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Bai Tang naturally supports Bai Dad's great ideals and endeavors. Every time she returns to the Apocalyptic World, she finds ways to collect various agricultural technique books to bring back for Bai Dad. While reading and practicing, Bai Dad has now become a semi-expert in agriculture, earning great respect from the farmers in the estate. Even the county magistrate personally came to invite Bai Dad out of retirement, but was refused. The magistrate wanted to use force, but after Bai Tang presented the token left by the Yongming Emperor, he realized that Bai Dad had such a powerful background and no longer dared to entertain other thoughts. Under Bai Tang's advice, he didn't even report Bai Dad's name to the court.
With professional books on building greenhouses and planting greenhouse vegetables as guidance, Bai Dad immediately went to his estate's fields and found a few servants to help him build the greenhouse. Nearby farmers saw that Bai Dad was engaging in something new and all gathered around to inquire and learn, thinking they could replicate it at home later. Their long experience had taught them one thing: working with Bai Dad meant there would be food!
However, once they learned what Bai Dad was doing, everyone felt deflated. Growing vegetables in a house made of glass? Only a wealthy family like Bai Dad's could pull that off. They ordinary folks couldn't even afford two pieces of glass even if they sold their entire family. After helping Bai Dad set up the greenhouse, they left with disappointed sighs.
Bai Dad frowned and asked his daughter, "What if we start a glass factory?"
Glass was expensive in ancient times due to the lack of modern techniques and formulas; with the right formula and technique, glass could be produced in no time.
Bai Tang shook her head: "Dad, you've already done so many conspicuous things. It's best if you don't get involved with glass."
"What about making glass?" Bai Dad asked. "I see that Zhang Laohan and the others are eager to build greenhouses for growing vegetables!"
After thinking for a moment, Bai Tang replied: "I'll go find Hua Manlou. With the status of the Flower Family, the richest family in Jiangnan, doing this won't attract others' envy."
Bai Dad nodded: "That's a good idea." Then he leaned closer to his daughter and said softly, "Daughter, Hua Manlou is quite a good person; have you considered taking him as my son-in-law?"
Bai Tang stepped back two paces: "Dad, Hua Manlou is with Lu Feng."
"Go! Stop reading so much danmei fanfiction."
"Hey, Dad, you know about danmei fanfiction?" Bai Tang exclaimed with surprise.
Bai Dad: "I haven't read it; it's all your mom's doing. I just caught a glimpse of it."
Bai Tang laughed heartily; her mother was just as much of a seasoned fujoshi as she was!
With many hands making light work, Bai Dad's greenhouse was quickly completed. He began sowing seeds according to the book and transplanting them into the greenhouse. Bai Ma also joined in enthusiastically to help Bai Dad. Bai Tang printed out the methods for making glass from her computer and then headed to Jiangnan. With swift travel, she soon appeared at Baihua Tower.
"Bai Tang?!" Hua Manlou was watering a cluster of purple hibiscus when he saw the suddenly appearing Bai Tang and Karen. He wasn't surprised; instead, he greeted them with a smile.
“Seven Children, are you the only one? Didn't Lu Feng come to find you for a drink?” Bai Tang casually asked, referring to Lu Feng as a good friend of Hua Man Lou.
Hua Man Lou's expression darkened at the mention, saying, “Lu Feng has gone missing.”
“Missing?” Bai Tang was surprised and suddenly recalled a part from "Ghost Mountain Manor," asking, “Did he enter Ghost Mountain Manor?”
Hua Man Lou was not surprised that Bai Tang knew about Ghost Mountain Manor and shook his head, saying, “The matter of Ghost Mountain Manor has been resolved. Old Knife Handle died at the hands of his own daughter, and the incident has been perfectly settled.”
“Is that so!” Bai Tang furrowed his brows like Hua Man Lou. Gong Jiu was currently locked in the palace by the emperor, working like a horse. The Shaman who could have seduced Lu Feng had his martial arts crippled and was sent to the border to comfort the troops. So how did Lu Feng go missing?
Hua Man Lou forced a smile and asked Bai Tang: “Did you come to find me for something?”
Bai Tang set aside the matter of Lu Feng’s disappearance, focusing on business: “I have a recipe that can produce glass using the cheapest materials. I want to hand this recipe over to Flower Family for collaboration. What do you think?”
“With such a good opportunity, Flower Family will naturally not refuse!” Hua Man Lou took the recipe that Bai Tang handed over. He saw that it detailed the materials and production process very clearly; even a craftsman who had never made glass could produce it by following the recipe. “Indeed, it is both affordable and high-quality!”
Bai Tang smiled, saying, “I hope that after Flower Family produces the glass, they can sell it at a fair price to the common people.”
Hua Man Lou solemnly promised, “Of course! Flower Family has always conducted business fairly and will never seek exorbitant profits like a Scammer.”
Bai Tang laughed, “In that case, my father will be at ease.”
Hua Man Lou was surprised: “Is glass what Uncle Bai wants? Has he developed some technology beneficial to the country and its people again?”
Because he paid attention to Bai Family, Hua Man Lou knew about what Bai Dad was doing and greatly admired his research on fish farming in rice fields and planting twice a year. Many common people were finally able to have enough food because of Bai Dad's efforts. What is the greatest wish of the common people? Isn’t it just to have enough food and live peaceful lives? Bai Dad could be considered a benefactor to all impoverished citizens! Yet he remains indifferent to fame and fortune, promoting technology without revealing his name. How could such a noble person not earn Hua Man Lou's deep respect?
Bai Tang said, “My father is researching glass greenhouse planting technology so we can have more fresh vegetables in winter.”
