There is an idiom in Chinese called "Songs of Chu from All Directions," but Chu Zhishui now believes that this phrase has nothing to do with her surname and should be changed to "Songs of Bamboo from All Directions" to be more appropriate.
She is truly caught between a rock and a hard place. Not only are there untransformed bamboo plants outside her courtyard, but now a transformed bamboo spirit has appeared, making it seem like she can't escape these ever-green plants.
Xin Yunmao today is wearing a pure white windbreaker, with flame-like ink stains at the hem, looking relaxed and carefree.
Chu Zhishui still wears the pendant. Although he can teleport inside, he doesn't directly step into the courtyard. Instead, he stands outside the fence, staring at her, showing a rather polite demeanor.
"Why are you here?" Chu Zhishui leaves the bamboo grove that has climbed over the wall, crosses the small courtyard to open the gate for him, "I didn't call your name."
As soon as the fence gate opens, Xin Yunmao enters and calmly says, "But you touched the bamboo."
"So what if I touched the bamboo?" Chu Zhishui looks at the bamboo grove, then turns back to him, surprised, "The bamboo isn't you."
"Poetry often uses mountains, rivers, and plants to express emotions, which is what you humans often call imagery." Xin Yunmao looks at her, blinks, and repeats, "You touched the bamboo."
"..."
Chu Zhishui is greatly shocked: "Is your way of thinking so bizarre because you always scatter like poetry?"
It's no wonder that ancient poets who praised bamboo so much have made the bamboo spirit so self-satisfied that his thought process is as free as poetry.
Xin Yunmao snorts softly, follows her in, and says, "You've planted bamboo too."
"Didn't I say it wasn't me? It grew in on its own." Chu Zhishui smiles, threatening subtly, "I was just about to borrow an ax from the property management to chop down the bamboo grove."
Xin Yunmao nods calmly: "Sure, I'll help you chop it down and then plant a new one for you."
Chu Zhishui: "?"
Chu Zhishui quickly changes her mind: "Forget it, every plant and tree is a life, let them grow well."
"Really?" Xin Yunmao turns to look at the bamboo outside, his expression calm, and says slowly, "Bamboo roots grow fast. It's not obvious in winter, but in spring, they will spread and completely take over your courtyard."
"I just checked, they grew from the streamside. Your courtyard is connected to the green space, so the roots came in."
"No way," Chu Zhishui looks surprised, "I've seen other communities planting bamboo, and this hasn't happened."
Bamboo is a plant often accompanying human residences; logically, developers have already planned for this.
"They separated the land in the middle and covered it with thick bricks. Your place is connected, and it will grow into your home sooner or later." Xin Yunmao gives her a resentful look, "Don't I know what bamboo wants?"
Chu Zhishui runs out with doubt, follows the bamboo grove to the streamside, and indeed finds it connected. Originally, there were only a few bamboos by the stream, but after absorbing rainwater and sunlight, they began to expand wildly, directly reaching the side of her home's courtyard, likely to invade in time.
Xin Yunmao leans against the gate of the fence, raises an eyebrow, and says slowly, "There are still pieces of ice in the stream now. When spring comes, countless mosquitoes will appear, following this bamboo grove into your courtyard."
"How can this happen?"
"This often happens in such courtyards."
Chu Zhishui covers her mouth and thinks deeply. She has always lived in the city and really doesn't know these things. When buying the house, she only chose the location and facilities, and the price of a house with a courtyard on the first floor is higher. She didn't expect so many troubles, feeling troubled for a moment.
"If I want to avoid many mosquitoes in summer, do I have to ask the property management to clean the bamboo regularly?" Chu Zhishui asks humbly, "Do I really have to cut down the bamboo outside?"
Xin Yunmao: "It's useless. Bamboo won't die if cut; it will continue endlessly with roots."
"So I can only wait for it to grow in?" Chu Zhishui is astonished, "Is there no other solution?"
Hearing this, Xin Yunmao glances at her, purses his lips, and says, "There's a way."
"What way?"
"I'll help you plant a mosquito-repelling bamboo in the courtyard, which won't randomly occupy the space and can prevent other bamboos from growing in."
"..."
Chu Zhishui takes a deep breath, smiles wryly, and says, "May I ask, what kind of bamboo is this? It's so powerful, I've never heard of it."
Xin Yunmao remains calm: "A high-end variety."
Chu Zhishui admires: "You really surprise me every day."
Xin Yunmao is stunned, his eyelashes tremble slightly, as if embarrassed, and he says softly, "Is that so?"
"Yes, your thick-skinnedness every day refreshes my perception."
"?"
"You wish, I won't let you plant it." Chu Zhishui says irritably, "Don't think I don't know what you're up to."
He even asked for her house key before, ever since Danshan.
Seeing she still doesn't relent, Xin Yunmao complains, "The bamboo is better than mosquitoes. You'll know in summer, courtyards by water are troublesome."
Chu Zhishui is suddenly speechless, indeed not wanting to attract mosquitoes.
Soon, a human and a spirit stand in the courtyard. Chu Zhishui picks up a stick from the side, draws a three-eight line solemnly, and leaves a mark at the entrance of the residential building leading to the courtyard, warning, "You can plant up to here, but it can't spread into the house."
Xin Yunmao is confused: "Can it really spread into the house?"
"..."
Chu Zhishui glares, annoyed: "Alright, stop asking questions, start working."
Xin Yunmao is driven to the courtyard to plant bamboo to prevent mosquito infestation in spring. He squats in the courtyard, studies the soil seriously, and after looking around to ensure no one is watching, he snaps his fingers.
