Shengui Changsheng: Start from Zhenwuwei and add some points to cultivate immortality

“Dad, a few days ago I went to play by the river with Gouwa and saw a kind of grass with purple flowers growing on the riverbank. Its roots were very deep. Gouwa said that the soil seems to be a little looser where that grass grows.” Fu Shaoping was describing milkvetch, a common green manure plant. He continued to guide the conversation, “Grandpa Mountain God also seems to have said that some grasses rotting in the ground can be used as fertilizer to make crops grow better.”

"Fertilizer?" Fu Tieshan was taken aback. The villagers relied mainly on the weather for farming, at most sprinkling some wood ash, and were completely unfamiliar with the concept of "green manure".

“Yes!” Fu Shaoping nodded vigorously. “We can go and cut some of those purple grasses and other fast-growing weeds, spread them on our land, and then turn them back into the soil after they rot. Maybe that will make the land a little more fertile. Anyway, there’s still some time before planting, so it won’t take much effort to try.”

Fu Tieshan was skeptical, but thinking of the various "miracles" his son had performed before, and seeing the certainty in his son's eyes, he nodded: "Alright! We're just killing time anyway, might as well give it a shot!"

So, while other families were leveling their land in preparation for direct sowing, Fu Tieshan, along with Fu Shaoping, began what the villagers considered an "unproductive" activity—cutting large quantities of various grasses from the riverbanks and hillsides, especially the purple clover and wild peas "specified" by Fu Shaoping, and spreading them layer by layer in their own fields.

The villagers were abuzz with discussion when they saw this.

"Fu Tieshan's leg just healed, and he's already starting to cause trouble?"

"Putting so much grass on the ground, are you just trying to attract bugs? That's wishful thinking!"

"I'm afraid his leg injury damaged his brain..."

At first, Fu Tieshan felt uneasy about the rumors, but seeing that his son didn't care and continued to diligently cut and lay grass with him, he gradually calmed down. Although Yang didn't understand either, she unconditionally supported her husband and son.

After laying the grass, Fu Shaoping suggested that his father collect some humus (a mixture of rotten leaves and soil) from the edge of the woods and spread it on the grass. Fu Tieshan did as he was told.

The next step is to wait for the grass and humus to slowly decompose under the action of rainwater and microorganisms.

During this downtime, Fu Shaoping didn't remain idle. He turned his attention to the mountains and forests. Spring is the season of growth for all things, and also the time when many mountain delicacies sprout. With his extraordinary intuition, he and Gouwa found several areas of decaying wood that the villagers had not yet discovered, where more black fungus grew. They also found a small patch of wild mountain leeks and ferns. These fresh wild vegetables greatly enriched the Fu family's dining table.

He also "accidentally" discovered that a certain plant, considered a weed by villagers and uneaten by cattle and sheep, when dried and burned, had a good effect in repelling mosquitoes. Given the abundance of mosquitoes in the mountains during spring and summer, this was undoubtedly a practical discovery.

As time went by, the grass covering the Fu family's fields gradually turned black and rotted, beginning to blend with the soil.

About half a month later, Fu Tieshan turned over the soil with a hoe and was surprised to find that the originally hard and compacted loess had become much looser and darker in color. When he held it in his hand, he could feel a moist and fluffy texture rich in organic matter!

"This...this land..." Fu Tieshan was so excited he was almost incoherent. He had farmed for half his life and had never seen his poor field have such good moisture and soil quality!

Madam Yang also came over to take a look, grabbed a handful of soil, and exclaimed in surprise, "Father, this soil... seems to really be different!"

The planting day arrived. The Fu family didn't have enough seeds, so they eventually borrowed corn and bean seeds from the clan head. However, on Fu Shaoping's advice, they didn't sow densely as in previous years, but instead appropriately widened the plant spacing and intercropped beans between the corn rows (utilizing the nitrogen-fixing properties of legumes). Fu Shaoping also insisted on using the little wood ash they had and the meager amount of homemade "vine root powder" residue as base fertilizer, applying it concentrated around the planting holes.

All of this was still seen as "nonsense" by the law-abiding villagers. But Fu Tieshan and Yang had become accustomed to following their son's "advice".

After the seeds were sown, Fu Shaoping continued to run to the field every day. He wasn't using any magic, but rather carefully observing the growth of the seedlings and the moisture of the soil. He would remind his father when to thin the seedlings and when to mound soil around them. His advice was always just right, as if he could understand the "language" of the crops.

