With a clear goal in mind, Su Luowan finally turned her attention to the cleared field.
There was no need to worry about vegetables or grains—the supplies in her space were more than enough.
However, winter here was cold. Unfortunately, there was no coal in the space, so she still needed to gather firewood.
She could plant some trees in the space, but trees grew too slowly; planting them now wouldn’t help in time.
Then there were winter clothes and quilts. From her memory, every winter—even with a heated kang inside the house—people still had to go outside occasionally.
The cotton padding in the family’s jackets had been used for many years, and their warmth was poor.
In fact, this was common at the time. Even if a cotton jacket had become too small or worn, most families would just patch it or expand it slightly rather than using fresh cotton to make a new one.
The quilts were the same. Over years of use, the cotton inside had become moldy and stiff, losing much of its insulating ability.
To make new jackets and quilts, however, they needed cotton.
But she had never grown cotton in her space before and had no idea how to cultivate it.
Thinking of this, Su Luowan decided to ask her mother for guidance tomorrow.
There was still time before winter. If she planted cotton in the space now, it would likely bloom and mature quickly.
She realized that this winter, they could have brand-new jackets and fresh quilts.
The next morning, Su Luowan saw Su Luonian rubbing his eyes as he walked out and asked with a smile:
“Xiao Nian, how was your practice last night?”
Su Luonian’s expression darkened slightly.
“Sister, I still can’t feel the strength you mentioned. Do I not have the talent? Or is that method you taught me fake?”
Su Luowan shook her head, smiling mischievously:
“I produced that strength last night, so it’s definitely not fake!”
“What? Sis, you actually did it?”
Su Luonian exclaimed in disbelief.
“Yes! I felt the force. Don’t believe me? Come see!”
Su Luowan walked straight to the spot where they had thrown stones yesterday.
She picked up a small stone from the ground, channeled the mystical energy she had cultivated the previous night, and tossed it at a wooden board.
There was a sharp smack, and the stone hit the board and quickly bounced off.
“Sis, nothing happened!”
Su Luonian frowned, seeing no apparent change.
“Get closer and look!” Su Luowan laughed.
Su Luonian leaned in and carefully examined the spot where the stone had struck, eyes widening in surprise:
“Sis, that small dent on the board… you made it with the stone just now?”
“Yes! Don’t believe me? Watch closely this time!”
Su Luowan channeled her energy again and struck the board.
As the stone landed, Su Luonian rushed over eagerly to inspect.
A small dent appeared immediately.
“Amazing!” Su Luonian whispered, still in disbelief. Then, looking a little disheartened, he asked:
“Sis, do you think I don’t have talent in this?”
He had practiced for hours last night but felt no progress.
Su Luowan quickly reassured him with a smile:
“Xiao Nian, if you don’t keep practicing, how will you know your talent? I succeeded because I’ve practiced for many days!”
In reality, she had cultivated the mystical energy in just one attempt, but this relied heavily on her familiarity with the method. Her teachers had required daily practice, so she was already well-versed.
Energy cultivation was slow—it required long-term, steady accumulation.
Su Luonian nodded thoughtfully, a spark of hope returning to his eyes.
“Sis, I’ll keep trying today! I won’t believe I can’t do it!”
Su Luowan smiled and nodded:
“Good. You practice; I’ll go help Mom.”
She walked to the kitchen and saw the fire in the stove. Naturally, she added a few more logs.
After tending the fire, she looked up at the busy Lin Yuzhen and asked:
“Mom, do you know how to grow cotton?”
Lin Yuzhen paused at first, then thought for a moment:
“Cotton? I haven’t tried it, but I’ve heard how it’s grown. They say you need to start with seedlings. Why do you ask, Wanwan?”
Su Luowan, rummaging through the stove’s firewood, spotted two roasted sweet potatoes and briefly got distracted.
She refocused when her mother spoke:
“Mom, I want to plant some cotton in the space. Plants grow quickly there. If we plant now, we can harvest plenty before winter!”
Lin Yuzhen’s eyes lit up at the thought of such a magical space. Their jackets and quilts had been reused for over a decade.
After her initial excitement, Lin Yuzhen considered the practicalities:
“Wanwan, we don’t have any cotton seeds. Few people here grow cotton, and I don’t know if the town sells them.”
Su Luowan thought for a moment, then said:
“Mom, I’ll go to the town after lunch and take a look.”
“Do you want me to go with you?” Lin Yuzhen worried about letting her daughter go alone.
The village was an hour’s walk from town, mostly on mountain paths. Riding a cart was less safe than walking. Villagers generally went on foot unless they needed to buy a lot, in which case they’d hire Shi Laobo and his ox cart.
Seeing her mother’s concern, Su Luowan smiled reassuringly:
“Mom, don’t worry. You forgot—I have the space. Also, Xiao Di and I have already practiced the martial method from the space. Tonight, I’ll teach you a few moves too!”
Lin Yuzhen shook her head with a smile:
“I’ve heard early training is good, but I’m too old to follow you two in this.”
“Mom, how will you know unless you try? Even learning a few moves will help you protect yourself!”
Unable to resist her daughter, Lin Yuzhen laughed and agreed:
“Alright. I’ll get your money and tickets. Wanwan, try not to use the space while you’re out, okay?”
Su Luowan nodded, understanding her mother’s concern. She had always been cautious with the space in the modern world, known only to her two teachers.