Chapter 55

He Yan gave it to Qin He's child; Qin Bi didn't want it, and she hoped Rong Juan wouldn't want it either.

So, she had to slowly build up a small treasury for Rong Juan.

After dinner, Rong Juan guided Rong Juan in practicing calligraphy while Qin Bi sat nearby; when bored, she got up to place a few spirit sweet potatoes on the charcoal stove, then returned to read a book.

The room was warm and very cozy.

"I'm going to summon rain," Qin Bi told Rong Juan.

"No," Rong Juan refused without hesitation.

Qin Bi leaned against Rong Juan and coquettishly said, "I'll only summon rain; I won't do any manual labor."

Rong Juan's expression didn't change, so Qin Bi sighed lightly, "I'll do only what I can handle."

Rong Juan didn't respond, and Qin Bi dropped the matter. The next day, she called Lin Yao over to ask about Rong Juan's fiefdom. Rong Juan possessed ten thousand mu of fertile fields, all bestowed by the Great Yan Emperor.

The fertile fields were divided into first and second grades, with many ordinary fields as well.

Nearby farmers cultivated them, and they simply collected rent each year.

"Does the Young Master's Consort wish to take a look?" Lin Yao asked tentatively.

Qin Bi heard the implication, and Rong Juan agreed.

Qin Bi nodded, and Lin Yao extended his hand in a gesture of invitation: "Young Master's Consort, please."

Arriving at the front courtyard, Guard Yan and several other guards were already there. Lin Yao activated the teleportation array, and the group instantly arrived at Rong Juan's fiefdom.

Qin Bi observed that Rong Juan's fiefdom was almost entirely planted with winter wheat. Whether it was the wheat she knew, she couldn't say; it was just wheat seedlings. Early winter had just begun, and the seedlings were not tall.

They were sparse, the soil was extremely dry, and the wheat leaves had turned yellow.

Judging by the severity of the drought, it would be a miracle if twenty percent survived until next year. In ancient times, harvests were meager; in this fictional cultivation world, where water sources were scarce, yields were even lower.

The cabbages planted nearby were also half-dead. The rain summoned by the immortal sect could only relieve the drought temporarily.

There was a large expanse of idle land nearby. Lin Yao led Qin Bi over and pointed, saying, "This entire area is sandy soil. The soil quality is decent, but it's too dry to grow crops. If the rain summoned by the Young Master's Consort can moisten a layer of soil before the ground freezes, we can plant some cabbages and radishes."

After speaking, Lin Yao left Guard Yan and the others behind and stepped into a nearby field to summon rain.

Qin Bi took out a tea bowl, waved her hand, and fine rain began to fall from the sky, intensifying from a drizzle to a slightly heavier shower. Guard Yan and the other guards were astonished; was it really that easy?!

They were martial cultivators; they could not summon rain nor did they possess condensation abilities.

Not understanding much, they realized that just watching wasn't helpful, so they simply took out summoning artifacts to conjure plants for tilling the soil. Seeing this, Qin Bi thought, "Great, having plants till the soil is perfect." Once the plants finished their work, she would walk over and rain.

Guard Yan turned to look at the side; it was still raining there, and it was raining here as well.

Combined, the two areas covered about three mu of land.

A light shower only wets the surface; the soil beneath remains dry. Guard Yan led the guards to the first field to direct the tilling. Qin Bi glanced over, and a wind carrying rain swept toward them, making the shower heavier.

Once the plants encountered water, they immediately began diligently tilling the soil.

"Is this really a light shower?" one of the guards asked.

Guard Yan inhaled sharply. Who knew? The rain looked quite heavy now.

With two fields, rain fell on one side while it fell on the other. Qin Bi's summoning ability could only manage two fields simultaneously; if the rain was heavier on one side, the other received only a drizzle. When Lin Yao came over to check, he was startled.

Taking advantage of everyone's busyness, Lin Yao, with foresight, went back and returned with a bag of cabbage seeds. While the sandy soil was loose, he called over farmers skilled in planting, and under the guidance of an elder, they began sowing the seeds.

