Elated to have her schedule cleared, Zhang Cuihua looked up at Su Ling with eyes full of admiration. As Li Yue’e chastised Xiao Ye, Zhang Cuihua curled her lips and retorted bluntly, “Just a moment ago, Director Li, weren’t you adamant that I went home for lunch at noon? So why are you blaming Xiao Ye now?”
Whispers rippled through the villagers as Li Yue’e’s calm facade shattered under their piercing stares. Suddenly, she slammed her hand on the table. “I record data for over two hundred people daily, so is it so shocking that I might make the occasional mistake? I was simply going off the final printout that Xiao Ye gave me, which turned out to be wrong!”
Burdened with the weight of unwarranted blame, Xiao Ye silently brushed away the tears welling in her eyes. Director Li’s mention of her wages hung ominously in the air, a veiled threat suggesting that if she dared to disclose the truth, she would kiss that paycheck goodbye.
Su Ling observed everything quietly, deciding not to intervene. Instead, he reprinted the summary sheet and returned to his seat. Checking his watch, he said, “It’s almost noon. Let’s settle the wages first so we can head home for lunch.”
After stealing a sidelong look at Su Ling, Li Yue’e came to realize that he did not pursue the matter further. In that fleeting moment, the crushing anxiety that had clutched her heart eased its grip, ever so slightly.
With pockets a little lighter but spirits undampened, Su Ling stepped out of the village committee office and set off down the familiar path back to his home.
This morning, Su Ling’s bank balance gleamed with the sweet earnings of 1.4 million yuan[1] from the tea leaf sales. Yet, as the day unfurled, that number dwindled to just over 700,000 yuan[2] after paying out wages. Even with sundry expenses taken into account, Su Ling still had around 600,000 yuan[3] left — an amount that had grown to become nearly double what he had this time last year.
Digging deeper into the figures, it became evident that tea farming was, in fact, a remarkably lucrative endeavor. Despite the promising numbers, Su Ling’s remaining 600,000 yuan was just a bandage on the wounds of past losses. It was not until the next season that Su Ling could hope for the sweet taste of real profit from his tea venture.
Second Grandfather poured his heart and soul into cultivating tea on the mountain slopes, not just growing leaves but creating job opportunities for the entire Stone Creek Village community.
Due to his close rapport with the village chief and his steadfast trust in the village committee, he entrusted the weighty responsibilities of administration and supervision to the village cadres. Nonetheless, humans were often driven by self-serving motives, so cases like Li Yue’e’s shameless lining of her own pockets and unscrupulous fleecing of the villagers were undoubtedly not the first. Su Ling was unsure whether there had been previous conflicts, but now that he had witnessed it firsthand, he could not just look the other way.
The majority in Stone Creek Village exuded simplicity, kindness, and amiability, welcoming Su Ling with open arms despite his outsider status. But lurking among them like shadows was a pocket of villagers driven by a different tune. Their minds obsessed with their tiny plots of land, pinched pennies, and always on the lookout for a chance to squeeze a penny from their neighbors.
Li Yue’e was just one of the few in this small group, but if she were to continue supervising the tea harvest, Su Ling could not rest easy. As such, he needed to devise a foolproof plan to address the issue.
As he wandered down the gravel path and across the wide fields, Su Ling suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Sprawling out before his eyes was the entirety of his family’s landholdings — ten acres in all, with seven acres of paddy fields and three dedicated to vegetable gardens. As the end of April heralded the busy rice planting season, the neighboring fields were flourishing with the bright green of newly planted rice seedlings. Yet, his own land lay empty and untouched, devoid of any sign of crops.
After Second Grandfather’s passing in February, he missed the crucial March planting season. Without seedlings, transplanting rice was out of the question. Determined not to let it all go to waste, the village chief rallied the community for a solution. Together, they devised a plan: whoever had extra seedlings after planting would generously share them with Su Ling.
Of course, Su Ling could not simply take them for free; he was willing to pay for them and even hire help to plant them. Right now, his farming skills were limited to tending his backyard vegetable garden, so tackling the challenging job of planting rice seedlings was way out of his league. Find the original chapter at novelping.com.
