Chapter 32: Teaching the Villagers How to Crochet

Chapter 32: Chapter 32: Teaching the Villagers How to Crochet

"There is one thing I must make clear," the village chief warned in a deep voice. "The lucrative opportunities and the craft were both brought to us by the Goddess. First and foremost, we must be grateful for her benevolence. Furthermore, everyone is currently eating the communal meals she has bestowed upon us. Therefore, any money earned in the Immortal Realm must be entirely at her disposal. No matter what she chooses to buy, no one is allowed to utter a single word of complaint!"

"Rest assured, Village Chief!" an excited villager responded. "We will definitely obey the Goddess’s decrees!"

The crowd murmured in agreement.

The village chief nodded in satisfaction. "Our Taoyuan Village is suffering from a catastrophic blizzard, and it’s solely thanks to the Goddess that we have a chance to survive. In the face of such a disaster, wealth is merely a worldly possession. Only food and the supplies needed to withstand the snowstorm are truly precious. The Goddess possesses immense Divine Skills and can travel to the Immortal Realm. Only under her guidance can we live through this."

Tian Ergou chimed in, "Don’t worry, Village Chief! Everyone is more than happy to let the Goddess manage the money we earn!"

"Yes, we are all willing!"

"Just surviving this is already a profound blessing from the Goddess!"

Not a single person showed any sign of dissatisfaction.

Yun Zhen realized that the village chief had thought things through very thoroughly. His words effectively pre-empted any potential conflicts. She raised her voice and declared, "I will not let you down! As long as I am your Goddess, I will find a way to lead you all safely through this bitter cold!"

"Goddess, we believe in you!"

"That is the only matter for today," the village chief said. "Those who are going to learn the craft from the Goddess, stay here. Everyone else, go home and get some sleep."

The villagers dispersed to their respective homes. Along the way, their lively chatter mostly revolved around the jobs in the Immortal Realm, breathing a vibrant sense of life into the snowy night.

Yun Zhen looked at the people who had stayed behind. Compared to before, the villagers were now incredibly respectful in her presence. "Come on in," she said.

The group entered the room and closed the door behind them. Yun Xiu had lit a fire inside, making it much warmer than the freezing outdoors.

Yun Zhen took out the Lazy Sheep she had crocheted. "This is a crochet doll. Pass it around and take a look. It’s not difficult to make."

The ten villagers carefully passed it around, examining it closely.

"Oh my! It’s actually a sheep-headed monster."

"The color of this thick yarn is so beautiful. It’s so clean, without a single impurity."

Tian Ergou chuckled. "This little monster doesn’t have any demonic aura at all."

Li Cuilan shook her head in awe. "Without a single scrap of fabric, they can weave such a delicate thing entirely out of thick yarn. The immortals in the Immortal Realm are truly wise."

"Of course the immortals are wise!" Zhou Dashan agreed, savoring the lingering sweet taste in his mouth. "Otherwise, how could they grow crops like sweet potatoes that are so filling and delicious you could swallow your own tongue? That roasted sweet potato this afternoon smelled and tasted so incredibly good it completely blew my mind!"

Before the blizzard, the people of Taoyuan Village ate two meals a day: one between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., and the other between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. After the disaster struck, they would go a day or two without food, only eating a little of their meager reserves when they were so starved they could barely crawl. But now, a Goddess had emerged in their village. Not only did she provide them with white rice porridge and tender vegetable leaves, but she had also brought sweet potatoes from the Immortal Realm.

While boiling the porridge between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., the village chief had roasted the sweet potatoes and distributed one to each villager. Peeling back the skin and taking bite after bite, the taste was unbelievably sweet, accompanied by the fresh aroma of grains. The most amazing part was how filling it was; their stomachs were completely satisfied. They were truly content after eating such a full meal today.

The village chief’s eyes crinkled into happy smiles. "Yes, Goddess! The sweet potatoes you brought from the Immortal Realm are incredibly filling!"

"Indeed! I ate one and was so full I almost couldn’t finish my rice porridge," Li Cuilan said, patting her rounded belly.

Yun Zhen smiled. It seemed the vendor who sold her the sweet potatoes hadn’t lied.

