April 30th, morning.

Zhou Li was woken up by Huai Xu. By that time, Zhang Hao had already put on his clothes and shoes and was standing by the bed, stamping his feet. Zhou Li sharply noticed that Zhang Hao was wearing a pair of old shoes; he remembered that during their high school days, these guys had always valued shoes more than their faces. It seemed he really had plenty of experience.

Zhang Hao was talking to Huai Xu, "What time did you go to sleep last night, buddy?"

"Didn't keep track."

"Impressive. I got up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night and saw your phone screen was still on. That's pretty hardcore."

"Just average…"

Zhou Li also quietly got dressed and out of bed. He neatly folded his quilt and then went downstairs.

Breakfast was already prepared. The two elderly people and the three girls were sitting at the table eating. Nearby were hoes, seeds, fertilizer, and a watering can. Zhou Li inexplicably felt like he was about to head to the front lines.

「Half an hour later.」

The late April morning was enveloped in a thin mountain fog, and the air was moist. Zhou Li suddenly remembered the mornings of the previous year. At this time last year, he was still getting up early and staying up late for school. And it was on a day like today that he got tangled up with a demon.

Zhou Li glanced at the old monster beside him, who was grinning like a fool, and pursed his lips.

Brother Nan was still leading the way. "The weather forecast said it might rain tomorrow, so let's plant the peanuts and corn today. In any case, all the plots together don't amount to much land. We'll plant the rice seedlings after it rains."

Everyone nodded.

Jiang Han pointed at a patch of soil by the roadside. "Wasn't this your family's land before?"

"Now it's lent to someone else to farm."

"Ohh..."

"We only have a small bit of the good vegetable plot, a small patch behind the house, and one section of the small field."

"Ohh..."

Jiang Han was a pale-skinned, quiet-looking girl with a bit of a baozi face, though not as pronounced as her cousin's. It was evident she was often brought back by Brother Nan to experience the fun of farming. She was even able to converse with Brother Nan now.

「More than ten minutes later, they reached their destination.」

The so-called vegetable garden soil is a patch of land with good soil quality and ample sunlight, usually used for growing vegetables—excellent soil. The rest of the land had been lent to others.

Brother Nan's grandparents planted peanuts and corn for their own consumption. Peanuts could be snacks or stir-fried as a drinking snack. The corn seeds chosen were also a sweet, glutinous fruit corn variety. When it ripened, it would not only provide enough for themselves but also enough to share with their descendants—mainly for their descendants. This was because Brother Nan's grandfather had already planted three rows of corn in the small patch of land behind the house, supposedly planted in early, mid, and late stages, making harvesting convenient. This way, they didn't have to worry about picking too much at once and having the rest overripen in the field.

Once they no longer relied on farming for a living, they could afford to be more casual about it, not needing to be as meticulous; a lower yield was also acceptable. For instance, most people would interplant soybeans with their corn as a scientific method, but Brother Nan's family didn't. Brother Nan said they didn't like soybeans and couldn't be bothered with the extra work.

"Alright, let's divide the tasks!"

"There are two hoes. Zhang Hao and I will dig the holes. You two girls will be responsible for sowing the seeds. Zhou Li, you and Huai Xu will handle the fertilizing."

"The assembly line method." Brother Nan was quite proud.

"Do we still put three or four seeds in each hole?" Kang Xue'er asked.

"No, no, we changed seeds this year. Two or three are enough," Brother Nan replied.

"Okay."

"Why are you two digging?" Huai Xu asked with a scornful look. "I want to use a hoe too!"

"Digging isn't just about strength; it requires skill too," Brother Nan said. "Have you ever dug before? Be careful not to break the hoe."

"I come from a farming background!"

"Fertilizing is easier."

"No! That's like something a woman would do!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Han and Kang Xue'er both sneakily glanced at Zhou Li.

Zhou Li appeared calm on the surface, but inside he was bursting with retorts—what farming background? You obviously come from a thief background, worlds apart from the honorable 'poor and lower-middle peasants.' And what's this about being like a woman? When you usually decide to act like a girl, no one can stop you. It was truly stifling...

Unable to persuade him, Brother Nan had Zhang Hao and Huai Xu switch tasks. She then explained the proper spacing for the holes and helped him set up the guide string. The group of youngsters chattered away in the mountains, attracting frequent glances from the farmers working in the distance.

Huai Xu started swinging the hoe.

And you know what? This old monster actually had some impressive skills; longevity really has its advantages.

The sounds of digging began to reverberate through the mountains, rhythmic and distinct, with a faint echo.

Kang Xue'er and Jiang Han followed, sowing the seeds. The two girls chatted, occasionally stopping to admire the distant scenery, relaxed and at ease.

