[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin":3,"chapter-the-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-the-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-chapter-52":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The First Iron Rice Bowl of Great Jin",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},151738,261,"Chapter 52: Shennong Planting Art","the-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-chapter-52",52,"\u003Cp>The living conditions at Herb Manor were naturally not very good, with only large communal sleeping quarters built. While the male laborers were easy to arrange, when it came to Hua Changxi, Mao Yong was troubled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to make things difficult for Hua Changxi, but remembering that even the one-armed man Guo Yu was wary of her, he dared not act recklessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To punish Hua Changxi, he needed a proper reason; otherwise, he couldn’t call upon the master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After thinking it over, Mao Yong finally led Hua Changxi to the livestock yard, pointed at the thatched hut by the yard gate, and said, \"You’ll stay in this room!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sancha Herb Manor managed thousands of acres of herb fields, along with the adjoining mountains and the herb valley at the foot of the mountains. Relying solely on manpower to tend so much land was difficult, so they kept dozens of oxen and over ten hunting dogs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Additionally, the manor frequently had to deliver medicinal materials to the Medical Bureau, which required horses, so they also raised several dozen horses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The livestock yard was not only filled with the smell of cow and horse dung everywhere but also required caution to avoid being bitten by the hunting dogs. Arranging for Hua Changxi to stay here made Mao Yong feel quite smug.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Hua Changxi surveying the livestock yard without speaking, Mao Yong laughed: \"What, don’t want to stay here? If you really don’t want to, I won’t force you. You can go stay in the communal quarters—if you dare.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi glanced at him: \"A separate room and yard—I’m very satisfied. Thank you, Manager Mao.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, the smile faded from Mao Yong’s face: \"As long as you’re satisfied.\" With that, he turned and left, swinging his hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The smell in the yard was too strong. Only after Mao Yong had left did Hua Changxi raise her hand to cover her nose and walk into the thatched hut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The inside was even worse than the outside—dirty and chaotic, with most of the space used to store杂物. Only in a corner was there a bed pieced together from several wooden planks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the bed was a layer of straw, and on top of the straw was a tattered, dirty quilt whose original color was impossible to discern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi looked at the room, which left no place to set foot, then walked out, circled the yard, and, seeing no one around, went to close the yard gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Returning to the front of the thatched hut, she stood by the window, performed a Decomposition Technique, and instantly turned the straw and ragged bedding on the wooden bed into fine dust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next, she activated the Purification Technique, and in an instant, a whirlwind swept through the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the doorway, dust flew up and was quickly blown away into the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Hua Changxi stepped back into the thatched hut, though it was still messy, it was at least clean and free of any odors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She tidied up the clutter a bit, cleared some space for movement, then sat down on the wooden bed, took out steamed buns and pickled vegetables from her bundle, and slowly began to eat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing her meal, she lay face down, closed her eyes, and started practicing the Little Bird Breathing Technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, Hua Changxi opened her eyes in pleasant surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spiritual energy at Herb Manor was even denser than at the Medical Bureau.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, this was the place where Primordial Spirit Grass grew; without sufficient spiritual energy, how could Primordial Spirit Grass appear?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She needed to quickly familiarize herself with the situation here, find the Primordial Spirit Grass as soon as possible, and then refine the Primordial Spirit Pill—only that way could she rapidly elevate her cultivation level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Devoting herself entirely to cultivation restored energy and spirits faster and better than sleeping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having traveled for a day and a night, Hua Changxi, though not extremely tired, had still expended considerable energy. Before long, she sank into deep cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bang, bang, bang~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Open up! Open the door!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Woof, woof, woof~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immersed in cultivation, Hua Changxi lost track of time. When she was roused by the knocking, she opened her eyes and realized it was already dark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is the person inside dead? Someone, break the door down!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mao Wei was just yelling for someone to break down the door when it creaked open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Hua Changxi walk out from inside, Mao Wei was dumbfounded. He stepped back a few paces in fear and pointed at her: \"You... how are you here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi glanced at Mao Wei and then at the dozen or so people behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each of them held a majestic hunting dog on a leash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m here to help with planting medicinal herbs.