I woke before dawn, excitement stirring quietly but insistently in my chest.
Today was the harvest day.
I was genuinely very excited for today's harvest.
Not just because of the grains, though they were valuable, but because harvest meant system rewards.
Precious system rewards that would help push me forward, help me breakthrough successfully to the late stage of Qi Refining.
And according to standard cultivation norms, stepping into the late stage of Qi Refining strengthens the soul significantly and allows most cultivators to awaken their spiritual sense for the first time.
I already possessed spiritual sense, of course.
Which did not mean that the soul enhancement granted by the breakthrough would be wasted on me.
Far from it.
That natural boost could be redirected and used differently, channeled into purposes that suited my specific needs.
I had already planned it carefully over the past few days, considering every angle.
I intended to refine another soul sword within my Mindspace.
A second soul sword.
With the aid of two soul swords working in tandem, there were specific things I intended to accomplish.
Necessary things.
As that thought surfaced unbidden in my mind, a faint flicker of killing intent sparked within my eyes.
Memories rose from deep within, fueled by anger and helplessness that I had tried to bury, but could never forget.
Almost instantly, a familiar cooling sensation spread from my chest, washing through my mind like water over heated stone.
The pendant hanging at my chest reacted on its own, automatically calming my heart and clearing my thoughts before they could spiral.
The killing intent faded quickly, dissipating like morning mist under sunlight.
I exhaled slowly and deliberately.
I must keep my mind and heart.....firm and steady.
No matter how far I walk this path, I cannot afford to become reckless.
After activating the farming robe's convenient cleaning effect and refreshing myself completely, I stepped outside my room.
The sky was just beginning to lighten gradually, the world wrapped in that quiet, peaceful stillness that existed only at dawn.
I froze immediately in surprise when I saw the scene before me.
Because, to my complete astonishment, Grandfather was already waiting for me at the table.
Sitting upright with his usual dignified posture, hands folded calmly.
So were Mo Fan and Mo Ling.
They stood together in front of my room, small figures outlined against the pale morning light filtering through the windows.
"Why are you all up so early?" I asked, genuinely surprised and confused by this unexpected gathering.
The children lowered their heads immediately, avoiding my direct gaze, suddenly shy and uncertain.
They exchanged quick glances, clearly unsure who should be the one to speak first.
Their little faces were filled with nervousness.
Grandfather smiled faintly and answered for them with understanding.
"Today is harvest day," he said simply. "They both insisted on coming with you to help. They asked me to wake them before you left."
He paused, then added, "They were quite adamant about it, actually. Wouldn't take no for an answer."
I crouched down in front of them, bringing myself to their exact height so I could look directly into their eyes.
"Harvesting is hard work," I said gently but honestly, wanting them to understand what they were volunteering for.
"It's very tiring and demanding. Even adults get completely exhausted doing it, working under the sun for hours. Are you both absolutely sure you want to come?"
Mo Fan nodded firmly without any hesitation whatsoever.
"Yes, Big Brother Shen. We want to help."
Mo Ling nodded too, far too enthusiastically for such an early hour, and nearly toppled forward from the force of her own nodding before catching herself and steadying at the last second.
That earnest clumsiness earned a small, warm chuckle from me.
"Alright then," I agreed. "But first, we all eat breakfast properly. No one works on an empty stomach."
I prepared steamed meat buns quickly and efficiently in the kitchen.
We ate some together at the table, and I packed enough for the three of us to eat later at the fields in a small basket.
I left some behind for Grandfather as well.
When we were ready to set out, Mo Ling suddenly insisted on carrying the food basket herself.
She placed it carefully on top of her small head, hands raised high to steady it, swaying slightly as she walked forward.
It was extremely slow.
Clumsy and precarious.
And unbearably, impossibly cute.
I let her do exactly as she pleased without interfering.
Mo Fan walked beside her, ready to catch the basket if it fell, playing the role of protective older brother.
The path leading to the fields was quiet and peaceful, morning dew still clinging to the grass on both sides.
The air was fresh and cool, carrying the earthy scent of soil and growing things.
Birds were beginning to chirp in the distant trees, welcoming the new day.
When we finally arrived at our field, I placed the basket carefully beneath a nearby large tree for shade.
Its branches spread wide overhead, providing a comfortable spot.
"You two wait here under the tree," I instructed. "If you get hungry, eat. Don't wait for me."
Mo Ling glanced at the basket briefly, her eyes lingering on the cloth covering.
Faint steam was still curling upward from inside the woven container, carrying the savory aroma of the meat buns.
Her lips parted instinctively, almost unconsciously, and I could see her swallow.
Then she suddenly clenched both her small fists tight and shook her head hard, pigtails flying.
"No," she said with complete seriousness. "We'll wait for Big Browther Shen to eat together."
She turned to Mo Fan for support.
Then froze completely, her eyes widening.
"Browther, what are you doing?"
I turned to look at Mo Fan as well, curious about what had caught her attention.
He had already turned away quickly, pretending to be very interested in the clouds drifting overhead.
Meanwhile, he was discreetly wiping his mouth with his sleeve, trying to hide the evidence of drool.
"Yes! Yes! We'll wait!"
he said hurriedly, his voice slightly higher than normal and a bit too enthusiastic.
His ears had turned red.
I smiled helplessly at their transparent behaviour, shaking my head with fond amusement.
"I'll be
quick then. I promise not to take too long."
Stepping into the field proper, I looked at the jade spirit rice growing there in neat, organized rows.
Every single stalk stood tall and proud, swaying gently in the morning breeze.
Every grain was full and healthy, having reached perfect maturity.
