Liu Qingyan personally taught Qingyi and Qingyou how to make dumplings, but the ones the two children made were really hard to look at—lumpy and droopy, like wilted dead mice. The uglier they looked, the more ridiculous they seemed.
Qingyi said dejectedly, “Sis, why are the dumplings you make so pretty? Why can’t I do it? My hands are just too clumsy.”
Qingyou also muttered, “Sister, I can’t make them well either. Can these even be eaten? What are we going to do?”
Liu Qingyan gently comforted them, “It’s okay. When I first made dumplings, I didn’t do as well as you two. If you make them a few more times, you’ll naturally get better.”
Qingyi asked in confusion, “Sis, didn’t you say it was your first time making dumplings? When did you ever make them before? How do you know so much? Mom never mentioned any of this.”
Liu Qingyan was startled and quickly thought of a response. An idea flashed in her mind.
“There’s something I’m only telling you two. You absolutely must not tell anyone else, understand? If outsiders find out, my life could be in danger.”
The two boys immediately nodded nervously.
Liu Qingyan slowly said, “Before, when I was at the old house, Old Madam Liu pushed me down and I hit my head on a rock. Just when I was about to be taken by people from the underworld, I was saved by a deity.
He said my lifespan wasn’t over yet, and he taught me many things. I felt like I stayed with the immortal for a very long time, so now I know a lot of things.”
“Ah? Sis, you really met a god? What did the god look like?”
Qingyou’s eyes widened with envy as she asked.
Qingyi quickly reminded her, “Keep your voice down! This is serious. Don’t let others hear it.”
Qingyou immediately covered her mouth.
And just like that, they were successfully fooled. From then on, when Liu Qingyan occasionally revealed unfamiliar skills or knowledge, she wouldn’t have to worry about being exposed.
The three siblings worked for quite a while before the dumplings were finally cooked.
Liu Qingyan served a large bowl and asked Qingyi to deliver it to Uncle Wang’s house.
When Aunt Wang saw Qingyi bring the dumplings, she kept refusing, “You children are already struggling to get by. How could I take your food?”
Qingyi sincerely said, “Aunt Wang, if you don’t accept them, my sister will scold me when I go back. This is something my sister came up with—please just let your family try it.”
Unable to refuse further, Aunt Wang accepted them and poured the dumplings out, returning the empty bowl.
Qingyi grabbed the bowl and quickly ran home, still thinking about eating dumplings.
His family was waiting for him to eat together.
The two boys ate a few bites and immediately praised them endlessly: “Sis, these are so good! Made with pure white flour, and there are pork cracklings inside—it’s so fragrant!”
The children ate until their bellies were round, faces full of satisfaction.
At Uncle Wang’s home, everyone also praised the dumplings nonstop.
Uncle Wang and Aunt Wang each only ate one, saving the rest for Xiaoyu and Tieniu. The two children were sensible and kept putting dumplings back into their parents’ bowls.
As night fell, soft moonlight poured through the window into the room. The three siblings wrapped themselves in soft, warm new quilts, smiling contentedly as they fell into a deeply peaceful sleep.
Liu Qingyan waited until the two children were asleep, then quietly got up and entered her space again.
As soon as she entered, her gaze was drawn to the farmland. The one mu of land she had planted yesterday had already sprouted tender green shoots—its growth speed was astonishing.
That field didn’t need much care for now. After a short rest, she energetically started working on the next plot.
With a sickle in hand, she skillfully cleared the weeds and prepared the land. Soon, another mu of land was neatly cleaned.
Looking at the leveled ground, she thought to herself: her money was running low, so buying seeds would have to wait. She would decide after earning income from selling bean sprouts.
Having such a magical space but not being able to fully use it made her anxious.
The next morning, sunlight filled the small courtyard. Xiaoyu and Tieniu came as usual.
As soon as Xiaoyu saw Liu Qingyan, her eyes lit up. “Qingyan, your dumplings were amazing! Thin skin, generous filling, and so delicious! How are you so good at this?”
Liu Qingyan smiled gently. “I’m glad you liked them. Is Aunt Wang home? Does she have time?”
“My mom is home and free. What do you need?”
“I bought some fabric and want to make clothes for the three of us, but I’m really bad at sewing. I was hoping Aunt Wang could help me.”
“Oh, then come with me! My mom will definitely help,” Xiaoyu said enthusiastically, pulling Liu Qingyan along.
When Aunt Wang saw them, she immediately stood up to greet them with a smile. “Qingyan, you’re here. Come sit.”
After exchanging greetings, Liu Qingyan said, “Aunt Wang, I bought some fabric and want to ask you to help make three sets of clothes for us.
Old Madam Liu used to make us do chores all the time and never let us learn sewing, so my skills are really not good.”
“No problem, it’s just a small thing. Why are you being so polite? Bring the fabric over, I’ll make them for you.”
“Thank you, Aunt Wang. It’s not urgent—we already have new clothes. Please make them when you have time.”
After saying that, Liu Qingyan quickly went home, brought the fabric, and delivered it over.
Afterward, she locked the door at home and took the children up the mountain.
The children ran through the forest like joyful little deer.
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Liu Qingyan walked deeper into the mountains alone.
Along the way, she found several patches of fresh mushrooms and dug up some tender wild vegetables.
Whenever she saw small, suitably sized stones, she picked them up and tucked them into her pocket—they were all treasures in her eyes.
Suddenly, a gray figure flashed past.
Liu Qingyan reacted quickly, grabbing two stones and shooting them out with force before rushing forward.
A grayish-white fluffy rabbit lay on the ground.
She picked it up happily. It was plump, and upon closer inspection, its belly was swollen—it seemed to be pregnant.
She checked its breathing and found it was still alive, only knocked unconscious.
She couldn’t help but sigh that her body was still too weak. Her aim was good, but her strength wasn’t enough.
Then she had an idea—if she raised the rabbit in her space, it would reproduce quickly.
So she entered the space with a thought and asked, “Xiaoxin, I want to raise rabbits in the space. Is that possible? But how can I make sure they don’t eat my crops?”
“Master, you can use your mind to limit its activity range. However, if you want to raise animals in the space, you will need to provide benefits to the space as well.”