Chapter 8 - Seven: The First Little Kingdom

Chapter 8: Chapter Seven: The First Little Kingdom

The first rule of farming was simple.

Do not celebrate too early.

Lin Yue learned this lesson approximately three hours after declaring the eastern courtyard a farm.

It began with the chickens.

More specifically—

with General.

Lin Yue was inspecting the newly expanded chicken enclosure when she noticed something strange.

There were feathers everywhere.

She frowned.

"Qiao’er."

"Yes, Miss?"

"Where are the chickens?"

Qiao’er looked around.

"One, two, three..."

She counted again.

Her face went pale.

"General is missing."

Lin Yue closed her eyes.

"Of course he is."

"He escaped again!"

"Of course he did."

Qiao’er ran toward the gate.

Lin Yue stopped her.

"Wait."

"What?"

"Listen."

From beyond the wall came a distant sound.

"Cock-a-doodle-doo!"

Qiao’er pointed.

"He’s outside!"

Lin Yue sighed.

"Of course."

They followed the sound.

It led them directly to the vegetable field.

General stood proudly in the middle of the bean rows.

Around him were six hens.

Lin Yue stared.

Qiao’er stared.

General crowed.

Lin Yue slowly looked at the six hens.

Then at General.

"You found girlfriends."

General crowed again.

Qiao’er covered her mouth.

"Miss..."

Lin Yue sighed.

"He has been busy."

A Growing Household

The six new hens were not supposed to be there.

But after some negotiation with the farmhand who had brought them, Lin Yue decided to keep them.

More chickens meant:

more eggs,

more manure,

more potential breeding stock,

and eventually more food.

There was also another benefit.

Chicken manure could contribute to compost after proper handling.

Nothing on a farm should be wasted if it could safely be reused.

Lin Yue wrote everything into her ledger.

Livestock

Rooster — 1

Hens — 6

Rabbits — 2

She paused.

Then added:

General — problematic.

Qiao’er looked over her shoulder.

"Miss!"

"What?"

"You can’t put that in the account book."

"Why not?"

"Because he’s a chicken."

"Exactly."

Qiao’er sighed.

The farm was growing.

So was the workload.

One person and one maid were no longer enough.

Lin Yue finally hired three workers.

The first was the elderly farmer who had helped with the irrigation.

His name was Uncle Zhao.

The second was a broad-shouldered young man named Da Shan.

The third was his younger sister, Mei Hua.

All three were experienced with basic farm work.

But they had never worked with Lin Yue before.

On their first morning, Lin Yue gathered them beneath the tree.

She placed her ledger on the table.

"I’ll pay you on time."

The three workers nodded.

"You’ll have food during working hours."

They nodded again.

"You’ll have proper rest."

They looked surprised.

"And if you notice something wrong with the farm, tell me."

Uncle Zhao raised an eyebrow.

"You won’t blame us?"

"Why would I?"

"If something fails?"

Lin Yue smiled.

"Then we figure out why."

Uncle Zhao exchanged a glance with Da Shan.

Then he nodded.

"Good."

Lin Yue continued.

"I don’t expect miracles."

She pointed toward the fields.

"I expect us to improve."

That was how the eastern farm gained its first workers.

The First Farm Meeting

Lin Yue quickly discovered something.

Farm workers knew things she didn’t.

She knew environmental science.

She understood soil structure.

Water management.

Crop rotation.

Composting.

Ecology.

But Uncle Zhao had spent forty years farming.

He knew local weather patterns.

He knew which weeds appeared before heavy rain.

He knew which insects attacked certain crops.

He knew which part of the valley stayed warm during the cold season.

And he knew exactly when the local farmers traditionally planted.

Lin Yue listened.

She did not assume her books made her wiser than experience.

Instead, she combined both.

"What if we try this?"

Uncle Zhao would answer:

"That might work, but the spring rains will cause problems."

Then Lin Yue would adjust the plan.

"Then we reinforce the drainage here."

Uncle Zhao would nod.

"Now that might work."

The farm became a place where knowledge flowed in both directions.

Lin Yue brought theory.

Uncle Zhao brought experience.

Together, they became better farmers.

The Twenty Percent Mark

A week later, the golden space finally reached twenty percent.

Lin Yue entered it just after midnight.

The moment she stepped inside—

the world changed.

Golden light spread across the horizon.

The boundary expanded.

The pond grew into a small lake.

The stream widened.

The fertile garden expanded into several large fields.

Beyond them, a gentle hill appeared.

Trees covered its slope.

And in the distance—

mountains.

Lin Yue stood completely still.

For several seconds, she couldn’t speak.

Then:

"Wow."

The golden space was no longer a garden.

It was becoming a world.

A message appeared.

[Development progress: 20%.]

[Major expansion completed.]

[New features unlocked.]

Lin Yue’s eyes widened.

[Forest.]

[Freshwater lake.]

