Chapter Sixteen: The Bamboo Pavilion Project

Everyone in the Tang family received the first two levels of their respective cultivation techniques. Tang Wei consulted with everyone about when they should begin training, as the first session was crucial. She planned to use top-grade spirit stones to set up a simple, small-scale Spirit Gathering Array to help everyone draw spiritual energy into their bodies.

Even the simplest array selected by Ziyang was worlds apart from the Spirit Gathering Arrays currently used in the cultivation world. This array did not merely gather external spiritual energy for personal use; by placing spirit stones according to the five elements, it generated a unique seal among them, transforming various beneficial substances in the air into spiritual energy while effectively expelling harmful elements from the body. It consumed only a small amount of the spirit stones’ energy in the process.

Although the spiritual energy produced by this array could not compare to that within the special spatial realm, it was on par with the best spiritual nodes in the cultivation world. The only drawback was that it required top-grade spirit stones to set up. For someone as wealthy as Tang Wei, this was of little concern, but for cultivators elsewhere, it was an impossible demand. Never mind how to arrange the array—just acquiring the nine top-grade spirit stones needed would take them a lifetime of labor.

In the cultivation world, such stones were typically hoarded by Nascent Soul stage elders, but even they did not have enough to waste on such an “inefficient” array. To them, this array was utterly useless, for their own abodes already occupied the finest spiritual nodes, so why would they squander precious stones on something that did not benefit them? Even cultivators at the Golden Core stage made do with high-grade stones; stumbling upon a top-grade one was a stroke of fortune.

After tens of thousands of years, the resources of the cultivation world could no longer meet the ever-growing demand, leading to constant murder and theft. Fortunately, despite their resource shortages, cultivators did not dare to come to Earth seeking death. One could sum up their attitude toward Earth with a single phrase: “They turn pale at the very mention of Earth.”

Thankfully, Tang Wei was currently on Earth; otherwise, given her wealth, she would have been hunted relentlessly. Tang Wei had considered bringing her family into her spatial realm to cultivate, but was dissuaded by Xiao Ling.

Xiao Ling had learned from Tang Wei that people easily become complacent. Using Tang Wei as an example—had she gained only the cultivation technique at first, she would have trained desperately to change her fate. However, because she now possessed such abundant resources, she became lazy and needed Xiao Ling to urge her to train every day.

Xiao Ling told Tang Wei, “If you want your family to turn out just like you, then go ahead and bring them all into the spatial realm. Once they realize there’s an easy shortcut, none of them will train diligently. They’ll all follow your example—three days of fishing, two days of sunbathing. When their natural lifespans run out, they’ll have achieved nothing.”

Hearing this, Tang Wei blushed a little and resolved to meditate for several hours every day without being prompted, humbly seeking advice on how to help her family cultivate properly, since Earth’s environment was not conducive to cultivation.

After half a day of Tang Wei’s sweet-talking, Xiao Ling relented and helped her find the jade slip for the Spirit Gathering Array, teaching her personally for several days. At last, Tang Wei managed to successfully arrange the first array of her life.

However, Xiao Ling carelessly let slip some news about native Earthlings’ cultivation. Upon hearing it, Tang Wei was greatly relieved.

According to Xiao Ling, the bodies of Earth’s natives, having adapted to the local air quality, could automatically expel most of the filth they inhaled; only a small portion would remain inside. Although progress would be slower, cultivation was not impossible. The younger one started, the quicker the results.

Tang Wei planned to help her two children clear their bodies with spiritual energy every day after they turned three months old, so that by the time they were old enough to understand, they could quickly lay their foundations. She might be indifferent to most things, but her two children held the first place in her heart.

Seeing this, Xiao Ling was secretly delighted: “At last, I’ve found a way to make Sister willingly cultivate.”

