What Lin Po said was true; Xiping Village did indeed have an ancient temple. It was located on the highest mountain in the local area, though it had fallen into a state of severe disrepair due to a lack of maintenance. It was only recently that the government had proposed a renovation plan in hopes of developing some local tourist attractions.
Lin Po had gone up there to play as a child. The temple probably hadn’t seen much incense or many worshippers in the past, so neither the architecture nor the artifacts were particularly remarkable, but its history was genuinely ancient. His excuse was solid; even someone as observant as Yun Zhuan wouldn’t suspect anything.
Seeing that message, Yun Zhuan finally felt his restless heart settle. He replied: “When?”
Lin Po: “I’ll pick you up on Friday. I remember you don’t have classes on Friday afternoons. You can stay at my place for the weekend and head back next Monday.”
Seeing that Lin Po even remembered his class schedule made Yun Zhuan feel a wave of warmth. Meanwhile, Lin Po was thinking that once they left, he might never let Yun Zhuan leave his side again.
Lin Po knew all about Yun Zhuan’s family history from his previous life. His parents had divorced when he was young, and neither had wanted the child. Yun Zhuan had grown up with his grandparents, while his parents went off to find work in other cities and were never heard from again.
When Lin Po first learned about Yun Zhuan’s background, he had felt a deep sense of heartache. Despite being raised by grandparents and nearly forgetting what his parents looked like, Yun Zhuan had grown into an exceptional individual.
Yun Zhuan’s grandparents were elderly and had both passed away two years ago due to failing health. Since then, he had no relatives left and rarely went back to his own hometown. Lin Po knew this because Yun Zhuan never went home for the Lunar New Year; he stayed at school to work part-time instead. Lin Po had invited him to spend the holidays with his family before, but Yun Zhuan had politely declined. Lin Po didn’t push it; he understood that for someone like Yun Zhuan, spending the holidays with a happy, complete family might actually be more painful.
However, the current situation made things much easier for Lin Po. Bringing only Yun Zhuan back to the countryside required just one simple excuse. If there had been other people involved, it would have been nearly impossible to explain away everyone’s presence.
The two chatted for a while, both tacitly avoiding the previous topic of the confession. Their interaction felt no different than usual. For Yun Zhuan, he thoroughly enjoyed the time spent talking to Lin Po. Every word and sentence seemed perfectly aligned with his own thoughts; to be a bit sentimental, it felt like they were soulmates.
Because of his family background, Yun Zhuan didn’t really have any yearning for love or marriage—he even had a slight, unconscious aversion to it. Yet, the time spent with Lin Po was always pleasant.
After ending the chat, Lin Po began organizing the items he had purchased. Aside from what he put into his space, everything else was packed into shipping boxes. Toward the end, he remembered the bag of buns he had put into the space earlier. When he took them out, he found they were stone cold. It seemed the space wasn’t like those in fantasy novels where time stood still; time flowed there as well, though he didn’t yet know the exact rate.
If that was the case, they wouldn’t be able to rely on hoarding processed foods forever. No matter how long the shelf life, it wouldn’t last a lifetime. Eventually, they would have to grow their own food, which made the seeds and the soil in the space even more vital.
In his previous life, Lin Po had a Earth-type ability, and he suspected it would be the same this time. He hadn’t heard of anyone using their abilities to grow crops back then, but he might be able to use his ability as a cover to bring out produce from his space. After all, nobody fully understood how abilities worked in those first few years; there would be no harm in his evolution being a bit “unique.”
Lin Po slowly wrote out his plans on a piece of paper, thinking and supplementing as he went. He considered every possibility and simulated various emergencies until he finally settled on a cover story. Then, he used a lighter to burn the paper in the sink, flushing the ashes away. Everything was back to normal.
By the time Lin Chuansen and Wang Yurong finished setting things up at the old house, it was already dark. They had been busy all day, and Wang Yurong didn’t feel comfortable letting Old Lin drive back on the highway so late. They decided to stay the night; their son was an adult and could handle himself at home.
After talking on the phone, Lin Po added: “Mom, I’ll head to the supermarket tomorrow. Tell Sister Chen to sell off the fruits and vegetables at a discount. We can’t eat that much ourselves anyway.”
With most of the heavy lifting done, Wang Yurong didn’t want to nitpick over the produce money. “Fine, sell them at half price. Then let Xiao Chen go home and rest. Don’t open the shop after that.” If the shop was suddenly missing all that rice, flour, and oil, people would start asking questions. Even if they had a lie ready, it might cause trouble later if neighbors realized something was off.
