The moment she focused her mind, she felt a slight wave of dizziness, and then the scene before her eyes changed completely.
There was neither sky nor earth here—only a boundless expanse of white on all sides.
Directly in front of her lay an open plot of land about one mu in size.
Right in the center of the clearing was a small pool of water. It was only the size of a washbasin, yet the water inside was crystal clear, bubbling with tiny ripples.
Zhou Xing'er rejoiced inwardly. Her Space had transmigrated along with her!
In her previous life, she had discovered that her soul was bound to a Space. It wasn't an all-powerful Golden Finger like those in novels; it was simply a large plot of open ground where she could store things, along with a small spring eye.
Though this spring was small, its water was inexhaustible.
She quickly walked over to the small pool, crouched down, and cupped a handful of water in her hands.
The water was delightfully cool, feeling wonderfully soothing against her palms. Bringing it to her lips, she took a gentle sip.
The moment the water entered her mouth, a sweet, refreshing taste spread across her palate, flowing down her throat and straight into her stomach. Immediately after, a warm current of energy dispersed from her abdomen, coursing through every limb and bone in her body.
Zhou Xing'er felt the aches and soreness all over her body vanish in an instant. Her lower back no longer ached, her legs no longer hurt, and even the red marks left by Fu Yusheng the previous night seemed far less uncomfortable.
She felt thoroughly revitalized, as if she had just woken from a long, satisfying sleep, filled with boundless energy.
With a thought, Zhou Xing'er returned to her small room.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, she began to calculate her plans.
It was now the early 1990s, and every household in the village had land. However, because farming techniques at this time were poor and fertilizers were inadequate, crop and vegetable yields were very low, earning them barely anything throughout the entire year.
If she could use this Spirit Spring Water to irrigate her family's fields, their vegetables would surely grow fast and well. When the time came, she could take these high-quality vegetables to town to sell, earning their family’s first bucket of gold. Once they had money, she could take her family to the city to do business and break free from poverty once and for all.
At this thought, Zhou Xing'er couldn't wait another second. She stood up, tidied her clothes, pushed open the door, and walked out.
She first drew some water to wash her face and hands clean. Then, she stepped into the kitchen.
Inside the kitchen, her eldest sister-in-law, Li Xiulan, was bustling before the stove. Steam rose from the pot, releasing a faint aroma of rice porridge. On the wooden table beside the stove stood a large aluminum kettle, which the Zhou family normally used for drinking boiled water.
Zhou Xing'er walked over.
Hearing the footsteps, Li Xiulan turned around and smiled. "Xing'er, finished washing up? The porridge will be ready soon. Go sit and rest for a bit."
Zhou Xing'er smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, I'm not tired. I just felt a little thirsty and wanted some water."
"Oh, there's boiled water in the kettle that's already cooled down. Help yourself." Li Xiulan pointed toward the aluminum kettle.
Zhou Xing'er stepped forward and took off the kettle’s lid. Shielding it with her body, she concentrated her thoughts and connected to the spring in her Space.
She silently chanted in her mind, Replace the water in the kettle with Spirit Spring Water.
Instantly, the ordinary cooled boiled water inside the kettle was swapped for clear Spirit Spring Water.
Feigning composure, Zhou Xing'er poured herself a bowl of water. Raising the bowl, she drank it down in large gulps.
The moment the liquid hit her tongue, a pure, sweet flavor blossomed in her mouth. Even though she had already drunk some inside the Space, having it again was just as immensely refreshing. After finishing the bowl of water, Zhou Xing'er felt her mind clear up even more.
Setting down the bowl, she said to Li Xiulan, "Sister-in-law, I'm going to check on the vegetable plot out back in a bit to see how our crops are doing."
Li Xiulan looked at her in surprise. "The vegetable plot? Xing'er, you've always hated getting dirty. How come you suddenly want to go there today?"
The original owner had always been delicate and finicky, dreading the bugs and mud in the fields, and had never been willing to take a single step into them.
Zhou Xing'er gave an embarrassed smile, took Li Xiulan's hand, and coaxed her, "Sister-in-law, I was thoughtless before and always left all the chores to you all. I’ve realized my mistake now. I'm not a kid anymore; I should help out around the house. I'm just going to have a look, it won't hurt."
Hearing her say this, Li Xiulan held Zhou Xing'er's hand and remarked, "Our Xing'er really has grown up and become sensible. Alright, go have a look if you want, but don't tire yourself out. If the sun gets too harsh, come right back inside."
"I know, Sister-in-law."
Zhou Xing'er stepped out of the kitchen, crossed the courtyard, and arrived at the vegetable plot behind the Zhou family’s house.
The plot was not very large, planted with some Chinese cabbage, radishes, and a few tomato vines.
Because of the recent hot weather and the lack of rain for several days, the soil was cracked, and the vegetable leaves hung limp and wilted, looking utterly lifeless.
Zhou Xing'er walked to the middle of the plot and crouched down. She glanced around to make sure no villagers were passing by, then gently placed both hands on the dirt.
She silently instructed in her mind, Sprinkle Spirit Spring Water over these vegetables—not too much, just a little bit.
With a shift of her will, the Spirit Spring Water from the Space turned into an invisible drizzle, falling silently upon the vegetable plot.
Zhou Xing'er could sense that the moment the Spirit Spring Water touched the soil and leaves, it seeped right in. The limp cabbage leaves seemed to quiver faintly in that instant, their color turning noticeably greener than before.
She didn't dare sprinkle too much at once, fearing the vegetables would grow too extravagantly and arouse suspicion. As long as she applied a little every day, making their vegetables grow better and faster than everyone else's would be enough.
Having finished this, Zhou Xing'er patted the dirt from her hands, stood up, and happily headed back inside.
Just as she entered the courtyard, she saw her eldest brother and second brother walking in from outside. The two grown men were dripping with sweat, their undershirts drenched and clinging to their backs.
"Whew, it’s scorchingly hot today, I'm dying of thirst." Zhou Erzhu wiped the sweat from his face with the dirty towel draped around his neck as he strode toward the kitchen.
Zhou Dazhu followed behind him, panting heavily.
Zhou Xing'er quickly stepped forward to greet them, smiling. "Eldest Brother, Second Brother, you're back! Are you tired? Hurry and have some water to rest."
Seeing Zhou Xing'er, Zhou Erzhu grinned widely. "Little Sister, why are you so caring today? We're not tired. As long as you're doing well, your brother has all the energy in the world to work."
With that, Zhou Erzhu walked into the kitchen, picked up the aluminum kettle from the table, put it to his mouth, and took a huge gulp.
The moment the water entered his mouth, Zhou Erzhu froze completely.
He blinked, pulled the kettle away, stared at it, and then looked toward his eldest brother, Zhou Dazhu, beside him.
Seeing his foolish expression, Zhou Dazhu frowned and asked, "Erzhu, what are you doing? Acting crazy over a drink of water?"
Zhou Erzhu smacked his lips, shouting in disbelief, "Eldest Brother, hurry and taste this water! Something's not right with it!"