[Expanded farmland.]

[Natural mineral deposits.]

[Basic workshop area.]

She stared at the last line.

"Workshop?"

Another message appeared.

[Host may establish basic manufacturing facilities.]

Lin Yue’s eyes sparkled.

Now things were getting interesting.

The Workshop

The workshop area was small.

Very small.

A wooden structure stood beside the hill.

Inside were several empty benches.

A stone furnace.

A worktable.

And what appeared to be a primitive hand-operated drill.

Lin Yue walked around slowly.

She touched the tools.

They were crude.

But functional.

She smiled.

A workshop meant tools.

Tools meant productivity.

Productivity meant—

She stopped.

"Don’t get ahead of yourself."

The space had already given her enough.

She needed to develop it gradually.

She opened the door.

The air smelled of wood and earth.

Lin Yue immediately imagined:

saws,

hammers,

files,

simple lathes,

grain-processing equipment,

irrigation components,

storage racks,

and agricultural tools.

Not modern factories.

Not impossible technology.

Just practical improvements.

Appropriate technology.

Technology that could be built, repaired, and maintained with available materials.

She smiled.

"Now we’re talking."

The First Manufacturing Experiment

Lin Yue started with something simple.

A better hoe.

The local hoes were heavy.

The wooden handles were poorly balanced.

The blades varied in quality.

Lin Yue sketched a design.

She adjusted the angle between the handle and blade.

She changed the grip.

She reduced unnecessary weight.

Then she gave the drawing to the local blacksmith.

The blacksmith stared.

"Who designed this?"

"I did."

He looked at her.

"You?"

"Yes."

"You know metalwork?"

"A little."

He scratched his head.

"What exactly is a little?"

Lin Yue smiled.

"Enough to know that your forge is inefficient."

The blacksmith stared at her.

Uncle Zhao quietly walked away.

Qiao’er covered her face.

"Miss..."

"What?"

"You insulted him."

"I stated a fact."

"He looks offended."

"He’ll recover."

The blacksmith did recover.

Eventually.

And after several failed attempts, they produced a lighter, better-balanced hoe.

Uncle Zhao tested it.

He swung it into the soil.

The blade cut cleanly.

He looked surprised.

"That’s good."

Lin Yue smiled.

"Really?"

"Very good."

He handed it back.

"You might actually know something."

Lin Yue laughed.

"I’ve been saying that."

The First Real Profit

The improved hoes were not only useful.

Other farmers wanted them.

One farmer asked:

"Can you make another?"

Then another.

Then five.

Then ten.

Lin Yue stared at the order.

Ten hoes.

That wasn’t much.

But it was the beginning of something.

She calculated the material cost.

Labor.

Fuel.

Transport.

Then profit.

She carefully recorded everything.

Manufacturing Trial No. 1

Product: Improved agricultural hoe.

Cost: —

Sales: —

Profit: —

She smiled.

Qiao’er looked over her shoulder.

"Miss."

"Yes?"

"Why are you smiling at numbers?"

"Because numbers tell me whether we’re succeeding."

Qiao’er nodded solemnly.

"Then I hope they tell you we’re rich."

Lin Yue laughed.

"Not yet."

The Family Notices

The changes in the eastern courtyard were becoming impossible to ignore.

The main household had begun receiving fresh vegetables.

The household accounts showed that Lin Yue was spending less money.

The servants had noticed that her workers seemed unusually loyal.

And now farmers from outside the estate were asking about her tools.

One evening, Lin Yue was summoned to the main residence.

Her father looked at the ledger she had brought.

"You made money."

"Yes."

"How much?"

She told him.

His eyebrows rose.

"It isn’t much."

"No."

"But you spent almost nothing from the household."

"Yes."

"And you intend to expand?"

"Yes."

He leaned back.

"Why?"

Lin Yue thought about it.

Because she wanted independence.

Because she enjoyed building.

Because she liked seeing something improve because of her own effort.

Because the eastern courtyard had become hers.

She answered:

"Because it works."

Her father studied her.

Then nodded.

"Very well."

He pushed a document toward her.

Lin Yue looked down.

"What is this?"

"A temporary land-use agreement."

Her eyes widened.

"You’re giving me more land?"

"Not giving."

Her father corrected her.

"You can manage the unused western field."

Lin Yue smiled.

"How much?"

"Three acres."

She nearly jumped.

Three acres.

Her father added:

"If you fail, it returns to the estate."

Lin Yue nodded.

"Understood."

She picked up the document.

"Thank you."

As she turned to leave, her father called:

"Yue’er."

She looked back.

He hesitated.

Then said:

"You’ve done well."

Lin Yue froze.

It was only four words.

But they struck somewhere unexpectedly deep.

She smiled.

"Thank you, Father."

Then she left.

Outside, she stood beneath the corridor for a moment.

She hadn’t realized how much she had wanted to hear those words.

