Over in the back courtyard, Xushu and Xu Damao returned against the biting wind.
Xushu stopped, looked at Xu Damao with a face full of admiration, and said,
"Brother Damao, you're the truly impressive one—you know the ins and outs of this courtyard like the back of your hand.
I admit defeat. But since I just moved in, I still have a lot of things to set up at home.
Once I get everything sorted out, I'll definitely invite you over for a meal. I'm still somewhat confident in my own cooking skills."
As he spoke, he patted Xu Damao on the shoulder.
Xu Damao laughed out loud, reached out to pat Xushu on the back, and said,
"Alright then, I'm holding you to that word.
When the time comes, you'll have to let me taste your cooking. If it's not delicious, the deal is off."
With that, the two smiled at each other and headed toward their respective homes.
Back inside his house, Xushu first walked over to the window and shut it tightly.
Then he turned and bolted the front door as well, before walking over to the table and snapping off the light with a sharp "click."
Guided by the faint moonlight filtering through the window, he climbed onto the *kang* with practiced ease.
Sitting cross-legged, Xushu closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and shifted his consciousness.
In an instant, his entire body seemed to be sucked in by an invisible force and vanished from the dim room.
In the blink of an eye, Xushu appeared in a bizarre space shrouded in clouds and mist.
It was quiet and peaceful, with a faint halo of light diffusing all around.
A clear spirit spring was bubbling with hot steam; in this silent space, the sound of flowing spring water was exceptionally melodic.
Filled with a mixture of curiosity and anticipation, Xushu walked hurriedly toward the eye of the spirit spring.
The surroundings were dead silent, save for the faint crunch of his footsteps on the wild grass.
Reaching the edge of the spring, he squatted down, cupped his hands together, and plunged them slowly into the crystal-clear spirit spring, scooping up a full palm of water.
Then he carefully brought it to his lips and tilted his head back to drink.
The moment the spirit spring touched his taste buds, a crisp sensation coupled with a hint of sweetness burst into full bloom inside his mouth like a sharp sword.
The flavor was initially biting cold, immediately followed by wisps of sweetness spreading wantonly across the tip of his tongue.
Next, this strange stream of water transformed into a scorching torrent, resembling a rampaging fire dragon plunging straight down his throat.
Wherever it passed, his meridians were swept by its surging power, and in the blink of an eye, it rapidly spread to every single meridian in his body.
Xushu felt as though his entire body were being frantically gnawed by thousands of ants, sending a complex sensation of numbness and swelling deep from within his bones.
The pain seemed to crawl straight out of his bone marrow, making it almost unbearable.
Before he could even recover his wits, a thick, sticky layer of black grime began to well up across his skin.
This filth seemed like years of accumulated impurities, squeezed out of his body all at once in this moment, emitting a nauseating stench that made one want to retch.
Xushu curled up in agony on the ground, his hands gripping the grass beneath him so tightly that his knuckles turned slightly pale from the exertion.
His body convulsed violently, and every breath was accompanied by heavy panting.
It felt as though the air in his lungs had been evacuated, leaving him to force out each breath with difficulty from between clenched teeth.
Beads of sweat the size of soybeans rolled down his forehead, mixing with the filth constantly oozing from his body, and streamed wildly down his cheeks and neck, leaving muddy trails across his skin.
As time ticked away second by second, that piercing pain gradually subsided.
It was replaced by an unprecedented sense of ease and invigoration.
Xushu slowly opened his eyes, a strange glint flashing within them.
He got slowly to his feet and stretched his limbs.
He felt as light as if he could float away with the wind, every movement brimming with power, as though he had been reborn.
Looking down at his body, he saw that his clothes were completely stained with the black filth and giving off waves of foul odor.
The smell hung all around him, causing him to frown involuntarily.
At that moment, Xushu was filled with regret, thinking to himself that if he had known the spirit spring's effects would be so intense, he should have taken off his clothes beforehand instead of ruining this outfit in such a manner.