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A female laborer coming to Herb Manor usually meant she was being punished. Even knowing this, Mao Wei dared not say anything at the moment—helpless, since he couldn’t defeat her. He could only gesture for his men to quickly lead the hunting dogs into the yard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Woof, woof, woof~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hunting dogs barked incessantly at the newcomer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most young women would be frightened by so many hunting dogs. Seeing that Hua Changxi’s expression hadn’t changed at all, Mao Wei cursed inwardly that she wasn’t a woman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noticing the people under him staring at Hua Changxi with gleaming eyes, he didn’t remind them. After leading the hunting dogs back to the kennel, he hurried away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The others also rushed off to eat, but not before sizing up Hua Changxi with unreadable looks, then they followed him out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi frowned, closed the courtyard gate, went back into the thatched hut, and resumed cultivating with her eyes shut. The qi had barely cycled a few times when the courtyard gate was knocked on again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, the men all came with oxen. Dozens of oxen were led into the yard, and the air instantly turned suffocating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like the man with the hunting dogs, the people now also looked Hua Changxi over with strange eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi kept a straight face and waited patiently for these people to leave. As soon as they were gone, she was about to close the courtyard gate when a youth as skinny as a beanpole stepped out from the entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You… is something the matter?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The youth pointed at the thatched hut: “I want to get my bedding.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi was taken aback: “You lived here before?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The youth nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling the tattered bedding she had dismantled, Hua Changxi felt very sorry: “Um… sorry about that. I cleaned up the room earlier and burned your bedding.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A look of panic crossed the youth’s face. He seemed about to say something, but then he lowered his head, dejectedly turned around, and prepared to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait a moment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi called the youth back, dashed into the thatched hut, took a piece of碎银 from her bundle, came out and handed it to him: “I’m truly sorry—I thought no one was living in this hut.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is there a place to buy things near the Medicine Manor? Take this silver and buy yourself a new set of bedding.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The youth looked at the silver in Hua Changxi’s hand and shook his head: “My bedding wasn’t worth much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Hua Changxi shoved the silver into the young man’s hand: “I burned your bedding without your permission, so I ought to compensate you. I’m also putting you to the trouble of spending time buying new quilts—that delays you further. Keep the silver, or I’ll feel terrible about it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The youth glanced at Hua Changxi, holding the silver, looking a little awkward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi was silent for a moment. “You… is there anything else? I’m quite tired. If you don’t need anything, I have to rest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The youth shook his head: “I’m fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi said, “Then… I’m closing the gate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Staring at the tightly shut gate, the youth clenched the silver in his hand, stood there for a while, then turned and left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Listening to the sound of footsteps fading away, Hua Changxi let out a sigh of relief. But when she saw the messy yard, she frowned again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Woof woof woof~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Moo~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Neigh~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Livestock yard: the stable was to the north, the cowshed to the east, and the kennel to the west. The sounds of dogs barking, cows lowing, and horses neighing drifted constantly over the yard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thatched hut sat to the south, next to the gate. Anyone living here was practically a gatekeeper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi really couldn’t stand the stench in the yard. She waved her hand, and a gust of wind swept through, instantly freshening the air. Then she turned and went back into the thatched hut to continue cultivating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once Hua Changxi began circulating the Little Bird Breathing and Exhaling Technique, the hunting dogs, horses, and oxen that had been barking and crying nonstop in the yard fell silent at the same time. If one looked closely, they would notice that all the livestock and dogs were in the same posture—kneeling and prostrating on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, did you know that Hua Changxi has come to the Medicine Manor?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mao Yong, looking at his younger brother who burst into the room loudly, felt a headache coming on: “I was the one who went to pick her up. How could I not know?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mao Wei rubbed his own cheeks. Without his molar teeth, his face looked smaller: “Brother, now that Hua Changxi is on our turf, you have to help me get even.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mao Yong shot him a glance: “Don’t worry, big brother won’t let her off easy. But remember, you’re not allowed to provoke her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mao Wei thought of Hua Changxi’s martial skills—of course he wouldn’t ask for trouble: “Brother, how do you plan to deal with Hua Changxi?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mao Yong smiled faintly: “A woman has come to the Medicine Manor, and she’s not bad-looking. Do you think the male servant workers in the manor can stay put?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve already handed over A Niu’s livestock-feeding job to someone else. All we need to do is sit back and watch the show. As long as Hua Changxi dares to hurt anyone, I’ll go ask Old Man You to settle it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mao Wei’s face lit up with joy: “Brother, you really have a way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mao Yong looked at his younger brother: “Bullying a young lady is hardly manly. Fortunately, we aren’t scheming behind Hua Changxi’s back—we’re using an open ploy. It’s up to her whether she takes the bait.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, as soon as dawn broke, Hua Changxi opened her eyes. There was a well in the yard; she drew water, washed her face, and prepared to go for breakfast. Just as she opened the courtyard gate, she saw two male servant workers with fierce faces walking toward her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yo, little sister, you're up so early. We were just saying we'd come wake you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did you sleep well last night, little sister? It's still a bit cold out—do you get cold sleeping alone? Want us brothers to come keep you company tonight?