Chapter 25- Rising rice grains symbolize gratitude, measuring rice grains signifies animosity

Engaged for an hour, Jiang Yuebai began feeling dizzy, her vision becoming blurred. The Five Elements Qi in her dantian grew dim and feeble.

A sensation of spiritual energy depletion spread, but she couldn't afford to interrupt her execution of the Grass and Wood Technique. Instinctively, she hastened her finger movements, squeezing out the remaining spiritual energy within her.


Her fingers suddenly trembled, and an urge to cast a spell activated her nascent consciousness, abruptly converting internal pressure into an outward suction.


Strands of emerald light emerged from the surrounding young seedlings. Jiang Yuebai felt powerless to stop as her ten fingers spun a vortex of spiritual energy, greedily absorbing the verdant light.


The accumulation of green radiance grew, forming a pea-sized emerald pearl in her palm.


Boom!

The vortex of spiritual energy erupted from her fingertips. Jiang Yuebai staggered, and within a radius of three zhang around her, the young seedlings withered. A gust of wind turned them into ashes.


Several individuals who had been engaged in conversation nearby were taken aback, their faces paling as they stared at Jiang Yuebai as though they had witnessed a ghost.


Zheng Li, the proprietor of the spiritual field, wore a disheartened expression. He hurried into the field, his distress evident as he exclaimed, "Oh, my young seedlings! What have you done? I asked you to restore them, not drain their vitality!"


Jiang Yuebai held the Wood Essence Pearl in bewilderment. She hadn't intended to do it deliberately. Due to the depletion of her spiritual power moments ago, she inadvertently altered the incantation, resulting in the inadvertent drainage of vitality from the young seedlings.


During her lessons in the Grass and Wood Technique, Tao Fengnian had explained that it had two applications.


One was to absorb Wood Spiritual Qi from the air to nourish spiritual plants.


The other was to extract vitality from plants for weeding, using the plant ashes as fertilizer. The refined Wood Essence Pearls, derived from drained plant vitality, could nurture spiritual plants and be used in crafting healing elixirs.


"These numerous young seedlings could have yielded over a hundred catties of wheat. If you don't compensate me with Spirit Stones today, you won't be leaving!"


Zheng Li pressed on aggressively, reaching out for recompense.


Jiang Yuebai was indignant. "I exhausted my spiritual power while helping you restore the seedlings. I hadn't even requested payment for my efforts, and now you want to extort me?"


"What do you mean by extorting me? You've assisted others in repairing their seedlings without charge, haven't you? Why do you demand money from me? Are you deliberately singling me out? Have I offended you in some manner? Or do you believe that Old Tao is supporting you and want to provoke conflict with me?"


"You're being unreasonable!"


Frustration welled up within Jiang Yuebai. She glanced at the people around her whom she had previously aided, yet they had all dispersed.


"At your age, your proficiency with the Grass and Wood Technique is limited. If you had informed me earlier, I wouldn't have allowed you to make this blunder. I won't argue any further. Just return the Spirit Stones you gained from eradicating pests, and I won't pursue this matter."


"You scoundrel, don't bully my Senior Sister Jiang!"


Shi Xiaowu rushed over, scooping up mud and hurling it at Zheng Li. Zheng Li's spiritual energy vibrated, causing the mud to rebound and knock Shi Xiaowu to the ground.


Shi Xiaowu let out a wail, and Jiang Yuebai was incensed.


"Do you want to die?"


Suddenly, Guo Zhen emerged behind Zheng Li and kicked him, sending him sprawling in a rather comedic fashion.


"Guo Lahei, I haven't finished with you!"


Zheng Li scrambled to his feet and activated his technique, but Tao Fengnian and Song Peier approached. Zheng Li ceased his actions with reluctance.


Song Peier glanced at Jiang Yuebai, pursed her lips, and shook her head. She went over to assist Shi Xiaowu, using Dust-Cleaning Art to remove the mud from him.


Shi Xiaowu was displeased and pointed at Zheng Li. "He bullied Senior Sister Jiang."


Seeing the onlookers, Zheng Li quickly put on a smile. "It's all a misunderstanding. I was... just joking around with Junior Sister Jiang."


Song Peier let out a scornful snort, and Guo Zhen openly exposed his intentions.


"Don't think I'm unaware. You want to extort Spirit Stones from Junior Sister Jiang and run off. When the time comes, Old Tao won't let you off."


"No, no, it's not like that."



  Jiang Yuebai bit her lip, under the calm gaze of Tao Fengnian, she realized her grave mistake and clutched her clothes tightly while lowering her head.


Tao Fengnian sighed softly, "You can go back after you're done."


"Wait."


Guo Zhen stopped Tao Fengnian and handed Jiang Yuebai ten spiritual stones.


