CH 15

Jian Ning recognized this young man; he was the rumored match arranged by His Majesty for Zong Ye, General Telande's youngest son, Shelley.

Behind Shelley stood two other boys with red hair. The one on the left scanned both Jian Ning and Terry before settling on Jian Ning, asking with arrogance, "Are you Jian Ning?"

Their stance clearly indicated their intention to pick a fight. Terry stepped forward to shield Jian Ning and nervously looked at the people at the door, asking, "What do you want?"

The boy on Shelley's right examined Jian Ning from head to toe and disdainfully remarked to Shelley, "I knew it; he is far inferior to you. No matter how much effort he puts in, the Marshal could never be interested in him."

"You commoners from small places should be grateful for being able to enter this academy; it's a gift from the heavens. Just behave yourselves and don't indulge in wishful thinking. Shaowang [1] does not belong to people like you or any objects you possess. Otherwise, don't blame us for getting you expelled from this academy," warned the boy on the right, staring intently at Jian Ning.

Having observed Jian Ning's ordinary appearance except for his beautiful eyes and knowing he was just a commoner from the remote and desolate planet of Blue Star with only a C-grade spiritual power, they considered him invisible in this crowd. How could he possibly catch the Marshal's eye?

The initial wariness Shelley felt disappeared in an instant, replaced by a touch of scorn. He felt he had come here for nothing and coldly said, "Let's go."

The two boys behind him gave Jian Ning a contemptuous look and followed Shelley, departing.

"They are just too much," Terry muttered, slamming the door shut. Thinking about their scornful gazes, he trembled with anger. What's wrong with them being from a small place or having lower spiritual power? Why do they look down on them like that?

Jian Ning was also infuriated but, seeing Terry so upset, he tried to console him, saying, "Don't be angry, Terry. It's not good for your health."

"It's all because of that Alan, twisting and exaggerating the truth and making a fuss everywhere," Terry clenched his fists, regretting not having beaten Alan more severely.

Jian Ning patted Terry's arm reassuringly, and they both returned to their dorm. Tuan Tuan was gnawing on a ball of yarn on the living room carpet. When he heard the door open, he dropped the yarn, hopped onto the sofa, then onto the table, and finally jumped into Jian Ning's arms, frantically licking his face with his small tongue.

"Alright, alright, I'm back," seeing Tuan Tuan, Jian Ning's annoyance vanished completely. He cuddled the little fellow on the sofa, and Terry's mood improved as well. Taking the initiative, he said, "I'll go make dinner."

Terry only knew how to make scrambled eggs with rice, so they had a simple meal before retreating to their respective rooms to rest.

The next day, when Jian Ning attended class, he noticed that many of his classmates were giving him strange looks and whispering among themselves. Knowing about the altercation with Alan the day before, he was mentally prepared for the situation and maintained a steady gaze as he took his seat.

"Hey, Jian Ning, are you feeling better?" a girl from the back row greeted him.

The girl's name was Jenny, with blue eyes and a few freckles on her cheeks, making her quite adorable. Her eyes curved with a smile, as always, kind and friendly.

Jian Ning smiled and replied, "Much better now, thank you for asking."

"That's great," Jenny said, and just as she spoke, Alan entered the classroom. He stormed directly towards Jian Ning and Terry's seats.

He was about to speak fiercely when Teacher Kelly came in. Seeing the two who had just fought huddled together again, she sternly knocked on the table and said, "What's going on? It's time for class, return to your seats."

"Wait and see," Alan threatened before turning back to his own seat.

Teacher Kelly started the class, and as it approached the end, she closed her textbook with a smile and announced, "Everyone knows our academy has its own farm. Normally, the teachers take care of it, but they have been quite busy lately. So the principal agreed that each teacher can assign a student from the class to take care of a small plot of the farm."

The students below erupted with excitement. The academy's farm was different from their own; it was a greenhouse filled with various vegetables, fruit trees, and fresh flowers, specifically supplied to the royal nobles. Usually, they weren't allowed to enter casually and could only visit periodically. If they could personally take care of it, not only would they gain valuable experience and earn recognition in their records, but if they managed it well, the academy would recommend them to the royal nobles. After graduation, they might even have a chance to enter the Royal Plantation.

Teacher Kelly scanned the enthusiastic students and her gaze fell on Terry as she said, "Terry, it's you. I believe you can take care of it well."

"Thank you, Teacher. I'll take good care of it," Terry happily accepted this fantastic opportunity, promising earnestly.

Standing nearby, Alan couldn't accept this outcome and protested loudly, "Teacher, why Terry?"

Teacher Kelly remained composed and said, "Because since the beginning of the school year, he has shown the most outstanding performance among his classmates. Alan, you have done well too, but not as well as Terry. If you work harder, there will be opportunities in the future, and I'll consider giving you a chance then."

After class, Jenny, Jian Ning, and Terry went to the cafeteria together. Jenny smiled and said to Terry, "Congratulations, Terry. Teacher Kelly is really fair, not favoring Alan just because of his parents' position in the military. It's different in the neighboring class; even though Frank's performance is not as good as Joel's, they gave the opportunity to Frank just because he has a noble relative."

Jenny had a little sister in the neighboring class, and she was well aware of the situations in both classes.

Scratching his head, Terry grinned and said, "We're really lucky to have Teacher Kelly."

