cornucopia pot

Chapter 003: Turning white rice into golden rice · Clang, clang... Clang, clang... · As the sky paled with the first light of dawn, a rapid metallic rhythmic striking drifted through the air. · He Pingsheng rubbed his eyes forcefully, forcing his weary self to wake. · A new day had arrived. · It was time to work again. · Wait? · What a wonderful fragrance! · The scenery before He Pingsheng’s eyes gradually sharpened. "Where is that scent coming from?" · He rolled out of bed and scanned the room. · Suddenly... his pupils constricted slightly. "This is..." · The entire room was dark, save for a sliver of dawn light filtering through the window. Not far from that windowsill, a dark clay basin was filled to the brim with shimmering, golden rice. · He Pingsheng rubbed his eyes hard once more. · He thought his vision was playing tricks on him! · He gave his thigh a sharp pinch. Hiss... It hurt. · This wasn't a dream! · It wasn't an illusion! · Was this... truly Top-grade Spirit Rice? · At that moment, He Pingsheng’s heart hammered uncontrollably against his ribs. He stepped off the bed and tiptoed toward the clay basin. · He reached out, thrusting his hand into the golden grains, and gently sifted them upward. · It was all golden rice. · Though it was his first time seeing it in person, He Pingsheng possessed enough basic knowledge to recognize that the substance before him was Spirit Rice of Top-grade quality. · But how could this be? · Yesterday, didn't that bastard Boss Zhang give him half a basin of ordinary Spirit Rice—white grains with a faint green tint? · When did it turn gold? · "No..." He Pingsheng keenly noticed that it wasn't just the quality that had changed; the quantity had changed as well. · Yesterday, there was only half a basin of ordinary Spirit Rice. Today, it was a full basin of golden Top-grade Spirit Rice. · What was going on? · Could someone have entered his room and secretly placed it there? · He Pingsheng looked toward the door. · Nothing. · The bolt was slid shut, and the iron lock was fastened tight. · It was impossible for anyone to have entered. · Then how did this happen? · He Pingsheng was utterly bewildered. · Bang! Bang! Bang! Just then, a heavy pounding echoed from the door. "He Pingsheng... are you still not out of bed? Get the hell up, eat, and get to work!" · Boss Zhang’s harsh voice boomed from outside. · "I'm up, Boss Zhang! Coming right now!" He Pingsheng hurriedly shoved the clay basin of golden rice under his bed, covering it haphazardly with his clothes. Only then did he open the door, grabbing his large iron sea-bowl and heading toward the Handyman Canteen. · However, his thoughts remained fixed on that golden Spirit Rice. · "Little He... eat more meat, you need the strength for work!" Old Bao from the kitchen used a large ladle to scoop a generous portion of meat into He Pingsheng’s bowl. "Eat up!" · "Yes, yes... thank you, Uncle Bao!" He Pingsheng looked grateful. After getting his food, he crouched under the eaves outside the canteen and began to eat ravenously. · "Kid!" Boss Zhang walked over, looking down at He Pingsheng. "I know you're tired, but don't you dare slack off!" · "Remember what I said. Eat some of that Spirit Rice later. Today's task must be finished, or don't even think about sleeping tonight!" · "Yes, yes, yes..." He Pingsheng nodded while gulping down his food. · By the time Boss Zhang left, He Pingsheng had nearly finished his bowl. · "Uncle Bao!" He held out the empty bowl. "Give me another one!" · "Sure thing..." Old Bao wasn't stingy and served He Pingsheng another large helping of meat. · In the immortal sect, meat was plentiful and held little value. · After finishing his meal, He Pingsheng returned to his room and locked the door from the inside. He pulled the Spirit Rice out from under the bed. · Should he cook some? · "No... no..." The moment the thought appeared, He Pingsheng rejected it. · Why? · Because the fragrance was too potent. · He had helped Uncle Jiang cook Spirit Rice before, and he still remembered that scent; the rich aroma of the rice could travel dozens of yards. · That had only been green High-grade Spirit Rice, while this was golden Top-grade. · If the fragrance was too strong and someone discovered it, wouldn't they accuse him of being a thief? · No, he absolutely could not cook it! · He Pingsheng reached out, grabbed a handful of the golden Spirit Rice, and swallowed it raw. · If he couldn't cook it, he would eat it plain! · As the few mouthfuls of Spirit Rice hit his stomach, He Pingsheng felt as if a ball of fire was burning inside him. · No... to be precise, it was a warm, gentle fire slowly smoldering. This surge of heat rushed from his stomach into his limbs and bones, instantly making him feel as though he had inexhaustible strength. · It seemed as if the exhaustion from the previous day vanished without a trace in that single moment. · Hiss... · Incredible! · Golden rice truly was extraordinary. · Regardless of how the rice had appeared, He Pingsheng poured the grains out of the basin and into the leg of a spare pair of trousers. He tied both ends tight and placed it on the bed, creating a simple and ugly pillow. · This way, even if someone burst into the room, he didn't have to fear them noticing anything unusual. · After covering the "pillow" with some old clothes, He Pingsheng cautiously stepped out. · He shouldered two massive water buckets and ran toward the Mountain Spring with light, swift steps. · Under the scorching summer sun, He Pingsheng was already drenched in sweat by the time he reached the waterfall. He set the buckets down and went to the edge of the pool, leaning down to take a few gulps of the cool water. · Refreshing! · However, the taste of the spring water seemed to have changed slightly. · He Pingsheng couldn't quite put his finger on how it had changed, but it didn't seem to taste as good as before. · After drinking, he began his work! · He hoisted the two massive wooden buckets filled with spring water onto his shoulders; today, they felt significantly lighter. · As he carried the water, He Pingsheng marveled at the power of the Spirit Rice. Just a single handful had granted him such immense strength. · Trip after trip! · In less than half a morning, He Pingsheng had actually filled the large vat in front of the Handyman Disciple's canteen. · He counted—he had already made ten trips. · This was far too fast. · Returning to the Mountain Spring, He Pingsheng didn't rush to continue. Instead, he took a break. · Though he was only fourteen and didn't understand everything, he possessed a basic sense of self-preservation. · He Pingsheng knew that if he finished the task this quickly, it would surely arouse Boss Zhang’s suspicion. If Boss Zhang investigated, the matter of the golden rice might be exposed. · If that happened, death would not be far off. · Therefore! · He had to be cautious and slow down. · Thus, for the rest of the afternoon, He Pingsheng began to dawdle. Although the work was easy, he made it look as though he was struggling immensely. · It wasn't until long after nightfall that He Pingsheng finally completed his twenty trips. · Even though he had carried five more loads than yesterday, the support of the Spirit Rice made the day feel much easier by comparison. · [END]