Meanwhile, the Tang family gathered to discuss the best time to start cultivation. If they began now, it would be too rushed. The next day was the first day of the New Year, when visitors would come to pay their respects. There was an old saying about the local New Year’s visits: “First day for sons, second day for sons-in-law, third and fourth days for local relatives and friends.” Following this schedule, cultivation could only start on the fifth day. However, both brothers-in-law had their own family visits to make, and the shop would need to reopen.

After much discussion, they finally decided on the fifth day. The two sisters and their husbands would return to their own homes on the first day, using the intervening days to visit all necessary relatives. It didn’t matter if the shop opened a few days late—future matters could be dealt with as they arose.

Tang Jun decided to stay home and help with the farming next year, giving up on traveling elsewhere. With such a great opportunity, he wanted to devote himself to cultivation. Everyone laughed and looked forward to tasting his new rice crop next year.

Taking advantage of the moment, Tang Wei brought up something she had been considering for a long time: several hundred meters behind their house was a valley, accessible by only one road. It used to be used for growing sweet potatoes, but with improved conditions it had been abandoned, now overgrown with grass taller than a person. Not even villagers collecting firewood ventured there. Most importantly, the land belonged to their family.

Tang Wei wanted to develop the valley, building three rows of bamboo houses with a training field in the middle, and setting up a large Spirit Gathering Array as a cultivation site for everyone. Her father agreed on the spot, planning to hire people to clear the area in spring. To avoid future trouble, they would go to the village chief—her uncle—to sign a fifty-year contract, an idea suggested by her two business-savvy brothers-in-law.

The group discussed the valley development plan, intending to build it as a small vacation resort, carefully considering the terrain, house layout, and landscaping. Once most details were settled, the three children outside began shouting, “Grandpa, Grandma, Mom, Dad—come outside! It’s almost midnight. Time to set off the fireworks!”

At first, everyone thought something had happened, but it turned out the children were simply excited to see the fireworks. Since large cities generally banned fireworks, returning to the countryside for the New Year was the perfect chance to relive childhood memories. Everyone had brought fireworks to set off. If not for the adults holding them back, the kids would have started long ago. Now that it was finally midnight, there was no holding them.

Tang Wei watched everyone head downstairs, itching to join them, but the two youngest children were too small to be carried outside, so she could only watch the others leave.

Her mother had already noticed Tang Wei’s longing and watched her from the side, waiting to see how impatient she would get. When Tang Wei finally looked over, she saw her mother hadn’t gone downstairs and immediately understood, calling out eagerly, “Mom!”

Her mother smiled indulgently. “Alright, I know you want to go play, so I was just waiting for you to ask.”

“Thank you, Mom! I’m going down to play!” Tang Wei said, kissing her mother on the cheek before hurrying downstairs.

At midnight, the firecrackers were set off to “close the wealth gate,” and on the morning of the first day, they would set them off again to “open the wealth gate”—an indispensable family tradition.

They carried the big box of fireworks to the front yard, waiting for Tang’s father to light the fuse, while the second brother-in-law, Fu Zhongming, started lighting the fireworks.

When the countdown began on television, everyone waited in silence for the moment to arrive. Next year would be different; it would be the year the Tang family began to rise.

Three, two, one—bang, crackle—one explosion after another rang out, and everyone cheered. Tang Wei joined the three children, setting off small fireworks with them.

He Jianjun picked up a big cannon, lit it, and tossed it aside. With a boom louder than the fireworks, the children squealed and ran over, pulling him along to set off more. Everyone took turns, laughing and joking for a whole hour before the fireworks were finished.

Tang’s father stood by watching, beaming with joy. It had been a long time since the family had been so lively. Next year, the Tang family would surely flourish.

After seeing Grandma and the three children off to bed, the adults began their traditional vigil—on this night, it was customary for the whole family to stay up until dawn to ensure safety and peace in the coming year.

To pass the time, Tang’s father called the two brothers-in-law and Tang Jun to play a game of “Building the Great Wall,” while the three women played a quick card game. Tang Wei, however, had never enjoyed such games and only joined in if they really needed another player; otherwise, she preferred to quietly cuddle her son and fall asleep.