Lin Qing pulled the girl—barely taller than his shoulder—into his arms with all his might, as if trying to merge her into his very being.
Tears blurred the vision of both. It wasn’t until Qiao Xin felt breathless that she tapped him gently, signaling him to let go.
A reunion across time and space. Words were entirely insufficient to express what they felt in that moment. There was too much to say, and no idea where to begin.
Once the intensity of the moment settled, Qiao Xin recounted what had happened since Lin Qing left. Hearing how she had navigated everything alone—only to end up kidnapped—Lin Qing’s heart rose and fell with every detail. Heartbroken, he pulled her into another tight embrace.
Lin Qing gave a brief account of his own situation. When Qiao Xin learned that it was her own calling that had awakened him, she felt a sense of wonder and profound gratitude to the heavens for granting them this chance to reunite.
“A-Qing, I’m now in a body called Qiao Sanya,” Qiao Xin said, sitting upright to face him. “She’s only eleven, her parents are gone, and her family treats her like dirt. Staying together is going to be difficult.”
Lin Qing looked at her frail form, which seemed ready to collapse in a stiff breeze. “I know that family. They’re notorious in the village for being bullies. But dealing with them won’t be hard. I’ll find a way to get you away from them quickly so you can recover. But tell me—what is this space you mentioned? Can we still put things into it? I’ve bought a lot of grain.”
Qiao Xin smiled and took his hand, whispering the command to enter. In a flash, they stood inside the space. Lin Qing felt a momentary wave of vertigo, but Qiao Xin handed him a cup of the stream water. As he drank, he felt a sudden lightness wash over him; the nagging cold he’d been battling for days seemed to evaporate.
“Xinxin, this water is incredible,” Lin Qing exclaimed, his voice filled with wonder. “My body feels so light now.”
Qiao Xin nodded smugly. “That’s the magic of this place. And that’s just the beginning—we have plenty more to discover together.”
She gave him a tour of the space, then set up a table and chairs on the open ground in front of the cabin. She brought out a feast: braised pork ribs, steamed sea bass, stir-fried pork, dry-pot potato slices, and a massive pot of ginseng black-chicken soup. They both needed to rebuild their strength.
Looking at the familiar dishes, Lin Qing felt his mouth water. He picked up his chopsticks and began to eat. Qiao Xin served them each a bowl of soup, insisting he finish it before digging into the rest. They clinked their bowls together, smiling like two mischievous kittens—endearingly cute.
They didn’t overeat; Qiao Xin stored the leftovers in the pantry to keep them fresh. Their systems were still weak from the ordeal, and they were too overstimulated to gorge themselves, but for now, they needed to stick to easy, nourishing meals.
Lin Qing looked out at the vast stretch of black earth. “I’ll handle the farming here. You just wait to eat. Get your strength back as fast as you can. You’re still young—the crops grown here will speed up your recovery, so I’m going to start planting now.”
Seeing his eagerness, Qiao Xin stopped him. “No rush on that. Let’s head out first and handle the situation with this body. Plus, there’s the natural disaster to consider. According to Sanya’s memories, the village is about to start its migration. We need to prepare.”
“That’s exactly why we should plant the crops,” Lin Qing countered. “Eating the food from here will get your body in shape. If we’re really going to flee, we need to be in the best health possible.”
That made sense. Qiao Xin stopped protesting. She pulled out the small rotary cultivator, a seed planter, various tools, and bags of seeds, lining them up at the edge of the field. “You’re right. Let’s get to work. Time in here passes several times faster than outside, so we have plenty of time.”
The black soil was rich and free of weeds. Lin Qing studied the manual for the rotary cultivator and, after a few practice runs, grasped the technique. He had to keep a steady grip and control the direction—it was physically demanding, but simple enough to operate.
In less than an hour, all eight acres were tilled. The remaining two acres were already occupied by the fruit saplings, which had grown significantly and looked lush. Since she hadn’t spaced them out perfectly, there was plenty of empty ground between the trees—perfect for sowing green vegetable seeds later.
Lin Qing wiped his brow, rubbed his aching arms, and moved on to the planter. It was easy to master once he adjusted the settings for the different seeds. He loaded it with wheat first; they both loved flour-based foods, and a steady supply of wheat was non-negotiable.
