Chapter 124: Harvest
The next day, the whole family woke up late. After everything they’d been through, everyone was mentally and physically exhausted, needing a long, deep sleep to recover.
Xia Lu Nong woke up in Kong Zhi’s arms. He blinked, momentarily confused about where he was.
Kong Zhi leaned down to kiss him, “Awake?”
“Yeah, I’m awake.” Xia Lu Nong rubbed against him. “But I’m still so sleepy.”
“Get up and eat first. After breakfast, you can sleep a little more.”
“That works. Have my brother and the others gotten up yet?” Xia Lu Nong listened for a moment but heard nothing. “It seems like they’re not at home.”
“First thing after waking up, you’re looking for Brother Huo Qu?” Kong Zhi nudged him playfully under the blankets. “Why not take a better look at me first?”
Xia Lu Nong covered his eyes with his hand. “You engineers really know how to talk, don’t you? Always have some line ready.”
“Who’s this ‘you engineers’? Besides me, are there other men?” Kong Zhi’s expression turned serious. He pulled Xia Lu Nong’s hands above his head, pinning his wrists as he leaned down to look him in the eye. “Anyone else besides me?”
“Oh my God,” Xia Lu Nong chuckled nervously, feeling both tense and excited. “Let me up.”
“I’m not letting you up. You didn’t give me my morning kiss yet.”
“We haven’t even brushed our teeth—what kiss?”
Kong Zhi replied, “I don’t mind.”
Xia Lu Nong tried to push him away but ended up being pulled back for a quick kiss on the cheek. “A good morning kiss.”
Xia Lu Nong glanced at the clock on the bedside table and saw that it was already past eleven in the morning. His body felt soft from all the sleep, and his stomach was starting to rumble.
“I’m going to brush my teeth first. My brother still hasn’t come by this morning?”
Kong Zhi, still lounging lazily in bed, replied, “No, at least I didn’t hear anything.”
“Everyone must’ve slept in today,” Xia Lu Nong yawned. “I guess we should skip making lunch and just head to the cafeteria.”
“Sure.”
After brushing his teeth, Xia Lu Nong came back to find Kong Zhi still lying in bed. Puzzled, he asked, “You’re still not getting up? Are you feeling unwell?”
“Nothing’s wrong,” Kong Zhi drawled lazily. “I just didn’t get my wake-up kiss, so I don’t feel like getting up.”
Tall and lean, he reclined against the headboard like a large, unfulfilled lion—majestic and alluring.
Xia Lu Nong, confused, asked, “Didn’t we just kiss?”
Kong Zhi replied, “That was me giving you a kiss, not you giving me one.”
Looking at him like that, Xia Lu Nong knelt on one knee on the bed, leaned in, and kissed him on the cheek. “Alright, get up now. We should check the fields later this afternoon.”
Kong Zhi grabbed him and kissed him on the lips.
Xia Lu Nong suddenly realized that Kong Zhi had already brushed his teeth and asked, “You got up earlier?”
“Yeah,” Kong Zhi said. “But when I came back and saw you sleeping so soundly, I couldn’t bear to leave you alone. So, I got back in bed for a bit longer.”
Kong Zhi reached out to pull him up, saying, “I’ve already brought the water back, and the vegetables in the yard are watered, especially the pepper plants. I gave them two big ladles of water.”
Xia Lu Nong rubbed Kong Zhi’s back and said, “Thank you for all your hard work.”
“It’s not hard work when it’s for the family,” Kong Zhi replied. “Brother Huo Qu and the others woke up early and went to contact people to help with the harvest. We’ll be harvesting this afternoon.”
Xia Lu Nong was surprised at how fast his brother and the others moved. “Will we have enough time this afternoon?”
“Why wouldn’t we? With enough people, we’ll finish by the afternoon,” Kong Zhi reassured him. “We don’t even need to worry about preparing dinner. We’ll just take some supplies to the cafeteria, ask them to make a few good dishes, and treat everyone to a meal.”
“That’s a great idea,” Xia Lu Nong agreed. “Let’s hurry and eat then. Before the harvest starts, I want to go check everything and see how it’s looking.”
On their way to eat, they bumped into Yan Xi Nian and Xia Huo Qu coming back. The four of them met on the road.
