Chapter 6 - Five: The Golden Space Grows

Chapter 6: Chapter Five: The Golden Space Grows

The next morning, Lin Yue woke with one thought in her mind.

Ten percent.

She sat up.

Ten percent.

That was all she needed.

The golden space had already reached nine percent.

One more improvement and it would expand.

The question was—

What counted?

She had improved the water system.

She had established a garden.

She had started composting.

She had improved sanitation.

She had begun keeping records.

She had even acquired proper tools.

Lin Yue stared at the ceiling.

"What else do you want?"

The ceiling, unfortunately, had no answer.

She got dressed.

The Morning Inspection

Qiao’er found her in the garden before breakfast.

Her mistress was crouched beside the vegetable beds, examining the leaves.

"Miss."

"Yes?"

"Did you sleep?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Then why were you walking around the courtyard at midnight?"

Lin Yue froze.

"I was... thinking."

"About the garden?"

"Yes."

Qiao’er sighed.

"Miss, you’re becoming strange."

Lin Yue smiled.

"I’ve always been strange."

"No."

Qiao’er shook her head.

"You weren’t."

Lin Yue looked at her.

Qiao’er immediately lowered her head.

"Never mind."

Lin Yue laughed.

Then she turned back toward the garden.

The plants looked healthy.

The beans had begun climbing.

The cabbage leaves were broad and green.

The mustard greens had thickened.

The radishes were developing beneath the soil.

Everything was progressing.

But something bothered her.

The beds were too bare.

The soil was exposed between the rows.

Heavy rain could wash it away.

Sunlight could dry it.

Weeds would return.

She needed mulch.

She looked around.

Dry grass.

Leaves.

Straw.

Perfect.

She began collecting them.

Qiao’er stared.

"Again?"

"Yes."

"What are we making this time?"

"Mulch."

Qiao’er looked at the pile.

"Is that another kind of fertilizer?"

"Not exactly."

Lin Yue spread the dry material around the plants.

"It protects the soil."

"From what?"

"Heat. Rain. Weeds. Water loss."

Qiao’er nodded thoughtfully.

Then pointed at the garden.

"So... blankets for vegetables?"

Lin Yue stopped.

She looked at the mulch.

Then at Qiao’er.

"That is actually an excellent description."

Qiao’er smiled proudly.

"I knew it."

A Small Problem

By midday, Lin Yue noticed something wrong.

One row of beans was wilting.

She immediately crouched down.

The soil was damp.

Too damp.

She checked the drainage.

One of the irrigation channels had become blocked.

Lin Yue sighed.

This was why farming wasn’t simply planting seeds and waiting.

Every system required maintenance.

She cleared the blockage.

Water flowed again.

Then she looked at the garden.

"Qiao’er."

"Yes?"

"We need better drainage."

Qiao’er groaned.

"Of course we do."

Lin Yue laughed.

"Don’t worry. This one isn’t difficult."

They dug shallow drainage channels around the beds.

The excess water now flowed toward a collection area instead of pooling around the roots.

Lin Yue stepped back.

Better.

She smiled.

The garden was beginning to resemble something intentional.

Not merely a patch of vegetables.

A system.

Ten Percent

That evening, Lin Yue entered the golden space.

She froze.

The tiny golden world had changed.

The boundary had moved.

She walked forward.

The original ten-square-meter area had become noticeably larger.

A translucent message appeared.

[Development progress: 10%.]

[Expansion completed.]

[Current area: 100 square meters.]

Lin Yue’s eyes widened.

"Ten times?"

She stepped forward.

The golden soil extended farther than before.

The tiny spring had become a proper stream.

At the edge of the new land stood several young trees.

A small pond shimmered beneath the golden light.

Lin Yue slowly turned in a circle.

She couldn’t help smiling.

"Beautiful."

A second message appeared.

[New functions unlocked.]

[Water storage.]

[Basic cultivation enhancement.]

[Small livestock area.]

[Seed storage.]

Lin Yue blinked.

"Livestock?"

She looked toward the empty fenced area.

Then she grinned.

"Chickens."

The space remained silent.

"Maybe rabbits."

Silence.

"Ducks?"

Nothing.

Lin Yue put her hands on her hips.

"You’re going to let me keep animals in here, aren’t you?"

The system finally responded.

[Livestock must be acquired by Host.]

Lin Yue nodded.

"Fair."

That was one thing she liked about the space.

It didn’t simply hand her everything.

She had to build.

She had to acquire.

She had to experiment.

The golden space was a tool.

Not a replacement for effort.

Lin Yue looked at the new pond.

A thought occurred to her.