The rice had that distinctive jade-green colour that marked it as spirit grain, subtly glowing with contained spiritual energy.
Perfect.
The timing couldn't be better.
I summoned the system farming sickle and attached it carefully to one of my spiritual threads.
The tool responded immediately to my qi, becoming an extension of my will.
It swept forward smoothly, cutting through the stalks with clean precision and minimal effort.
The remaining two spiritual threads gathered the cut stalks efficiently and stacked them neatly aside in organized piles.
The entire process was terrifyingly efficient.
Almost too naturally smooth.
In just ten minutes exactly, the entire one mu field was completely cleared.
During the harvesting process, system notifications flickered briefly in my peripheral vision.
I glanced at them without breaking my rhythm.
Five Verdant Dew (White) rewards and two Rapid Growth (Green) rewards appeared immediately in the system panel.
If other experienced farmers were present to witness this, they would be utterly stunned speechless.
Jade spirit rice stalks were notoriously tough and resistant.
Normally, harvesting just one mu took anywhere from one to three hours, depending entirely on tools and physical strength.
From the children's perspective beneath the tree, I must have looked like a small storm passing through the field, uprooting everything in my way.
I could even hear their distant exclamations of amazement, their high-pitched voices carrying across the field.
Next came the threshing process, separating grain from stalk.
Three spiritual threads worked in perfect harmony together, like a well-practiced dance.
They each held a large stack of grain stalks and began threshing efficiently, beating them rhythmically to separate grain from stalk.
The grains fell in streams, creating small piles.
Half an hour later, all the work was completely done.
The final yield of jade spirit rice stood at 430 jin exactly.
A very good harvest, better than I'd hoped.
I packed all the grains into cloth bags and stored them along with the leftover stalks in my spirit pouch.
The stalks could be used for mulch or sold separately.
Before returning to the shade where the children waited, I took a moment to survey the cleared field with satisfaction.
The children stared at me as if they had just seen a ghost.
Silent.
Wide-eyed.
Completely shocked.
"What's wrong?" I asked innocently.
Mo Fan hesitated, then spoke slowly and carefully.
"Big Brother Shen, we wanted to help. But you finished absolutely everything before we could even move or figure out what to do."
There was no accusation in his young voice.
Only quiet disappointment mixed with genuine awe and wonder.
I froze as realization struck me like cold water.
Ah. I overdid it.
I forgot they wanted to help.
I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly, feeling genuinely bad about disappointing them.
"Sorry. I forgot to slow down," I admitted honestly. "I got carried away."
"Don't worry," I added quickly to reassure them. "You can help me with other things next time. I promise."
Their disappointed expressions eased immediately at this promise.
Then I smiled warmly. "Let's eat now. You've been very patient."
At the mention of food, both of them instantly recovered their spirits.
Their faces lit up with renewed enthusiasm.
That was easy enough.
We sat together beneath the tree and finally ate.
The buns were still warm, the filling rich and wonderfully fragrant.
After a moment of comfortable silence, broken only by the sounds of eating and satisfied humming from Mo Ling, I spoke again casually.
"What you saw today," I said, my tone gentle but serious, "don't tell anyone else about it. Not your friends, not other adults. No one."
"If someone asks, say it took us four hours."
Both children nodded obediently.
Then Mo Ling frowned with confusion.
"Why should we lie, Big Browther Shen? Lying is bad."
Mo Fan opened his mouth to explain, but I spoke first.
"If others find out I can harvest this fast, they might take me away and make me work for them every single day. They wouldn't let me stay here with you and Grandfather."
Mo Ling's eyes widened with horror.
She shook her head violently, pigtails flying in all directions.
"No! No!" she said fiercely, her voice rising. "I won't let anyone take Big Browther Shen away! I'll bite them! I'll bite them really hard!"
Mo Fan nodded just as firmly.
"We won't tell anyone. I promise."
"Yesh! Yesh!" Mo Ling agreed enthusiastically, pumping her small fist in the air.
I laughed softly at their fierce protectiveness.
The morning breeze passed through the fields, carrying the pleasant scent of rice and earth.
Birds sang in nearby trees, and the sun climbed higher, warming everything it touched.
Satisfied with their promises and with the harvest itself, I leaned back against the tree trunk.
We rested for a while after eating, enjoying the peaceful morning.
Afterward, beneath the comfortable shade of the tree, I slowly stood up and stretched.
Mo Fan was lying on the grass, hands folded behind his head, staring blankly at the sky as clouds drifted past.
Beside him, Mo Ling had already fallen asleep, her small chest rising and falling steadily.
A faint smile lingered on her lips as if she were lost in a pleasant dream.
I bent down and lifted her carefully into my arms, making sure not to disturb her sleep.
She was surprisingly light, feeling almost weightless.
She shifted slightly in my arms, murmuring something completely incomprehensible, her brows knitting for a brief moment.
Then she settled again, breathing evenly, her small hand curling into my robe.
The warmth of her small body in my arms lingered as we began the walk back home.
Along the way, Mo Fan walked quietly beside me, unusually subdued.
I glanced at him. "Tired?"
He shook his head, eyes still fixed on the path. "Just thinking."
I didn't press him. Silence suited moments like this.
When we reached home, I placed Mo Ling gently onto the bed in the children's room, tucking a thin blanket around her small form.
Only after making sure she was comfortable did I step outside.
I left Mo Fan beside her to keep her company.
I briefly spoke with Grandfather, informing him that I was heading to the village chief's residence to submit the tax grains.
He nodded with understanding, reminding me not to argue unnecessarily with the chief and to keep my temper steady no matter what.
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