Teacher by day, Farmer by passion - Chapter 232

Chapter 232: Mei’er & Yifeng [3] (NEW!)
As they finished their meal, Ace gently set down his chopsticks and stood.

“Mei’er, I’m heading out to meet your junior brother,” he said. “If you’re done, you should also come along, alright?”

Before Aunt Hong could even process the words, Liu Mei’s mouth opened wide, very unnaturally wide and to her deepest shock, the girl shoveled the rest of the pork clean off the plate and into her mouth in one go.

“Hghhh—mmmmm!” Liu Mei tilted her head back, cheeks bulging, then with one mighty gulp—gluk—it was gone.

She grinned at her mother with grease still on her chin. “Thanks for the meal, mother I’ll come back for more later. ”

“I’m coming, Master! Wait for me! Hehehe~”

Aunt Hong nearly fainted. “By the heavens—I thought my baby girl was going to die from choking! Huff!”

Ace chuckled, already turning to walk toward the door.

Liu Mei bounded after him, catching up in just a few strides, light on her feet as always despite the five pigs in her belly.

They walked for a while in comfortable silence, the artificial sun low in the sky, painting the dirt road in amber light.

The scent of pork still lingered faintly in the air.

Eventually, Ace turned to her with a curious look. “Mei’er… why did you suddenly tell your mother that Shan Yifeng thinks of her as a mother too? That was too sudden, but of course I’m happy you said that. I’m just curious,why?”

Liu Mei was licking her fingers clean, the last traces of fat glistening on her lips. She looked up and blinked, then smiled warmly.

“Because Mama was worried,” she said softly. “She’s been worried sick about Junior Brother the past few days. I’ve been trying to distract her by eating a lot so she wouldn’t notice I was listening…”

She giggled sheepishly. “You know I can read minds, right, Master?”

Ace nodded, a knowing smile on his face. “Yes, Mei’er. I know.”

“When you asked Mama about Junior Brother,” she continued, skipping a little ahead of him, “she had this fleeting thought like—’I really couldn’t be the mother he needed…’ So I said it. I had to say it! And I wasn’t lying either!”

She twirled on her heel to face him, hands behind her back. “Junior Brother really does love Mama too. He said once—he would rather die in momma place than watch her get killed. So it’s true, right?”

Ace’s heart warmed, and he reached out to gently pat her head. “Good, good. Then maybe you two can convince her to become a cultivator someday. Cultivators live long lives. You all will be together for a long time then.”

“Okay!!” Liu Mei shouted with glee, spinning in place before catching back up to his side.

As they passed a stream, the water shimmered with sunlight, and golden fish flickered like coins carried downstream.

In the meantime, a meditation room was nestled within a quiet nook of the Herb Garden, small, yet peaceful, filled with the earthy scent of dried roots and bitter leaves

“Achoo! Is someone cursing me?”, Shan Yifeng opened his eyes.

“Alright, that’s enough for today,” Akha said, her eyes fluttering open. “Yifeng,you should also take a break. We’ve been at this the whole day.”

They were seated inside the quiet meditation chamber. Akha, Khani, Kathum, and Mati all sat cross-legged around a central mat.

Shan Yifeng, his brows furrowed with determination, turned toward Akha.

“But Master—”

She raised a finger.

“Teacher,” she corrected firmly.

He hesitated. “…Teacher.”

“Good. You may have multiple teachers, but you have only one Master,” she said with finality. “And your teacher says—go home. Spend some time with your aunt.”

“But Teacher—”

“No buts,” Akha interrupted. “What are you so afraid of anyway?”

Khani leaned in with a grin. “Wait—don’t tell me… is this about Liu Hong? Do you have feelings for her? You’re just a kid! Besides,” she added with a mischievous glint, “Liu Mei would probably eat you whole.”

Mati didn’t even wait another second bonk! She smacked both Khani and Kathum on the head.

“OW—!” Kathum yelped. “I didn’t even say anything!”

“You were about to. It was a preemptive strike,” Mati said calmly.

Shan Yifeng didn’t laugh instead he slowly sat down, eyes falling to his hands in his lap.

“I’m just scared…” he murmured. “What if I’m a curse? What if I bring misfortune to the people I care about? My father is dead, I don’t know my mother, that’s probably why she’s still alive..and my brother..he is also probably dead…”

The room grew still.

Akha’s expression softened. She moved closer and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“Yifeng… you are not a curse.”

His lip trembled.

“I’ve seen many with gifts… and many with burdens. But guilt? Fear of hurting others? That means your heart is still kind. Still pure. You don’t need to carry this weight alone.”

Khani, suddenly serious, nodded. “You’re one of us, Shan Yifeng. If anything happens—we’ll all face it together.”

Kathum added quietly, “Family doesn’t end with blood. It ends when we stop caring. And that’s not happening any time soon.”

Shan Yifeng’s shoulders shook faintly from the overwhelming feeling of being accepted.

He wiped his eyes, a shaky breath escaping his lips. “…Thank you. All of you.”

Akha smiled. “Now go on. Your aunt’s waiting.”

As he left the room, a gentle breeze slipped through the window, rustling the hanging herbs and scrolls.

Outside, the artificial sun within the system space had begun to set down.

At the same time, not far beyond the garden’s edge. Ace and Liu Mei approached the herb mountain, footsteps echoed lightly from ahead.

They halted and waited, and out from the herb garden stepped Shan Yifeng.

“Speak of the devil,” Ace remarked with a smile, folding his arms.

“Master,” Shan Yifeng said quickly, falling to one knee without hesitation.

Ace raised an eyebrow, amused. “Arise.”

And rise the boy did, back stiff with guilt.