+ng the white radish, Cheng Xiao Xiao picked up the herbs that Liu Danhang collected. Even though they were about the same as what she had, they’d still be helpful to her father.

Suddenly, Cheng Xiao Xiao’s look turned serious. Slowly she picked up a few plants that looked like orchid and her face was covered with joy and surprises.

“Xiao Xiao, they are called Dragon Head Pheonix Tail Gra.s.s!” Said Liu Danhang to her with a smile.

Dragon head phoenix tail gra.s.s. In this picture, left side is the dragon’s head, and right side the phoenix tail.

Photo credit: htdzzk.com.cn

A bowl of dragon head phoenix tail gra.s.s.

Photo credit: JD.com

Dendrobium n.o.bile orchid

Photo credit: Houseplantcentral.com

Cheng Xiao Xiao gave him a look and nodded lightly, “Yes, I know they are dragon head phoenix gra.s.s, a rare herb!”

Dragon head phoenix tail gra.s.s also known as dendrobium n.o.bile is an herb belonging to family Orchidaceae genus Dendrobium. In her pervious life, they are on the verge of extinction and are extremely precious. Allegedly they have traditionally been used by royalties historically. Emperors sought medicines that would allow them to live forever refined from dendrobium n.o.bile. Cheng Xiao Xiao has seen the live plant once, and she trusted it was the same as what she was seeing in front of her right now.

Dendrobium n.o.bile taste sweet, plain, and are non toxic. Mainly use for injuries and numbness from illness, also have a calming effect. Good for the five vital organs (heart, liver, spleen, lung, and kidney), consumptive disease, skinniness caused by illness, improves energy, thicken the stomach walls (for better absorption of nutrients); also good for dried mouth, irritation, night sweat, colic, improves muscle growth, skin rash, weakness and coldness of the knees and feet; help with focusing and calming of the nerves, rid the body of impurities. In men, also help with weakness of the back and legs, good for s.e.xual performance. Cure rashes, chilliness of the bones, blood circulation, clear pus. And also good for skin care.

Being able to find them here was definitely a pleasant surprise.

While the other two weren’t paying attention, Cheng Xiao Xiao quickly shoved half of the dendrobium n.o.bile into the dimension. Couldn’t let these kind of treasures got away.

“It’s getting late, let’s go gather some firewood and hed back!” said Cheng Xiao Xiao to the two.

“Okay!”

“You lead, we’ll follow!”

Replied the two. Two hours later, the three of them returned with a full load from the day.

When they were about to arrive at their door, Liu Danhang called out to Cheng Xiao Xiao.

Cheng Xiao Xiao, who was walking in front of everyone, stopped. She looked a bit surprised at the slightly nervous person and asked nonchalantly, “What’s the matter?”

Cheng Zheng Yuan smiled at them.

Facing the gaze of both of them, Liu Danhang blushed and the slightly-at-lost Liu Danhang asked, “Xiao Xiao, you guys going up to the hills again tomorrow for more firewood?”

“Oh, not sure!” Replied Cheng Xiao Xiao in a neutral tone, then nonchalantly asked, “Anything else?”

“No, that’s it!” Stifled, Liu Danhang immediately shook his head.

Cheng Xiao Xiao gazed over him, turned around and continued walking forward. She had no special feeling for this boy in front of her. Not to mention that she really was no interested in someone who won’t yelp even when he gets. .h.i.t by a stick1.

After arriving at the house, Cheng Zheng Yuan bid Liu Danhang farewell. Cheng Xiao Xiao was already in the yard when Cheng Zheng Yuan ran inside and smiled at her, “Big sister, you really don’t like Danhang ge?”

___

1.     Not sure what Cheng Xiao Xiao (or the author) was trying to express here. J ___

Chapter 14.2

“You are just a kid, what do you know?” Said Cheng Xiao Xiao while giving him a stare.

Cheng Zheng Yuan didn’t care about the look that she gave him, he grinned at her, “Big sister, I think Danhang ge likes you though!”

“Nonsense, maybe it was you who like some girl in the village!”

“Nonsense, I don’t like any of those ugly girls!”

“Really?”

“Really!”

“Then don’t go play in their village any more!”

“Big sister……”

Mrs. Cheng was standing in front of the kitchen watching the two of them bantering with each other. She looked at her now full grown daughter and seemed a bit sad. If they weren’t stuck in this place, she already at the age to look for a husband, but now…..

Cheng Xiao Xiao placed the herbs in the yard, turned and saw her mother standing in front of the kitchen. She smiled and asked, “What’s the matter, mom?”

“Oh, nothing, just a little tired. You guys go clean up with some water, dinner will be ready soon!” Mrs. Cheng put her worries aside for now and smiled at her.

“I’ll go bathe at the river!” Shouted Cheng Zheng Yuan as he darted inside the house to get some clean clothes.

The two boys enjoyed very much bathing in the river not far from the house. Their parents never told them they couldn’t do it, and it had became an enjoyment for the two of them.

“Mom, I’ll go into my quarters to get cleaned up!” Smiled Cheng Xiao Xiao.

“Okay!”

Mrs. Cheng looked at her 16-year-old daughter and sighed slightly. She wasn’t sure what to do with her daughter’s happiness. Of course she was aware that Liu Danhang was fond of her daughter. It wasn’t that fact that he was poor, but she really didn’t think he measured up to her daughter in terms of his intelligence or his look.

Entering into the dimension, the system sound rang immediately, “Discovered a new species of black lingzhi, dimension has increased from level 3 to level 8. Added 10 more fields!”

“Discovered new species of dendrobium n.o.bile, dimension increased from level 8 to level 14. Added 15 more fields. Added jade vine!”

“Jade vine?” Cheng Xiao Xiao was surprised, she hadn’t expected something called “jade vine”. She hasn’t made it inside the cottage before she noticed the strange looking vine sprout in front of the cottage and growing bigger and bigger in front of her eyes. Before long, it had climbed all over the cottage. Making the original plain-looking cottage a much more attractive look.

Although the jade vine were pretty, Cheng Xiao Xiao had no idea what it was. She was a bit curious. She approached it mindlessly and reached out to touch its lush, green leaves.

It was light, cool, and smooth to the touch, almost jade-like.

No wonder it was called jade vine, thought Cheng Xiao Xiao to herself, and her smile brightened. For some reason, she felt that this jade vine was a bit unusual, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

She stayed a bit longer before she walked away from the jade wine to go examine her now 40 ploughed fields. Other than the original 15 that were now filled with rice ready to be harvested, the 25 new fields were her biggest accomplishment today.

“Harvest the rice crops and turn them into white rice, convert rice seedlings into hay!”

She gave her orders and immediately the golden rice fields disappeared in front of her eyes immediately.

Without wasting anytime, she replanted all 40 fields with rice crops.

Afterward, she went over to the farm side to collect all the chickens and rabbits. Now that the dimension has reached level 14, she could raise chickens and rabbits in much larger quant.i.ty.

She went inside the cottage to check on the market place; other than chickens and rabbits, she could also raise sheep, cows, ducks, deer, etc.

Finally, she decided to stay with chickens and rabbits for now, but tens of them.

“Big sister, dinner is ready!”