Fish.

She smiled.

"Later."

A New Purchase

The following day, Lin Yue went back to the market.

This time she had more money.

Not much.

But enough.

She had sold vegetables for several days.

The income wasn’t impressive.

Yet she had learned something important.

People were willing to pay more for:

freshness,

cleanliness,

consistent quality,

and convenience.

So she began selling bundles.

Instead of seven individual radishes, she sold them tied together.

Instead of loose greens, she cleaned and bundled them.

Qiao’er became responsible for washing.

Lin Yue handled the records.

They had created their first tiny business.

It was still ridiculous.

But it was a business.

At the market, Lin Yue stopped at the livestock stall.

She looked at the chickens.

Then the rabbits.

Then the ducks.

Finally, she pointed.

"Those."

The seller looked at the pair of rabbits.

"These?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Lin Yue glanced at them.

"They look healthy."

The seller smiled.

"You know animals?"

"A little."

He laughed.

"Everyone says that too."

Lin Yue ignored him.

She examined the rabbits’ eyes.

Fur.

Movement.

Breathing.

Body condition.

She nodded.

Healthy enough.

"How much?"

The seller named a price.

Lin Yue negotiated.

He refused.

She negotiated again.

He refused again.

Qiao’er whispered:

"Miss, perhaps we should leave."

Lin Yue stood.

"Fine."

She turned around.

The seller immediately called after her.

"Wait!"

Qiao’er stared.

Lin Yue smiled.

The seller sighed.

"Fine. Your price."

Lin Yue returned.

"Good."

Qiao’er whispered:

"Miss, you scared him."

Lin Yue whispered back:

"That’s business."

The Rabbit Problem

The rabbits arrived that afternoon.

Two brown rabbits.

One male.

One female.

Qiao’er immediately fell in love with them.

She named them:

Little Cloud

and

Little Snow.

Lin Yue approved.

The rabbits were placed in a small enclosure.

Then General arrived.

He stared at them.

The rabbits stared back.

General puffed his chest.

Qiao’er immediately grabbed him.

"No."

General struggled.

Lin Yue laughed.

"Let him look."

"He looks dangerous."

"He’s a chicken."

"He attacked me."

"That’s true."

General crowed.

Qiao’er glared at him.

"You see?"

Lin Yue shook her head.

"General has no respect for diplomacy."

A Family Visit

Three days later, someone unexpected arrived.

Not Shen Rui.

Madam Zhao, her stepmother.

Lin Yue was carrying a basket of greens when she saw the elegant woman standing at the gate.

She stopped.

Qiao’er immediately bowed.

"Madam."

Lin Yue followed.

"Mother."

The woman studied her.

Lin Yue had met her only briefly before.

She was composed.

Elegant.

The sort of woman who could silence an entire room by lifting one eyebrow.

Her eyes moved around the courtyard.

The clean pathways.

The vegetable beds.

The repaired kitchen.

The chicken enclosure.

The rabbits.

The water channel.

She looked genuinely surprised.

"This is the eastern courtyard?"

"Yes."

"You changed it."

Lin Yue smiled.

"A little."

"A little?"

Madam Zhao looked toward the garden.

There were now several healthy beds.

A small compost area.

A drying rack.

Clean water containers.

Everything had a place.

Even the firewood had been stacked neatly.

The woman looked at Qiao’er.

"Did she do all this?"

Qiao’er nodded.

"Yes, Madam."

Madam Zhao looked back at Lin Yue.

"You’ve changed."

Lin Yue wasn’t sure what to say.

She simply smiled.

"Perhaps."

Madam Zhao walked toward the garden.

She picked up a radish.

"Are these yours?"

"Yes."

"Are they good?"

Lin Yue nodded.

"Very."

Madam Zhao took a bite.

She paused.

Then took another.

Lin Yue watched.

"Well?"

Madam Zhao looked at her.

"Good."

That single word made Lin Yue strangely happy.

Then the woman said:

"Your father heard that you’re selling vegetables."

Lin Yue’s smile disappeared slightly.

"He did?"

"Yes."

"What did he say?"

"He laughed."

Lin Yue wasn’t surprised.

Her father had probably never imagined his daughter doing manual labor.

Madam Zhao continued:

"He also asked how much you’ve earned."

Lin Yue raised an eyebrow.

"That sounds like him."

Madam Zhao almost smiled.

"He asked whether you were planning to start a business."

Lin Yue looked at the garden.

"Yes."

Madam Zhao was quiet.

"Then perhaps you should."

Lin Yue looked at her.

For the first time, she noticed something.

Madam Zhao wasn’t mocking her.

