Chapter 3 - First Step Towards Cultivation

"If you are done, can you please leave?" The girl that gave me food asked. I would like to cultivate as soon as I can. I should ask her if I can cultivate here. If not, I can go home, but I will have to run to my house. Should I ask to stay? I shouldn't overstep her kindness, but if she hates me, it won't matter. I got what I needed out of her today. 

"Is it okay if I cultivate for a little bit?" I asked the girl. This question made her raise an eyebrow. She then asked me a question.

"You cultivate? There is a cultivator out here?" She said aloud. How should I tell her that I am new to cultivating? Maybe I should say to her my master wanted me to till the fields. Helping out a person in need was a requirement for me.

"My master said that I needed to help a female in need with farming. That was the requirement for me to break into the first peasant stage." I said to her, but she took a moment to speak up. 

"That seems odd, but please cultivate. I would like to see how it is done." The girl said with a serious face. 

I shook my head and followed the instructions the system gave me. I had to sit down and cross my legs. I had to slouch a little bit over and start to breathe nice and slow with my eyes closed. 

Is this what Qi feels like? It seems warm, but also, like, hard to describe for sure. I don't feel pain, but there is obvious discomfort. The pain is gathering in my stomach. Is this the core of the dian-whatev from my Chinese stories? No, it was originally gathering my stomach, but now I feel no core. Why do I have the urge to open my eyes? 

I tried to stop my eyes from opening, but I opened them with great force. A screen from my system appeared before me. I have successfully finished the first Peasant stage of Farming. To put it more simply, the Cultivation of Farming Peasants Stage 1 is what I unlocked. I saw the girl's eyes wide in surprise. 

"What is the benefit of your cultivation?" She asked me. That is a good question. Let me check. Hmm, I was hoping for permanent boosts in all fields other than farming. I did farm all day so it makes sense in a way. 

"I will have a boost to stamina when cultivating land, meaning it takes longer for me to tire. I also can pluck weeds faster. For some reason, I know how to cook better than I did before. The last benefit was identifying what was a plant that could bear food. Rather than a weed that bears a drought." I explained to the person whose name I still don't know.

She seemed satisfied with my response. What I didn't tell her is the actual benefits percentage wise or more defined. It would not go well since she might not know math. I am not being mean at all. We are in a poor part of the town we live in. 

I received a boost in stamina for farming-related tasks by 3 percent. It takes 3 percent more activity to tire what would originally tire me out regularly. The next boost was opening a path to cultivating my cooking. I now know how to make basic soups. Cooking these basic soups will boost my cooking cultivation path. 

Ugh, I should have read more of those damned to all hell riddled with propaganda cultivation manhuas. Even learning how to boost my cultivation of any kind will help. Everything and anything is a form of cultivation in some way. At least, that is what I got from looking at the system. I have a walking cultivation path—a path of cultivating the perfect walking motion. 

"Can I ask you to help me again tomorrow? You were a great help, and I would like to get more help." The girls asked me. I see she is also a direct person. I need to become at least somewhat friendly with her. It seems like I will be using her for a while. Sure, I am helping this widow out with farming, but in general I am doing it for more power. 

"Can I get your name first? I doubt you would like to be called "girl.'" I said out loud. 

She smiled a little bit. "My name is Dong Qiuyue. I hope to see you tomorrow." With that being the last thing she wanted to say, I left to go home. I ran back home only because I wanted to get home before it got too dark to find my way back home. 

When I arrived back home I closed the door and stumbled my way back to the bed. When I got to my bed, without thought, I plopped on the ground. I am not out in the wilderness, so my body doesn't think the ground is softer. I am not directly on the flood, but it feels like it. I have some weird half-bed thing. I think it is supposed to be a bed you can also sit on to cultivate. 

Meaning it is a multi-tool that tries to fulfill two roles. It is like the saying, nobody can serve masters. You will love one and hate the other. It is the same for tools. Tools are best when they are for one specified action or purpose. If I get into a cultivation school, I am buying a bed. I don't need a western bed. I just want a bed. I do not want a bed and chair combination. 

The system, time to open the system, look through the system. I hate to do it when I am tired, but I need to get some things done. I need to see if there are quests that I can complete tomorrow. I am sure a few more quests have been unlocked. 

I was right. More gray color quests have been added. Let's see, this one seems good. Spend 2 hours cultivating. I will cultivate and guess when I spend 2 hours cultivating. I will adapt to any situation if I make any mistakes. For now, I must rest. My body is demanding that I do so.