Qiao Xin tried to help, but Lin Qing pushed her gently back into her chair. “You just sit there and watch me work. You don’t need to lift a finger.”
Lin Qing was genuinely worried about her health; she was alarmingly thin. If he couldn’t quickly untangle her from that family’s clutches, he decided he would secretly take her to the medical clinic in town tomorrow to get some medicine to nourish her body. He couldn’t risk any lasting damage, and paired with proper nutrition, he hoped for a swift recovery.
Qiao Xin beamed with happiness. Even though she looked truly bedraggled, it didn’t change how Lin Qing saw her—through the eyes of a lover, everything about her was beautiful. The adoration in his eyes was practically overflowing.
After settling Qiao Xin, Lin Qing checked the seed stock. He decided to plant two acres of wheat, two of rice, one of corn, one of sweet potatoes and potatoes, half an acre of beans, half for a nursery, and the final acre for a variety of vegetables and melons. The greens, as Qiao Xin suggested, would be scattered in the spaces between the fruit saplings.
Lin Qing labored in the fields, drenched in sweat, while Qiao Xin sat back with a glass of milk and a bag of chips, blissfully watching him work. Aside from the nursery preparation, the planter made the work go quickly.
Seeing him finish the crops that didn’t need nursery beds, Qiao Xin focused her intent. The stream water sprayed out like a sprinkler over the newly sown fields, dampening the earth so the crops could sprout quickly.
Potatoes and sweet potatoes needed special preparation to save seeds and ensure faster growth. Lin Qing used a hoe to etch shallow trenches, then carefully laid out the sweet potatoes and potatoes.
Qiao Xin dutifully sprayed water over them. They didn’t need soil coverage yet; they would sprout as they were. The potatoes would be cut before final planting, and the sweet potatoes would be covered with a thin layer of soil once they sprouted, then transplanted once the seedlings emerged.
The rice was more troublesome. To save time, Qiao Xin had him scatter the seeds directly into the field. She would divert the stream water, and once the seedlings appeared, they would transplant them together.
After finishing, Lin Qing rested for a bit before organizing the vegetable patches. He grouped the trellis-dependent plants together, kept the vines together, and categorized the low-growing ones, leaving empty space for things like peppers that required nursery care. Once everything was mapped out, they sowed the seeds and covered them with soil, with Qiao Xin following behind to water them.
The environment in the space was perfect for all growth. There was no need for plastic mulch; after watering, they could simply let them grow—it was carefree and highly efficient.
The two spent six or seven hours in the space, taking a break for a meal. This time, Qiao Xin served millet porridge, a few light side dishes, roujiamo (meat burgers), and egg pancakes. They were so stuffed they could barely move.
After resting, Lin Qing suggested they should head out. Qiao Xin pulled him into the house, acting mysterious. She first showed him the bathroom she’d renovated, and after receiving his unstinting praise, she looked like her tail was about to wag with pride.
Then, she led him into the first room. Because he’d been so busy since arriving in the space, he hadn’t had a chance to explore. As they stepped inside, they both felt the space shiver, just for a second.
They exchanged glances. Qiao Xin shook her head—she had no idea what that was. She used her spiritual sense to sweep across the entire domain. The animals on the hill were lounging—eating grass, sleeping, or playing. The fish in the pond swam happily, and the mischievous blue shrimp jumped about. In the center of the pond, the lotus root sections she’d dropped in were already sending up lily pads, each topped with a glistening dewdrop.
The seeds in the fields, though just planted, seemed to be fighting to break through the soil.
It was the first time Qiao Xin had scanned the space in this way. It felt miraculous. Every object, every living thing was within her grasp; not even a speck of dust could hide from her. With a single thought, she held the power of life and death over it all.
Qiao Xin opened her eyes. “There’s nothing unusual. We can feel every corner of this place. The sensation is incredible—like being able to control everything.”
“Do you feel any discomfort?” Lin Qing asked, still worried. “Don’t hide it from me, you must tell me.”
“No, I feel great. My body doesn’t feel a hint of discomfort here; in fact, I feel lighter than I ever have.”
“Good,” Lin Qing sighed with relief. “I feel it too. All the fatigue from working just now has completely vanished.”