Chapter 192: Lively

Zheng Fa stepped closer, watching the driver unload the cargo.

One truck was filled with crops.

Most of them were vegetables.

Some were common in winter, such as radishes, Chinese cabbage, and mud artemisia.

There were also tomatoes and the like, probably brought from greenhouses.

There were also seeds, with various rice seeds being the most numerous.

Tian Laoshi had long since come forward to greet them; she took each package of vegetables and seeds, examining every single one carefully before nodding. She showed no impatience despite the entire truckload of crops.

Sometimes she would shake her head at Zheng Fa and the other, but she did not make things difficult for the unloading driver; she simply set those packages aside—obviously, those items were not quite right.

Two other trucks contained various experimental instruments.

What occupied the most space in the trucks was actually the laboratory benches.

There were also various other miscellaneous instruments.

Microscopes, centrifuges, balances... these were only the ones Zheng Fa could recognize.

There were still over ten other equipment crates.

"Rest assured," Bai Lao said from the side, "Xiao Tian helped her draw up a list and personally contacted the suppliers. Lingwu won't get the short end of the deal."

"I'm not worried about her getting the short end of the deal," Zheng Fa shook his head and said, "I'm worried she's spending too much money."

"This... I can't advise against it." Bai Lao fell silent for a moment, seemingly understanding what Zheng Fa meant. He took a long while before speaking again: "Only you can advise her."

"How much did it cost?"

Zheng Fa walked into the house and found Tang Lingwu, who seemed to be deliberately hiding from him, and asked.

Although Tang Lingwu was the one who spent the money, her expression at that moment was somewhat guilty.

"Not much..."

Hearing this, Zheng Fa sighed lightly.

He had just asked Tian Laoshi; the value of these three truckloads of items was at least ten million...

Hearing his sigh, Tang Lingwu immediately explained:

"I didn't ask my parents for money! I used my own money."

"Your own money?"

Hearing this, Zheng Fa felt a bit confused. Tang Lingwu's family was indeed wealthy, but Tang Lingwu herself was not the type to spend much.

The card she had previously used for pocket money held at most a few hundred thousand:

If compared to that group of people whose wealth was comparable to Tang Lingwu's father's, Tang Lingwu, as a second-generation rich kid, could already be called frugal...

One could even say her upbringing was very strict.

"My lucky money." Tang Lingwu, seeing he didn't seem to believe her, added: "Given by elders. There wasn't this much before, but as the family got richer and richer, it gradually increased a bit."

"... How much is left?"

"There's still some. I didn't manage this money before; it just sat in the card until I remembered it these past two days. Do you still need to buy anything?"

Seeing she still wanted to spend money.

Zheng Fa hurriedly refused.

"You... aren't happy?"

Seeing his expression was not very bright, Tang Lingwu asked anxiously.

"Tang Lingwu."

"Hmm?" Hearing Zheng Fa call her name so solemnly, Tang Lingwu shivered all over.

"I am extremely, extremely grateful that you are willing to trust me so much, and grateful for your support of the nursing home at such great cost."

Zheng Fa's expression was very sincere.

But Tang Lingwu's face looked a bit dejected.

It seemed she knew Zheng Fa was about to say something that would make her unhappy.

"But I..." Zheng Fa seemed to be organizing his words: "I still want to tell you that perhaps at the beginning, my association with you was because I needed something from you."

He recalled that when he first approached Tang Lingwu, it was because the talisman diagrams seemed like Olympiad problems, and he wanted to ask her for advice.

"Perhaps you gradually became familiar with me because of the milk tea."

"Hmm."

Seeming to recall their initial meeting as well, a faint smile appeared on Tang Lingwu's face.

"But we have known each other for so long." Zheng Fa thought for a moment, then spoke out some words that had been in his heart: "I have long regarded you as a Daoist companion."

"Daoist companion?"

"Yes, a Daoist companion." Zheng Fa nodded and said: "So Tang Lingwu..."

"Hmm?" Tang Lingwu's expression was somewhat blank.

Zheng Fa spoke very slowly; he was not good at expressing his inner feelings.

But this girl, Tang Lingwu... it seemed necessary to express things clearly.

"Perhaps, in your previous life, because of certain things, you needed to be a child who helped the family, a student who made your parents proud."

"But you are not that here; you don't need to think about whether you are useful to me, or useful to the nursing home..." Zheng Fa thought of Tang Lingwu's choices all along the way: "Whether it was studying computer science or spending money, I am very grateful..."

"But I still hope you understand."

"Hmm..." Tang Lingwu stared blankly at Zheng Fa, seemingly not expecting him to suddenly say such a passage.

"You are very good; you no longer need to think about living to please me or anyone else." Zheng Fa looked at Tang Lingwu.

This was a girl who had lived for many years beside a somewhat abnormal mother.

This was a girl who had never had a close friend.

So she was anxious about gains and losses, and cared too much about the other person in her interactions with others.

It was even a kind of giving without regard for the cost.

These past days, Tang Lingwu's choices had always subconsciously made herself "useful."

"You have given me a lot of help, real help." Zheng Fa continued, "But I still want to say... from I don't know when, even if you had no money, no choice of computer, I would still be willing to go with you to see the end of this path of cultivation."

"Mm." Tang Lingwu sniffed her nose and replied softly.

"At least in the nursing home." Zheng Fa said softly, "Even without the Wind-Riding Art, you are free."

"Lingwu has changed."