Xia Lu Nong scratched his head and said, “I don’t feel like cooking lunch today. Let’s just eat at the cafeteria. Have you guys eaten yet?”
“No,” Xia Huo Qu replied. “We figured you wouldn’t want to cook either, so I was about to call you. Looks like you beat me to it.”
Xia Lu Nong put his arm around his brother’s shoulder, pushing him toward the cafeteria. “We finished everything we wanted to eat yesterday, and I don’t have the energy to cook.”
“Let’s just have something simple for lunch, and then head to the harvest in the afternoon,” Xia Huo Qu said.
Xia Lu Nong asked, “Brother, did you get enough people?”
“Yes, everything’s arranged,” Xia Huo Qu replied. “They’ll bring sickles and threshing machines. We’ll harvest together with them.”
Xia Lu Nong’s face lit up with joy. “That’s fantastic! I was so worried about how we’d harvest all the wheat and rice. Now it’s not a problem.”
Xia Huo Qu gave him a sidelong glance. “What were you worried about? It’s not like you’re harvesting it all alone.”
“There’s still a lot of wheat and rice. Even if we’re doing it together, it’ll be exhausting,” Xia Lu Nong said, then suddenly thought of something. “Is there enough space at the drying yard? We’re harvesting so much at once; we’ll need a lot of room to dry everything.”
“There’s plenty of space,” Xia Huo Qu assured him. “It’s already fall, and the other families at the base don’t have much to dry. It’s just our wheat and rice.”
“That’s great! The weather is so nice right now—cool and dry with plenty of sunshine. The wheat and rice should dry in two or three days.”
“Exactly,” Xia Huo Qu said. “If we work fast enough, we might be eating noodles made from our own flour the day after tomorrow.”
Xia Lu Nong, who had been eagerly awaiting the harvest, finally felt the excitement settle in. “Alright, let’s decide what kind of noodles to make! Freshly harvested wheat should taste amazing. I just wonder if the mutant wheat will taste different from traditional wheat?”
Yan Xi Nian chimed in, “I doubt there’ll be much difference. If anything, it’ll taste better. We’ve already tasted the grains, and they were just like regular wheat—maybe a bit sweeter.”
“I hope the taste doesn’t change too much,” Xia Lu Nong said with a grin. “If it turns out too strange, it won’t be good for saving seeds for the next generation.”
Yan Xi Nian added, “We’ll know for sure after we harvest this afternoon.”
Xia Lu Nong nodded firmly, determined.
With the harvest on his mind, Xia Lu Nong barely ate anything at lunch. After a few quick bites, he dragged Kong Zhi home to prepare sacks and baskets for the wheat and rice.
By early afternoon, around one o’clock, the people Xia Huo Qu had called started gathering at their home. Among them were Liao Cheng, Liao Quan Nan, and Old Liu.
There were seven men in total, plus Xia Lu Nong and the other three, all experienced in farm work. The field would be crowded with so many workers, and they were confident they could harvest all the wheat and rice that day.
Old Liu spotted Xia Lu Nong and said, “Xiao Nong, you should sit this one out. You’ve just recovered. Overexerting yourself now isn’t worth it. We’ve got plenty of people, and we’ll finish it in no time.”
Xia Lu Nong smiled. “It’s our wheat and rice, after all. You’re all helping us out, so how could I just sit back and do nothing?”
Old Liu replied, “Your brother and the others are here, too. We don’t need you. You should rest. If you really want to help, you can make us some tea. It’s a hot day, and we’ll probably go through a lot of tea this afternoon.”
The others chimed in, also urging Xia Lu Nong to take it easy.
Xia Huo Qu made the final call. “Alright, Xiao Nong, you can join us later. For now, go home and make some tea, maybe some honeysuckle tea for everyone.”
Xia Lu Nong nodded. “Okay, I’ll make plenty and bring it over in buckets.”
Xia Huo Qu turned to Kong Zhi. “Kong Zhi, stay here and help Xia Lu Nong carry the tea. It’ll be heavy, and the two of you can bring it over together.”
Kong Zhi nodded in agreement.
Xia Huo Qu and the others grabbed their sickles and sacks and headed off to harvest the wheat.
