Morning mist clung to the fields as the rooster crowed. Lin Feng sat on the back porch with a bowl of porridge in hand, gazing into the distance. His parents were already busy—his mother boiling soybeans, his father inspecting the vegetable patch beside the shed.
But Lin Feng's mind was elsewhere.
Last night's discovery had shifted something inside him. The secret world beneath the willow tree wasn't just a curiosity. It was a new beginning.
After helping with breakfast cleanup, he slipped quietly out the back gate and returned to the tree. The willow's hanging branches shimmered with dew. He knelt, pushed the vines aside, and placed his hand on the rough bark where the space had first reacted.
A familiar ripple passed through his arm, like static under the skin.
A moment later, he was inside again.
The sky above the meadow was the same soft blue. Birds chirped, the wind rustled through tall grass, and in the distance, a herd of goats grazed lazily.
Lin Feng exhaled. No matter how many times he entered, the contrast with the outside world still felt surreal.
He had a plan today.
From his backpack, he took out a small cloth pouch—inside were chili, bitter gourd, and cabbage seeds. He also brought a metal trowel, a notebook, and three plastic bottles filled with water.
He found a flat, sunny spot near the riverbank and knelt. With slow, deliberate movements, he dug three shallow rows, spacing the seeds evenly.
As he planted, a strange thought struck him: this was his land. Not leased, not borrowed, not stolen. Completely his.
When the last seed was tucked into the warm earth, he covered them gently and watered each row. A sense of satisfaction bubbled in his chest.
He sat back and pulled out his notebook.
---
Inner Realm – Day 4
Planted:
Row 1: Chili (8 seeds)
Row 2: Bitter gourd (6 seeds)
Row 3: Cabbage (10 seeds)
Watered: Yes
Time Inside So Far: ~3 hours (≈2 minutes outside)
---
After spending a few more hours exploring the nearby forest edge—where he found a few more edible herbs and what looked like a patch of wild sweet potatoes—he decided to return.
Back in the real world, only eight minutes had passed.
Lin Feng washed his hands and helped his father fix a leaky irrigation pipe. But his mind kept drifting back to the hidden world beneath the willow.
That night, he couldn't resist. Once everyone was asleep, he went back in.
The air inside was slightly cooler now. The stars overhead were strange—not quite the constellations he knew.
He checked the planted rows—and his breath caught.
Tiny green shoots were already poking out of the soil.
Already? That would've taken at least three or four days outside.
He pulled out the notebook again.
---
Growth Observation – 1st Night After Planting
All three rows germinating
Cabbage fastest (sprouted in ~6 inner hours)
Chili second
Bitter gourd slower but visible
Soil appears highly fertile; moisture retention excellent
---
Over the next few days, Lin Feng developed a routine.
Mornings were spent helping around the house or wandering through town. His parents assumed he was job-hunting online. Afternoons and nights were devoted to the space. Each day, he brought in more supplies—tools, fertilizer, buckets, even a few discarded wooden planks he found behind the barn.
By Day 10 (space time), his first crops had reached near-harvest state. The cabbage was plump, its leaves crisp and green. The chili plants had small but healthy red peppers. The bitter gourd vines had begun creeping up makeshift bamboo sticks he planted.
The sense of accomplishment was overwhelming. He knelt down, harvested one cabbage carefully, and examined it under the sunlight. It felt firmer than store-bought ones. Cleaner, purer somehow.
He took it outside.
Back in the real world, it had only been two hours.
That afternoon, Lin Feng prepared a simple stir-fry using the cabbage, a dash of garlic, and some leftover pork.
His parents were stunned.
"This cabbage… so fresh!" his mother said, scooping more into her bowl. "Where did you buy it?"
"From someone in the village," Lin Feng said smoothly. "They're growing some vegetables in a greenhouse nearby."
"Tell them to sell us more," his father grunted, clearly impressed.
Lin Feng just smiled.
He continued experimenting. He tried transplanting small saplings from the forest into different parts of the inner realm. Most took root easily. He built a makeshift fence to keep the goats away from his crops. In one corner of the meadow, he dug a small pond, diverting a stream from the river. Within a few space-days, it was teeming with frogs and tiny fish.
He even tried placing some wild duck eggs in a shallow nest he built—and after eight days inside, two hatched.
It was like playing God with time.
But Lin Feng remained grounded. He knew what he had was powerful, but also fragile. If anyone found out, it could bring him more trouble than fortune.
One evening, while helping his father stack firewood, the older man asked, "Have you thought about what to do next?"
Lin Feng wiped sweat from his brow. "I want to try something local. Maybe farming."
His father raised an eyebrow. "You studied environmental science, not agriculture."
"Still related," Lin Feng replied. "And I think the future of farming isn't just about land—it's about quality. People want clean, fresh food."
His father didn't answer for a while, then nodded. "Hmph. Well, your grandfather always said: the land doesn't lie."
Lin Feng took that as permission.
That night, he entered the realm again and harvested everything that was ready. Cabbages, chili, and a few gnarled bitter gourds. He cleaned them carefully and packaged them into small crates using old cardboard boxes he found at home.
The next morning, he rode an electric scooter into town and approached the small open-air market.
There were a few vendors selling vegetables—most with large, mass-produced stuff from wholesalers.
Lin Feng picked a corner near the back and quietly laid out his goods.
"Fresh organic vegetables," he called, feeling a little self-conscious.
The response was slow at first. But one middle-aged woman wandered over, eyeing the bitter gourd.
"Where's this from?" she asked.
"A private field nearby," he said. "No pesticides. Grown naturally."
She sniffed it, felt the weight, and nodded. "How much?"
"Four yuan a piece."
"That's expensive."
Lin Feng didn't argue.
She hesitated—then bought one anyway.
By noon, he had sold most of the cabbage and a few chili bundles. He didn't make much—just 86 yuan in total—but it wasn't about the money yet.
It was proof.
His vegetables weren't just growing fast—they were marketable.
He spent the rest of the day observing other stalls, noting prices, packaging styles, customer preferences. He bought a few branded organic products and compared their appearance to his own crops.
He still had a long way to go. But this was a beginning.
Over dinner, his mother asked where he'd been.
"Market research," he said honestly. "Thinking of trying a small farming venture."
She blinked in surprise. "Really?"
"Why not?" he smiled. "I've got time. I've got ideas."
She didn't press him further.
That night, he wrote one more line in his journal:
---
Goal: Build a small brand. Stay anonymous. Grow quietly.
---
He wasn't in a rush.
Let others chase city lights.
He had his own world—hidden, fertile, full of promise.
And this time, he would let the roots grow deep.
---
End of Chapter 2