Because of what Chi Wan said, Chi Yuanshan wished he could slam the gas pedal to the floor.
After a difficult drive back to their old house, they locked the door. Chi Wan then took out two or three miniature cameras and installed them at the main gate, the back door, and in the living room. Only then did she sit down, ready to explain everything to Chi Yuanshan and Song Yinghe.
She took out the pot of Fragrant Vine remaining in her space and was surprised to discover that the once-packed dimension had suddenly expanded by nearly half!
Seeing the extra room, Chi Wan's first thought was that Li Xingye had moved the supplies. But on closer inspection, she realized that none of the boxes were missing—the space had truly gotten bigger!
The pot of Fragrant Vine also looked different from when she'd put it in. Not only had it grown exceptionally lush, but the number of vines had nearly doubled, and some had even sprouted flower buds.
Chi Yuanshan and Song Yinghe watched as Chi Wan pulled a pot of Fragrant Vine out of thin air like a magician, and they stared at each other in confusion.
But looking at the familiar vines, Chi Yuanshan had a hunch that his earlier rescue was definitely related to this plant.
And just as he suspected, Chi Wan briefly explained the existence of the space and how it had inexplicably connected to a survivor in a post-apocalyptic world.
"When I first heard him say he was living in a post-apocalyptic world, I thought he was just some unlucky guy. I never expected him to actually have a superpower and end up saving me and Dad."
Li Xingye, who had just tuned in to ask Chi Wan if she had resolved her issue, was greeted by the sound of her calling him an "unlucky guy." He was speechless.
'He an unlucky guy? He would have to disagree. The greatest fortune in his life, first and foremost, was awakening his superpower right at the start of the apocalypse.'
'The second was meeting Chi Wan right before he died.'
After listening to Chi Wan's whole explanation, Chi Yuanshan and Song Yinghe, quite unsurprisingly, looked utterly bewildered.
'A dimensional space, a post-apocalyptic world, superpowers... They understood each word their daughter said, but when strung together, how could it all be so baffling?'
But the couple wasn't stubborn or old-fashioned. Although the story was incredible, the moment they remembered that the "unlucky guy" named Li Xingye had saved their daughter, they were filled with immense gratitude.
However, when they saw Chi Wan take out a pile of jewelry and say it was also from Li Xingye, the relaxed expressions on Chi Yuanshan and Song Yinghe's faces instantly froze.
Chi Yuanshan paused for a moment before carefully telling Chi Wan, "Wanwan, these things are too valuable. It's not right for us to take them."
Song Yinghe also wore a worried expression. "That's right, Wanwan. You said he only wanted a little food in exchange for all these valuable items. What if he makes an unreasonable demand later? Listen to your mother and give them back to him, sweetie."
Before Chi Wan could explain that these things weren't valuable to Li Xingye, Chi Yuanshan spoke up. "But Wanwan, let's keep things straight. Since this young man saved you, he's a great benefactor to our family. Even if we don't accept these gifts, we should still provide him with food to show our gratitude."
Chi Wan sighed, too embarrassed to admit that what she had shown them was only a small portion—she hadn't even brought out the translucent Jade Token.
But seeing how worried her parents were, she didn't explain further and just nodded. "Don't worry, Mom, Dad. I know what I'm doing. Besides, Li Xingye doesn't seem like a bad person. Otherwise, he could have just secretly taken the food. Why would he admit to it and offer to trade these things for something to eat?"
What Chi Wan said made sense. Song Yinghe put her arm around Chi Wan's shoulders. "Wanwan, you've always had a mind of your own, ever since you were little. Your father and I are just offering a reminder, but you can make your own decisions about these things. We will always have your back."
"That's right," Chi Yuanshan added. "If we're being honest, we got through this crisis thanks to you being clever enough to think of buying cameras. Your mother and I are getting old; our ideas can't keep up with you young folks. Just do what you think is best."
Chi Wan leaned into Song Yinghe's embrace and said playfully, "So, Mom, Dad, we don't have to sell the mountain for now. The more they want to see us fail, the more determined we should be to make the orchard bigger and better than ever!"
Seeing Chi Wan so full of life, the couple's heavy hearts lightened, and they couldn't help but laugh.
Having silently listened to this "family meeting," Li Xingye felt he had a much better understanding of what had shaped Chi Wan's personality.
Shaking his head with a smile, Li Xingye turned his attention away from Chi Wan's world, preparing to continue his journey. But suddenly, her voice echoed in his mind: "Um, Li Xingye, are you there?"
He responded, and Chi Wan continued, "Can you do me a favor?"
Since she had already told her parents about Li Xingye, Chi Wan didn't bother to be discreet and spoke aloud. "You said before that the vines could be maintained indefinitely. In that case, can you make these Fragrant Vines protect my house?"
Chi Yuanshan was unfazed, as he had witnessed the Fragrant Vine's "abilities" with his own eyes. Song Yinghe, however, couldn't hide her astonishment when she heard Chi Wan ask a single pot of flowers to protect their entire house.
Chi Yuanshan gave her a reassuring look, and the two of them continued to watch Chi Wan's one-sided conversation with Li Xingye.
Li Xingye's voice came through. "Put that pot of Fragrant Vine by the door. It's best if it can make direct contact with the soil."
Chi Wan did as he said.
The next second, before the astonished eyes of the family of three, the potted Fragrant Vine instantly surged with growth. Countless vines crawled up the walls, enveloping the entire house.
Seeing the flowers nestled among the vines, Chi Wan broke into an excited smile. "Li Xingye, you must be one of those legendary Wood Element Superpower Users, right?! Oh, and I also noticed you made the space bigger. You're incredible!"
Li Xingye just smiled, not refuting her claim.
'Of course, he had noticed the space expanding. But beyond that, he'd also realized this dimension wasn't just a simple storage space, as he had initially believed.'
'For now, it was just a theory. Since he wasn't certain, he decided not to mention it to Chi Wan yet.'
Seeing that Li Xingye didn't deny it, Chi Wan became even more convinced that he was an absolute master.
Her thoughts immediately jumped to her family's fruit trees, which had been doused with herbicide.
"Um, Master... since you're already helping, could you go all the way? Can you see if there's any way to save our fruit trees?"
Hearing Chi Wan's question, Chi Yuanshan and Song Yinghe held their breath, even though they couldn't hear Li Xingye's reply.
In fact, Chi Yuanshan had spent the entire afternoon trying to save the fruit trees.
He had consulted numerous people, and they all said the soil contaminated by the herbicide had to be replaced as soon as possible, or the trees would be a total loss.
But for an entire mountain of fruit trees, they not only had to bring in new soil but also dispose of all the contaminated earth.
By the time the two of them managed to replace all the soil on their own, the fruit trees would likely be long dead.
Furthermore, many villagers, acting on instructions from Liu Dali, were unwilling to help. After toiling all afternoon, the couple had only managed to treat a handful of trees.
That was why Chi Yuanshan had talked about selling the mountain earlier. It wasn't just out of spite; he genuinely felt that under the circumstances, they truly couldn't take proper care of an entire mountainside of fruit trees.