Meanwhile, Xia Lu Nong stayed behind to make tea. It wasn’t anything complicated—just regular tea. He rinsed the honeysuckle flowers in warm water, placed them in a wooden bucket, and poured boiling water over them to brew the tea. The rich fragrance of the honeysuckle filled the air, refreshing anyone who smelled it.
Xia Lu Nong took a deep breath, looking out the kitchen window toward the backyard. “I wonder when I’ll be able to grow honeysuckle as good as this?”
Kong Zhi replied, “Maybe the honeysuckle from our backyard will be just as good as the one from N University.”
Xia Lu Nong’s eyes curved into a smile. “You’re only saying that because you like me, so everything I do seems good to you. Honestly, I doubt it. That honeysuckle is extraordinary.”
Kong Zhi teased, “Why not? You’re pretty amazing yourself. That snake was tough, and yet you managed to take it down in one go.”
Xia Lu Nong laughed and waved his hand dismissively. “I just got lucky that time. I knew its weak spot and caught it off guard. That’s all.”
Kong Zhi lifted the tea bucket and said, “Wisdom is part of combat power. If you can solve something with intelligence, why not use it?”
Xia Lu Nong carried another pole with eleven bowls hanging from it, and placed their last watermelon into the bucket. Together, they carried everything to the field.
When they arrived at the field, the scene was far beyond Xia Lu Nong’s expectations. He had assumed they’d be busy until late in the evening to harvest all the wheat and rice from the two acres.
But to his surprise, in the short time they had been delayed at home, most of the wheat had already been harvested.
Xia Lu Nong’s eyes widened. “How did everyone harvest so fast?”
Liao Cheng wiped the sweat from his face with his sleeve and replied, “We’re all experienced at this. Harvesting wheat doesn’t take much skill. Just bend over, swipe, swipe, and it’s done.”
Old Liu laughed, “Exactly. If it weren’t for having to thresh and dry the wheat afterward, we’d have your two acres done by mid-afternoon.”
Xia Lu Nong quickly bowed. “Thank you, everyone. Please, take a break and come drink some water. We also brought a watermelon.”
“No watermelon for now, let’s drink water first,” Liao Cheng said, sniffing the air and commenting, “Wow, this honeysuckle tea smells amazing. I could smell it from over here.”
Old Liu added, “It’s not just about the smell. This tea is the real deal. One sip will chase your exhaustion away.”
Yan Xi Nian called out with a smile, “Come on, stop praising it and drink it! Once you taste it, you’ll see how effective it really is.”
It was a hot day, and after bending over and working for so long, everyone was sweating and in need of hydration. They didn’t hesitate to put down their sickles, wipe off their sweat, and walk over.
Xia Lu Nong handed them clean bowls. “The tea might still be a bit hot, so drink it slowly.”
Old Liu replied, “It’s not too hot; it’s just right. On a hot day like this, nothing feels better than drinking hot tea.”
Xia Lu Nong smiled and distributed the tea to everyone.
Each person took a bowl and stood at the edge of the field, sipping the tea. Meanwhile, Xia Lu Nong went into the field to check the freshly harvested wheat.
The wheat was already fully ripe. The leaves had dried up and were a grayish-yellow. The wheat heads were plump, and the grains hadn’t fallen yet. When he touched them, the awns pricked his hand.
Xia Lu Nong picked a grain of wheat and examined it closely, surprised to find it larger than he expected. He had thought the grains would be about the size of soybeans, but they were actually as big as kidney beans.
The grains were hard and heavy in his hand. He bit down on one lightly but couldn’t break it; it was harder than he had imagined.
He moved the grain to his molars and, using more force, bit down with a crack, breaking the grain in half.
The cross-section of the grain was a bit grayish-white, and it looked very full. It had a light fragrance, the distinctive scent of freshly harvested wheat.
Just from the smell, Xia Lu Nong was certain that once this wheat was ground into flour, it would taste excellent.
Looking at the wheat in his hand, he felt a sense of satisfaction. As long as the quality of this wheat was good, they could save it as seed wheat to breed a second and third generation, checking the stability of its genetic traits. If stable, they could scale up production.