A Brother’s Quiet Observation

Shen Rui was waiting outside.

"You heard?"

Lin Yue nodded.

"I got three acres."

"I know."

She frowned.

"How?"

"I was there."

"Oh."

She looked at the document.

"I’m going to need more workers."

"I can help."

"I need irrigation materials."

"I can help."

"Seeds."

"I can help."

Lin Yue narrowed her eyes.

"You’re becoming suspiciously useful."

He smiled.

"I’m your brother."

"That doesn’t explain the enthusiasm."

"Perhaps I enjoy watching you build things."

She looked at him.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

He was quiet.

Then:

"Because you’re happiest when you’re building something."

Lin Yue didn’t know what to say.

He had noticed.

She looked away.

"You notice too much."

"So do you."

She smiled.

"Fair."

The First Dinner Together

That evening, Shen Rui stayed for dinner.

It was a simple meal.

Vegetable soup.

Fresh greens.

Steamed buns.

Eggs from General’s hens.

And roasted rabbit—

which Lin Yue quickly discovered was a terrible choice of words.

She looked at the two rabbits sleeping safely in their enclosure.

Then at the empty plate.

Then at Shen Rui.

"You didn’t eat my rabbits."

He looked confused.

"No."

"I meant the dish."

"Oh."

Lin Yue relaxed.

Qiao’er whispered:

"Miss, why would we eat our own rabbits?"

Lin Yue looked at her.

"Exactly."

Shen Rui almost laughed.

"This is surprisingly good."

Lin Yue smiled.

"We grew most of it ourselves."

He looked at the vegetables.

Then at her.

"You’re proud."

"Very."

He nodded.

"You should be."

The Unexpected Guest

Just as dinner ended, a small child appeared at the gate.

She couldn’t have been more than eight years old.

Her clothes were worn.

Her hair was untidy.

She stood nervously outside.

Lin Yue walked over.

"Are you lost?"

The girl shook her head.

"I’m from the village."

"What do you want?"

The girl pointed toward the garden.

"Those."

Lin Yue followed her finger.

The child was staring at the vegetables.

"Are you hungry?"

The girl nodded.

Lin Yue immediately brought out a bowl.

The child ate quickly.

Too quickly.

Lin Yue’s expression softened.

"You can slow down."

The girl stopped.

"Sorry."

"You don’t need to apologize."

The girl looked at her.

"Can I come tomorrow?"

"For what?"

"To help."

Lin Yue smiled.

"You’re too young for heavy work."

"I can pull weeds."

Lin Yue considered it.

"We can find something suitable."

The girl smiled.

"What should I call you?"

"Lin Yue."

The child thought for a moment.

"Big Sister Yue."

Lin Yue laughed.

"That’s fine."

Shen Rui watched quietly from behind.

He saw the girl’s face brighten.

He saw Lin Yue place another bun into her hands.

And something inside him softened.

She had started with nothing.

Yet somehow, she already had enough kindness to share.

A New Rule

That night, Lin Yue added another rule to the farm ledger.

Rule No. 1: Pay workers fairly.

Rule No. 2: Waste as little as possible.

Rule No. 3: Protect the soil and water.

Rule No. 4: Record everything.

She thought for a moment.

Then added:

Rule No. 5: Nobody leaves hungry if we have food to spare.

Qiao’er read it.

"Miss."

"Yes?"

"Does that mean everyone can come here for free food?"

Lin Yue shook her head.

"No."

She smiled.

"It means we don’t turn away someone who genuinely needs help."

Qiao’er nodded.

"I like that rule."

The Golden Space’s Secret

Before sleeping, Lin Yue entered the golden space once more.

She walked past the fields.

Past the lake.

Past the orchard.

Toward the hill.

Something caught her attention.

At the foot of the mountain was a small stone cave.

A faint golden glow came from inside.

Lin Yue approached.

The moment she touched the stone—

[Rare resource detected.]

She froze.

Another message appeared.

[Resource type: Unknown.]

Lin Yue’s eyes widened.

Unknown?

She stepped closer.

The cave was deep.

Too deep to explore immediately.

She smiled.

"Finally."

For the first time, the golden space had shown her something that wasn’t simply related to farming.

A mystery.

A resource.

Perhaps something valuable.

But she wasn’t going to rush.

She had learned enough from survival training to know one thing:

Unknown caves should not be entered without preparation.

Lin Yue stepped back.

Tomorrow she would prepare.

Rope.

Light.

Water.

Food.

First-aid supplies.

And a way out.

She smiled.

"Even in a magical world, basic safety still applies."

She looked at the glowing cave.

"Nice try."

Then she turned around and walked away.

Behind her, deep within the mountain, something ancient stirred.

The golden space flickered.

[Hidden area discovered.]

[Exploration requirement activated.]

Lin Yue stopped.

Her smile slowly widened.

"Oh."

Now she was interested.