Chapter 32: The Gate In The Eye
After the assessment ended, because everyone had been tense before, Scholar Heide also intentionally let everyone relax and change their state.
“For the next week, we will spend time in the village outside the city.” The scholar announced in front of the students.
“Each person can only carry luggage in one box, with clothes you want to change into inside, and we will depart uniformly tomorrow morning.”
“We will give lessons in a natural environment and let you truly understand various crops and the environment of farmers’ labor.”
“Alright, after this morning’s class ends, you can go home and prepare.”
“Oh~” Hearing there would be a holiday, the students cheered without exception.
Afterward, everyone gathered together to discuss how to have fun in the countryside village in the coming days.
For commoner students, this was nothing special, but for some noble and wealthy students, it was quite novel.
“I wonder if we can hunt there. I learned archery a year ago, but unfortunately, I haven’t had a chance for real combat.”
“Can I bring my beloved pet Kaka? It’s a loyal hunting dog.”
“It would be great if we could ride horses, galloping on the grassland with the person I love.”
“I’m tired of staying in Jiaoshi City.”
“Is there a river there? Can we go swimming?”
“If there’s a river, we can fish.”
“Sigh, we can’t bring servants, that makes it no fun.”
“Maybe we can go see the scarecrow. Not long ago, I read a strange story about a scarecrow.”
At this time, Komiya also pulled Xilutiya and Karen together to discuss.
“Karen, bring your bow and arrow. This time there’ll be a chance to use it, maybe we can even hunt some prey for barbecue.” Komiya suggested.
“No problem, I also have a set of wilderness tools that I’ve used before.” Karen nodded.
“What about you, Tiya? What are you good at?”
“I can probably help you identify wild plants. Um, preparing food is fine too.” The maiden thought for a moment.
“How about you bring some seasoning, or we might need a picnic cloth.”
“As for me, I’ll have my dad prepare a tent for me to carry.”
“Aren’t we staying in the village? It’s not outdoors.” Xilutiya remembered.
“Sigh, isn’t it outdoor camping? Alright, then I’ll bring some tasty things and a blanket. We still need to sleep comfortably.” She really loved sleeping.
“It’s decided then. We’ll set off together tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
……
In the afternoon, Xilutiya returned home and began preparing.
Actually, she didn’t have much to bring. Besides essential clothes, just two books, one notebook, and a small bag of seasoning tools.
Should she bring a pillow? She quite liked the new buckwheat pillow she made recently. Without being able to afford cotton, this pillow was already very comfortable.
She picked up the pillow and felt it, deciding to bring it anyway.
It wasn’t heavy anyway; she could carry it.
Then there were the flowers and grass in the backyard that she was worried about.
Thinking of this, she went to the bedroom, took the bottle of newly made potion, and examined it carefully.
This bottle of potion was given to her by Teacher Heide yesterday. It was said that people from the Apothecary Guild spent several days adjusting it before succeeding.
【Emerald Pupil Potion】（First Order-Emerald Honey）: Drip into the eyes to allow you to see the flow of nutrients inside plants, hidden nature, and growth conditions.（Good Quality, each effect lasts 3 minutes）
Only three minutes? The maiden whispered softly, then opened the cap and carefully extracted a few drops with a special glass tube, dripping them into her eyes.
A refreshing sensation spread instantly, and everything in her vision turned gray, like a black and white world. However… she blinked and looked at herself in the mirror.
Her originally light blue eyes, one turned emerald. This one emerald and one blue heterochromatic pupil added a strange and mysterious charm to the maiden in the mirror.
Coming to the backyard, Xilutiya’s gaze swept over those flowers, grass, and plants. In this black and white world, these plants had particularly vivid colors. Even green ones, she could see hundreds of different forms and shades, extremely magical.
Coming again before the swan orchids she cultivated, the maiden carefully bent down and observed the swan orchids in front of her intently. As if seeing through them, she gradually perceived the ‘colors’ inside the swan orchids. This ‘seeing’ was more like a kind of intuition, discovering the rhythms and differences within.
Based on the textures of these colors, Xilutiya placed her hand on the swan orchid, activating the ‘Emerald Honey’ nature in the potion in her eyes. A more delicate and clear sensation emerged, as if adding another layer of ‘touch’ to the ‘colors’, along with the plants’ slight breathing ‘rhythms’. With these three perceptions fused, a more three-dimensional and completely different perception unfolded.
The world hadn’t changed, but she saw scenes she had never seen before, as if walking out of a narrow dark cave for the first time and beholding the vast wilderness under the sky.
Countless pieces of information intersected in her eyes and mind, then understood and analyzed by her simultaneously, gradually sorting out.
