Chapter Eleven: Improvement

The mountain range surrounding Chenwang Village is called Wuyun Mountain, which for many years was perpetually shrouded in dark clouds, with frequent thunderstorms, only gradually clearing up after the founding of the new nation. The entire county was nestled within the embrace of Wuyun Mountain, and the county itself was once named after these dark clouds. It was only in the 1950s that the name was changed from Wuyun to Lingyun.

Chen Ling arrived at the foot of Wuyun Mountain and easily found the vast expanse of barren land. The ruins of the old lime factory walls had long since disappeared, after nearly a decade had passed. Yet abandoned bricks and stones were still scattered everywhere. As far as the eye could see, there were barely any withered grasses—a bare and desolate stretch. Deep furrows crisscrossed the ground, carved out by the mountain runoff during the rainy summer months. In short, the landscape was a picture of abandonment and desolation, a state unrelated to the current season.

Whether a piece of land had vitality was as clear as whether a person was spirited or listless. This piece of land, spanning thirty acres, was entirely barren—anyone could tell something was wrong. Chen Ling took a hoe from his spiritual realm and dug a few times at random. He grabbed a handful of soil; the surface layer was severely scattered with no trace of moisture. Yet the deeper he dug, the harder the soil became, as if striking stone. After just a few strikes, his wrist began to tingle with numbness.

“Damn, this is way too hard!” Chen Ling was stunned. He had planned to plow this land twice with a harrow, but now it was out of the question—it simply wouldn’t budge. The main reason was the immense quantity of lime buried underground, preventing the soil from retaining moisture and nutrients. Over nearly ten years of neglect, the surface soil had loosened, while the lower layers had solidified severely. Building a house or factory might be feasible, but for farming, this was truly wasteland.

“If it weren’t for the Sun and Moon Realm...” Chen Ling mused. “In five or six years, after leveling the graveyard, planting fruit trees along with these thirty acres, and setting up a livestock farm—that might work.” He hoisted the hoe and looked around. Circling the ridges, he tidied up some of the discarded bricks and scattered stones, then found a flat spot. With the hoe, he dug small pits, placing a handful of peanuts into each before covering them with soil. He fetched a bucket of creek water from the realm and poured a little into each hole. Though modest, half a bowl of creek water could make morning glories flourish, so it was more than enough for these peanuts.

Soon, peanut sprouts broke through the soil. In less than two minutes, they had already matured. Chen Ling pulled one out and peeled it open to taste. It was slightly better than ordinary peanuts, but compared to those grown within the realm, the difference was vast. The reasons were simple: first, the creek water from the realm was scarce; second, the soil here was terrible.

“Still, it wasn’t all in vain.” Chen Ling squatted and touched the soil with a satisfied smile. “Just as I expected, planting a crop with creek water helps improve the soil significantly.” “My original plan is feasible.” “Plant an acre today, another tomorrow; in a month, I can cover this entire plot and achieve a preliminary improvement of the soil.” “And I’ll harvest peanuts from thirty acres.” “Then I’ll find someone in town to sell them...” “These past years they’ve been promoting greenhouse farming, so I can say these are freshly dug peanuts from greenhouses. From now on, whatever I sell, I can use that as an excuse.”

With this thought, Chen Ling felt invigorated. He stood up and continued digging pits to plant peanuts. Within thirty minutes, an acre was already planted, and the peanuts stored inside the realm. “I underestimated it; planting an acre doesn’t take that long.” Of course, this was mainly due to the magical creek water and his own enhanced physical condition from the realm’s influence—increased strength and endurance. Ordinary people would need rest after a while, but he could work straight through, finishing quickly and easily.

Over the next two hours, Chen Ling planted four more acres, all harvested into the realm. “Each acre yields about seven to eight hundred jin; I’ve harvested five acres this morning. Maybe it’s time to sell.” Since the yield per plant was fairly uniform, estimating the total harvest by counting plants was easy.

As for why Chen Ling chose peanuts: it was mainly because this was 1995, not the future. He needed to keep a low profile. From a long-term perspective, starting with superior fruits or precious medicinal herbs would attract too much attention. Technology wasn’t advanced enough—how could he achieve that? That would cause problems. It was better to live quietly and comfortably. Why invite trouble unnecessarily? Though he wasn’t afraid with the realm’s protection, it simply wasn’t worth the hassle.

Moreover, peanuts, though unremarkable, were essential for oil production. Among grain crops of this era, their price was relatively high. The proceeds from thirty acres of peanuts would comfortably support Chen Ling and Wang Susu’s comfortable life for some time.

...

By the time Chen Ling returned home, it was nearly noon. He held two little puppies, one black and one yellow, in his arms. Their glossy black eyes darted curiously around. These two youngsters had been well cared for in the realm’s cottage, sleeping most of the day. Chen Ling’s earlier farming activities hadn’t disturbed them. Now fully alert, they wriggled in his arms, trying to climb onto his shoulder.

“I’m back, Susu!” Chen Ling called as he stepped through the courtyard gate.

Wang Susu was sitting outside, mending the soles of shoes. With spring approaching, the thick cotton shoes were no longer suitable; new shoes were needed. Hearing Chen Ling’s voice, she looked up and immediately saw him carrying the two puppies.

“Oh, puppies?” Wang Susu’s eyes lit up, her worries from the day’s farming fading. She quickly stood and hurried over. “A Ling, didn’t you dislike dogs? Why are you suddenly bringing home two puppies?”

She gently stroked the two little creatures in his arms, curiosity piqued.

“They were found near the Land Temple. These two puppies are only two or three days old. Their mother died after giving birth.” Chen Ling explained. “If left outside, they’d starve. I felt sorry for them, so I brought them home.” “If you don’t like them, we can give them away once they grow up.” He smiled.

“No, don’t give them away.” Wang Susu’s face grew anxious at the thought. She hurriedly pulled the puppies into her arms and stroked them softly. She had always loved dogs, but Chen Ling hadn’t allowed them before, saying it was too dirty with them urinating everywhere. Now that Chen Ling had taken the initiative to bring two home, she was overjoyed and unwilling to part with them.

“By the way, Susu, the land exchange is settled. After it was done, I went to check the barren land. It’s not as bad as I thought.” Chen Ling took the initiative to share the morning’s news, so Susu wouldn’t worry or hesitate to ask. Keeping such things bottled up wasn’t good. “I dug up some soil; you can see for yourself...”