There was a cave in the back mountain, not deep, but the entrance was covered with branches and vines, so few people knew about it.
It was through "communicating" with the wild creatures in the mountains that Jiang Wan learned of its existence.
The cave was not large, but it was home to many snakes. With a surge of her ability, the snakes scattered as if startled, slithering out in a rush.
In a short while, the cave was empty.
Jiang Wan stepped into the cave. It was cool inside, but the smell was a bit overpowering.
She couldn't afford to be picky now. She calmed her mind, feeling the surging energy in her dantian, and just like in her previous life, she guided the energy to circulate within her body, then unleashed its full force against the invisible barrier.
It felt like a long time, and yet like only a moment, when Jiang Wan heard a "pop" from within her body. She felt as if she had broken free from a tightly bound silkworm cocoon, her entire being feeling light and relaxed.
A torrent of energy surged from her dantian, washing over every cell in her body, bringing with it a vibrant life force.
Some of the energy overflowed, attracting the birds and beasts of the mountain forest.
Jiang Wan felt a surge of pleasant surprise as she assessed her upgraded ability.
Her enhanced ability was far more powerful than she had imagined. With a mere activation, she could hear the myriad "conversations" happening in the forest.
She could now understand the languages of the animals!
For instance, the two rabbits about ten steps away were curiously staring at Jiang Wan, exchanging thoughts that her "scent" smelled delicious.
Jiang Wan grinned and used her ability to convey her thoughts to the rabbits: I think spicy diced rabbit is even more delicious.
The rabbits froze, their four wide eyes staring at Jiang Wan in alarm, utterly bewildered as to how she could understand them and even reply!
Jiang Wan was in a very good mood today, so she decided not to kill them, only to scare them a bit and chase them away.
After her ability upgrade, Jiang Wan could clearly sense the emotions of all living beings around her. Take the mountain forest she was currently in, for instance. It was abundant in water, with moderate sunlight, perfectly suited for plant growth. Consequently, the plants thriving here were all joyful, and even those within the forest felt their moods lighten, becoming relaxed and happy.
No wonder she always felt so good whenever she came to the back mountain.
Jiang Wan climbed to the mountaintop and looked down. Then, she mobilized all her ability and unleashed it towards the forest.
The trees throughout the entire forest were enveloped by her ability, instantly growing nearly half a meter taller!
Jiang Wan was so delighted she wanted to scream.
While half a meter might not be a significant increase to the naked eye, this was the entire forest!
If she concentrated all her ability on a single tree, she could instantly transform a sapling into a towering giant, one that ten people couldn't even embrace!
Her ability was even more remarkable than in her previous life!
During her first ability upgrade in her past life, she could only make a seed grow into a tree that two or three people could embrace, reaching a height of about a hundred meters.
Now, it had more than tripled, how could she not be ecstatic!
With her current ability, she could mature the grain fields of the entire small mountain village several times over in a single night!
It was too powerful!
In the evening, Chen Yuezhi and Jiang Pan returned home. As soon as they entered, they saw Jiang Wan sitting in the courtyard, grinning foolishly.
"Wan Wan, what's making you so happy?"
Jiang Wan's face ached from smiling, but she couldn't help but continue, "Dad, Mom, the old immortal's celestial rank has ascended!"
She couldn't keep such wonderful news to herself and had to share it with someone.
Her parents were the best people to share it with.
Jiang Pan and Chen Yuezhi were both taken aback. "The old immortal is already an immortal, and he can still ascend?"
Jiang Wan nodded. "Of course. The old immortal said that our family played a significant role in his ascension this time, so he will continue to bless us in the future."
Hearing this, Chen Yuezhi and Jiang Pan were naturally delighted. The couple hurried to the ancestral hall to offer three sticks of incense to the old immortal, thanking him for always remembering their family.
After offering incense, Chen Yuezhi went back into the kitchen and cooked a few more dishes.
Such great news called for a celebration.
After dinner, Jiang Pan and Chen Yuezhi called Jiang Wan into their room.
"Wan Wan, there's something Dad and Mom want to discuss with you."
Jiang Wan smiled sweetly and asked, "What is it?"
Chen Yuezhi turned and brought out all the family's silver.
"Recently, your second brother's wedding cost sixty taels of silver. After deducting the cost of the banquet, I also gave your sister-in-law fifteen taels of silver..."
Jiang Wan quickly stopped her. "Mom, are you trying to settle accounts with me? I've already said, this money has nothing to do with me. You can spend it however you wish."
Chen Yuezhi completely ignored her words and continued, "Your father and I have discussed it, and we want to use some money to start a business."
"Start a business?"
Jiang Wan was a little surprised. "Why the sudden thought of starting a business?"
Chen Yuezhi said, "Because our family needs money. Although our family is currently the best in the village, this little fortune is nothing in Yao County."
"Why else would the Xu family dare to scheme against us like this? It's precisely because our family is too weak and can't stand firm."
"Although your father and I are not what we used to be, your father's monthly salary is barely enough to cover the expenses of our large family. And I still don't know when I'll be able to graduate from your grand-master. Our family must start generating income."
Jiang Wan felt that this idea was sound.
"Then what kind of business do Dad and Mom want to do?"
Chen Yuezhi was also a bit troubled. Their initial capital wasn't much, and they didn't have many connections. They were considering starting a business, but they hadn't decided what to do.
Jiang Wan also didn't know much about starting a business. Her life experience from her previous life was too limited, and she didn't have many skills, so she couldn't offer many constructive suggestions.
Jiang Pan said, "How about we open a restaurant?"
Both mother and daughter looked at him. "Open a restaurant?"
"Yes. Our capital is limited, so we need to find a stable livelihood. Common people can't live without food, clothing, shelter, and transportation. With our current capital, we can't afford to dabble in clothing, shelter, or transportation, so we can only focus on food."
"Jiangnan is prosperous, and the people here enjoy luxury. They are very particular about food. Therefore, I want to open a specialty restaurant in Yao County, focusing on dishes not found in Yao County, such as Jianzhou cuisine."
As Jiang Wan listened, her eyes brightened.
"Dad, I think this is a great idea!"
Chen Yuezhi, however, was a little worried. "The dietary habits of different regions are different. Jiangnan people eat lightly and prefer sweet flavors. Will people here be accustomed to eating Jianzhou cuisine?"
Jiang Wan replied, "As long as the taste is good, there will be people who love it. Moreover, the taste can be improved. We can make some modifications to suit the tastes of Jiangnan."
"Also, I can ask the old immortal to provide some dishes not found in Jiangnan, or off-season vegetables. As long as the ingredients are fresh and rare enough, there will be no shortage of customers."