Chapter 10: Space Upgrade, Grain-Filled Storehouse

Chi Nan Yi lowered their head and silently rolled their eyes.

The fifteenth day of the first month?

Grandma won't attend; when that time arrives, Meng Qinghe will be back, and how could they still look after themselves?

After returning to the courtyard, Chi Nan Yi entered the space and began sorting through memories of their previous life.

They also sowed the seeds bought at the grain shop into the Spiritual Field.

"Congratulations, host. Having planted wheat, rice, and corn seeds, would you like to enable one‑click planting?"

Chi Nan Yi heard this, blinked, and said, "This space is quite intelligent."

"Enable."

As the words fell, a flash of light appeared, and the seeds automatically sowed themselves into the Spiritual Field.

Before Chi Nan Yi could speak, the water of the Spiritual Spring began irrigating automatically.

"Freeing my hands, just waiting for pies to fall from the sky? I never expected such good fortune to fall on me. In my past life I saved the nation; this life my buffs are stacked to the max. Truly the heavens favor a good reincarnation—so exhilarating!"

Chi Nan Yi took out the medicinal herb seeds, sowed them into the Herb Field, and, just like the Spiritual Field, enabled one‑click planting for all.

"I don't know how long these will take to mature."

As the words fell, the wheat, rice, and corn just sown sprouted tender shoots.

"Heaven! Is this speed as if riding a rocket?"

At this rate, it shouldn't take long before they mature.

Chi Nan Yi looked at the piled food in the space, a hint of smile flashing in their eyes.

"In a few days, once those twenty thousand dan of grain are stored in the space, there will be nothing to worry about."

"Space upgrade!" the system voice rang again: "Congratulations, host, you have unlocked the space preservation function; any item placed into the space can remain permanently fresh."

Chi Nan Yi heard this, smiled and said, "It really is that whatever I think comes true. Since I can lock freshness forever, I'll stockpile more food; then I can eat whatever I want whenever I want! No need to fear famine."

Looking at the gold, silver, and jewels in the space, Chi Nan Yi rummaged inside for a while; aside from those items, there were four large chests of gold, ten chests of silver, and eighty thousand liang of silver notes.

"I'm such a greedy bastard!"

Chi Nan Yi held the silver notes; with these, the remaining payment for the grain can be settled.

I wonder how many hidden treasures the Meng Family still has.

Early the next day, Chi Nan Yi disguised themselves and left the Minister's Residence again.

They re‑activated sweep mode, clearing all the meat and fruit in Jingcheng in one go.

"Young master, what are you buying so many things for?"

"Nothing special; our family is large, we eat quickly."

Hearing Chi Nan Yi say that, people's faces turned a bit uneasy.

Many people?

How many would that be?

With this much meat, even if there are a few dozen to a hundred people, it would take a long time to finish.

Seeing their curious faces, Chi Nan Yi lowered their voice and said, "To be frank, our family has recruited some unsavory things. The master said the more offerings we make, the better; only then can we get rid of that dirty stuff."

I see.

If that's the reason, I can understand.

"Dirty stuff? Young master, have you heard of that haunted courtyard?"

Chi Nan Yi feigned surprise and said, "You heard about it too? It's that place." They placed a finger before their mouth and added, "But this matter must not be flaunted; His Majesty now despises talk of strange powers and spirits. If we are exposed, we may violate taboos, and then I won't be able to buy those items."

"Young master, rest assured, I will not tell anyone."

Chi Nan Yi smiled with satisfaction; they placed the items in the haunted courtyard, and Chi Nan Yi once again stored those items into the space.

Since someone went mad from this courtyard, people avoid it at all costs; once they set something down, they wish it would sprout legs and run away.

On the fifth day, the twenty thousand dan of grain were delivered to that residence.

The shopkeeper shouted shakily, "Young master, young master?"

"Shopkeeper, where is that young master? Why is there no sign of him?"

"Indeed! Shopkeeper, have we been tricked?"

"Wait... wait a bit longer, it's only half a cup of tea's time left!"

"Shopkeeper, let's... let's leave! This place is gloomy and terribly creepy."

The grain shop owner swallowed and said, "If the time comes and she still hasn't appeared, we leave. Damn it, if she dares to mess with me, I'll skin her!"

"Whose skin are you going to strip?"

Chi Nan Yi's faint voice echoed.

Matching the eerie atmosphere, the grain shop crowd let out a scream; the timid even wet their pants in fright.

"Ghost... ghost!"

"Run! Run! There's a ghost!"

The young servants tasked with transporting the grain fled halfway.

The other half weren't brave; their legs went weak from fear, and they couldn't move.

One of them was the shopkeeper himself.

"Great Ghost, please be merciful; I didn't mean to disturb you. I beg you to spare me! I am willing to give you all the grain!"

Chi Nan Yi stood at the doorway, speechless.

These people's courage is truly lacking.

The echo in her voice is due to the specially made walls of this courtyard.

They were designed so that the lingering sound would reverberate for three days without cease, with each wall's angle deliberately crafted.

I suppose the owner of this courtyard must be someone extremely skilled in music.

"Shopkeeper, what's wrong with you?"

Chi Nan Yi walked slowly up to the shopkeeper, who was kneeling on the ground with eyes tightly shut; hearing the sound from above, they finally opened their eyes.

"Shopkeeper?"

The grain shop keeper finally saw who had come.

He blinked, trembling as he asked, "Young... young... young master? Are you human or ghost?"

Chi Nan Yi opened a folding fan, covering half their face, and said with a smile, "What do you think, shopkeeper?"

Seeing the shadow on the ground, the shopkeeper let out a breath of relief: "Human, you're human!"

"Shopkeeper, what's wrong with you?"

"Young master, why would you choose such a place? This is notorious as a ghost courtyard; if they knew you wanted the goods delivered here, they'd beat me to death and I still couldn't send them!"

"Actually, it's because I'm not from around here; besides this place, I don't know where else to send the things." Chi Nan Yi handed over the silver notes: "Shopkeeper, please check, is the amount correct?"

How could the shopkeeper possibly have the mind to count the silver notes?

After a rough count, the shopkeeper tucked the silver notes into their bosom.

"Young master, we've already delivered the grain; we'll be off now!"

Chi Nan Yi patted those grain sacks, making sure the contents were fine, nodded and said, "All right, then thank you, shopkeeper; if there's more business later, I'll come again."

"All right, all right, all right." The shopkeeper stumbled away, tripping at the doorway.

Chi Nan Yi waved an arm, directly storing all the grain into their space.

"With these things, it'll be easy to handle."

In a famine year there's no need to worry; I'll make sure the whole Chi Family lives in comfort and abundance. In my previous life, the grain prices in the Five Grains Workshop rose dozens of times, leaving the poor unable to afford them and causing corpses to litter the ground.