Published: March 11, 2025
Chapter 38: Learning to Read
Zhao Hai didn't want to know what was happening outside the thatched house. He believed that Merlin and the others would handle it well. Right now, Zhao Hai was truly exhausted; he just wanted to get a good night's sleep.
He took a blanket from the warehouse and spread it out on the bed, then lay down immediately. Within a few minutes, he fell asleep. He was really too tired. Because of the Void Water he had consumed, his body couldn't handle much physical exertion, especially not after such a tense situation today.
The slaves outside the thatched house were also resting. It was a rare opportunity for a break, so naturally, they kept quiet. Additionally, the soft blankets on the ground were much better than straw; before long, the whole space fell into a deep silence, even the stone and wood standing guard at the door had sat down to doze off.
More than two hours later, Merlin and the others woke up. Merlin quietly walked to the front of the thatched house, opened the door, and glanced at Zhao Hai, who was sleeping soundly. She quietly closed the door again and looked at the slaves, noticing that some of them had already woken up and were sitting there unsure of what to do.
Although Merlin could teach them how to read, she didn't start right away. If she taught them, she would have to make some noise, and she didn’t want to wake Zhao Hai.
However, Merlin did notice that the radishes she had planted before going to sleep had already sprouted, which surprised her greatly. It was her first time seeing how plants grew in the space, and the speed was astonishing.
Merlin couldn't help but squat by the edge of the field, watching the newly sprouted radish seedlings. These little sprouts looked very robust, and the condition of the soil was excellent; it was clear that they were very healthy.
Meg was also squatting next to Merlin and quietly asked, “Grandma, why did these magic radishes sprout so quickly? I heard that magical vegetables are very difficult to grow, so how come it’s so easy here?”
Merlin smiled slightly and said, “The young master already told me that growing crops in this space greatly shortens the time to maturity, but I didn't expect it to be this fast."
Zhao Hai's voice drifted over, "The magic radishes you’re talking about are called radishes in my space; they are the lowest grade of crops and mature every eight hours."
Merlin and Meg were stunned. Turning around, they saw that Zhao Hai had already come out and was standing behind them. Merlin quickly stood up and said, “Young master, is that true? These magic radishes can really mature in just eight hours?”
Zhao Hai nodded and pointed to the corn nearby, which had already developed ears, and said, “Do you see that corn? Corn is valued higher than radishes in this space. It takes fourteen hours from planting to maturity.”
Merlin and the others couldn’t help but look in the direction Zhao Hai pointed. The corn was still in its growing phase, the leaves a deep green and looking very vigorous.
Zhao Hai turned to Merlin and said, “The food in the space is enough for now. It’s best if we stay here for a while longer before going out to avoid encountering magical beasts.”
Merlin nodded, “Yes, the young master is right. There’s no worry about food here, and it won’t rain. Everyone can just sleep outside; staying here for a few days is fine.”
Zhao Hai nodded and looked at the slaves who had already woken up and were standing respectfully, looking at him. He sighed and said, “Grandma Merlin, please teach them to read later. Wood and I will go build a couple of field kitchens for cooking.”
Feeding over a hundred people isn’t an easy task. Although Zhao Hai had moved all the supplies from the warehouse into the space, to provide enough food and drink for these people, he needed to create large pots for cooking. There wasn't much in the space, so he could only set up a simpler field kitchen.
Merlin looked at the slaves and said, “Young master, let them do it. It won’t take much time; just bring out the supplies. You don’t need to do everything yourself.”