Bai Lao looked at Zheng Fa, then looked again at Tang Lingwu in the distance who was accompanying Tian Laoshi in an experiment, and suddenly made a judgment.

"Ah?"

Zheng Fa was a bit surprised; this old man was truly quite sharp.

"Before, this girl, when she saw you, her eyes were like those of a pitiful stray puppy."

"..."

"When looking at you, there was only one sentence in her eyes... don't throw me away."

Zheng Fa inexplicably felt this old man's description was somewhat accurate.

"And now?"

"Now she is still a puppy; when she sees you, it's as if a tail has grown behind her butt."

"Ah?"

"There is no fear in her eyes anymore." Bai Lao pouted, "It's all foolish joy."

"..."

"Not great." Over there, Tian Laoshi and the other two walked toward Zheng Fa and the other two, "From the perspective of cell structure, these plants have not undergone particularly large changes."

Hearing this, Zheng Fa did not feel disappointed.

These past two days, they had used these seeds to conduct many experiments.

One by one, the Evergreen Talismans turned into row after row of vegetables and fruits, grains and miscellaneous crops.

Hundreds or even thousands of varieties had been tested.

Most crops grew sturdier than in non-spiritual-qi environments and looked more succulent.

But observing with the Void-Piercing Spiritual Eye, none of them contained spiritual qi.

Indeed, Tian Laoshi took some samples to observe carefully and also reached a conclusion—these were just ordinary vegetables and fruits, without any special structures growing.

"So, either modern crops have no talent to become spiritual plants," Bai Lao analyzed with a furrowed brow, "or, as Little Tian said, there are still some special conditions."

Everyone fell silent for a moment.

These experimental results could absolutely not be called good.

"Alright! Doing research, take it slow; since we cultivate, our days are even longer, no need to rush!" Tian Laoshi clapped her hands, "Just right, it's rare to have so many vegetables in winter; I'll cook a meal, let's eat together in a lively manner."

Hearing her say this, the other three could not help but show smiles on their faces.

Zheng Fa looked at Tang Lingwu, seeing her smile especially happily and freely, and felt comforted in his heart.

Tang Lingwu seemed to notice his gaze, turned her head, looked at him, suddenly puffed out her little belly, and gently patted her own stomach, as if to say she was hungry.

Her expression was vividly dazzling.

"Little Tian, your cooking skills have improved again?"

Bai Lao put a slice of cucumber into his mouth, then suddenly widened his eyes and asked.

"Only you know how to coax people!" Tian Laoshi hit him with her chopsticks and scolded, "The children are all here!"

"It's not..."

"Tian Laoshi, really!" Tang Lingwu's tone of surprise was even greater than Bai Lao's, "Delicious! Better than any dish I've eaten before!"

Seeing her expression was not fake, Tian Laoshi used her chopsticks to pick up a dish and put it into her mouth.

She chewed gently twice, and her eyelids twitched.

She said nothing, tried the other few dishes, and only after a long while put down her chopsticks, her gaze serious, "It is not my credit."

"..."

Bai Lao understood immediately.

"Yes, the kitchen in the nursing home lacks complete seasonings." Tian Laoshi explained, "My cooking skills couldn't possibly improve so quickly."

Zheng Fa picked up a piece of tomato, put it in his mouth, and nodded gently as well.

He had not realized before that vegetables in the Xuanwei Realm might taste a bit better.

Mainly because the crops on both sides seemed to have subtle differences.

Now that there was a comparison, he discovered—spiritual qi actually did enhance the texture and flavor of these vegetables and fruits.

So, the pigweed leaves he ate before were actually an improved version?

How terrible that thing would taste without spiritual qi...

Spiritual plants were not cultivated, but there was an unexpected joy.

"Zheng Fa!" Tang Lingwu suddenly slapped the table and shouted loudly, "This thing is worth money!"

"I know." Zheng Fa also thought of this point, but his production was also limited...

"Very valuable!" Seeing he was not very concerned, Tang Lingwu insisted, "High-end ingredients, more valuable than you imagine!"

Hearing her say this, Zheng Fa and Bai Lao exchanged a glance, both becoming interested.

If the little rich girl says it's valuable, then it's not just ordinarily valuable.

"How so?"

"Some high-end restaurants need ingredients that can't be found elsewhere; the rarer, the better," Tang Lingwu explained. "But in reality, they aren't necessarily tasty."

Zheng Fa looked at the table full of dishes.

He understood Tang Lingwu's meaning—

First, these things were exclusive to the nursing home.

Second, they were truly delicious!

A dimensional strike!

"Let me call my dad and ask!"

Tang Lingwu took out her phone and walked to a slightly farther spot to speak.

She put it on speaker, and the call connected quickly.

"Good baby! Miss your dad?" A middle-aged man's somewhat greasy voice came through.

"Dad! There's a business matter I want to ask you about!" Tang Lingwu's face flushed red as she cut off her father.

"Who are you? How do you have my daughter's phone number?"

The person on the other end immediately became serious.

"... Dad!"

"My daughter has never been interested in business!"

Nearby, Bai Lao, whose daughter was two cycles older than Tang Lingwu, pursed his lips and said, "That's because his daughter hasn't met a yellow-haired delinquent yet."

"..."

"If she really met one, forget business; she'd even be interested in having children," Bai Lao said, gritting his teeth.

"I'm interested now!"

"See!" Bai Lao immediately replied.