Chapter Thirty: Learning Skills

Work is never truly finished. For Chi Sui, the best way to maintain a good mindset when faced with such things is to simply turn a blind eye.

Stacking all the letters in the corner of the small cabin, Chi Sui clapped her hands and decided to pretend they didn't exist for the time being.

Everything has its order of priority. Having been away from the ranch for over ten days, there were still many tasks to handle—such as setting up the beekeeping equipment brought over from Windbell Ranch.

Luo Luo now wore the crown; as long as it accumulated enough energy, it could begin the production and hatching of Powder-Ring Bees. In the early stages, without a hive, a simple bee house needed to be built on the ranch to incubate the bee nuclei, allowing the newly born Powder-Ring Bees to better adapt to their surroundings.

Furthermore, the ranch currently lacked a flower garden, and Windwind Town did not have flower seeds suitable for the Powder-Ring Bees to collect nectar from. These all needed to be purchased from Windbell Town. When she was about to leave Windbell Town, Chi Sui had exchanged beekeeping experiences with Cecil and purchased these facilities from him, though the price tag had been quite "impressive."

Looking at the materials piled at the ranch entrance, Chi Sui recalled the darkened expression on Cecil's face. The cost of these devices and the potted flowers had been enough to completely wipe out her prize money.

But then, Chi Luo had flown out, staring at Cecil with those hollow, jewel-like eyes—saying nothing, just watching. Cecil, who had initially been staring back, eventually shifted his gaze away, and these items transformed from a purchase into a gift.

Thinking of this, Chi Sui couldn't help but give Chi Luo a thumbs-up. Wonderful—worthy of her brilliant Luo Luo, capable of being both a queen and a master of playing the victim.

Most of the flowers in these pots were still just buds, waiting for Chi Sui to find a place to plant them so they could serve their decorative purpose on the ranch.

Chi Sui’s ranch was quite large, but it was far too empty. The only habitable structure was a wooden house located slightly east of the center. The house was actually quite spacious, with four or five rooms, but Chi Sui currently only used the master bedroom and the kitchen.

There was a cellar beneath the house, but it was damp and filled with miscellaneous junk. It looked more like a storage closet than a place to keep food. Having been at the ranch for so long, Chi Sui had yet to clean it; for now, it remained a place she looked at once and immediately gave up on.

Next to the wooden house were the fields. Chi Sui often wondered what the original owner’s grandfather had been thinking, placing the fields so close to the house. Was it so he could pick the freshest ingredients whenever he cooked? If he had used more farm manure, Momo would have fainted before even reaching the house.

Diagonally across from the cabin was the animal shed. The two buildings were set far apart, and the area outside the animal shed was currently enclosed by a fence to create a large pasture for grazing. Beyond these structures, there was only an endless expanse of grass, save for a forest to the west, where Mr. Stone liked to stay whenever he had nothing to do, camouflaging himself as a boulder.

Compared to the grandeur and romance of Cecil's ranch, Chi Sui's place practically wore the word "shabby" on its sleeve.

Chi Sui had once been curious: could a place once known as the premier ranch of the Wind-Following Territory really become this empty in just ten years?

Mr. Stone's answer had left her silent.

"Sickness," he said. "Sickness requires money."

There used to be a monster shed, but it had been dismantled because the building materials could be sold off. There had also been a man-made lake, but with no one to maintain it for so long, it had dried up.

The ranch was pristine, just as it had been when Chi Yu first acquired it. Today, aside from the basic infrastructure, the ranch was as clean as a blank sheet of paper, providing Chi Sui with the greatest possible space for creation.

Chi Sui gestured, deciding to place the bee house on the hillside to the north. She still had vivid memories of the breathtaking honey waterfall at Cecil’s ranch; no one could see that sight and not be moved. After all, just filling a single bottle was worth several gold coins. She had finally seen what "gold covering the ground" actually looked like.

Just as she attempted to move the materials for the bee house, she felt a weight settle on her head.

"Sui Sui, do you need help?"

"Sui Sui" was the nickname Chi Luo currently used for her. After arriving at the ranch, Mr. Stone had taken to calling her "Little Friend," while Momo usually addressed her by her full name. Luo Luo had originally done the same, but it and Momo didn't get along—or rather, they were constantly jealous of each other. After their last argument, they had begun competing over titles. Chi Luo refused to use the same name as Momo, so Chi Sui was gifted the nickname "Sui Sui," which was now Chi Luo's exclusive term for her.

Chi Sui shook her head, weighed the materials in her hands, and said, "No, it’s too heavy. You can't lift it. I'll go find Mr. Stone to help in a moment."

Luo Luo lowered its head, feeling a bit dejected, and reached out its antennae to touch Chi Sui's forehead.

"Is there anything else I can do? I want to be with you."

The antennae on the head of the Powder-Ring Bee Queen could not only sense the emotions of those she touched but also transmit her own. In that brief moment of contact, Chi Sui felt a wave of disappointment.

Looking at the heavy assembly materials, Chi Sui felt a bit troubled.

Fortunately, she didn't have to worry for long. Hearing the commotion, Mr. Stone flew over. After clarifying exactly where Chi Sui wanted the materials placed, he picked up the largest piece and hoisted it onto his shoulder with ease.

As for the remaining materials, Mr. Stone flapped his wings, and a gust of wind soon lifted them into the air.

Seeing this familiar scene, Chi Sui immediately clapped her hands.

"There now, we can clap for Mr. Stone together." Not receiving a response from Luo Luo, Chi Sui added, "Luo Luo, don't underestimate clapping. Emotional support is very important."

Luo Luo obediently extended its two small hands and began to clap. But soon, it flew in front of Mr. Stone.

"Can I learn how to do that from you?"

Mr. Stone, who was mid-flight, looked at the tiny creature blocking his path and slowly came to a halt. As he stopped, the other materials wrapped in the airflow dropped to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"You? You can't learn it."

Hearing this, Luo Luo was clearly unconvinced. "You haven't even taught me, so how do you know I can't?"

Mr. Stone gestured toward the size of Luo Luo's wings with his forelimbs and spoke bluntly, "With your size, you can't stir up such large waves of wind."

"How would I know if I don't try? When you used your thoughts to speak with Sui Sui, I learned it after just one look. Now, Sui Sui and I can communicate without any barriers even without a contract. I'm a fast learner."

"Oh?" Mr. Stone tilted his head toward Chi Sui, seeking confirmation of this claim.

Chi Sui nodded.

Having received Chi Sui's affirmation, Mr. Stone still shook his head. "My answer remains the same: you cannot learn it."

Seeing that Chi Luo was about to speak again, Mr. Stone continued, "Our magical inclinations are different; you cannot do what I do. But perhaps you could try developing your mental power and use your thoughts to control objects."

"I can teach you that."