Spring rain is as precious as oil. After several spring rains, the corn and bean seedlings in the Fu family's field sprouted from the soil, a lush green expanse. Compared to the sparse and yellowing seedlings in the fields of other families nearby, the seedlings in the Fu family's field appeared exceptionally robust, neat, and dazzlingly green.

Now, the villagers could no longer make sarcastic remarks; instead, they were filled with surprise and envy.

"Why are the seedlings at Fu Tieshan's house growing so well?"

"Could laying down straw really be effective?"

"His son Pingwa... is really strange..."

Fu Shaoping ignored the surrounding chatter. He stood on the edge of the field, watching the seedlings swaying gently in the spring breeze, feeling the faint yet real vitality emanating from the earth beneath his feet.

Spring planting is just the first step. He knows that to truly establish his family's foothold, more planning is needed. For example, how to utilize the greater yields from the mountains and forests during the summer, and how to find better ways to store or trade for a potentially slightly better harvest in the fall...

His spiritual practice in this life has quietly transitioned from seeking survival to pursuing development. His "path" has taken deeper root in this field of hope.

The unusual and thriving seedlings in the Fu family's field became the most eye-catching sight in Wangshan Village this spring. The initial skepticism and ridicule were gradually replaced by curiosity and inquiries. Villagers would often pretend to pass by the Fu family's field, squat down to grab a handful of soil, or stare at the bright green seedlings in amazement.

Fu Tieshan's posture had straightened considerably, and a smile appeared on his face. He remained a man of few words, but when asked, he would vaguely reply, "The kid was just messing around, getting some grass to fertilize the land, and it actually worked." He attributed most of the credit to his son, a gesture of both affection and indirect protection. Fu Shaoping understood this perfectly and continued to play the role of the somewhat quiet child who occasionally uttered some "strange" ideas.

In late spring and early summer, with increasing rainfall, weeds began to grow wildly. While other families in the village were busy weeding, Fu Shaoping proposed an idea that once again stunned Fu Tieshan.

"Dad, don't throw away the weeds you've hoeed. Just pile them under the corn stalks."

"Pile it down there? Won't that just grow grass? What if it competes with the crops for fertilizer?" Fu Tieshan asked, puzzled.

"Grandpa Mountain God said that when grass rots next to the roots, the fertilizer goes directly to the crops, which is better than spreading it out. It also helps retain moisture and prevents the soil from drying out too quickly," Fu Shaoping said, bringing up the "Mountain God" as a powerful selling point. This is actually the original concept of covering to retain moisture and composting on-site.

Fu Tieshan was skeptical, but he did as instructed. So, while other farmers' fields were bare with only seedlings, Fu's field had a layer of slowly rotting weeds covering the corn stalks. Strangely, the weeds grew more slowly than in other fields, and the soil did indeed appear more moist.

At the same time, Fu Shaoping's utilization of the mountain forest entered a more refined stage. He was no longer satisfied with simply finding ready-made wood ear mushrooms and wild vegetables. With Gouwa, he began to consciously "manage" the decaying wood areas where wood ear mushrooms grew, clearing away competing plants and occasionally sprinkling some water (if there was a water source nearby). He even tried transplanting some densely growing fern seedlings to the cool, damp slope behind his house to see if they could survive.

He also discovered a wild fruit that the villagers disdained—"sour jujubes," small in size and extremely sour in taste, only occasionally picked by children to play with. Fu Shaoping, however, knew that these wild jujubes were extremely high in vitamins and could be stored after drying. He mobilized several of his playmates, including Gouwa, to collect a large quantity of sour jujubes, promising to share some with them. Yang washed and dried these jujubes, and indeed obtained a small bag of dried fruit that could be stored for a long time. When food was scarce, soaking it in water and drinking the resulting infusion could prevent scurvy.

The two hens in the family became increasingly stable and started laying eggs regularly, thanks to Fu Shaoping's continued feeding of snail rice noodles, bone meal (he guided his father to crush small bones from the wild rabbits and pheasants they occasionally found), and scraps of fermented food. Fu Shaoping even suggested that his mother regularly clean out the chicken manure and bedding that had accumulated at the bottom of the chicken coop, pile it up in a corner of the room to ferment, and prepare it as top dressing for the winter wheat sowing in the fall.

These seemingly trivial accumulations and changes have led to a visible improvement in the Fu family's life. Although they remain poor and their meals are often lacking in oil and grease, at least they can eat their fill, and the variety of food has increased somewhat. The sorrow on Yang's face has almost completely faded, and her eyes are filled with anticipation for the future. Fu Tieshan is even more energetic, tending to the crops and thinking about what else he can make from the mountains and his home whenever he has a spare moment.