“Lu Nong, what are you looking at?” Yan Xi Nian called out to him. “Aren’t you hot standing in the sun? Come drink some water and take a break with everyone.”
“Got it,” Xia Lu Nong replied, walking over to grab a clean bowl.
Kong Zhi scooped a ladle of tea for him. Xia Lu Nong took the bowl and drank it all in one go.
Yan Xi Nian looked at the sunlit surroundings. “The heat is really intense today.”
Xia Huo Qu said, “The heat is a good thing. The wheat and rice will dry in two or three days.”
After finishing his first bowl of water, Xia Lu Nong waved off Kong Zhi’s offer for a second, and asked, “Brother, did you see anything unusual while harvesting the wheat?”
Xia Huo Qu replied, “How could there be anything unusual? We’ve been through this wheat field so many times.”
“I’m just asking, in case there’s something. I want to keep a record to see if my abilities caused any other changes besides accelerating the growth of the wheat.”
Xia Huo Qu shook his head. “There was nothing. We didn’t find anything unusual in the field.”
“Actually, that’s not quite right,” Xia Huo Qu added after thinking for a moment. “There was one thing—we found a lot of bird nests in the wheat field. Does that count?”
Liao Cheng laughed from the side, “Exactly. Your field has an unusually high number of bird nests. I’ve helped harvest plenty of wheat and rice, but I’ve never seen as many bird nests as in your field.”
“Huh?” Xia Lu Nong was a bit stunned. “With so many people coming and going in our field, how are the birds bold enough to build nests here?”
“There really are a lot of nests,” Liao Cheng said. “I found eight myself, and your brother probably saw a similar number. For such a small field, each of us found almost ten nests. By the time we finish harvesting, there will probably be fifty or sixty in total.”
Xia Lu Nong, who didn’t have much farming experience, hadn’t expected this result at all.
He was dumbfounded. “So not only do we need to weed thoroughly, but we also need to guard against birds ruining our wheat?”
Everyone burst into laughter.
Old Liu patted Xia Lu Nong on the shoulder. “No choice. You’ll have to prepare for a full-scale battle with these birds.”
Xia Huo Qu said, “These wild birds aren’t stupid. They know where the good stuff is and are willing to take some risks for it.”
Xia Lu Nong asked, “Did you only find bird nests? What about eggs or live birds? Did anyone catch any?”
“Nope,” Liao Cheng replied. “These wild birds are very clever. They probably sensed we were coming to harvest and fled in a hurry.”
Xia Lu Nong was unwilling to give up. “So, there are only bird nests here, and they didn’t leave anything useful behind? Did they eat our wheat for free?”
Xia Huo Qu, being thoughtful, said, “I gathered all the bird nests over there. Open the sack and see for yourself.”
Without saying a word, Xia Lu Nong went to check the contents of the sack.
Inside the sack were bird nests of various colors and shapes. Judging by the sizes of the nests, the birds that had settled in their wheat field varied in species and size.
Kong Zhi, standing next to him, also inspected the bird nests. “It really does seem like there’s nothing of value.”
Xia Lu Nong rummaged through them. “Just dried-up grass. How frustrating!” He added, “There are quite a few grass seeds and tree seeds in here, but I can’t tell what kind of seeds they are.”
Kong Zhi suggested, “When we have time, we can plant them in an empty spot and find out.”
“That could work. I’ll pick out the most viable seeds and plant them to see if we can grow any valuable plants,” Xia Lu Nong said, clearly intrigued, as he had a special interest in seeds due to his plant-based abilities.
However, since they didn’t have access to many seeds in the vicinity, and with transportation being inconvenient, his collection was quite limited.
After inspecting for a while, Xia Lu Nong gathered the useful seeds and then joined the others to finish harvesting the wheat.
It didn’t take long for them to finish, and soon they moved on to the rice field.
There were three rice paddies. The rice wasn’t as ripe as the wheat, but it had turned yellow.
Xia Lu Nong picked a stalk of rice and bit into a grain.
The rice grains were hard, but not as hard as the wheat. However, compared to the wheat, the rice seemed of ordinary quality and lacked the distinctive fragrance of the wheat.
Xia Lu Nong wasn’t surprised by this. He hadn’t used as much of his abilities on the rice, so it wasn’t as impressive as the wheat.
