I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times

Vol 2 Chapter 98: Lively

Zheng Fa took a few steps forward, watching as the driver unloaded the goods.

One truck was filled with crops—mostly vegetables.

There were winter staples like radishes, cabbage, and shepherd’s purse.

There were also tomatoes, likely sourced from greenhouses.

Then there were the seeds—primarily different varieties of rice.

Teacher Tian had already stepped up, taking the bags of vegetables and seeds one by one, carefully inspecting each before nodding in approval. Despite the sheer volume of goods, she showed no impatience.

Occasionally, she would shake her head at Zheng Fa and set some items aside—not making things difficult for the delivery driver, but clearly deeming those items unsuitable.

Two other trucks were loaded with lab equipment.

There were also various instruments—microscopes, centrifuges, balances…

These were just the ones Zheng Fa could recognize.

There were over a dozen other equipment boxes whose contents he couldn’t even begin to guess.

“Don’t worry,” Old Man Bai said reassuringly. “Xiao Tian helped her make a list and personally contacted the suppliers. Lingwu won’t get scammed.”

“I’m not worried about her getting scammed,” Zheng Fa shook his head. “I’m worried she spent too much money.”

“…That, I can’t help with.” Old Man Bai was silent for a moment before sighing, as if he understood what Zheng Fa meant. “Only you can stop her.”

…

“How much did you spend?”

Zheng Fa stepped into the house and found Tang Lingwu, who seemed to be deliberately avoiding him.

Even though she was the one who had spent the money, her expression looked somewhat guilty.

“Not that much…”

Zheng Fa sighed lightly.

He had just asked Teacher Tian—the total value of these three truckloads was at least ten million.

Hearing him sigh, Tang Lingwu quickly explained, “I didn’t ask my parents for money! I used my own.”

“Your own money?”

Zheng Fa was puzzled.

Tang Lingwu’s family was certainly wealthy, but she wasn’t the type to spend much.

The bank card she used for daily expenses probably had, at most, a few hundred thousand on it.

Compared to other rich second-generation kids from families with similar wealth to her father’s, Tang Lingwu was surprisingly frugal.

One could even say she had been raised with strict discipline.

“My New Year’s money.” Tang Lingwu, seeing his disbelief, continued, “Gifts from my elders. It wasn’t much at first, but as my family’s wealth grew, it gradually increased.”

“…How much do you have left?”

“I still have plenty. I never paid much attention to that money—it just sat in my account until I remembered it these past few days. Do you need to buy something else?”

Seeing that she was still eager to spend, Zheng Fa quickly refused.

“…Are you unhappy?”

Tang Lingwu’s voice held a hint of nervousness as she looked at him.

“Tang Lingwu.”

“Hmm?” She shuddered slightly at how serious he sounded when saying her name.

“I’m deeply, deeply grateful that you trust me this much. And I’m grateful that you support the nursing home so selflessly.”

Zheng Fa’s tone was sincere.

But Tang Lingwu’s expression dimmed slightly, as if she already knew he was about to say something that would disappoint her.

“But I…” Zheng Fa took a moment to gather his thoughts. “I still want to tell you the truth—perhaps at the beginning, I approached you because I needed something from you.”

He recalled how their first interaction had been driven by his curiosity about talisman diagrams resembling Olympiad problems—he had sought her out for help.

“And maybe, for you, it all started because of milk tea.”

“…Yeah.”

Tang Lingwu smiled slightly, as if remembering their first meeting as well.

“But we’ve known each other for a long time now.” Zheng Fa hesitated briefly before deciding to voice his thoughts. “I already consider you my Dao companion.”

“…Dao companion?”

“Yes, a Dao companion.” Zheng Fa nodded. “So, Tang Lingwu…”

“Hm?” She looked at him, a bit dazed.

Zheng Fa wasn’t good at expressing his emotions.

But with Tang Lingwu, it felt like he had to make himself clear.

“Maybe in your previous life, because of certain expectations, you always had to be the child who helped the family—the student who made her parents proud.”

“But here, with me, you don’t have to think about whether you’re useful to me, or to the nursing home…” Zheng Fa reflected on the choices she had made along the way. “Whether it’s learning computer science or spending money, I appreciate it all…”

“But I still hope you understand something.”

“…” Tang Lingwu stared at him, stunned. She hadn’t expected him to suddenly say all this.

“You are enough just as you are. You don’t need to constantly try to please me—or anyone else—to justify your existence.” Zheng Fa looked at her seriously.

This was a girl who had lived under the shadow of a not-so-normal mother for years.

A girl who had never had a true close friend.

That was why she was so anxious about her relationships, why she cared too much about how others saw her.

That was why she gave without limits, always seeking to make herself “useful.”

For as long as he had known her, every choice she made had unconsciously been about proving her worth.

“You’ve helped me a lot—real, tangible help.” Zheng Fa continued, “But what I really want to say is… At some point, without even realizing it, I stopped caring about whether you had money, or whether you chose to study computer science.”

“I would still want to walk this cultivation path with you, all the way to its end.”

“…Mm.”

Tang Lingwu sniffled softly, nodding lightly.

“At least here, in the nursing home,” Zheng Fa said softly, “even without Wind-Riding Technique, you are still free.”

…

“Lingwu has changed.”

Old Man Bai looked at Zheng Fa, then at Tang Lingwu in the distance, who was happily assisting Teacher Tian with an experiment. He suddenly made an observation.

“Huh?”

