As the afterglow of the setting sun bathed the wheat fields, a small figure appeared at the entrance to Li Family Village.
Zuo Daya had been sitting anxiously under the large banyan tree at the village entrance ever since getting off work. She fiddled with her braid, absentmindedly chatting with a few old ladies next to her, her eyes constantly darting toward the village entrance. Although she knew Little Si had gone to see her master and that nothing could have happened, that's just how mothers are—always worrying over nothing.
Finally, she saw a small, indistinct figure walking in her direction. The old woman tossed aside the wheat stalk in her hand, shot to her feet, and her small feet scurried quickly toward the village entrance.
"Oh, my child, why are you walking back so late at night? Honestly, that master of yours. Couldn't he have let you stay the night and come back tomorrow during the day?" Zuo Daya strode quickly to her daughter's side, first looking her up and down to make sure her little girl was completely unharmed before muttering a few quiet words.
"Mom, why are you waiting here? You must have been waiting for a long time, right? Let's go home first and talk there." Yuan Si was quite surprised to see the old woman, but she immediately realized her mother had come to the village entrance to wait for her on purpose.
"Alright, let's go home. You haven't eaten yet, have you? Mom saved you some food." As she spoke, the old woman reached for the bundle on her daughter's shoulder. "What on earth are you carrying? It's so heavy." The old woman was pulled down by the weight the moment she took it, and she asked in a startled whisper.
Yuan Si found her mother amusing; she had even known to lower her voice. "It's all food my master gave me. Mom, let's look when we get home."
"Alright, let's hurry home." After speaking, the old woman took the lead, guiding her daughter toward the village entrance.
When they reached the big banyan tree, the old woman naturally had to stop and gather her things. One of the quick-tongued old ladies immediately started asking questions.
"Well now, I was wondering why you had so much free time to come sit outside with us today. Turns out you were waiting for your Little Si. What's this, has she been away?" The one asking was the wife of the village's Liu Da.
"That's right. I had Little Si visit her eldest sister's house today. Our eldest didn't recover well after giving birth a few years back, and her in-laws don't take it seriously. As her mother, I can't just ignore it. She hasn't been home in nearly half a year, so I thought I'd have Little Si go check on her big sister." The old woman casually came up with an excuse.
The Li family's eldest, Li Yuanyi, was indeed in poor health. When she gave birth, her mother-in-law didn't take good care of her, and she developed chronic health problems during her postpartum confinement.
"Oh, sister, you're the most blessed among all of us, having four daughters, each one more devoted than the next. What fine things did your eldest send back with her for you this time?" an old woman asked, her face full of envy.
"What fine things? I'd thank heaven and earth if she could just live well herself. I don't need anything from them." The old woman pouted. For years, she hadn't received any 'fine things' from anyone; the only one who brought her anything was her youngest daughter.
"Now, Elder Sister, that's not right of you. It's only natural for a daughter to be filial to her mother. Your eldest has given you plenty of things. Just enjoy your good fortune." The old women glanced meaningfully at the bundle on her back.
"That's just baseless talk. My Little Si went by herself, just a child. What could she possibly be given? Just some of the kid's old, worn-out clothes. Anyway, I'm not going to chat with you all any longer. It's getting late, we're heading home." The old woman gathered her things, held them in one hand, and led the child away with the other.
"That Zuo Daya is just never satisfied," one of the old women muttered quietly after Zuo Daya was out of sight.
"She gave birth to so many devoted daughters. Her good days are still ahead of her," another old woman said with envy.
"Tch. No matter how successful a girl is, she doesn't belong to her family's household. You still have to rely on sons."
The mother and daughter didn't hear the comments made behind their backs. They had to deal with several more groups of people on their way before finally making it home.
After entering the house, the first thing the old woman did was place the bundle from her shoulder onto the table. While untying it, she said, "Your master is quite thoughtful, knowing we don't have enough to eat and sending something for you. Let me see what he brought. Is it rice or white flour?"
"It's not..."
Before Yuan Si could finish her sentence, the old woman had already opened the bundle. 'Well, she can see for herself now,' Yuan Si thought. 'No need for me to explain.'
The old woman saw several items wrapped in leaves inside the bundle and was dumbfounded. 'This... this doesn't look like rice or white flour.'
"What's wrapped in here?" After a moment of daze, the old woman recovered, picked up one of the packets, and unwrapped it.
Now there was no need for an answer; she could see for herself.
"Your master just brought you this?" the old woman asked, holding up the roasted fish in her hand in disbelief.
"Yeah. My master's place is near the water, so this is what they have a lot of. I figured we don't have much to eat at home, so I caught some extra to bring back." Yuan Si didn't think there was anything wrong with what she had brought.
The old woman forced a twitch at the corners of her mouth. "Your master really is a practical old immortal, isn't he? Very down-to-earth."
"Mom, you don't like it?" Yuan Si finally sensed that her mother didn't seem too fond of the roasted fish.
"No, no, how could Mom not like it? Your master gave you quite a lot. There must be more than ten here." Zuo Daya didn't dare say she disliked it. 'Even if he's 'down-to-earth,' he's still an Immortal, not someone a mere mortal like me can question,' she thought. So, when her little girl asked, she immediately snapped out of it and began to praise it endlessly.
"Mhm. My master said we should eat these for now, and that we can eat as much as we want. When we finish, he'll send more." She definitely couldn't tell her mother the truth about her own abilities. All she could do was use a vague, illusory master as a stand-in. Besides, she had discovered that her mother seemed more accepting of her having an omnipotent Immortal Master. So, she was prepared to let the Immortal Master take the blame—and the credit—for everything from now on.
"What? Your master said he'll supply you with fish?" The old woman was now pleasantly surprised, her tone rising several pitches.
"Yeah. He said to eat as much as we want, and when we run out, he'll deliver more, or I can go pick it up." Yuan Si was laying the groundwork for her future freedom.
"Oh, my, how can we accept that? Did you thank his esteemed self? You silly child, even if he's your own master, you can't neglect your manners." Knowing that there would now be an endless supply of fish, the old woman beamed, her face crinkling into a thousand happy wrinkles. She no longer cared about the rice and white flour she had been hoping for.
"Mhm, I'll be sure to tell his esteemed self next time I see him," Yuan Si said obediently.
"Yes, yes, you can never be too polite. Even though your master is powerful and doesn't lack for such things, the fact that he thinks of you means we must remember his kindness... Oh, right, did your master say how he would deliver the fish to you? And how did he know you wanted to eat fish?" The old woman thought of a crucial question.
"Mom, didn't you say my master is an Immortal? How could an Immortal not know about such trivial things?" Yuan Si used her mother's own words to fool her.
"That's true," the old woman said after thinking for a long while. She was probably still worried deep down.
"Mom, you don't have to worry. Before I left, my master already explained it to me. In the future, if I want to eat fish, I just have to think about it when I dream at night, and he'll deliver the fish to me that very evening."
The old woman's eyes went wide as she listened. 'How magical!'