242: Chapter 40: A Smooth Cultivation Process 242: Chapter 40: A Smooth Cultivation Process At eight o’clock in the evening, the moon was clearly visible in the sky.
In a few days, it would be the night of the full moon on the fifteenth.
According to the records in the “Beiming Heart Method,” the closer it was to the night of the full moon, the easier it was to gather Moonlight Essence.
Li Mumu sat cross-legged on the rooftop terrace, with the open “Beiming Heart Method” in front of her, as well as pills and a cup of water.
Wendy stood by silently as a protector.
“Do you really think you have a talent for this?”
Wendy cocked her head and chuckled, “I’m not doubting you, but I really think you should practice the Heretical Path’s ‘Blood Transformation Divine Blade.’ Even if I don’t understand Eastern culture, just the name alone seems to suit you.”
“Shut up!
Don’t disturb my cultivation spirit!”
Li Mumu thought to herself, do I not know if it’s appropriate or not?
What could I do?
Could I really give up being human and walk down the path of demons and evil spirits to a dark end?
She swallowed a pill and began to recite the Cultivation Technique silently in her mind.
From a scientific perspective, this was a process of self-hypnosis.
Three minutes after taking the pill, her brain began to dull and her thoughts gradually slowed.
Li Mumu forgot about Wendy next to her, forgot who she was, and where she was.
When she opened her eyes, all she saw was a bright moon hanging high in the sky.
I am a fish…
That moon, is the bait.
Li Mumu opened her mouth and subconsciously took a breath, feeling as if she could swallow the moon in the sky into her belly.
However, what she sucked into her mouth was only a hint of cold chill.
She suddenly shivered and woke up from Dreamland.
When she came back to her senses and looked up again, the moon had moved a long distance.
“It’s ten o’clock sharp, you’ve maintained your cultivation for two full hours, which according to your country’s timekeeping, would be considered one Chinese Hour.”
Wendy glanced at her watch and then frowned at Li Mumu, “Do you feel any changes?”
Li Mumu slowly exhaled the stale air from her chest, stretched out her fingers and lightly clawed at the ground of the terrace, leaving five clear scratch marks.
She took out the metal rod that came with the medicine and looked at it, no changes.
“My strength has increased a bit, so it seems like it is indeed effective.”
Li Mumu turned to Wendy, “Did I go crazy or strip off my clothes while I was at it?”
“No, you didn’t move at all after taking the medicine until just now.”
Wendy kindly reminded, “But this is only the first time, and it’s hard to tell if there are any issues.
No one knows if there will be side effects from taking too much of this medicine.”
“It’s just an aid to help in the initiation of cultivation; it’s not necessary to take it every time.
Actually, I think I’ve started to get the hang of it.”
Li Mumu was very happy, her first attempt at cultivation had successfully gone into deep meditation, and any progress was good.
As for how long the cultivation lasted or how much was gained, that was not so important.
A response proved that she did have talent, and that she could continue on this path.
No one could expect to reach the peak of Completion in cultivation in just one day; it was a slow and steady process.
The entire process went so smoothly that she even started thinking about dual cultivation…
When she returned home, Jiang Yinyin had already prepared bathwater for her.
Li Mumu had braced herself for the aftermath of her cultivation; she was prepared for her body to expel two pounds of filth—after all, that’s how it’s described in the novels.
But, to her surprise, she felt refreshed and clean, with nothing out of the ordinary happening.
Li Ya looked her up and down and frowned, “Is that it?”
Li Mumu really wanted to slap her.
If this wasn’t her own mother, she would have done so already.
What does she mean by ‘is that it’?
This was so much more instant than learning those basic theories you pushed me into!
Do you want me to perform some kind of instant saintliness?
As is widely known, highly-educated parents often have unrealistic expectations of their children.
They tend to believe that whatever they produce couldn’t possibly be as vastly different as Yunnan Golden Monkeys are from the macaques of Mount Emei.
The good mood that had lasted less than ten minutes was crushed by Li Ya’s remark.
Feeling indignant, Li Mumu went to take a shower.
In those days, there wasn’t the hot and cold water system of later years, mainly because the technologies for insulation materials and pressure valves had not been developed.
Even if they boiled water in a boiler, they couldn’t channel it into apartment buildings.
For the poor, taking a bath meant filling a basin with water and leaving it under the sun to warm up before quickly rinsing off.
Wealthier families were more fastidious and would use a bathtub, heating water with a gas stove.
Li Mumu had spent a considerable amount of money on her ceramic bathtub, but it was a necessary expense.
To maintain the image of a lady, bathing daily was a basic requirement.
Showering every day, keeping oneself clean and tender, was more effective than any makeup or external adornment.
Li Mumu laid back in the bathtub, closed her eyes, and rested for a while until Jiang Yinyin came to add hot water.
She glanced around to make sure no one was there, then leaned in close and whispered into Li Mumu’s ear, “Miss, I’d like to ask you something—if we still need to hire someone for the house.”
“Hire someone?
Who, you can’t handle it?”
Li Mumu opened her eyes and looked at the maid strangely.
Jiang Yinyin quickly shook her head, “No, it’s not that.
The chores like buying groceries, doing laundry, and cleaning are simple, I can do them by myself.
But the needlework you mentioned last time, I might be slow with that…”
“No rush on that, do you have someone in mind to recommend?”
“Yes, Miss.
There’s a classmate of mine at school named Zhou Qing.
Back when my parents sold me, it was she who pleaded with Wang Yunxiao to look for me outside.
She promised him a meal then, but didn’t have the money, so she asked if I could share some work with her.”
Li Mumu didn’t take it seriously.
One sheep to herd or two, the work is the same, and she wouldn’t have minded hiring a couple more maids if it weren’t for the small size of her house.
It’s just twenty bucks a month, after all; keeping a cat or a dog at home would cost more than that.
“Have her come to our house tomorrow.”
“No, Miss, you misunderstood.”
Jiang Yinyin quickly clarified, “She doesn’t want to be a maid, she just wants some sewing work so she can earn enough to treat someone to a meal.”
“How much can a meal cost?
Didn’t my dad give you fifty bucks?
Have you spent it all?
Why not just lend her a few dollars?”
Li Mumu narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing the flustered maid.
That’s no way to make friends.
Someone tries to help you out, and when it’s time to repay the favor, you won’t even front them a few dollars?
Jiang Yinyin’s face was a picture of misery: “She won’t take my money.”
“She’s got that much pride?”
Upon hearing this, Li Mumu became more intrigued.
“What did she say when she refused your money?”
The question brought tears to Jiang Yinyin’s eyes, “She said she only wanted to earn this one meal’s money, and once she had it, she’d sever ties with me!”