Song Tan’s Chronicle - Chapter 140.2

People who are old and experienced don’t like adults who are too shrewd. Now, seeing Qiao Qiao’s fair and simple face, they found him more and more endearing.

And then, look at this family’s atmosphere — the child sincerely regarded watching TV as a serious matter, which is why he cried so much.

As his sister, she didn’t just scold him but instead listened carefully to what he had to say and then apologized and tried to find a solution.

A stable family environment.

Seventh Granduncle also put his precious tote bag aside, then leaned over to chat:

“Qiao Qiao, what do you like to eat the most? Let me cook something special for you at lunch.”

Qiao Qiao thought for a moment:

“Spicy strips.”

This stuff couldn’t compare to the quality of the wild vegetables at home, but it was rare and precious.

What you can’t easily get is always more enticing. Spicy strips were rarely allowed, so Qiao Qiao remembered them the most. As soon as Seventh Granduncle asked, he immediately had an answer.

This left both Seventh Granduncle and Song Tan exchanging looks through the rearview mirror. One felt underestimated, and the other felt duped.

…

Meanwhile.

At the back mountain of Yunqiao Village, a large group of people was hard at work.

Saplings with six-centimeter trunks might sound substantial, but they were actually not that big.

The advantage was that they were easy to plant — dig a hole, cover with soil, water to set the roots… and that’s it.

Each sapling had a small ball of soil attached at the base, and the roots had been tidily pruned. It was spring, the best time for planting.

Under Song Sancheng’s leadership, everyone started early in the morning by digging holes. Then, Zhang Yanping drove back and forth, transporting fertilizer that Zhang Wang’s family had prepared in advance.

These fermented fertilizers had long since decomposed, and now they were perfect for use as base fertilizer. Everyone had a clear role; it was just twenty mu of hillside land. By noon, they were almost done planting.

Everyone was working with great enthusiasm, and for a moment, the hillside was filled with their cheerful voices.

Just then, someone suddenly asked, “Sancheng, is this work for the long term, or is it just occasional?”

“If it’s long-term, I can stay in the field every day, just looking for stable work — or your family could hire me officially, and I won’t ask for more than others.”

These words were half-joking, simply expressing their position.

Was there a lot of work at home?

Yes!

So much that Song Sancheng wanted to sigh.

Human strength has its limits!

Just their family of a few people managing these dozens of mu of mountain fields was truly too much to handle.

It wasn’t so bad now, with just some effort needed for planting. But come May, they would be busy beyond belief!

Even without planting peaches, there would still be a need for extra hands.

But no matter how he felt, after this period of practice, Song Sancheng had realized —

When it came to farming, he was clearly not as reliable as his daughter. Since the child wanted to manage things well, he had to hold down the fort from behind!

So he laughed and played it down: “Who knows? Kids have no set direction, always jumping from one idea to another.”

“Look, if it weren’t for this rush, and with Qingming just around the corner, why would they plant fruit trees now? How many months will it take for them to bear fruit?”

“You hope the child will do well, but also fear they’ll do too well — if the child asks, we, as parents, must work hard no matter what!”

He sighed as he spoke: “Don’t believe me? Just look at me. I’ve been exhausted these days!”

If he hadn’t said this, the topic could have continued.

But as soon as he said it, a village woman asked immediately, “Song Sancheng, how come it seems like you’ve gotten fairer even with all this farm work?”

“Exactly!” someone immediately chimed in.

“Not only has your skin recovered, but your complexion is rosier, and you’re more energetic than the young ones!”

“Sancheng, what have you been eating all this time while you’ve been so busy?”

What have I been eating?

Song Sancheng thought: I’ve been eating vegetables for twenty yuan per pound, drinking tea leaves worth ten thousand per pound, and the honey water costs a thousand per bottle…

But could he say that?

How stifling would it be to boast about luxury quietly?

He could only laugh it off: “My wife’s cooking skills have improved this year…”