[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world":3,"chapter-cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-126":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Cultivation: I Studied Abroad in the Modern World",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2263852,4418,"Chapter 126: Cooperation","cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-126",126,"\u003Cp>In Tang Lingwumin’s family dining room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa, along with Tang Lingwumin and her mother, sat at the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dishes on the table were not lavish, nor even particularly refined—just ordinary home-cooked meals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Tang Lingwumin looked surprised: “Mom, you cooked today?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Ye smiled faintly, glancing at Zheng Fa: “Didn’t I tell you? Today’s meal is to thank Zheng’s student—only homemade food shows sincerity!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps to show closeness, or maybe out of a desire for secrecy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the three of them were in the entire dining room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come on! Eat the chicken wings!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Ye reached over, moved the plate of cola chicken wings from in front of Tang Lingwumin to Zheng Fa’s right side, and smiled: “When Lingwumin was little, she loved this dish I made—try some!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa looked up at Tang Lingwumin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She held her chopsticks, eyes fixed on the chicken wings, her expression full of shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, she truly loved this dish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And the meatballs—Lingwumin always loved meat-heavy ones!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We weren’t rich back then, and I was still healthy—Lingwumin adored my cooking. I fattened her up good. Now she’s grown up, not as cute as before.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Listening to Aunt Ye’s sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa stared at the plate piled high before him and fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Auntie, you remember every dish Lingwumin loved as a child—sounds like a deep mother-daughter bond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But why not feed her?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Can’t you see this girl, moved yet holding her chopsticks mid-air, not eating a single bite of her favorite food?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if sensing Zheng Fa’s gaze, Tang Lingwumin pouted, looked away from him, picked up a single bok choy from her own plate, and nibbled it slowly, like a hamster, her expression slightly wounded—clearly she disliked this dish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa gently pushed his plate of chicken wings toward Tang Lingwumin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Lingwumin glanced at him, wrinkled her nose slightly, smiled faintly, and picked up a wing to eat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Ye looked from Zheng Fa to her daughter, her smile deepening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The simple meal ended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The maid cleared the dishes. The three sipped tea and turned to serious matters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lingwumin said you’re planning to build an old-age home?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she spoke, Aunt Ye’s tone carried unmistakable doubt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, a young man like Zheng Fa wanting to enter this industry baffled her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa glanced at Tang Lingwumin, unsure what she’d told her mother, and nodded to Aunt Ye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just want to ask…” Aunt Ye’s face showed unease: “Is there anything I can help with?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait, why are you being so humble if you want to help?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The main issue with the old-age home right now is location,” Zheng Fa said after thinking: “I have specific requirements for terrain and topography.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah…” Aunt Ye glanced at Tang Lingwumin—clearly the girl hadn’t told her this—and after a moment’s thought said: “What exactly do you need?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First, it should be closer to Jingcheng or other major cities.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t just for Zheng Fa’s university convenience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Major cities also have more talent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Second, someone needs to enter the mountains to scout preliminary locations.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s simple—I’ll hire a professional survey team,” Aunt Ye said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was fine, but Aunt Ye’s next sentence left Zheng Fa stunned:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Location selection, permits, roads, construction—I can handle all of it for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Auntie, you’re talking way too big.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even without knowing the exact cost,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>it was certainly no small sum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa believed even for Tang Lingwumin’s family, this would be a significant investment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Earlier, I went for a medical checkup,” Aunt Ye said, as if sensing Zheng Fa’s surprise: “The doctor said my results were unbelievable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t believe it—I went for another checkup in Jingcheng.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Ye looked at Zheng Fa: “Everything’s fine. I’ve had this illness for over ten years—medication kept increasing, test results kept worsening, never improved until now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you mean…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As long as you keep treating me, whether you want to build an old-age home or a palace in the mountains—I’ll fund it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Aunt Ye’s eyes lay deep pleading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa still didn’t fully believe her—he understood her desperation to be cured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But promising such a massive investment outright—felt irrational to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rich are rich, not foolish—especially first-generation entrepreneurs like Tang Lingwumin’s parents. They’re not stingy, but they don’t waste money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Ye’s generosity made Zheng Fa hesitate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Ye seemed to sense his distrust. She smiled and explained: “Do you know how Lingwumin’s father made his fortune?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Lingwumin’s face also showed curiosity—she clearly hadn’t known this either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Back then, our business had just started—we had only a modest fortune,” Aunt Ye’s expression turned nostalgic: “There was an opportunity, but it required a huge investment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My husband and I didn’t have enough money—we had to borrow from banks and relatives.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Ye looked at the two of them and continued: “We hesitated—wondering whether to risk it all. If the project failed, we’d lose everything and be buried in debt.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And then?” Tang Lingwumin asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then Lingwumin’s father happened to meet a master from the south…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The master calculated his fate and said this opportunity was his greatest chance in life,” Aunt Ye sighed: “We made up our minds and invested everything.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa didn’t need to ask what happened next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just look at Tang Zhiqiang’s current success.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since then, I’ve known the world holds extraordinary people—meeting one is my blessing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Ye said softly to Zheng Fa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, in her eyes, Zheng Fa was nearly equivalent to a master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long silence, Zheng Fa finally spoke: “Auntie, don’t believe in superstition!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Lingwumin stared at him for a long time, a question mark slowly forming on her face—her eyes said plainly: You’re a cultivator, and you call this superstition?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa meant it sincerely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Xuanwei Realm, he’d hardly ever heard of fortune-telling—perhaps because his cultivation base was too low to encounter it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in the modern world, there’s no spiritual energy at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This kind of thing sounded even more implausible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand, I understand—this shouldn’t be publicized.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not like that…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zheng’s student, your massage technique… is too crude.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Ye’s words left Zheng Fa silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing he didn’t speak, Aunt Ye smiled gently and added candidly: “Of course, I’m willing to invest so much because I hope to collaborate with you in the future.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Collaborate?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No matter how you cured me,” Aunt Ye smiled lightly: “I only hope that when I bring someone to you for treatment in the future, you’ll help—money won’t be an issue.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa suddenly understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Ye’s offer to help build the old-age home—even at great cost—was clearly for this purpose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She hadn’t even mentioned equity—clearly, this was her goal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if sensing Zheng Fa had figured it out, Aunt Ye said with deep meaning: “Some lives cannot be measured in money.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After some discussion, Zheng Fa and Aunt Ye agreed the survey team must go first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How to build the old-age home, and how to collaborate—those were matters for later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xuanwei Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the Eighth Peak of Jiushan, Sun Daoyu and Zhou Gan Yuan were climbing the mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These past two days, our Master hasn’t been happy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Daoyu frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Gan Yuan’s distracted reply came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Daoyu turned back, glanced at his junior brother, and sighed inwardly: There’s another one even unhappier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he understood Zhou’s brother’s inner conflict.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ultimately, recent events had driven a wedge between Zhou and their Master…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He even felt that Zhou’s grievance was justified—only out of respect for their Master did he refrain from saying anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, Sun Daoyu could only shake his head and look ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? Isn’t that Zheng Fa?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing a figure on the mountain path, he said in surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>",1292,"2026-06-19T19:16:02.864Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","f4f4a5187005700ea93ddc7829701c7a72dad6b5ff208ad4c462a0b06a9b716f","cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-127","cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-125",487,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fcultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-cover.jpg"]