Lin Po had his own reasons for suggesting this. While he couldn’t warn everyone, a casual remark—like the one he made to the taxi driver—might save a few lives. He wasn’t a saint, but he wasn’t selfish either. He had seen a lot of darkness in his previous life, but he had also received a lot of help. If given the chance, he would pay that kindness forward.
The area around the Lin family supermarket was full of ordinary working-class people who lived frugally. A clearance sale would definitely draw a crowd. If their neighbors had a little more food in their homes, they might last a bit longer when things went south.
By the end of the busy day, most of the work was prepared. He was just waiting for his online orders. Checking the tracking info, he saw that all orders had shipped and should arrive before the comet reached Earth. The delivery addresses were set to the countryside, so he wouldn’t have to wait in Jiang City to collect them.
Lin Po’s cold was completely gone. He had a feeling that his rapid recovery was linked to the produce in his space. After all, the curio shelf was labeled “Panacea.” It was possible the crops in the field grew from those very seeds.
While time wasn’t frozen in the space, it had its own wonders. The environment was unique; fruits and vegetables from both the north and the south grew perfectly fine together. Having everything ripen at the same time was quite miraculous, but it was a benefit for Lin Po—he wouldn’t have to worry about seasons or timing when planting.
As for other functions of the space, he would have to explore them slowly. For now, what it provided was already incredible.
After a good night’s sleep, Lin Po woke up early the next morning. After a quick wash and a simple outfit, he headed to the supermarket with a backpack. The cashier, Sister Chen, had already opened the doors and was cleaning when he arrived.
Sister Chen was a very meticulous person. Under her care, the small supermarket was always tidy and organized. Even when she managed the shop alone, there were never any issues with theft. The Lin family thought highly of her, and Wang Yurong felt comfortable leaving the shop in her hands while she and Old Lin sourced inventory.
Sister Chen recognized Lin Po immediately. Seeing him with a backpack, she paused. “Lin Po? Why aren’t you in school? Is it a holiday?”
Lin Po smiled. “My mom called me this morning. They’re planning to renovate the back of the shop, so we’re clearing out the fruits and vegetables at a discount. Do you want to buy some, Sister Chen?”
“Renovating now? Business is quite good lately. Closing for a day is going to cost a lot of money.”
Lin Po lied smoothly now. “My parents want to upgrade the place. Look at it—it looks more like a corner store than a supermarket. They want to change the layout. It won’t take long. Don’t worry, Sister Chen; go home and rest for a few days. You’ll still be paid, and you can come back once the renovation is done.”
Since Lin Po had addressed her main concern, Sister Chen didn’t pry further. She felt a bit awkward. “How can I take pay for doing nothing? I’ll come and help. Hiring workers is expensive these days.”
Since there was no actual renovation, Lin Po naturally declined. “No need, Sister Chen. Just take a few days off. My parents already hired a crew, and they’ll be done quickly. They’re being paid by the head, so even if you help, we still have to pay them the full amount. You’d just be working for nothing.”
With that, Sister Chen stopped insisting. If the boss had already spent the money, why should she do extra work?
The two of them began moving stock from the warehouse. A new batch had just come in, so there was plenty, and it was all very fresh.
“Lin Po, what’s the discount?” she asked, holding a price tag.
“50% off. Half price. These things won’t keep long, so selling them now minimizes the loss.”
Sister Chen was stunned. After writing the tags, she started picking out items for herself first. You’d be a fool not to buy things this cheap.
She wasn’t the only one who thought so. When the local residents saw the sale, they swarmed the shop. Usually, “special price” produce in supermarkets was wilted or bruised, but these vegetables looked fresh and hydrated. At half price, people bought in bulk, knowing they could store them in their fridges.
Lin Po stood by the electronic scale, weighing items and calling out: “Do you want a few bags of noodles? They’re on sale too. Same for the vermicelli. This sale is only for a few days—it’s a real bargain…”
By the time the crowd dispersed, only a few bruised scraps of produce were left. The instant noodles and other dry goods that his parents hadn’t moved were also mostly gone.
Sister Chen couldn’t help but remark, “The crowd today really gave me a fright. If we had this many people every day, we’d be rich.”
Lin Po just smiled. He had handled the accounts today and knew that while they had moved a lot of stock, they had definitely lost money—though not as much as they would have if the items had simply rotted.