Superpower Small Farmer

Wang Xiaoqiang stopped at the riverbank and surveyed the water, seeing the clear river undulate gently under the light breeze, with no sign of anything unusual. Feeling utterly perplexed, he left the riverbank disheartened and headed towards the village.

Five minutes later, Wang Xiaoqiang walked into the home of Old Man Deyun at the west end of the village.

Elder Deyun was a centenarian, the oldest man in the village and also the most respected and esteemed.

Elder Deyun's high esteem was reflected in two aspects, first, he kept his promises and was kind-hearted, and second, he was knowledgeable.

As a child, Elder Deyun attended a private school and even went to college in the county town. He taught there until retirement, after which he returned to the village.

Despite his advanced age, Elder Deyun remained robust and healthy, with sharp eyes and ears and an exceptionally loud voice. Seeing Wang Xiaoqiang visit, Elder Deyun greeted him with a hearty laugh, "Little Qiang, it's been a long time since you visited me..."

Due to the seclusion and backwardness of the mountain villages, not many elders were literate, and even fewer were well educated, but Elder Deyun was an exception. Not only was he well-learned, but his knowledge was vast as well. When Xiaoqiang was still in school, he would come to ask Elder Deyun whenever he encountered difficult problems. Now, even though he had dropped out of school and was managing the fields at home, he would still come by every now and then during his leisure time to keep the old man company and play chess.

"Er, I've been busy with the fields these days, so I haven't come by..." Xiaoqiang explained and smiled at Elder Deyun, flashing a set of white teeth.

"Brother Qiang, you're here..." Jiang Xiaoxin, who was doing her homework in the courtyard, called out to Wang Xiaoqiang with an excited smile.

Jiang Xiaoxin was Elder Deyun's granddaughter from his daughter's side. Her parents were doing business elsewhere, and she lived long-term with her maternal grandfather. Seventeen-year-old Jiang Xiaoxin was in her final year of junior high and an excellent student, preparing to take the entrance exam for a key high school in the county that year. Seeing Jiang Xiaoxin, Wang Xiaoqiang felt a twinge of envy.

"Working so hard, eh? Keep it up, you've got to make it into the county's key high school," Wang Xiaoqiang encouraged Jiang Xiaoxin with a smile.

"Hmm, thank you, Brother Qiang." Jiang Xiaoxin smiled back at Wang Xiaoqiang, her pretty face blushing slightly. In Sanmiao Village, Jiang Xiaoxin, being an outsider, didn't have many close friends. Wang Xiaoqiang was one of the few, and they used to attend the same school. Every week, it was Wang Xiaoqiang who would take her back on his bicycle. Jiang Xiaoxin felt deep regret for Wang Xiaoqiang's dropping out of school because his academic performance had been even better than hers. She also felt a nameless melancholy about his departure, and without seeing Wang Xiaoqiang at school, she often felt lonely and somber.

Old Man Deyun was sitting under the big Chinese parasol tree in the courtyard, in front of a large chessboard. After Wang Xiaoqiang greeted his granddaughter, Old Man Deyun pointed at the chessboard and said to Wang Xiaoqiang, "Come on, Little Qiang, let's have a game..."

According to seniority, Wang Xiaoqiang should call Elder Deyun "Grandpa."

Wang Xiaoqiang walked over but didn't sit down, saying somewhat sheepishly, "I've never won against you in chess, I'd better not play..."

"Ah... victory and defeat are common for the strategist family," Elder Deyun said dismissively, waving his large hand. "Young man, you need to have the courage to fight and gamble..."

Wang Xiaoqiang reluctantly sat down opposite the chessboard. In reality, his chess skills were not bad, but when facing the highly skilled and experienced Elder Deyun, he could only submit to defeat.

The chess pieces were set up, and after taking his seat, Wang Xiaoqiang didn't wait for the old man to instruct him — he took the initiative to make his move.

