A Divine Farmer

C9 – Such A Beauty

“Xiaoloong, your dad is making a valid point. The work involved in cultivating vegetables… It’s really no easy task. Plus, our village is just a short distance away. Which village doesn’t have some space to grow a few crops? It would suffice for our family’s needs. Who has extra money to afford fresh vegetables every day? Maybe only during special occasions. That might fetch a bit more. But in the end, it takes a lot of effort, and the land is left abandoned. We’d be better off planting corn.” Liu Mei explained, her gaze fixated on the corn. It pained her to let it go. She’d never tasted such delicious corn porridge before.

“You’re not quite getting what I’m suggesting. I don’t just want to grow a few plants; I want a proper vegetable plantation. I want to cultivate substantial yields, transform our land into a vegetable haven. If we can’t consume it all here, we can sell it in the city. As long as our produce is good, we don’t need to worry about finding buyers. We won’t even need to wake up early and rush to the market. I’ll arrange for the city’s big trucks to come and transport our vegetables. We can just tally the money right here.” Zhang Xiaoloong chuckled in response.

“No way!”

The immediate opposition from his father caught him off guard. Zhang Xiaoloong looked at his son and sighed. “Xiaoloong, you’ve mentioned that the mind needs its rest, so let’s take a proper break. The family doesn’t have high expectations for your earnings. If you want to delve into vegetable cultivation… I won’t stand in your way. However, converting the entire home plot into vegetables is a no-go. This land is our lifeline as farmers. What if we end up not earning much? Can our family subsist solely on vegetable porridge every day? What about your university tuition for next year? I absolutely won’t approve.”

Zhang Xiaoloong found himself in a dilemma as his father remained resolute. He glanced toward his mother for support.

To his surprise, even his mother, Liu Mei, who had always been his protector, shook her head in agreement. “Your father is right. If you’re determined to do this… I support your decision, but claiming all the family land is a huge risk. In my opinion, within this cornfield, I’ve set aside… an acre for you. You’ll have a variety of ingredients. Take this year to rest. Don’t worry about anything else.”

“Cough, cough…” Zhang Xiaoloong choked and coughed. “Just an acre? That… seems too little!”

His mind teemed with the accumulated wisdom of the God Shennong’s knowledge. He contemplated taking these insights to new heights. On one hand, this could uplift the entire village’s prosperity. On the other, it could provide him enough income for a year. He yearned to ease his parents’ workload in the future.

Yet, if he had merely an acre of land, how much money could he realistically generate unless he planted gold?

“If you can turn a profit from a single acre, then I’ll grant you those five acres of corn.” Only then did Zhang Daniu relent.

“Sure thing.” Zhang Xiaoloong contemplated for a moment and promptly agreed. “One acre is one acre. I’ll head into town tomorrow to make some purchases. Can you give me five thousand yuan upfront?”

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“Five thousand?” Zhang Daniu’s eyes widened. “What are you planning to buy? Even if Old Wang spent a whole year cultivating crops, he might not make 5,000 yuan. We’re just getting started. Why do you need so much money?”

“For us to grow top-quality vegetables, we need to invest in the best seeds. That’s what the Little Boss taught me. Also, the weather will be getting cold, and we’ll need to set up a greenhouse to maintain warmth. Otherwise, we won’t be able to produce vegetables during winter,” Zhang Xiaoloong explained swiftly, anticipating the question.

“Five thousand for that?” Zhang Daniu appeared perplexed. “Creating a greenhouse doesn’t sound like it should cost that much. We’ve seen greenhouses before. It’s basically some bamboo and plastic sheeting, right? That shouldn’t be expensive.”

“The kind of greenhouse you’re imagining is quite simple. I plan to use glass for the structure. This way…” Zhang Xiaoloong proceeded to outline his concept.

“Isn’t this a waste of money?” Zhang Daniu appeared baffled. He shook his head repeatedly, finding it utterly extravagant.

“Then I won’t take money from my family. I’ll figure out other ways to earn it.” Zhang Xiaoloong massaged his temples awkwardly. “Ouch, I’ve got a slight headache…”

“You old man, you’re already fretting even before meeting the child. How do you expect him to procure the money? What if he gets stressed again? Will you just stash the money and give it to him?” Liu Mei’s mood soured immediately as she berated Zhang Daniu.

“Give it to me. I’ll hand it over to him. Can’t I do that?” Zhang Daniu responded with a helpless tone.

Zhang Xiaoloong couldn’t help but smile inwardly. It seemed this tactic was still effective.

……

Despite Qing He’s remote location, a highway was only a few miles away from the village. However, if anyone intended to take that route, they had to rise early since the daily car service was limited. If they missed it, they’d have to wait until the next day.

Thus, in the early morning, Zhang Xiaoloong intercepted the city-bound bus on the highway. Eagerly, he hopped aboard and found an empty seat.

Beside the window sat a girl. When someone took the adjacent seat, she instinctively shifted inward.

Even on the bus, the girl sported large sunglasses and a rose-red cap. The cap’s brim was low, nearly concealing half of her face.

A quick glance told Zhang Xiaoloong that the girl was quite young, not much older than him. She had fair skin and attractive features. He didn’t think much beyond that.

The journey remained uneventful as they traced the winding road. Suddenly, a different concern crossed Zhang Xiaoloong’s mind. He could ensure his vegetables were cultivated, yet the supply would hardly meet demand. However, if this were the case, getting the produce to the city would pose a challenge.

His intent wasn’t simply about personal bicycling endeavors; it involved uniting the various small-scale vegetable farmers in the village who peddled a few vegetables here and there. His vision was grander. He envisioned a future in which not just his land but all the arable land in Qinghe Village was transformed into veggie plots. This was the true legacy of the venerable God Shennong. If Zhang Xiaoloong couldn’t handle such a small-scale operation, he’d risk angering the divine figure enough for him to descend to mortal realms.

Yet, the real predicament lay in the fact that the worthiest item was rendered worthless if it couldn’t be moved.

Furthermore, if he wished to mend the village road, even without prior experience, Zhang Xiaoloong realized the required funds wouldn’t be trivial. At least, this wasn’t something he could currently afford.

After furrowing his brows for a brief spell, Zhang Xiaoloong suddenly patted his head and burst into laughter.

He hadn’t even completed pondering over those eight characters when he found himself imagining events a few years ahead. Were others to find out, they might assume he was unduly money-minded.

The girl seated next to him shifted. Zhang Xiaoloong turned his head to catch a glimpse. Though she concealed it skillfully, her slightly awkward expression revealed that she must have observed his momentary frown and subsequent silly grin. She scratched her head with an embarrassed smile.

Perhaps due to sensing Zhang Xiaoloong’s genuine nature, the girl wasn’t as frosty and guarded this time. She smiled back at him, showcasing two neat rows of pristine teeth.

All of a sudden, the bus came to an abrupt halt with a creak. Nearly everyone jolted forward, nearly colliding with the seats in front of them.

“You’re asking for trouble!” The driver bellowed in frustration.

“Apologies, we were rushing to catch the bus just now!” Two men in casual attire and nondescript grey caps swiftly boarded the bus. As they advanced down the aisle, they casually scanned the passengers.

Zhang Xiaoloong discerned that they seemed to pause briefly upon spotting the girl seated beside him.

Despite their adept concealment, Zhang Xiaoloong’s senses exceeded those of the average person. He was certain that they had indeed hesitated and exhibited a peculiar look in their eyes. This alerted him to be more attentive toward them.