Still, he was not someone given to overthinking; after a brief moment of reflection, Xushu decisively stripped off all his clothes and trousers.
Then, with a leap, he jumped straight into the pool and began washing the filth from his body.
As the grime on his skin was washed away bit by bit by the spring water, the skin previously covered in filth turned as white as jade, delicate and smooth, radiating a faint luster like meticulously polished fine jade.
Beyond that, Xushu could distinctly feel that he had grown taller, and even another part of him had grown longer—a sudden change that left his heart filled with shock.
By this point, Xushu completely believed that this Spirit Spring Space was as powerful as its description claimed.
However, thinking of the spring's potent effects, Xushu's brow furrowed unconsciously.
He began to ponder how to let his mother safely consume the spirit spring water.
After all, his mother did not possess a formidable physical body like his own, and she had fallen seriously ill just a few years ago.
Although she had largely recovered by now, given her current physical condition, she probably wouldn't be able to handle the shock of the undiluted spirit spring.
Suddenly, inspiration struck Xushu: he had drunk the spirit spring directly, which was why the effect was so intense.
If he took some spring water and diluted it for his mother to drink, while the effect would undoubtedly be greatly diminished, it shouldn't trigger such a violent reaction.
However, before confirming this, Xushu decided to use Uncle Xu as a test subject first.
After all, given Uncle Xu's robust constitution, drinking the spirit spring directly should pose no problem at all.
Having made up his mind, Xushu stopped dwelling on it and continued washing his body.
Once finished, he also took his hopelessly soiled clothes into the pool and washed them.
Xushu wasn't worried that these impurities from his body would pollute the entire pool.
The pool was already quite large, fed by running water, and since it was a spirit spring, naturally it wouldn't be ruined by such a trifle.
After washing his clothes and wringing out the water, Xushu, still stark naked, shifted his intent and returned to the real world.
Xushu was grateful that he had entered the Spirit Spring Space right from his *kang*; returning now from that wondrous space, he hurriedly snatched a nearby quilt and quickly wrapped it around his naked body, his movements carrying a hint of disarray and haste.
Once his body was tightly bundled in the quilt, he got up leisurely and strolled unhurriedly over to the wardrobe.
Pulling open the door, he took out a set of clothes and put them on.
Then he remembered the freshly washed clothes hanging to dry nearby.
So he tied a clothesline inside the room, carefully smoothing out the garments piece by piece and hanging them on the line to dry.
With all this done, he clapped his hands, went back inside, climbed back onto the *kang*, pulled up the quilt, and prepared to rest.
The room was quiet, and after tossing and turning under the covers for quite a while, he gradually drifted off to sleep.
The old night receded quietly like the tide, and a new day, wrapped in the morning light, arrived with brisk steps and a song.
Early the next morning, just as the first rays of dawn filtered through the window into the room, Xushu woke up early.
Arriving in a new place for the first time, alone, and with the residual excitement still not fully fading, he hadn't slept very soundly last night.
Today he planned to go out and procure some supplies, while taking the opportunity to thoroughly tour this historically rich ancient capital of five dynasties.
Xushu sat on the edge of the *kang*, taking the last remaining piece of dry ration into his hand, slowly chewing and swallowing it.
After eating, he got up to tidy his clothes, put the room in order, locked the door, and stepped outside.
By this time, the others in the courtyard had also finished breakfast and were heading out one after another for work.
Xushu wore a polite smile on his face, greeting everyone one by one along the way with a crisp and cheerful voice, before leisurely strolling out of the courtyard.
He calculated in his mind that he first needed to familiarize himself with the environment around the courtyard and the Rolling Mill.
Places he would frequently deal with in daily life, such as the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, the Pigeon Market, and the Trust Store, had to be thoroughly figured out.
In addition, he needed to go collect next month's grain rations in advance, and stock up on coal briquettes.
Daily seasonings like oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar, along with storage-friendly vegetables like potatoes and Chinese cabbage, all needed to be purchased.
As for other items, he figured he would deal with them once his job stabilized and life got on track.