The elder and several farmers gazed at the rain, their eyes full of envy.

Lin Yao, being perceptive, walked up to Qin Bi and said, "Young Master's Consort, you may rest now."

Qin Bi was indeed tired. "Shall we return for a meal?"

Lin Yao hesitated. According to his judgment, they should make do with a simple meal at the estate and continue summoning rain in the afternoon. However, this Young Master's Consort held significant weight in Rong Juan's eyes, so making do was not an option.

Qin Bi's eyes flickered; she saw through Lin Yao's thoughts, but she wanted to go home.

"Stop the rain," Lin Yao pointed at the falling rain, reminding Qin Bi.

Qin Bi: "..."

Qin Bi looked at Lin Yao, who looked back in confusion; the two stared at each other.

"I don't know how to stop it," Qin Bi told Lin Yao.

Lin Yao: "????"

Lin Yao processed this, then turned to look at the dense drizzle. Good heavens, not knowing how to stop the rain was actually great! The fields lacked nothing but rain. Let it rain; it would be even better if it kept raining.

He didn't have this ability. If Lin Yao did, he would be delighted to let it rain for a whole year.

However, once the summoning artifact and the summoned rain were separated by distance, the spell naturally could no longer be controlled.

Lin Yao ignored the rain, took out the teleportation array, and only then did Guard Yan and the others cease their summoning. Qin Bi stepped into the teleportation array. Once Lin Yao and everyone else had gathered, he activated the array.

Unfortunately, they left quickly, and they returned quickly as well.

The rain followed them. Such precious rainwater could not be wasted. Everyone was stunned for a moment before Lin Yao led the group back again. The rain continued to fall, causing the sky over the fiefdom to turn gloomy.

Qin Bi ran to the cabbage field and directed the rain to fall into the soil.

"It looks like it's going to snow," Qin Bi glanced at the sky.

"Impossible," Lin Yao stated firmly. "It is not easy to have a snowfall in winter. Generally, our Emperor requests people from the immortal sect to summon rain or snow. The last time was the snow brought by Qin He's lucky child."

Qin Bi didn't believe this; the sky looked like it was about to snow.

"Are we still eating?" Qin Bi asked the Rong Young Master's chief strategist.

Wherever she went, the rain followed. If Lin Yao left, Qin Bi would not stay here.

Therefore, Lin Yao had to stay.

Lin Yao also dared not let the Young Master's Consort go hungry. He ordered Guard Yan, "You go back and fetch lunch."

Qin Bi pondered; eat here? In the dead of winter?

"Forget it," Qin Bi said. "Let's go back and eat together."

Guard Yan returned anyway, bringing back dried meat. Following Lin Yao's instructions, Guard Yan also brought a bag of radish seeds. Persisting with rain on one field was pointless; the soil had already been turned over and was wetting up quickly.

Qin Bi moved to the side of the cabbage field and continued to rain, while Guard Yan and the others summoned plants to till the soil.

Summoned plants are still plants; they were delighted to loosen the soil in the rain, full of energy for farm work.

Under the farmers' guidance, Lin Yao planted the radish seeds again.

No sooner had they finished planting on this side than snow began to fall from the sky.

Everyone paused in surprise, looked up at the sky, and then rejoiced greatly.

"It's snowing," the farmers cried with joy.

Lin Yao and the guard Yan were somewhat bewildered; the rain summoned by Qin Bi had also stopped. The group, still dazed, activated the teleportation array to return. As soon as they entered the Wang Fu, the sky was dry and cold, with not a single snowflake falling.

Qin Bi, frozen through, rushed immediately to the charcoal stove to warm herself.

Rong Juan returned from the palace and threw himself at Qin Bi: "Mother, you're back?"

Qin Bi reached out to embrace Rong Juan and felt the room grow warmer. The child did not take after her; she had a cold constitution, but the little one was like a small stove, his tiny hands warm to the touch.

Rong Juan touched Qin Bi's hand; it was not cold, so the man said nothing.