From then on, Terry would head straight to the greenhouse after classes and return to the dorm very late.

One day, as Jian Ning took the school bus back from the farm to the dorm, he was pleasantly surprised to find Terry already back and fast asleep in their room. He prepared milk for Tuan Tuan and let him play in the living room while he went to the kitchen to cook.

Having experienced the apocalypse in his previous life, Jian Ning loved cooking. If not for the option of becoming a cultivation master in this world, his original plan was to become a chef.

Tuan Tuan rolled and played on the living room carpet, chasing his tail, and after a while, he smelled the aroma coming from the kitchen. He dashed into Terry's room, jumped onto a small stool, then onto Terry's bed, and finally landed on his chest. He playfully tapped Terry, trying to wake him up.

Terry woke up due to the weight on his chest. He reached out, grabbed Tuan Tuan, and placed him on the edge of the pillow, mumbling, "Little guy, you're getting heavier again."

Tuan Tuan wagged his tail and bit Terry's finger, as if urging him to get up.

Rubbing his eyes, Terry got up from the bed and went to the living room, just as Jian Ning brought out the cooked dishes.

"Quick, wash up, and let's eat," Jian Ning bent down to pick up Tuan Tuan and said to Terry.

Tuan Tuan could now eat meat, so while Jian Ning cooked, he made a separate pot of meat for Tuan Tuan, simply stewed without many seasonings. Tuan Tuan always gobbled it up with delight.

As Jian Ning and Terry sat down to eat, Tuan Tuan also sat at the table, enthusiastically devouring his meat. After finishing the meal, Terry cleaned up the dishes and asked Jian Ning, "Ning, I want to go to the greenhouse. Do you and Tuan Tuan want to come along?"

Jian Ning was intrigued and asked, "Can we go?"

Terry smiled, saying, "Of course we can. Teacher Kelly has given me permission, and I can bring people inside."

"Then let's go," Jian Ning cradled Tuan Tuan and left the dorm with Terry.

The greenhouse was also located in the cultivation area, but in the opposite direction from their farm. They took the school bus, and after an hour, they arrived at the greenhouse.

Terry scanned his student wristband and led Jian Ning inside. All along the way, Jian Ning marveled at the thriving fields, feeling that the area was even larger than the plantation they visited last time.

"We're here. This is the section I'm responsible for," after walking for about ten minutes, Terry stopped and pointed to a patch of plants with leaves that resembled chili seedlings but were purple in color.

"This is purple hemp. Teacher Kelly said they will bloom and bear fruit in a little over a month," Terry explained. "Wait here for a moment while I water them."

Purple hemp was a peculiar plant; its leaves must not come into contact with water, or they will turn yellow, with the most severe cases leading to the plant's death. Because of this, it is cultivated in the greenhouse and requires manual watering.

While Terry watered the plants, Jian Ning and Tuan Tuan played under a fruit tree since there was no one else around. After finishing watering, the three of them rushed to catch the last school bus back to the dorm.

The next morning, as Jian Ning was putting on his shoes to go to class, Terry rushed back with a panicked expression.

"What's wrong, Terry?" Jian Ning asked curiously, "Didn't you get permission from Teacher Kelly to skip class and take care of the greenhouse?"

Terry stammered, "Ning, all the purple hemp is dead."

"What?" Jian Ning was taken aback. "They were perfectly fine last night. How could they all die?"

Terry looked on the verge of tears. "The sprinkler nearby somehow turned on, and all the purple hemp leaves got soaked and withered."

Jian Ning furrowed his brows and said, "Take me to see."

With a flustered demeanor, Terry quickly led him to the greenhouse.

The plot of plants that looked like chili seedlings had all withered. The sprinkler nearby had been turned off, but the soil was still damp, indicating that it had been wet for quite some time.

It was fine when they left last night, but in just one night, it turned out like this. Clearly, someone deliberately caused this to harm Terry.

Suddenly, Jian Ning's communication device rang, and he glanced down to see a text message from Jenny, "Jian Ning, why haven't you come to class yet? Alan said he wanted to visit the crops Terry takes care of in the greenhouse, and we're about to leave."

"It was Alan," Jian Ning showed Terry the message, lips pressed together.

After reading it, Terry was furious. "Alan is too sinister!"

"I'm done for," he slumped to the ground, covering his face with despair and sorrow. When his classmates arrived later, Alan would surely frame him, saying that he was careless and didn't close the sprinkler properly, resulting in the destruction of this entire plot. Teacher Kelly would be deeply disappointed, and he would be severely scolded, with this incident also going on his record. Forget about the Royal Plantation; he was afraid he wouldn't even make it to an ordinary plantation.

Seeing Terry so heartbroken, Jian Ning squatted down and reached out to lightly caress the only purple hemp plant that remained unaffected, being too far from the sprinkler's reach. He felt regretful because if he hadn't depleted his mental (psychic) power, just having a seed would be enough to help Terry through this difficult situation.

He thought earnestly, and his palm couldn't help but press down on the soil around the roots of the purple hemp. Suddenly, the stem of the purple hemp began to grow upward, the leaves continuously expanded, and small white flowers even bloomed on its top.

Jian Ning suddenly released his palm, and his heart thumped rapidly with excitement. He was overjoyed beyond measure; it felt like his mental (psychic) power had returned.

[1]: "Shaowang" means Marshal or General, denoting someone with high military authority.