Zhou Li and Zhang Hao handled the fertilizing. They employed the 'one-shot' fertilizing method: applying enough slow-release fertilizer at the time of seeding so that no further fertilization was necessary. There was also the topdressing method, which was even more beneficial for crop growth, but it consumed more time and effort and wasn't suitable for the lazy.

Suddenly, Huai Xu stopped and looked towards Brother Nan. "Brother Nan, you're not digging as fast as I am!"

Brother Nan looked up, her stubbornness flaring. She silently sped up her movements.

But how could she compare with the old monster?

Huai Xu dug so quickly mainly because he was considering everyone's ability to keep up. He was also intentionally teasing Brother Nan now, always staying two hoe-lengths ahead, letting Brother Nan see a glimmer of hope of catching up, yet never quite letting her.

Watching Brother Nan silently mustering her energy, Huai Xu couldn't hide his amusement.

In the distance, a woman stood resting in her field, hands on her hips. Seeing the two unusually fast figures, she couldn't help but click her tongue in amazement.

...

The total area wasn't much to begin with, and with Brother Nan's assembly line method, they finished the work before ten o'clock. Brother Nan, leaning on her hoe, was panting heavily, thoroughly exhausted.

She squinted at Huai Xu.

Sometimes Zhou Li would whisper in her ear about how annoying Huai Xu, that old monster, was, but she hadn't taken it seriously before. Look at that radiant smile of his...

Now all that remained was to cover the seeds with soil.

Brother Nan thought for a moment, let out a breath, and looked at Zhou Li. "Do you want to try it?"

"Sure."

"Have you done this before?"

"No."

"I'll teach you. It's simple."

"Okay."

Zhou Li walked over.

Brother Nan then began to teach him how to use the hoe to cover the soil, her tone gentle and patient, causing the few people watching from not far away to exchange glances. Especially Zhang Hao, who looked as if he had seen a ghost.

Covering the seeds only required a light scoop; a thin layer of soil was enough, so it didn't require much skill. Zhou Li picked it up quickly. Plus, he was naturally strong with good stamina, so even though he wasn't used to this type of repetitive motion, he didn't feel tired.

"Come on, Zhou Li!" Huai Xu called out again. "Let's see who's faster!"

"You're faster."

"Just race me!"

"..."

"Hmm?"

"..."

"Why aren't you talking?"

"..."

"No fun."

The old monster was clearly disappointed. That was why he preferred playing with Brother Nan.

Covering the soil was much quicker than digging holes.

Brother Nan walked beside Zhou Li, her pace leisurely as she matched his steps. Neither of them noticed a figure wearing a flat cap appear on a distant field ridge, quietly watching them.

"Time to eat!" the old man on the ridge finally shouted.

Brother Nan turned her head, looked, then lowered it to say to Zhou Li, "Don't rush, there's only half a row left."

Zhou Li didn't say anything and continued mechanically covering the soil.

After they finished, Kang Xue'er and Jiang Han had already gathered the few remaining seeds, and Zhang Hao had picked up the fertilizer bag. Seeing this, Zhou Li and Huai Xu shouldered the hoes and started walking back, while Brother Nan, on the other hand, was empty-handed.

When they reached him, Grandpa asked with concern, "Are you tired? It's much cooler today than in previous years."

"Not tired!"

"You all are efficient, finishing so quickly."

"Oh, it was nothing..."

"You, young lady!" When Grandpa faced Brother Nan, his expression immediately changed, and he scolded, "And you're empty-handed, letting your guests do all the work!"

Brother Nan had an 'I lose if I say a single word to you' expression on her face.

On the way back, Grandpa eventually walked up to Zhou Li's side. He quietly sized Zhou Li up for a good while before asking, "Young man, where are you from?"

"Yan City."

"Where in Yan City?"

"I live in the city now. I also spent a few years in the countryside as a child, living with my grandparents, but they passed away early." Zhou Li's tone remained calm, but he was actually quite nervous.

"What does your family do?"

Before Zhou Li could answer, he was roughly pushed aside by Brother Nan, who then began to argue with her grandfather.

The younger one (Brother Nan) snapped, "What kind of nonsense are you asking?"

The older one (Grandpa) replied defensively, "I was just asking casually. Can't I even ask?" looking rather aggrieved.

The younger one asked if he'd heard some gossip, which the older one quickly denied. The younger one told the older one not to believe such things, and the older one emphasized again that he hadn't heard anything at all; he just wanted to chat with the young man...

Zhou Li found their conversation very amusing. Truly amusing.

It lacked both the reverence of a junior and the airs of an elder. Even passersby who overheard would show a knowing smile.

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