In Chinese chess, one must think three steps ahead and consider the whole board, which is quite taxing on the mind compared to other games. Playing chess with the composed Elder Deyun, Wang Xiaoqiang found his brain cells to be thoroughly insufficient. In no time, he fell into a passive position, scarcely able to maintain his stance, his play in disarray, and his mind like a muddled paste, even more chaotic than the chessboard... However, at that moment, Wang Xiaoqiang noticed that the inexplicable object inside him moved from his heart to his brain, releasing waves of cool air that instantly cleared his muddled mind.

Whether it was Elder Deyun intentionally throwing the game or Wang Xiaoqiang performing exceptionally, the game ended with Wang Xiaoqiang surprisingly winning.

"Hmm, not bad, hmm, this move, and this one, very well played..." Elder Deyun praised while closely examining the two exceptional chess moves made by Wang Xiaoqiang. It seemed that he had not gone easy on him.

"Grandpa, so you can lose sometimes..." Jiang Xiaoxin walked over and teased Grandpa with a wink at Wang Xiaoqiang.

Seventeen-year-old Jiang Xiaoxin had shed her youthful greenness and blossomed into a beautiful young woman, her shoulders becoming plump, her chest more full, and with every frown and smile, her pretty face was so lively.

Wang Deyun was a champion on the chessboard, a general who seldom lost. Now that he had suddenly been defeated, and by a young man in his early twenties no less, and teased by his granddaughter on top of that, he had no comeback, and his aged face turned red.

To alleviate Elder Deyun's embarrassment, Wang Xiaoqiang changed the subject, "Grandpa, the reason I've come today... is to borrow a book from you..."

Wang Xiaoqiang had come today to borrow a local gazetteer from Wang Deyun because it contained records about the Shibalih River. He wanted to see if the river really had a large vortex as the old folks claimed.

"Hmm..." Elder Deyun lifted his head and asked, "Which book?"

"The Huagui County gazetteer."

"The gazetteer?" Elder Deyun asked in surprise, "What made you want to read the gazetteer? Didn't you always prefer novels before?"

"Uh, reading some practical knowledge is better than novels," Wang Xiaoqiang replied nonchalantly.

"Hmm, good. That's a good idea!" Wang Deyun gave Wang Xiaoqiang a thumbs up but then turned to his granddaughter with an educational tone, "Xiaoxin, look at Little Qiang, he knows how to strive for improvement and his thoughts are always progressing in a positive direction. You should learn from him in the future..."

Though the words of Old Man Deyun were praise for Wang Xiaoqiang, they were also a retort to his granddaughter for teasing him. However, Jiang Xiaoxin replied, "Don't worry, Grandpa, I've always seen Brother Qiang as my role model."

When she said this, an unperceived blush appeared on Jiang Xiaoxin's face.

Old Man Deyun got up and went inside to look for the local gazetteer for Wang Xiaoqiang. In the courtyard, the young man and woman were left alone. For some reason, although they used to ride to school together, chatting and laughing, now that they were alone, they seemed to have nothing to say,

They glanced at each other, both their faces slightly red, then looked down, kicking the dirt on the ground, creating an awkward atmosphere.

Eventually, it was Jiang Xiaoxin who broke the silence, "Brother Qiang, are you thirsty? I'll go get you a glass of water..." Before Wang Xiaoqiang could answer, she was already hurrying toward the house.

Jiang Xiaoxin wasn't just being polite; she truly went to get water for Wang Xiaoqiang, and even specially brewed a cup of jasmine tea. But by the time she had prepared the tea and brought it out, Wang Xiaoqiang had already left with the gazetteer in hand.

In the empty courtyard, holding the cup of tea, Jiang Xiaoxin couldn't help feeling a touch of melancholy.

As soon as Wang Xiaoqiang got home, he rushed to his room and eagerly opened the Huagui County gazetteer. It didn't take long for him to find the entry about the Shibalih River outside the village—

The Shibalih River, originally called Spirit Spring River, is eighteen li long with an obscure origin. Within the river lies a natural spring that continuously lets out a small stream of water day and night, ensuring the river never dries up through all seasons. According to legend, the spring of Spirit Spring River is the Five Elements Spirit Spring, which can be large or small, free to come and go, and can generate the Five Elements Spiritual Energy. It nourishes all living things with many marvelous benefits.