Thank you all for the pink tickets you've cast. As for the progress, I agree it should accelerate. However, feelings build up over time in life. I just feel that before the Stepparent’s family appears, the relationship between the Stepparent and his relatives should be strengthened. Otherwise, this mismatched marriage would be too hard to sustain.

The old lady looked at her granddaughter. "It's all because your father left too early. Otherwise, why would things come to this, making you, a little girl, have to be so calculating?"

Cheng Ying scoffed. "Grandma, do you really want me to become Cheng Big Fool? Even if my father were here, he wouldn't be with me forever. I'm just getting an early start adapting to society. Grandma, as long as we two are well, that’s enough."

The old lady looked at her granddaughter. What the girl said wasn't entirely wrong; for an official to avoid corruption, they needed to be financially comfortable. If they only became wealthy after becoming an official, their tenure would certainly be uncomfortable.

After agonizing for a long time, she said, "Yingzi, don't be too optimistic. Being able to contribute some money is good. Even if the mountain lot doesn't provide money, we still gain a piece of land for free."

She was afraid that if her granddaughter hoped too much, her disappointment would be greater. Cheng Ying said reassuringly, "Don't worry, I'm here. Grandma, just wait to enjoy life. Listen to your granddaughter, not the idle chatter of the villagers—they all hope others don't fare well. Your granddaughter is capable both academically and practically; she'll be top-tier wherever she goes."

The old lady chuckled. "You shameless girl, why are you boasting so much?"

Cheng Ying raised an eyebrow. "Did I say something wrong? If you talk about working on the mountain lot, is there any older girl who dares to compare with me? If you talk about school, does anyone dare to compare their grades with mine?"

The old lady was left speechless by her granddaughter, wondering when this girl had turned into such a show-off, thinking so highly of herself. "Well, no, there aren't," she admitted.

Cheng Ying nodded. "So, I am the best. Your granddaughter is the best, and what she plans must be right. Grandma, just listen to me."

With that, the old lady gave her a playful swat on the back, this time putting in a good amount of force. "I'm teaching you to be less arrogant! Even if it weren't true, if it was true, you’d still need to keep it low-key!"

Cheng Ying put on a pained expression. This was a lesson in humility, but why the physical blow? "Grandma, I'm your actual granddaughter!"

The old lady waved her off. "I wouldn't hit you if you weren't my own, but go eat and play. I’m not worrying anymore; I can’t control you anyway."

Cheng Ying whined, "Oh, if you don't manage me, who will? I'm your little close-fitting padded jacket!"

The old lady felt a pang in her jaw. "Forget it, scram out of here." That unlucky kid had too many big ideas.

The old lady only wished for her granddaughter's well-being. On second thought, she had accepted things: her granddaughter had money and land. If she couldn't succeed in her studies later, she would still be respected in the village. Besides, Cheng Ying hadn't been idle during this time in the village; her good reputation was already known. Who didn't know the Cheng family girl was capable, sensible, and filial? Only that she was a bit silly.

After coaxing her grandmother, Cheng Ying went up the mountain as usual the next day. However, now she often went alone, accompanied by a small puppy named Er Ya.

During this time, the water Er Ya drank came from the space. Cheng Ying didn't see any specific changes in Er Ya—nothing humanized, at least. The day she gave Chi Wu water from the space, he also showed no change. Cheng Ying figured the water in her spatial pond was basically potable.

It seemed harmless, but she hadn't seen any tangible benefits. Aside from keeping the seedlings alive after watering, Cheng Ying couldn't discern any specific characteristics. Of course, the water soaking the honeysuckle certainly aided in reducing inflammation, and washing her hands with the space water prevented calluses—perhaps that counted as an advantage.

Cheng Ying played with the fish in the space, then grabbed a broom and began gathering the honeysuckle, which was growing increasingly abundant.

Near a patch of small ginseng seedlings, she began examining them. Cheng Ying carefully dug up those with only one leaf, placing them side-by-side in a broken basin. She specifically checked the ginseng buried in the dirt; they were truly unimpressive.

Looking closely at the ginseng in her own space, even those with several leaves, she realized they had only grown leaves and no roots. She wondered how these seedlings developed; it really didn't conform to standard growth logic. If the rule was one leaf per year, most of her ginseng would be six years old or more. Cheng Ying deliberately dug up one ginseng plant that was currently flowering. She had heard that ginseng only flowers and seeds after it has four leaves, meaning this seedling was about four years old.

When she pulled it out, it was still tiny, not even as thick as a little finger. Cheng Ying glanced scornfully at the soil. "Not much nutrition here. Should I bring in some manure to fertilize it later?"

As soon as she said this, she felt the space tremor.

Was there an earthquake outside? She spun around and rushed out. Fortunately, the heavens and earth were still distinct. Cheng Ying patted her chest—phew, that was close.

Giving it no further thought, Cheng Ying took a sharp stick and began poking holes in the ground outside.

Then, one small ginseng seedling after another, she began planting them all over the field.

Cheng Ying once again appreciated the convenience of having the space; at least she didn't have to carry water back and forth. It was incredibly convenient.

Moreover, the survival rate was remarkably high. Hadn't the small saplings she planted thrived over the past two months, becoming tall, elegant, and graceful? Cheng Ying understood that the biggest advantage of her space was its ability to make living things more beautiful, whether fish or trees.