Three minutes was far from enough. She had to drip a few more drops of Emerald Pupil Potion into her left eye. This green-tinted eye had a strange charm, the emerald in the pupil floating and flowing like liquid, drawing people in deeply.
One perception after another, one understanding and analysis after another. The secrets of the plants before her were like doors, opening one by one in Xilutiya’s eyes.
The unknown behind the doors, the knowledge behind the doors, the mysteries behind the doors, revealed one by one.
（Insight into ‘Swan Orchid’. When facing ‘Swan Orchid’ plants in the future, gain an informational advantage. ‘Discernment Eyes’ completion +1）
A burst of enlightenment emerged in the maiden’s mind, and then she slowly disengaged from that immersive state.
At this time, as she observed the swan orchid before her again, the sorted information surfaced in her mind.
【Swan Orchid】（Good-58）: Growing, humidity not in optimal state, needs continued humidification by 21.24%, ambient temperature slightly low, needs increase by 5.8 degrees, soil compacted due to watering, reduced permeability, insufficient nutrients, lacking some trace nutrients…
Not knowing is ignorance, but seeing is shocking. Xilutiya then discovered there were so many issues.
Humidity, temperature? Those weren’t things she could solve now; probably needed a greenhouse. But for soil compaction, permeability, and nutrients, she thought of many solutions.
First, loosen the soil, replace the topsoil, mix in a small amount of gravel to increase permeability and prevent clumping. Then water some swan orchids, and crush some eggshells into ground powder to add as fertilizer to the soil.
She recorded the solutions she thought of in the notebook, then began loosening the soil. During the process, she continuously adjusted and recorded data, like seeking the perfect gear fit.
Just like that, Xilutiya busied herself until dusk. At this time, Talil got off work and returned home, and only then did she stand up from between the field ridges in the backyard.
“Tiya, on the way home today I bought bread.” Talil placed the hugged bread in the kitchen, then found the maiden who had just come out of the backyard.
“Why are your arms and skirt covered in soil? Were you so busy today?” She held Xilutiya’s hand, went to one side to help pat off the dirt, and asked with concern.
“Talil, I made a lot of discoveries today.” Xilutiya’s voice was unusually lively, tinged with some excitement.
“So happy today?” Although Talil didn’t understand what Xilutiya discovered, she was also happy.
“How about we skip bread and go to the restaurant for a big meal~” She was a bit craving it.
Normally, Xilutiya would be a bit reluctant to spend money, as her saved silver coins weren’t many.
But today she was truly happy, and she nodded in agreement.
“Then today, but next time we have to space it out. We still need to save money.” Seeing her agree, Talil happily bounced up, then looked at Xilutiya and hurried to the kitchen.
“What are you doing in the kitchen?” The maiden asked curiously.
“Heating water for you. You can’t go out like this, Tiya.” Her voice came from the kitchen.
……
About an hour later, after bathing, a refreshed Xilutiya changed clothes and went out with Talil.
They came again to Glia Restaurant, and the two found a quiet small private room.
Tonight they ordered ‘Braised Oxtail’.
【Braised Oxtail】（Excellent）: Braised oxtail, simultaneously pan-fry onion and bay leaves in hot oil. When the oxtail is 80% done, add the pan-fried onion and bay leaves, carrot chunks, season with garlic cloves, salt, sugar, and tomato sauce. Finally, when plating, pair with several roasted round potatoes, drizzle with oil juice, and enjoy together.
The two enjoyed a rare delicious big meal. Afterward, a satisfied Talil went home with Xilutiya. By this time, the maiden had already thought of the task to assign to Talil.
“So, for the next week, Tiya won’t be home?” Talil was a bit down after hearing this, because Xilutiya cooked well, and every evening she could eat some new dishes.
Though not as good as the restaurant chefs, she liked it very much.
“If Tiya isn’t home, I’ll have to gnaw on dry bread and root vegetable soup every day.”
“Bear with it a little. If you really can’t, go to Sister Winnie’s for dinner.” The maiden teased.
“I can go, but if too many times, it’s embarrassing.”
“Speaking of watering flowers, how do you water the flowers you’re raising, Tiya? I see you record the water amount and time every day.” Talil inquired.
“Don’t worry about that. Tonight I’ll organize the table, and then you just water according to the amounts on it.”
Talil definitely couldn’t be as precise as her, but for the current ‘swan orchid’ cultivation, other conditions were already adjusted. As long as the watering amount error was within 30%, it would be enough to grow excellent-quality ‘swan orchids’.
“Then, I’m counting on you for the next week.”
“Leave it to me, o(*￣︶￣*)o~” After saying that, the two smiled and walked home.
Speaking of which, it had been over a month since she last left Jiaoshi City. This trip out filled Xilutiya with freshness and anticipation again.
