"Mom's thinking of me, is there something important?" Cheng Xiaofan's expression turned a little tense.
Bai Yiling couldn't help but chuckle, "You'll know when you get back, won't you!"
Hearing his goddess's charming laughter, the anxiety in Cheng Xiaofan's heart finally subsided. If something truly serious had happened at home, Bai Yiling wouldn't be laughing so heartily.
Cheng Xiaofan smiled and said, "I'll be home soon!"
Bai Yiling chuckled, "When you get back, go see Mom and Dad first!"
Cheng Xiaofan replied, "Okay, I'll head straight to Mom and Dad's then!"
After hanging up the phone, Cheng Xiaofan spoke gently to the mirror, "Mirror, you should rest too. I'm heading back now!"
The Mirror nodded and said, "Alright, Master, have a safe trip!"
"Chirp!"
Instantly, the Sky-Breaking Eagle carried Cheng Xiaofan high into the sky. This time, Cheng Xiaofan could clearly feel that the Sky-Breaking Eagle's flight speed was many times faster than on the way. It seemed the Sky-Breaking Eagle had made a significant breakthrough in its cultivation recently. This speed, without exaggeration, was truly comparable to the speed of light. In less than ten minutes, Bamboo Creek Village appeared before his eyes. Arriving beside his old house, Cheng Xiaofan leaped from the air and, like a falling leaf, drifted down to the ground.
Entering the house, Cheng Xiaofan immediately saw that both his mother and father were home. Luo Changsheng was also in the room, chatting with Cheng Fugui.
"Hello, Grandpa Luo!" Cheng Xiaofan greeted Luo Changsheng.
Luo Changsheng chuckled, "Xiaofan, you're becoming quite accomplished! Your mother said you went abroad on business, didn't you?"
Cheng Xiaofan knew his mother must have heard it from his goddess, Bai. Bai wouldn't tell his mother that he had gone to Fosman Island in the US to deal with demonic cultivators; she could only use the excuse of going abroad on business to placate her.
Cheng Xiaofan smiled and said, "Grandpa Luo, I did go abroad for business these past few days. I was mainly looking for sales channels for the village's specialty food products. Before I came back today, Yiling mentioned that things have been going quite well; calls from all over the world came in early this morning requesting orders!"
Luo Changsheng smiled, "Child, I heard about this early this morning. You've really worked hard for Bamboo Creek Village!"
Cheng Xiaofan replied, "It's not hard; it's what I should do. Besides, traveling abroad is also a form of leisure."
"If I hadn't felt my ears tingle, I probably wouldn't have rushed back today, thinking Mom was thinking of me!"
Cheng Fugui chuckled, "Xiaofan, do you know what your mother was thinking of when she mentioned you? She wants you to come back and improve the cultivation of the planted rice!"
Upon hearing this, Cheng Xiaofan was taken aback and curiously asked Miao Xiuhua, "Mom, why are you suddenly concerned about improving rice cultivation?"
Miao Xiuhua listened and smiled, "Xiaofan, I saw news on my phone recently about some academician in Yunnan who promoted planting rice on hillsides, achieving a yield of seven hundred and eighty-eight kilograms per mu."
"As you know, our Bamboo Creek Village lacks paddy fields. The paddy field by the village entrance can only grow some rice for a taste. Normally, we have to trade local mountain produce for grain in the market."
"If you can develop a rice variety that can be grown on mountains and yield over seven hundred kilograms per mu, solving the food problem for the people of Bamboo Creek, it would be a tremendous blessing!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Cheng Fugui let out a cold scoff. He said, "I say, Xiaofan's mother, do you have a brain? Rice is rice; it needs to be grown in paddy fields. What kind of rice can be grown on mountains and yield such high output?"
"In all of history, there's never been such a strange thing!"
"Cheng Fugui, I'm talking to my son; what are you interrupting for?" Miao Xiuhua's temper flared. "The news on the phone said so; can it be fake?"
"Xiaofan, can you achieve what that academician can do?" she asked Cheng Xiaofan directly, her eyes wide. It was as if Cheng Xiaofan wouldn't be her son if he said he couldn't.
Cheng Xiaofan chuckled and replied, "I've never heard of planting rice on mountains before, and I'm too lazy to read such news!"
"However, Mom, you mentioning this has reminded me. Not only can your son cultivate rice that can be planted on mountains, but the yield will definitely be even higher than what you saw in the news!"
Miao Xiuhua immediately asked, "Xiaofan, are you telling the truth?"
Cheng Xiaofan replied, "I never lie to my mother. The rice I cultivate can also be planted regardless of the season, meaning it can be grown four times a year, in spring, summer, autumn, and winter."
"Xiaofan, are you getting carried away, or are you talking nonsense? Can rice really be planted in winter?" Cheng Fugui immediately reprimanded.
Cheng Xiaofan smiled and said, "Dad, don't winter plum blossoms bloom in the snow? As long as plants can grow in winter, the rice I cultivate can break through seasonal limitations!"
"However—" His tone changed. "The variety of rice I've cultivated should be grown within a limited range; it can't be planted on just any mountain."
Cheng Xiaofan knew that the rice he cultivated would have very strict land requirements and needed to be covered by a certain amount of spiritual energy. Water is a major issue for planting rice on mountains. Only if the soil on these mountains consistently maintained sufficient spiritual energy could the rice have vigorous vitality during its growth. Such rice would not only be full-grained and high-yielding but also superior in taste and nutritional value to ordinary rice.
Miao Xiuhua looked at her son and asked doubtfully, "Are you saying that planting rice on mountains also requires choosing a good feng shui location?"
Cheng Xiaofan gave his mother a thumbs-up and said, "Mom, you're truly the leader of our winery! You get straight to the point! You're right, it needs to be a place with good feng shui!"
"We can plant rice on the mountains around our South Mountain Lake!"
Luo Changsheng listened, his eyes lighting up with excitement. "Xiaofan, if you can truly develop rice seeds that can be planted on mountains, then our Bamboo Creek Village will have stable food security!"
Cheng Xiaofan smiled, "Grandpa, please have the villagers go to town this afternoon to buy some rice seeds and deliver them to the cave under my attic in the back mountain. I'll go there early tomorrow morning to improve the seeds with my true qi."
"Also, have some villagers clear out the miscellaneous trees on the mountains next to South Mountain Lake. I'll find a way to deal with the weeds!"
"Once those杂物 (miscellaneous things) are cleared, they can be sown at any time!"
Luo Changsheng asked, "No need for seedling cultivation, just direct sowing?"
Cheng Xiaofan nodded. "The rice variety I've improved doesn't need seedling cultivation. After sowing, all that's left is to remove weeds and wait for the harvest!"
Luo Changsheng's eyes narrowed into slits as he smiled. "This is wonderful! I'll go back immediately and arrange for the villagers to start working on this matter!"