Dark spirit energy turns into mist, not too large, like a sprinkler, falling into the ground.
The cold winter is not suitable for plant growth, but countless light-colored roots surge out from the soil, quickly making the courtyard neat and tidy. Except for the path leading to the fence gate, other soil is turned over.
Xin Yunmao doesn't directly catalyze tall bamboo; it doesn't make sense to transplant bamboo in winter, which could attract attention from others. He only leaves some of his roots, planning to catalyze them when spring comes, as she isn't in a hurry.
Chu Zhishui walks around the house, returns to see the cultivated courtyard, and exclaims, "So fast, just waiting for it to grow?"
"Yes."
Chu Zhishui, who has never grown flowers or plants, asks curiously, "Can it grow well before summer?"
"Yes." Xin Yunmao assures, "If it doesn't grow, I'll come to check."
Chu Zhishui nods understandingly, looks at the cultivated soil, and suddenly says, "Do you still have the seeds you gave me for my birthday?"
Xin Yunmao's jaw tightens instantly; he looks at her gloomily, alertly asks, "What for?"
Chu Zhishui laughs dryly: "Since you're here, the god can help me plant some others too."
She used to be too naive, misunderstanding her ability to tend to plants. She didn't even know the growth characteristics of bamboo, let alone planting other things in the courtyard. He is an expert in plants, dealing with these should be no problem.
The only drawback is that the plant master has a cold and hard temper and deep repulsion towards other plants.
As expected, Xin Yunmao immediately turns cold and decisively refuses, "No."
"Why?" Chu Zhishui pleads, "Didn't you say you would fulfill my wishes?"
His wish-granting mechanism is absurd; it suddenly fulfills wishes when there are none and refuses when there are.
"This doesn't count as a wish." Xin Yunmao frowns, feels stifled, and says unhappily, "Why should I help you flirt with flowers and plants?"
Chu Zhishui widens her eyes: "What do you mean by flirting with flowers and plants?"
He says sourly, "If you plant them, you'll touch them, won't you?"
"That's the wrong use of the phrase." She refutes, "And there's not even a single plant here now, what do you want me to flirt with?"
Hearing this, Xin Yunmao's gaze trembles, his resentment dissipates, suddenly falls silent, and gently purses his lips.
Chu Zhishui meets his expectant gaze, seems to remember something, and suddenly stops: "..."
She pretends to be indifferent and turns her head: "Oh, sorry, I forgot you are a plant."
There is a plant here, the one in front of her, Xin Yunmao.
In the end, under Chu Zhishui's persistent coaxing, Xin Yunmao reluctantly agreed to help with the planting. He held a twig in his hand, idly turning the soil, and mumbled, "I didn't bring any seeds today, we'll do it next time."
Chu Zhishui, who had initially asked him to plant flowers, suddenly broadened her thinking and softly inquired, "By the way, do you know anything about home renovation?"
Xin Yunmao, hearing her voice so melodious, responded with a puzzled, "Huh?"
Chu Zhishui beamed with a bright smile, "I mean, like the wiring and plumbing in the house. Can you tell if something is installed incorrectly?"
With his ability to control the weather, such a task was a piece of cake for him.
After a moment, Xin Yunmao stepped over the demarcation line in the courtyard and followed Chu Zhishui into the house, still grumbling, "Why do you always ask me for such trivial wishes? Don't you have any big matters?"
Chu Zhishui muttered, "What big matters could I possibly encounter? A mortal's life is filled with small things."
Xin Yunmao listed, "Wealth? Career? Status?"
"I have no worldly desires for those."
"..."
Seeing his disgruntled expression, Chu Zhishui quickly employed her linguistic skills, sincerely flattering him, "As the saying goes, how can one secure the world if one cannot secure their own home? If the deity can manage a small home, then he certainly has the ability to govern the world."
Xin Yunmao's expression turned peculiar. He swallowed and tentatively asked, "A small home?"
She replied frankly, "Yes, we should be down-to-earth. If we can manage household affairs, societal matters will surely be no problem."
Xin Yunmao seemed to think of something, and he suppressed a smirk, nodding, "You're right."
Realizing her flattery had hit the mark, Chu Zhishui immediately led him around, discussing the details of the house.
Xin Yunmao was indeed a versatile home assistant. Not only did he help her inspect the house, but he also tidied up the rooms, leaving everything spotless, showcasing his inherent cleanliness.
It was undeniable that magic was incredibly useful. Chu Zhishui recalled the first day she arrived at the Economic Development Department. By the time she reached the office, he had already cleaned the place, even moving the desks and miscellaneous items—likely using the same method.
She didn't envy the wealth and power that a demon could bring, but she was deeply envious of this cleaning ability, far surpassing dishwashers and robot vacuums.
Time flew by, and finally, they were left with the courtyard.
Standing by the fence, Chu Zhishui looked at the newly tilled soil and began planning for the next holiday, asking, "If we bring seeds next time, can we finish planting in a day?"
Xin Yunmao hesitated before answering, "Probably..."
Chu Zhishui continued, "If we can finish in a day, we'll come next weekend. If we can't, we'll have to come during the Spring Festival."
Xin Yunmao calmly stated, "We won't finish."
Chu Zhishui: "Huh?"
Xin Yunmao looked serious, "We won't finish in a day."
"Really?" Chu Zhishui was skeptical, "But I remember your demonic aura once watered the vegetable plot, and everything sprouted the next day."
"That wasn't in winter. The seasons are the laws of nature; things grow slower in winter, and plants don't want to sprout," Xin Yunmao blinked, speaking as if it were a matter of fact, "Don't I know what plants are thinking?"
"..."