Zheng Fa was a little surprised—this old man was unexpectedly perceptive.

“In the past, that girl used to look at you like a pitiful stray puppy.”

“…”

“When she looked at you, her eyes were practically saying, ‘Please don’t abandon me.’”

Zheng Fa had to admit—the old man’s description was oddly accurate.

“And now?”

“She’s still a little puppy, but now she looks like she’s got a wagging tail whenever she sees you.”

“Huh?”

“There’s no more fear in her eyes.” Old Man Bai smirked. “Now, it’s just pure, dumb happiness.”

“…”

Meanwhile, Teacher Tian and Tang Lingwu walked over to them.

“It’s no good,” Teacher Tian announced. “At the cellular level, these plants haven’t shown any significant changes.”

Zheng Fa wasn’t particularly disappointed.

Over the past two days, they had conducted numerous experiments using the seeds they had acquired.

One after another, his Longevity Talismans had transformed batches of seedlings into full-grown vegetables, fruits, and grains.

They had tested thousands of plant varieties.

Most crops grew more robustly in the presence of spiritual energy, looking fresher and healthier.

But when viewed through the Void-Seeking Spirit Eyes, none of them contained actual spiritual energy.

As expected, after examining the samples under a microscope, Teacher Tian concluded that they were just ordinary vegetables and grains, without any special structures.

“So either modern crops simply don’t have the potential to become spiritual plants,” Old Man Bai analyzed with a frown, “or, as Xiao Tian suggested, there’s some special condition we’re missing.”

Everyone fell silent.

The results of these experiments were far from encouraging.

“Alright! Research takes time. And since we’re cultivating, we’ve got plenty of it—no need to rush.” Teacher Tian clapped her hands together. “Besides, it’s rare to have such a variety of fresh vegetables in winter. I’m going to cook up a feast, and we’ll have a lively meal together.”

Hearing that, smiles spread across the group’s faces.

Zheng Fa glanced at Tang Lingwu and saw her grinning radiantly, filled with unrestrained joy.

She seemed to notice his gaze, turned her head toward him, and suddenly puffed out her stomach, patting it lightly—as if to say she was hungry.

Her expression was so bright and playful that it was dazzling.

…

“Xiao Tian, did your cooking skills improve again?”

Old Man Bai popped a slice of cucumber into his mouth and widened his eyes in surprise.

“You’re just trying to flatter me!” Teacher Tian smacked him with her chopsticks. “The kids are here, you know!”

“No, really—”

“Teacher Tian, it’s true!” Tang Lingwu’s voice was even more astonished than Old Man Bai’s. “It’s delicious! Way better than anything I’ve ever eaten before!”

Teacher Tian, seeing the sincerity on her face, picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks and tasted it herself.

After chewing twice, her eyelids twitched.

She said nothing, but systematically sampled every dish on the table before finally setting her chopsticks down with a serious expression.

“This isn’t because of my cooking skills.”

“…It’s the spiritual energy?”

Old Man Bai caught on immediately.

“Yes. The nursing home’s kitchen isn’t even fully stocked with seasonings,” Teacher Tian explained. “And my cooking hasn’t magically improved overnight.”

Zheng Fa placed a piece of tomato in his mouth and nodded slightly.

He had never considered that the food from the Xuanyi Realm might taste better.

The ingredients in the two worlds seemed slightly different, but only now, with a direct comparison, did he realize the truth—spiritual energy had actually enhanced the flavor of the vegetables and grains.

Did that mean the pigweed he had eaten before was actually an improved version?

Without spiritual energy, would it have been utterly inedible?

They may not have cultivated true spiritual plants yet, but at least they had discovered an unexpected benefit.

“Zheng Fa!” Tang Lingwu suddenly slapped the table and exclaimed, “This stuff is valuable!”

“I know.” Zheng Fa had already thought of that. However, his production capacity was still limited…

“It’s very valuable!” Seeing that he wasn’t taking it seriously, Tang Lingwu insisted, “High-end ingredients are worth far more than you think!”

Hearing her say this, Zheng Fa and Old Man Bai exchanged glances, both intrigued.

If a little rich girl like her said something was valuable, then it was probably seriously valuable.

“How so?”

“Some high-end restaurants rely on exclusive ingredients—things that can’t be found anywhere else. The rarer, the better,” Tang Lingwu explained. “But rare doesn’t always mean delicious.”

Zheng Fa looked at the table full of food.

Now he understood her point.

These ingredients were, first of all, exclusive to the nursing home.

Secondly, they were genuinely delicious.

A complete domination of the competition.

…

“I’m calling my dad to ask him about this!”

Tang Lingwu pulled out her phone and stepped a bit farther away.

She put the call on speaker, and it was answered almost immediately.

“Sweetheart! Missed your dear old dad?” A middle-aged man’s slightly greasy voice came through.

“Dad! I have a business question to ask you!” Tang Lingwu’s face turned red as she cut him off.

“…Who are you? How did you get my daughter’s phone?”

The voice on the other end instantly turned serious.

“…Dad!”

“My daughter has never been interested in business!”

…

Nearby, Old Man Bai, who was nearly two generations older than Tang Lingwu, scoffed. “That’s just because she hasn’t met some punk yet.”

“……”

“If she did meet one, forget business—she’d be interested in having kids.” Old Man Bai muttered through gritted teeth.

“I am interested now!”

“See?” Old Man Bai immediately turned to Zheng Fa, triumphant.