She was curious.

"Mother?"

"Yes?"

"Would you like some radishes?"

Madam Zhao stared at her.

Then laughed.

"Very well."

The Ledger Grows

That night, Lin Yue opened her notebook.

The household accounts had changed.

Income

Vegetable sales.

Expenses

Seeds.

Tools.

Wood.

Rabbit pair.

Food.

She calculated the difference.

Profit.

Small.

But real.

She wrote it down carefully.

Then underneath it, she wrote:

Next objective: Increase production without exhausting soil.

She paused.

Then added:

Acquire land.

Her eyes sparkled.

That was the real challenge.

The courtyard was too small.

If she wanted to build a serious agricultural operation, she needed more land.

And land meant money.

Money meant production.

Production meant labor.

Labor meant—

Lin Yue suddenly stopped.

She looked toward Qiao’er.

"Qiao’er."

"Yes?"

"How many people can we afford to hire?"

Qiao’er nearly dropped the tea.

"Hire?"

"Yes."

"For the farm."

"You want workers?"

"Eventually."

Qiao’er stared.

"You’re planning an actual farm?"

Lin Yue smiled.

"Yes."

She looked at her tiny courtyard.

It had once been abandoned.

Now it was producing food.

Soon it would produce money.

And one day—

Perhaps something much bigger.

A Quiet Evening

Later that night, Lin Yue stood beneath the tree.

The moonlight washed over the courtyard.

General slept inside his enclosure.

The rabbits were curled together.

The garden rustled softly in the breeze.

Qiao’er had gone to bed.

For the first time, Lin Yue felt peaceful.

Then she heard footsteps.

She turned.

Shen Rui stood at the gate.

"You’re awake."

"So are you."

"I came to return your account book."

Lin Yue frowned.

"My account book?"

He held it up.

"You left it at my mother’s residence."

Lin Yue’s eyes widened.

"Oh."

She had been careless.

She walked over.

When she reached for it, Shen Rui didn’t immediately release it.

"You’re making plans."

"What plans?"

He tapped the ledger.

"Land."

Lin Yue stared at him.

"You read my book?"

"Only the last page."

She narrowed her eyes.

"That is still reading."

"I apologize."

She took the ledger.

Then sighed.

"I’m going to need more land."

"I know."

"How?"

"You wrote it very clearly."

She glared.

He smiled.

Lin Yue crossed her arms.

"Do you have land?"

"Yes."

"How much?"

"Enough."

Her eyes narrowed further.

"Are you offering?"

"Perhaps."

"What do you want?"

Shen Rui thought for a moment.

"Vegetables."

She laughed.

"You already have enough vegetables."

"Then perhaps I’ll ask for something else."

"What?"

He looked at her.

For a moment, his teasing expression disappeared.

Then he smiled.

"I haven’t decided."

Lin Yue felt an inexplicable warmth in her cheeks.

She immediately turned away.

"Decide quickly."

"I will."

He left.

Lin Yue watched him disappear.

Then she looked down at her ledger.

For some reason, the page seemed suddenly much more interesting.

The Second Expansion

Inside the golden space, the pond shimmered.

The young trees moved gently in the wind.

The first garden had become a tiny ecosystem.

Lin Yue walked through it slowly.

She touched the soil.

Healthy.

Rich.

Alive.

A golden message appeared.

[Development progress: 12%.]

[External agricultural system established.]

[Livestock integration recommended.]

[Next major expansion: 20%.]

Lin Yue smiled.

"Twenty percent."

She looked toward the distant golden boundary.

The world beyond it was still dark.

But now she could imagine what might be there.

A forest.

A river.

Fields.

An orchard.

Perhaps mountains.

Perhaps even a house.

She smiled.

"One step at a time."

Then she looked at the tiny rabbits.

"Tomorrow, we build you a better home."

The male rabbit twitched its nose.

Lin Yue nodded seriously.

"I know."

"You deserve better."

The rabbit continued eating.

Lin Yue sighed.

"Don’t pretend you didn’t hear me."

Outside the golden space, General suddenly crowed.

Lin Yue jumped.

"General!"

The rooster crowed again.

She put her hands on her hips.

"Go to sleep!"

General crowed a third time.

Lin Yue stared at the ceiling.

"I’m going to sell him."

From outside came Qiao’er’s sleepy voice.

"You said that yesterday."

Lin Yue smiled.

"I meant it today."

And somewhere in the darkness beyond the eastern courtyard, a quiet figure smiled.

Shen Rui had heard everything.

Especially the part about selling General.

He decided that perhaps the Fourth Miss was going to make life considerably more interesting.