What surprised them was the fish in the rice paddies.
These fish fingerlings had been bought from Old Liu, mostly carp with a few crucian carp. Now, all the fish had grown, ranging from half a pound to a pound and a half.
Perhaps due to the abundance of grass seeds, rice grains, and insects in the paddies, the fish had grown plump and round, looking very cute. The carp, in particular, had a slight yellow hue on their side scales, making them especially appealing.
Old Liu picked up one of the fish and examined it closely. “You’ve raised these fish so well. We all started with the same batch of fingerlings, but no one’s fish are as good as yours.”
Liao Cheng held up a fish for comparison. “Exactly. I also raise fish in my rice paddies, but mine aren’t nearly as big or as fat!”
Xia Lu Nong replied, “Well, we’ve been growing our rice for a longer time. It’s been almost half a year.”
Kong Zhi had arrived at the base late, and by the time they started growing the rice, others had already planted their late-season crops. His seedlings had been transplanted late, so the rice grew slower and took about half a month longer than others’.
Because the fish had been in the paddies longer, they naturally grew larger.
Liao Cheng wasn’t convinced. “Having them longer is one thing, but raising them so plump is another. I think even if others kept their fish longer, they wouldn’t grow as fat as yours. It’s like your field has some kind of special luck. Whatever you plant or raise here turns out better than anywhere else.”
Old Liu laughed and said, “I don’t agree with that. It’s all because they have Xia Lu Nong. What does luck have to do with it?”
Liao Cheng quickly nodded, “Exactly! Xia Lu Nong’s abilities are amazing. The things he grows are top-notch, so of course, whatever he raises turns out great too.”
Xia Lu Nong, embarrassed by their praise, tried to change the subject several times but wasn’t successful.
Old Liu reminded them, “Since everything here is so good, don’t throw away the rice and wheat stalks later. See if you can turn them into fodder for your cattle. Don’t waste anything.”
Xia Lu Nong nodded. “That’s exactly what we’re planning. We have so many cattle, and cutting grass alone isn’t enough. It’ll be much easier to feed them with these stalks.”
Old Liu asked, “Speaking of your calves, don’t you plan to trade some of them for other supplies? What’s the point of raising so many? It must be a heavy burden.”
Xia Huo Qu chimed in, “You all saw how fierce those giant cattle were. Who knows what these calves will be like when they grow up? We’re keeping them for now, and once they’re bigger and we know whether they’re dangerous or not, we’ll decide what to do.”
Old Liu nodded. “That makes sense. Those giant cattle were terrifying. It’s wise to be cautious. But if you ever decide to trade those calves, remember to think of me first.”
Yan Xi Nian laughed, “So that’s where your mind was this whole time, Old Liu!”
Old Liu, thick-skinned as ever, didn’t miss a beat. “The conversation just led to it naturally! Those giant cattle are such a valuable resource. If you ever trade one, of course, I’d want one.”
Yan Xi Nian teased, “Well, if we do trade them, it’ll go to the highest bidder. As long as you’re willing to pay the price, we’ll be happy to trade with you.”
Old Liu winced. “Looks like you’re planning to charge me an arm and a leg. What a bunch of profiteers!”
Liao Quan Nan joked, “You’re one to talk, Old Liu! Look around the base—who hasn’t been gouged by you?”
Kong Zhi added, “I bought my rice seedlings and fish fingerlings from Brother Liu. Since I bought them later than everyone else, I had to pay a higher price.”
“See? Even Kong Zhi is calling you out. Don’t you think it’s time to reflect on your ways?”
Old Liu chuckled. “Well, I have to stockpile my supplies carefully if I want to afford one of those calves.”
“Here we go again!” someone said, and everyone laughed.
As they worked, the lively conversation continued, and the atmosphere remained cheerful and warm.
There were too many fish in the rice field, but instead of catching all of them, most were released into the deep trenches on either side and in the middle of the field. They planned to catch the fish when they wanted to eat them.
Xia Lu Nong glanced at the fish and figured they could be raised for another month or two. When the weather got colder, they would catch them to make preserved fish.