What annoyed Cheng Ying the most now was weeding. Because of the frequent watering, not only were the trees swaying gracefully, but the wild grass was also growing furiously. Good heavens, had anyone ever seen wild grass produce flowers the size of a fist? That was utterly unscientific! To keep her valley from attracting unwanted attention, Cheng Ying had to eliminate a bit of this grass every day.

She desperately missed the days when she had herbicide. They were raising trees, not food crops; what harm would herbicide do? Unfortunately, even if Cheng Ying wanted to use it, it wasn't available now.

She apologized internally and knelt on the ground, slowly pulling the weeds out with her bare hands.

Cheng Ying deliberately moved some promising-looking wild grasses into the space, not to let them run rampant, but to cultivate them. She found a few roof tiles and pieced together a flowerpot, treating the weeds like ornamental flowers in the space. They looked far better than common radish or cabbage flowers.

Cheng Ying mused that these could beautify the environment, and if cultivated for a while, they would become valuable specimens—ones nobody else had authenticated. How sophisticated was that? After transplanting a small pot of ginseng seedlings, her back ached so badly she couldn't stand up straight. Her hair, which was growing out, was plastered to her scalp with sweat.

Laboring people were the hardest workers! Cheng Ying gasped deeply toward the sky. "Damn it, sooner or later, even when I'm counting money, I won't be as tired as this, but my hard work won't have been in vain."

Then she picked up Er Ya, who was at her feet, and entered the space. Covered in sweat, she needed a bath.

Cheng Ying spent the entire week like this. When she finally had a moment to catch her breath, half of the valley was planted with ginseng seedlings.

The most pressing task now was waiting for them to grow, and also ensuring the security of this mountain gully. Fortunately, this area was sparsely populated; everyone was local, and few people bothered climbing the mountain. Cheng Ying figured she wouldn't need to guard it closely for the next couple of years. But in a few years, when these things grew up, that might not hold true.

She decided to worry about the future when the future arrived. Despite transplanting so many, if even a third survived, Cheng Ying would be ecstatic. This stuff was precious. Even space water wasn't a guarantee. Cheng Ying looked back; a few of the plants set out a few days prior had already withered. Several were even trampled by Er Ya.

Cheng Ying grabbed Er Ya. "You wasteful thing, how can you step on this stuff?" She scolded Er Ya for over half an hour, but the effect was minimal. As soon as Er Ya cheered up, she was back to forgetting everything and scattering her energy everywhere as she pleased.

On Sunday, Chi Yong returned with his wife and child, but this time it was Yang Zhi bringing her husband and child back, because Chi Yong was exhausted. Cheng Ying looked at her stepfather and thought, this frail body wouldn't last. It was harvest season in the village, and more than half of their grain hadn't been brought in yet. Why did he have to fall ill at such an inconvenient time?

Yang Zhi quickly offered, "Mom, it's fine. I’ll harvest the fields; it won't delay us."

The old lady said sternly, "What are you talking about? Let him rest well. The grain can always be brought in later. Tell me exactly what happened."

Yang Zhi’s face flushed crimson, and she stammered, "He's just... sick."

The old lady’s face darkened.

Yang Zhi immediately confessed, "When we came back last time, he overexerted himself working. When Chi Yong got back, he felt weakness in his lower back. After taking some medicine, it seemed okay. But my father-in-law said lower back issues are serious ailments; if it doesn't hurt, it doesn't mean it’s gone. He told us to find a traditional Chinese doctor. Coincidentally, Wu Zi was going to the city last Saturday, so Chi Yong went along and had an old doctor examine him. The doctor said Chi Yong’s condition was caused by years of overwork and requires careful recuperation, and... and... if it's not properly managed, it might not be reversible."

The old lady felt instantly distressed. "Not reversible? How could that be? Is his life in danger?"

Yang Zhi’s face turned bright red. "Chi Yong caught a chill. If it’s not managed well, having children will become difficult."

The old lady’s expression turned gloomy. She could easily imagine it; in this cold weather, Chi Yong and Chi Wu had spent two years in a sheep shed. How could two young men not end up sick?

The old lady glanced up at Yang Zhi, then immediately dropped her gaze. "Are there any other effects?"

Cheng Ying pretended not to understand. Her grandmother was clearly asking if the issue affected her biological mother's conjugal life. Too bad her own mother was genuinely too dense to catch the implication. "As long as he recovers properly, everything will be fine. Mom, the doctor didn't say his life was in danger."

Cheng Ying let her eyes glaze over, trying to make them believe she was spacing out, otherwise, she might burst out laughing at her own mother’s obliviousness to the old lady’s real concern. Grandma looked at her daughter-in-law, but couldn't bring herself to ask directly. If it were her own son, she might ask, but how could she ask now? What a pity the daughter-in-law was obtuse and couldn't grasp her meaning. She had to suppress it. "Alright, let him rest well. Whatever happens, don't let illness linger—that's the main thing. The fields, the four of us can manage to harvest it. I never expected Yongzi to do much work anyway; otherwise, why would we only have this small plot of land? Did you bring back the medicine? He must take it diligently."

Yang Zhi replied, "I brought it back. The doctor prescribed some Chinese herbs to take for a month to see how it goes."

The old lady said, "Is the money enough? Don't worry about costs for this matter. If he gets better, any amount of money can be earned back."