As summer arrived, the corn began to tassel and the beans began to flower. The crops in the Fu family's field were growing more and more impressively, with thick corn stalks, dark green leaves, and plump bean pods, forming a stark contrast with the withered and stunted varieties in the neighboring fields.

The rumors in the village about Fu family's "Pingwa'er" being a "mountain god child" intensified. Even the clan chief, Fu Laoshuan, couldn't resist and came to Fu's house one evening, leaning on his cane.

"Tieshan, this land of yours... was it really Pingwa who cleared it?" Fu Laoshuan looked at the energetic Fu Tieshan, then glanced at Fu Shaoping who was quietly drawing on the ground with a twig in front of the house, and asked in a complicated tone.

Fu Tieshan respectfully invited the clan chief to sit down, and smiled憨厚ly: "Clan chief, the boy was just thinking wildly, and he just happened to run into someone."

Fu Laoshuan's cloudy eyes gleamed with a sharp light: "You can come up with something like this just by wildly speculating? Tieshan, we share the same ancestor. If you have any good ideas, you can't keep them to yourself. Look at everyone's land in the village..."

Fu Tieshan looked troubled and glanced at his son. He was not a man of many words.

At this moment, Fu Shaoping put down the branch, walked over, and bowed respectfully to Fu Laoshuan. His voice was clear and crisp: "Grandpa Clan Chief, it's not that I have any special methods, but the Mountain God took pity on our family's plight and taught me some ways to serve the land in a dream. These methods may not be useful for other families, and... they take a lot of effort."

His words were very skillful; he both invoked the "mountain god" to avoid being coveted and pointed out that it "required a lot of effort," implying that it was not a shortcut to gain something for nothing.

Old Fu, being a shrewd and experienced man, immediately understood the implication. He gave Fu Shaoping a deep look; this child was even more intelligent and composed than he had imagined. He sighed, "Yes, divine methods aren't so easy to learn. Pingwa'er is truly blessed." He didn't press for specific methods, instead chatting about village gossip before getting up and leaving.

After seeing the clan chief off, Fu Tieshan breathed a sigh of relief, patted his son on the shoulder, his eyes filled with pride and a hint of barely perceptible awe. His son was truly different now.

Watching the clan chief's departing figure, Fu Shaoping understood. A tree that stands out in the forest will surely be felled by the wind. Appropriate concealment and maintaining an air of mystery are necessary. He also considered the villagers' reactions as part of cultivating his mind amidst the world's hustle and bustle.

At night, Fu Shaoping lay on his hard bed, listening to the chirping of summer insects outside the window. His consciousness was focused inward, sensing the faint yet tenacious life force flowing through his body in this life. The faint light of the Book of a Hundred Lifetimes flickered quietly in the depths of his consciousness, recording these ordinary yet wise moments.

He didn't need to command the wind and rain, or move mountains and seas. Seeing the increasing smiles on his parents' faces, and witnessing the vitality that this barren land had brought to life under his guidance, the sense of accomplishment from creating and protecting was far more ordinary than the power to rule the stars and overthrow the heavens in his previous life, yet it was far more real and heartwarming.

Summer has passed and autumn has arrived, the bountiful harvest season is about to test the results of his more than half a year of "deep cultivation". That will be the first real test for this family, and also for his "way" in this life.

The refreshing autumn breeze turns the rice golden and paints the maple leaves red. Wangshan Village welcomes the most crucial and nerve-wracking time of the year—the autumn harvest.

The few acres of barren land that the Fu family once looked down upon have now become the focus of the entire village's attention. The corn stalks are taller than a person, as thick as a child's arm, with two or three plump, firm ears of corn hanging from them, their husks golden yellow. The beans between the rows are even more lush, their pods densely packed, almost bending the stalks down.

This was a stark contrast to the sparse, thin ears of corn and shriveled pods in the fields of the other villagers. The villagers looked at the Fu family's crops with complex emotions—envy, jealousy, and above all, an indescribable sense of awe.

On the day the harvest began, Fu Tieshan and Yang went to the fields before dawn. Fu Shaoping followed behind. Although he was not strong enough to do heavy work, he carried a small basket and helped pick up the fallen bean pods.

The sickle swung down, and the golden corn stalks fell with a crisp sound. Fu Tieshan's hands trembled as he touched the heavy ears of corn. Yang Shi, overjoyed, wept, wiping away tears as she quickly broke off ears of corn. "My husband... this... this harvest... I've lived most of my life and never seen such good corn!" Yang Shi's voice trembled with sobs. (End of Chapter)