“A glass greenhouse?” Hua Man Lou asked curiously.
Bai Tang briefly described greenhouse and shed planting techniques, saying, “Seven Children, I still have some glass with me. Would you like to build a greenhouse? You could cultivate more beautiful flowers even in winter!”
Hua Man Lou naturally agreed happily. Thinking that in the future, when entering the Winter Hundred Flowers Pavilion, it would still be a place full of blooming flowers, the depression that had weighed on Hua Man Lou for a long time was relieved.
When Bai Tang saw that Hua Man Lou had shown a rare genuine smile since her arrival, she wanted to preserve that smile for a long time. She said, "You know I have learned some feng shui and metaphysical techniques. I can divine the whereabouts of Lu Feng's family; I just don't know how accurate it will be."
Hua Man Lou was overjoyed. With Bai Tang's abilities, how could she not find someone? Having witnessed Bai Tang's miraculous skills when helping her uncle's family change the ancestral tomb's feng shui and predicting the floods of the Qinhuai River, he had no doubts about her divination.
Bai Tang pretended to take out three copper coins and secretly opened the system map. In the search bar, she entered Lu Feng's name, and soon a blue dot representing a friend shone brightly in Bai Tang's view.
"She's actually there!" Bai Tang exclaimed in surprise.
Hua Man Lou asked, "Where?"
Bai Tang replied incredulously, "In the Taixu Illusory Realm!"
"Taixu Illusory Realm?" Hua Man Lou repeated this unfamiliar name, "Where is that?"
"The Taixu Illusory Realm is located above the Li Hen and within the Guanchou Sea, specifically in Fangchun Mountain's Fragrant Cave. It is the Daoist temple of Jinghuan Fairy, who governs human emotions and debts of love, overseeing the grievances of women and infatuations of men in the mortal world."
Hua Man Lou gasped, "So it's a place where immortals reside?! Lu Feng really has some skills!"
Bai Tang said, "I'll take you to find him."
Hua Man Lou asked, "Is that possible? Won't Jinghuan Fairy be angry?"
"Jinghuan Fairy is already dead. Now, those who dwell in the Taixu Illusory Realm are merely some fairies unwilling to enter reincarnation; they cannot be considered immortals."
Bai Tang then grabbed one of Hua Man Lou's arms and activated her skill of traveling thousands of miles. In an instant, Hua Man Lou saw a flash before his eyes, and when he focused again, the surroundings had completely changed. He saw red railings and white stones, green trees and clear streams, exotic flowers and strange grasses, with few traces of people; dust did not settle here. It was breathtakingly beautiful and was nothing like his Hundred Flowers Pavilion.
"This place..."
Bai Tang nodded: "This is Li Hen Fangchun Mountain."
Hua Manlou suppressed his shock and admired, "What a great skill!"
Bai Tang smiled, "Let's go!"
Having been here once, Hua Manlou was led by Bai Tang through familiar paths to the archway of the Taixu Illusory Realm. Looking up, Hua Manlou saw a stone plaque with the four large characters "Taixu Illusory Realm" inscribed on it, flanked by a couplet that read: "When false becomes true, true also becomes false; where there is nothing, there is still something." Turning past the archway, there stood a palace gate with the four characters "Sea of Afflictions" written above. Another couplet boldly proclaimed: "The thick earth is high; it is lamentable that the feelings of ancient and modern times are endless. The lovesick man and resentful woman, pitifully burdened by debts of wind and moon."
Entering the second gate, they found themselves in the offices of the Affection Department, Grievance Department, Night Dream Department, Morning Cry Department, Night Resentment Department, Spring Sentiment Department, Autumn Sorrow Department, among others. Hua Manlou frowned slightly and said, "Why do all these department names carry such a melancholic tone?"
Bai Tang pouted, "Women in love are all doomed!"
Hua Manlou replied, "Bai Tang, you are biased. Men can be infatuated too. Wouldn't two infatuated people be very happy together? By the way, since Jinghuan Fairy oversees the debts of love and emotions in the mortal realm, if she dies, will it have any impact on the human world?"
"It won't!" Bai Tang decisively denied. "Originally, this Taixu Illusory Realm was established solely for one person and one family."
"Is there someone who can make a deity serve them specifically?" Hua Manlou asked.
Bai Tang briefly recounted the story of Dream of the Red Chamber to Hua Manlou: "When Nuwa refined stones to mend the sky, she created twelve zhang high at the Unfathomable Cliff of Great Wilderness Mountain and used thirty-six thousand five hundred and one pieces of stubborn rock. Nuwa only used thirty-six thousand five hundred pieces and left one unused piece abandoned at Qinggeng Peak. Who would have thought that after being refined, this stone gained spiritual awareness? Seeing that all other stones were mended while it alone was deemed unworthy, it began to lament and sigh day and night in shame. One day, while it was mourning its fate, it saw a monk and a Daoist approaching from afar. They had extraordinary physiques and unique spirits. They came to sit by the stone and spoke grandly about mystical matters of gods and immortals before discussing worldly riches and honors. Hearing this made the stone's mortal heart stir; it too wanted to experience this wealth and glory... Later on, after many lifetimes and tribulations passed, a Kongkong Dao Ren came seeking immortality and happened to pass by Qinggeng Peak at Great Wilderness Mountain. He noticed clear inscriptions on a large stone detailing its history. Kongkong Dao Ren read from the beginning; it turned out to be about an unworthy stone that transformed into a human form due to Nuwa's grace and experienced the joys and sorrows of life in the mortal realm under Vast Sage and Miao Miao Zhen Ren's guidance. Then there was a verse: 'No material can mend the sky; how foolish to enter the mortal realm for so many years...'"
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