"One should not forget gratitude and kindness. Junior Sister Jiang just helped repair the seedlings in my field. I've observed it, and she did a splendid job. Next year, we should at least increase the harvest of spiritual wheat by ten percent. We mustn't be unfair. If Junior Sister Jiang has exerted herself and yet feels wronged, the appropriate spiritual stones should be given."


Jiang Yuebai felt the glare of the spiritual stones, their brilliance piercing her heart. She shook her head and stepped back, refusing to accept them.


Tao Fengnian reached out and received the stones, his stern gaze sweeping over the others whom Jiang Yuebai had assisted.


Those individuals felt discontented, but they didn't dare to act impudently. Reluctantly, they took out spiritual stones and handed them to Tao Fengnian.


Tao Fengnian took the spiritual stones and led the way. Jiang Yuebai nodded to Guo Zhen and Song Peier, then quickly followed.


On the way, Tao Fengnian remained silent, an aura of heaviness surrounding him. Jiang Yuebai followed from a distance, not daring to approach.


Back in the courtyard, after closing the door, Jiang Yuebai approached Tao Fengnian.


"Grandfather, I was wrong."


Tao Fengnian cleared his throat, sat down, and patted his knees, his eyes still lowered.


"What did you do wrong?"


Jiang Yuebai drooped her head, reciting in a listless manner.


"Rising rice grains symbolize gratitude, measuring rice grains signifies animosity. Offering help in times of need is easy, but adding favor to success is difficult. A drop of dew is welcome when thirsty, but an added cup when drunk is not as pleasant. Treating others with excess kindness can maintain boundless goodwill, managing affairs with a... "

TL NOTE: I have no idea how the idiom in the chapter name is relevant in this context.


"That's enough. Since you know, why did you behave that way earlier today?"


Jiang Yuebai lifted her head slightly, "I was angered by Lu Ying!"


Tao Fengnian furrowed his brows, "Lu Ying?"


Jiang Yuebai nodded and began recounting her argument with Lu Ying, growing more aggrieved as she spoke.


"I concealed my recent breakthrough from her, but my cultivation reached the third layer of Qi refining just yesterday. Prior to that, I never lied to her, nor did I mock her. Why does she have the right to dislike me and call me a deceiver?"


Tao Fengnian remained composed and posed a counter question, "But why must Lu Ying like you?"


Jiang Yuebai hesitated.


"Girl, if Lu Ying dislikes you, that's her choice. If you can't change that, you must accept it."


"Grandfather, how can you say that? Can't you say that it's Lu Ying's loss for not being friends with me?"


"Whether it's a loss or not is her concern. You shouldn't have such thoughts. Otherwise, you'll become fixated, dwelling on the gap between you two. If she can't surpass you, you'll feel superior. If one day she surpasses you, your confidence will crumble."


Jiang Yuebai nodded in a daze, as if it made sense. Earlier, while working in the field, she had only been thinking about how Lu Ying was inferior to her and why Lu Ying had the audacity to dislike her or question her abilities.


The more she thought, the more frustrated she became!


"You can't make everyone like you. Others aren't obligated to like you. Just like when you were working in the field earlier, even after doing so much, some people still won't appreciate it. So, don't concern yourself with others' opinions and judgments of you."


"If others dislike you, you are still you. You don't need to change to please them. Please yourself. Find contentment and joy in each day. Do you understand?"


"Yes, I understand. But Lu Ying... I was the one who concealed the truth, and I said hurtful things to her today. I am also at fault."


Jiang Yuebai remembered the time when Lu Ying had protected her when she was injured, and a sense of guilt washed over her.


Tao Fengnian rubbed Jiang Yuebai's head, "If you believe that she's worth your genuine efforts, then go ahead. Don't worry about the consequences. Follow your heart. However, regardless of the outcome, you must accept it calmly."


Jiang Yuebai nodded, the knot in her heart gradually dissolving. Her lips curved upward again, and she stepped forward, tugging at Tao Fengnian's sleeve and giving it a couple of playful tugs.


"Grandfather, now that I know I was wrong, can I have the spiritual stones back from earlier? I want to buy something – to apologize to Lu Ying and also to express gratitude to Elder Li. If he hadn't guided me, my cultivation wouldn't have progressed so quickly."


"Is there no portion for Grandfather?"


"Oh, there is, there is, naturally."


Tao Fengnian chuckled, pressing a pouch of spirit stones into Jiang Yuebai's arms. The young girl's face momentarily lit up.


"Go rest now, tomorrow morning we'll head to the Southern Valley Marketplace."

Translator's Note: I was a little busy yesterday, so i missed an update. I just got my country's equivalent of med school acceptance letter yesterday. I've heard that med school can be quite demanding, so I'll do my best to update as regularly as possible, although I'm uncertain about the schedule. Thank you!

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