Xushu wandered alone through the streets and alleys for the entire morning.
He walked and stopped, occasionally pausing to observe shop signs or asking passersby for directions.
After a round of exploration, he had basically figured out the surrounding area like the back of his hand.
During his stroll, he also happily discovered an excellent fishing spot right beside the picturesque Shichahai Lake, and the distance wasn't far at all.
He instantly realized that his Spirit Spring Space was in need of fish fry, and this place was simply a match made in heaven.
Xushu was quite confident in his fishing skills; while he couldn't compare to Tianyuan Deng Gang, a renowned figure in the fishing world, compared to ordinary anglers, he was head and shoulders above them.
Right then, he secretly planned to bring his fishing rod over from Xu Village when he returned there.
In his spare time, he could go fishing, which would both supplement the fish fry in the Spirit Spring Space and yield fish that could be sold to the Rolling Mill—truly a win-win arrangement.
At noon, feeling hungry, Xushu stepped into a roadside eatery.
He ordered a home-style dish and ate it with great relish.
After the meal, following his plan, he first went to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative.
Among the shelves, he picked out the seasonings he needed, and carried several heads of Chinese cabbage and a selection of potatoes.
Afterward, he headed to the grain station and successfully collected the following month's rations.
Then he rushed to the alley coal shop and bought a basket of coal briquettes.
Running back and forth several times left him panting with exhaustion, but he finally managed to get all these items back home.
Xushu put all the newly purchased items in their proper places, checked the sky, and seeing that it was still early, decided to head out for another stroll.
He had been keeping Tiananmen in the back of his mind—that was the landmark building of this city, carrying heavy history and glory.
Just as he reached the Middle Courtyard, he spotted a young woman with a graceful figure and a pretty face washing clothes by the water basin.
The woman leaned forward slightly, her slender hands rinsing the clothes back and forth in the water with practiced movements.
Xu Damao's words from yesterday flashed instantly through Xushu's mind, and he pondered inwardly that this must be Qin Huairu, the Jia Family's daughter-in-law.
Just then, as if sensing something, Qin Huairu paused her work, slowly raised her head, and looked toward where Xushu was standing.
Her watery eyes seemed to hide endless charm, and they locked onto Xushu instantly.
At the moment their eyes met, Qin Huairu's heart rippled like a calm lake disturbed by a pebble.
Although her husband, Jia Dongxu, was considered quite handsome in this courtyard, compared to the man before her, the difference was like heaven and earth.
Xushu had a tall, upright figure, a handsome face, and an exceptional temperament.
By comparison, Jia Dongxu looked like a crudely made mud figurine—how could Qin Huairu not be moved?
However, Xushu seemed to keenly perceive the slight abnormality lingering in the air.
His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly withdrew his gaze, nodded slightly at Qin Huairu in acknowledgement, and turned to leave in a hurry.
Right at that moment, Mrs. Jia walked out from the room.
She caught sight of Qin Huairu standing blankly by the water basin and then saw Xushu's retreating back.
Instantly, an anonymous fury flared up; she strode over to Qin Huairu, put her hands on her hips, and started cursing fiercely.
"You heartless, cheap hussy! All day long, all you know is flirting outside—are you trying to disgrace the Jia Family completely?!"
Her shrill and piercing voice echoed throughout the courtyard.
Qin Huairu was filled with grievance, her lips trembling slightly, yet she dared not talk back to Mrs. Jia.
She could only lower her head in silence, pick up the clothes again, and resume scrubbing them in the water, tears swirling in her eyes while she forcefully fought back so they wouldn't fall.
Mrs. Jia cursed a few more times, spitting furiously until she vented her anger.
Only then did she satisfyingly pick up her shoe sole—which was practically encrusted with grime—swish her hips, and go off to gossip with a neighbor.
Meanwhile, Banggen was outside playing and laughing in the alley with other kids like Yan Jiakou and Liu Guangfu.
Chasing one another, they were completely oblivious to the scene that had just unfolded in the courtyard.