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the two men approaching her, Hua Changxi quickened her pace a few steps, sidestepped them, and put distance between them without responding, then hurried away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two male servants, seeing this, couldn't openly chase after her, so they cursed under their breath and entered the yard to feed the livestock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After watching the two men go into the yard, Hua Changxi turned back, stood at the gate, flicked out a strand of spiritual power, then hurried away again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the next moment, furious barking erupted in the yard, and shortly after, screams followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi entered the dining yard, ignoring the stares around her, fetched her meal from the kitchen, and seeing all the tables in the yard were occupied, she sat down on the stone steps under the eaves and began to eat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Zhu Yu raised an eyebrow, Mao Yong and Mao Wei exchanged a silent look, while the others murmured among themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, someone rushed into the yard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Manager Mao, it's terrible! The hunting dogs in the livestock yard have gone mad—they're chasing A Guang and A Bing and biting them!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Mao Yong and Mao Wei both looked at Hua Changxi, and even Zhu Yu glanced her way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi remained unmoved, continuing to eat her meal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mao Yong shot a glance at Hua Changxi, then led Mao Wei and the others to the livestock yard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they learned that the two errand boys had been bitten by the hunting dogs, and it was uncertain whether they'd ever be able to work again, Mao Yong and Mao Wei both involuntarily squeezed their legs together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mao Yong questioned the two men but found no evidence linking the dogs' frenzy to Hua Changxi, so he could only treat the incident as an accident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After breakfast, work assignments were to be handed out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi was assigned to the medicinal fields near the foot of the mountain. These fields were dry and hard, planting herbs was difficult, and watering and fertilizing required long treks—they were the fields the medicine manor staff least wanted to manage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowing Mao Yong was deliberately making things difficult for her, Hua Changxi didn't complain; she took her tools and medicinal seedlings and went to work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Shennong Planting Technique (Novice): Planted mortal plants 1\u002F10]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Hua Changxi planted the first medicinal seedling into the field, the familiar data appeared in her vision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After planting ten in total, her mind was flooded with various knowledge about planting mortal plants, covering not only medicinal herbs but also grains and other food crops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Hua Changxi recalled that Shennong was both the father of medicine and agriculture, and she felt reassured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had originally come here only to find Yuanling Grass, but unexpected gains like this made her very happy. To upgrade the data, she worked with extra diligence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mao Wei led the hunting dogs on patrol through the medicinal fields, hoping to catch Hua Changxi slacking off, but when he reached the mountain foot, he found she was actually the most efficient worker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to find fault with her work, but the seedlings she planted were fully up to standard, and even better than those planted by many of the manor's old hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unable to find any flaws, Mao Wei could only leave in frustration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Shennong Planting Technique (Minor Accomplishment): Planted mortal plants 100\u002F100]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After planting a hundred medicinal seedlings, Hua Changxi received knowledge of how to grow spirit plants and spirit grains, along with related techniques.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The techniques included: Soil-Turning Technique, Pest Removal Technique, Pest Repelling Technique, Fertilization Technique, Spirit Rain Technique, Temperature and Humidity Control Technique, as well as how to set up Spirit Gathering Arrays and Spiritual Energy Shields.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having learned so many new spells, Hua Changxi was overjoyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Shennong Planting Technique (Great Accomplishment): Planted mortal plants 1000\u002F1000]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After planting a thousand medicinal seedlings, Hua Changxi received knowledge of how to grow divine plants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although she wanted to learn the entire Shennong Planting Technique as quickly as possible, Hua Changxi deliberately slowed down. She hadn't forgotten that her true purpose at Sancha Medicine Manor was to find Yuanling Grass, and she had no desire to finish her work early and be sent back to the Miscellaneous Servants Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowing that Mao Yong and Mao Wei would keep a close watch on her in the first few days, Hua Changxi's aim was to give them no grounds for criticism, and not give them the chance to report her to the Grandmaster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless absolutely necessary, she did not want to clash with the Grandmaster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though she wasn't afraid of the Grandmaster, if a Grandmaster took notice of her, finding Yuanling Grass would become much harder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following this principle, Hua Changxi endured all kinds of harassment from the male servants, only secretly retaliating in the shadows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a new female servant at the medicine manor, all the male servants wanted to take advantage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this female servant was somewhat uncanny.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the second day after she arrived, two male servants tried to take advantage of her while feeding the livestock, but the hunting dog bit the younger one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the third day, another two male servants went to take advantage of her under the pretense of feeding the livestock, but accidentally fell into a steaming pile of cow dung and got a mouthful of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the fourth day, four male servants went to the livestock yard at the same time, but encountered a stampede of horses and all had their legs broken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the fifth day, the male servants no longer dared to go deep into the livestock yard, so they tried to block Hua Changxi at the foot of the mountain and drag her into the forest. However, they encountered a wild boar in the woods, and while fleeing, fell into a hunting trap meant for wild beasts, resulting in two deaths on the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that, even the most lecherous men dared not approach Hua Changxi.\u003C\u002Fp>",2852,"2026-05-29T04:10:26.746Z","2026-06-01T04:29:08.487Z",1,"deepseek-v4-flash","d9498c3cc64d6057bbc4491f7e089daa7d707de7233245b3ef50e7d421bda087","the-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-chapter-53","the-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-chapter-51",547,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-cover.jpg"]