"Zhen Niang, I warmed this in the fire for you. Careful, it’s hot," Yun Old Lady said, handing her a sweet potato on a porcelain plate.

Li Cuilan glanced at it and asked with a smile, "This plate glows. Did the Goddess bring this from the Immortal Realm too?"

Yun Old Lady nodded. The group fixed their eyes on the plate, full of curiosity.

Daya reminded her, "Goddess, roasted sweet potatoes taste best when you peel off the outer skin. I was so starved earlier that I ate it whole, embers and all. It was both sweet and bitter. My sister told me it’s much better peeled."

Yun Zhen peeled back the skin, revealing the golden flesh. A unique, mouth-watering aroma instantly filled the room. "It smells delicious."

She took a bite. The flavor exploded in her mouth—sweet and slightly chewy, similar to corn. After finishing it, a warm sense of fullness settled in her stomach. "It’s so good!" she exclaimed. "Once the blizzard is over, I’ll buy some seeds to plant in the fields. That way, we’ll never have a shortage of sweet potatoes."

At the mention of planting sweet potatoes, everyone’s eyes lit up brightly. Farming was wonderful! If such an excellent crop could take root in their village, they wouldn’t have to eat millet and coarse dough lumps for every meal anymore!

After they finished inspecting the crochet doll, Li Cuilan was the first to speak up. "Goddess, we’ve looked at it. I think I understand how this crochet doll is made."

Yun Zhen handed them the reference diagrams she had used to make the Lazy Sheep. "Good. Review the steps on this paper as well. I’ll go get the thick yarn for you."

The villagers began passing the patterns around.

"How can the immortals of the Immortal Realm be so clever? To weave such an adorable little monster using nothing but thick yarn and a crochet hook... Even this paper is incredibly smooth. Truly a treasure from the Immortal Realm." The items from the Immortal Realm exceeded their wildest imaginations.

After finishing her roasted sweet potato, Yun Zhen brought over the entirely new material packs she had bought, along with the leftover yarn and crochet hooks from her Lazy Sheep project, allowing them to try their hands at it. She guided them through the crocheting process.

The ten or so people shared the tools, taking turns one by one, and mastered the basics in no time. Together, they managed to make five dolls, while Yun Zhen made one.

Tian Ergou sighed in admiration. "This craft is even simpler than embroidery. Why didn’t anyone think of such a brilliant idea before?"

"Could a mere mortal like you invent a craft from the Immortal Realm?" Zhou Dashan retorted. "Besides, even if you did think of it, we don’t have thick yarn in such bright colors. You wouldn’t even be able to solve the problem of the crochet hook."

Tian Ergou nodded. "You have a point." This was, after all, a craft from the Immortal Realm.

They asked Yun Zhen, "Goddess, can these things really sell for sixty cents each?"

The six Lazy Sheep stood in a row, looking delicate yet... monotonous.

Yun Zhen wasn’t discouraged. "We’ll find out if they can sell once we try. Tomorrow, I’ll go to the Immortal Realm to collect some fresh patterns. Then we can make different styles." She paused and added, "It’s getting late. Everyone, go back and get some sleep."

After the others left, she began organizing the supplies she had brought back. One hundred pounds of rice! Six pounds of pork leaf fat! Each item was more precious than the last!

Yun Xiu and the village chief were so shocked they couldn’t even close their mouths.

"This is too extravagant!" the village chief said, his lips trembling. Even though the Goddess had mentioned beforehand that coarse grains were more expensive than refined ones in the Immortal Realm, he was still completely overwhelmed.

"Village Chief, our days will only get better and better!" Yun Zhen assured him.

Yun Xiu said happily, "Brother Li, we’ll render the pork fat into lard tomorrow. From now on, when we boil porridge for everyone, we can add a couple of extra spoonfuls of lard."

The village chief wiped away his tears. "All of this is thanks to the Goddess!"

"Dad, Village Chief, I’ll leave the food in your care," Yun Zhen said.

The village chief nodded emphatically. "Rest assured, Goddess. We absolutely will not waste a single grain!"

After the village chief left, Yun Zhen sat with her family for a while before returning to her dorm.

The next day, she followed her usual routine of eating breakfast and attending classes, then grabbed two mesh bags and headed out to collect recyclables. Making money was her top priority!