As soon as Su Ling stepped through the gate, he was greeted by the cheerful yapping of a tiny dog.
The moment the tiny tugou spotted its owner, it burst into a whirlwind of joy! With all four stubby legs in a happy dance, it bounded across the lawn, tail wagging like mad, and its whole body wiggling with excitement as it scampered over with boundless glee.
Arf arf!
“Have you been keeping watch, King?” Su Ling knelt down, scooped up the exuberant pup that had pounced on him, and nuzzled its tiny head with a smile. “Have you gained weight? You feel heavier than before!”
Arf! The tiny pup, with its tongue lolling out, aimed a sloppy kiss at Su Ling, who jolted back just in time to dodge the slobbery attack.
Ruff! The puppy voiced its discontent.
Warmth filled Su Ling’s gaze as he lovingly caressed the puppy’s rounded tummy before setting it down. With a playful tap on its head, he teased, “Been sneaking treats, haven’t you?”
Arf! The little puppy tilted its head in confusion and lifted its front paws, silently begging to be scooped up into his loving embrace.
“Don’t forget to exercise after eating, or else you might turn into a chubby pup,” Su Ling teased, giving it a playful scratch under the chin before heading inside.
The tiny puppy scampered on its four stubby legs, faithfully trailing right at his heels.
After entering the dining room, Su Ling could not help but let his gaze draw to a certain corner. Sure enough, the dog bowl there was spotless, not a single morsel left. Before leaving in the morning, he had fed King once, and fearing he might return late at noon, he had filled the bowl with extra dog food. Little did he know, King, that little glutton, would never deprive himself by digging in right on time.
Su Ling’s stomach growled as he gently patted it, spurring him to start making lunch.
Peering into the fridge, Su Ling took stock of its dwindling contents: the meat and seafood reserves were nearly depleted, and even the leafy greens gifted by Aunt Zhang days prior had begun to wilt. Undeterred, he whipped up a plate of red braised pork belly[4] and stir-fried some vegetables. With a generous mound of fluffy white rice, he cobbled together a satisfying meal from what remained. This chapter is updated first at novelping.com.
The instant that irresistible aroma reached its nose, the little pup snapped to attention. With eyes wide and head tilted, it looked up at Su Ling, practically begging for a taste of that savory meat.
With an impish grin spreading across his face, Su Ling picked up a piece of red braised pork belly with his chopsticks and devoured it, teasing the little pup with his every bite.
“You’re still too young to have this, little one.”
Arf! Dejection washed over its features as the puppy’s ears drooped before it slowly sank down onto the ground.
Su Ling playfully nudged the puppy’s rear with his foot, drawing a surprised yip from it. Abandoning its interest in his meal, the puppy began to playfully pounce on Su Ling’s foot instead.
After polishing off his meal, Su Ling made his way to the vegetable garden in his backyard, armed with a watering can.
While rummaging through the kitchen cabinets last week, he stumbled upon a mysterious packet of seeds. Without knowing what they might grow into, he delved into a vegetable gardening book, meticulously following its instructions to the letter. Each day for the past six days, he faithfully watered them with care, but much to his dismay, there was still no trace of them sprouting.
Squatting down halfway, Su Ling poised to part the soil and catch a glimpse inside. Just as his fingers hovered over the earth, a tiny sprout that barely broke through the earth caught his eye. In a split second, his eyes lit up with delight as he gently reached out to touch the tender shoot.
To his delight, the seeds he planted had begun to sprout!
The author has something to say:
Our Baby Ling has finally started growing his own vegetables! Hahahaha!
[1] CNY 1,400,000 is approximately US $193,223.38.
[2] CNY 700,000 is approximately US $96,611.69.
[3] CNY 600,000 is approximately US $82,810.02.
[4] 红烧肉 (hóng shāo ròu): It is a beloved dish in Chinese cuisine. The dish is known for the succulent pork belly braised until fork-tender in a sticky, caramelized sauce.