The next morning, after everyone in Eden Village had finished their simple but hearty breakfast of roasted boar meat and fresh herbs, the fields came alive with purpose. Nearly every adult who worked the land gathered at the edge of the farms, tools in hand—hoes, digging sticks, and baskets of the rare herbs Luo Feng had shared. They moved with quiet determination, planting row after row of new crops exactly as he had taught them: alternating maize and beans, scattering crushed Monster-Ward Thistle and Healing Bloom between the seeds, digging the shallow ditches for better water flow.
Luo Feng walked among them for the first hour, watching, correcting a spacing here, showing a deeper compost mix there. But by mid-morning he could see it in their eyes—they had understood. The knowledge from his old life as a farmer in Churachandpur, combined with the forest herbs, was already taking root.
He stopped at the center of the largest field and raised his voice just enough for everyone to hear. "All of you already know and understand my teaching and explaining. The bugs will stay away now. The soil will grow strong again. You can continue without me guarding you all. Keep going. I will see you at noon."
The farmers nodded, smiles breaking across tired faces. They bowed gratefully as he turned and walked back toward the village alone. Miya watched him go from the edge of her family's plot, her cheeks warming again, but she stayed to help her mother plant.
Back in the village square, Luo Feng found Chief Haru sitting on a low stool, mending a fishing net. "Chief Haru," he said respectfully, "please gather the young people who are adults and strong—anyone over sixteen who can swing a tool without tiring too quickly. Kael is one of them. I need their help for something important."
Haru didn't ask questions. He rang the bronze bell again. Soon fifteen strong young men and women stood before Luo Feng, Kael among them, all looking curious and eager after yesterday's boar meat still sat warm in their bellies.
Luo Feng led them to a wide, low spot he had noticed earlier—perfectly placed between the village huts and the main farmland. A gentle slope let water drain naturally from the river, and the soil was soft clay that would hold water well.
"Here," he said, pointing. "We are going to dig a big pond. Deep enough for fish to live, wide enough to store water for the dry season and for the fields. It will feed the crops when the river runs low and give us fresh fish every week. Everyone follow my orders—dig straight down first, then widen the sides. We work together."
The young people nodded and set to work without complaint. Luo Feng joined them, his hidden B-rank strength making each swing of the makeshift shovel or sharpened stick far more powerful than it looked. Dirt flew. The hole grew wider and deeper hour by hour. Kael worked beside him, sweat pouring but grinning the whole time. By late afternoon the pond was finished—twenty meters across, three meters deep in the center, with gently sloping sides so children and animals could reach the water safely.
Everyone was exhausted, arms aching, backs sore, but their faces glowed with pride. The empty pit already looked like a promise.
"Enough for today," Luo Feng said, wiping his brow. "Go home, rest, eat. Tomorrow we line the bottom with clay and let the river fill it."
The young workers thanked him with tired but happy bows and shuffled back to their huts. Luo Feng walked with Kael to the chief's house. Inside, Miya had already prepared dinner—more boar meat, fresh herbs from the new planting, and a thin but flavorful soup. The whole family ate together, bellies full once again. Chief Haru kept glancing at Luo Feng with quiet respect. Miya stole shy looks across the table, her red cheeks hidden behind her bowl.
When the sun set, everyone laid out their mats early. The village fell quiet sooner than usual, the sound of soft, satisfied breathing filling every hut. Luo Feng lay on his corner mat, listening to the night insects and the distant river. Outside, the new pond waited like a blank canvas, and the fields beyond were already showing the first tiny green shoots of hope.
Sleep came deep and easy for every soul in Eden Village that night—tired bodies, full stomachs, and the quiet knowledge that tomorrow would be even better