Harvesting rice was easier than harvesting wheat. The rice stalks were thicker, and the ears of rice were smaller and lighter. They grabbed the rice stalks with one hand and, with a few swift strokes of their sickles, cut down large swathes of rice.
Their rice fields were at the top of the terraces, near the bamboo. Since it was too high up, they didn’t bring the threshing machine up there. Instead, they tied the rice into bundles and carried them down. Since the rice stalks would eventually be chopped up for cattle feed, carrying them down now saved them from having to do double the work later.
The group divided the tasks—some carried the rice down, others threshed, and some sifted. The processed rice was spread out in the drying yard to dry under the sun.
It was a sunny day with no signs of rain, and judging by the clouds, it wouldn’t rain that night either. After spreading the rice, they decided to leave it out overnight and continue drying it the next day.
After drying the rice and wheat for three to five days, they would store the dried grains in the granary. Most would be kept for seeds, while a small portion would be milled into rice or flour to taste the fruits of this year’s harvest.
Harvesting was hard work, and though Xia Lu Nong hadn’t done much, he was exhausted by the end of the day. His arms and neck were covered in cuts from the work.
After finally finishing the harvest and spreading the grains in the drying yard, Yan Xi Nian told the lookouts to keep an eye on the weather. If there was any sign of rain, they should quickly call everyone to bring the rice and wheat inside.
After a busy afternoon, having finished all the work, Yan Xi Nian told everyone to go home and clean up. They’d gather later for dinner at the cafeteria.
Xia Lu Nong, itching all over from the fine fibers of the rice and wheat, rushed to the bathroom to take a shower.
Once he had finally scrubbed himself clean, he felt much more comfortable. While drying his hair, he said, “Farming is really hard work. If it weren’t for everyone helping, we’d be dead tired by now.”
Xia Huo Qu teased, “It’s just you who’d be dead tired. Our skin isn’t that delicate. Come over here, I’ll put some ointment on you.”
Xia Lu Nong replied, “Didn’t you already heat up some water? You should hurry and take your bath. Let Kong Zhi help me with the ointment.”
Xia Huo Qu glanced between the two of them, said nothing, and handed the ointment to Kong Zhi. “Apply some more before he goes to bed.”
“I got it,” Kong Zhi replied and added with a small smile, “Brother.”
Xia Huo Qu looked at him with a satisfied expression, patted him on the shoulder, and said, “I’ll leave this guy in your hands then.”
Xia Lu Nong couldn’t help but feel like his brother’s words had a deeper meaning.
Without saying anything more, Xia Huo Qu handed over the ointment and went next door to take his bath.
Xia Lu Nong dried his hair a bit more and said, “You go take your bath first. I’m still wet, and it’s not convenient to put on ointment right now. By the time you’re done, I’ll be dry.”
Kong Zhi grabbed his clothes. “Wait for me then.”
“Of course, I’ll wait. It’s not easy to apply the ointment by myself,” Xia Lu Nong said with a teasing smile. “Boyfriend.”
Kong Zhi pointed at him with a warning look in his eyes.
Xia Lu Nong grinned defiantly, clearly unbothered.
Kong Zhi quickly finished his bath and came out, still damp.
Xia Lu Nong, noticing the intensity in Kong Zhi’s eyes, suddenly felt nervous. He quickly said, “Dinner’s about to start soon, and everyone will be gathering. Don’t take too long.”
Kong Zhi pressed down on Xia Lu Nong’s leg and said casually, “It won’t take long to deal with you.”
“Ah!” Xia Lu Nong cried out in a panic, breathlessly begging, “I’m sorry, I won’t do it again. Let go of me.”
“Too late,” Kong Zhi murmured as he leaned in and silenced Xia Lu Nong with a kiss.
Xia Lu Nong felt both pleasure and frustration, his eyes tearing up. His still-damp hair got tousled against the couch, leaving two tufts sticking up.
They didn’t realize how much time had passed, but by the time they were done, it was already dark outside.
Xia Huo Qu, noticing that they hadn’t come out, knocked on the window frame and called out, “Dinner’s ready. Don’t be late.”
“I know,” Xia Lu Nong called back. He then nudged Kong Zhi in the abdomen. “Get off! Seriously, we need to stop before everyone figures out what’s going on.”
“So what? Everyone knows we’re boyfriends,” Kong Zhi said, unconcerned.
Panting, Xia Lu Nong felt both embarrassed and frustrated but had been interrupted so many times that he eventually gave in, blushing deeply. “Fine! Let’s stop now and pick this up tonight, okay?”
Kong Zhi looked down at him. “Are you sure you mean tonight?”
Xia Lu Nong fell silent. He didn’t really dare say “yes,” knowing his brother and Yan Xi Nian were staying in the room next door. If they made too much noise, he wouldn’t be able to face them.
Kong Zhi pressed, “Hmm?”
“Okay, tonight it is,” Xia Lu Nong finally relented, stiffly raising his head. “We’ll continue tonight.”
At least there was some time before then. He could figure out a way to get out of it.
Finally, they separated, and Xia Lu Nong let out a big sigh of relief. He ruffled his messy hair and hurried into the bathroom to wash his face.
His face was red and flushed, and his lips were swollen, almost as if they had been bruised. Anyone who saw him would know what had just happened.
Xia Lu Nong’s eyes flashed with a bit of frustration.
He splashed cold water on his face several times until the heat finally subsided.
Once he finished, he tidied himself up and turned around—only to be met with Kong Zhi’s gaze.
Throwing up his hands in surrender, Xia Lu Nong said, “Seriously, no more! If we go any further, my brother will come and catch us.”
“Didn’t come to mess with you, just here to help you tidy up your outfit.”
Xia Lu Nong blushed at his own self-consciousness.
Unexpectedly, after saying this, Kong Zhi paused and leaned down to kiss his ear, “Were you hoping for more?”
“!!!” Xia Lu Nong quickly covered his ear with his hand, his face turning so red it was almost steaming. How could this guy be so good at teasing?!
Kong Zhi adjusted Xia Lu Nong’s wrinkled clothes with a low chuckle. “I’m really not teasing you anymore. Let’s hurry up and go.”
This was exactly what Xia Lu Nong had been hoping for.
The two hurried along and when they arrived, everyone else was already there.
The people who came to help them harvest wheat and rice today were all close friends.
Yan Xi Nian and the others had prepared a meal, not just to reward everyone for the afternoon’s hard work, but also to strengthen their bonds.
Tonight’s dinner was especially lavish, and they even brought along snake bone liquor.
Xia Lu Nong’s eyes lit up when he saw the liquor on the table, and an idea formed in his mind.
Since Xia Lu Nong was younger and the host, he personally opened the liquor and proposed a toast to everyone. “Thank you all for your hard work today, brothers. Without you, I don’t know how long it would have taken to harvest all the wheat and rice. My health isn’t the best, so I’ll use tea instead of alcohol to toast you.”
He had just undergone surgery, so no one took issue with it. Everyone happily raised their glasses and joined him for a toast.
After Xia Lu Nong finished his first cup of tea, he smiled and, without putting his cup down, poured a second cup of liquor for Kong Zhi. “This cup is for Kong Zhi. When he suggested planting rice, he worked tirelessly for over half a year. He did most of the hard work, so he definitely deserves a toast now that we’ve harvested it.”
The others chimed in enthusiastically:
“He’s right.”
“Come on, Kong Zhi, drink up. Xiao Nong is personally toasting you!”
“We haven’t had a proper drink together yet. Let’s have a drink to celebrate you joining our base.”
Everyone raised their glasses, warmly inviting Kong Zhi to drink. Being younger, a junior, and having received everyone’s care and blessings, he couldn’t refuse, so he lifted his glass and drank.
Xia Lu Nong poured him a third glass. “You used to stay at our house, but now you’re not just a guest. This is your home. Let’s celebrate becoming family.”
With this, the others started teasing again.
“That’s a good reason! Have another drink!”
“By the way, shouldn’t the two of you make things official with a ceremony?”
Liao Quan Nan raised his glass and said, “Kong Zhi, congratulations! Vice-captain Xia, Xiao Nong, congratulations to both of you! In times like these, it’s not easy to find someone, so cherish it!”
Everyone was touched by his words and raised their glasses for another toast.
The liquor was top quality, strong and fiery. After a long day of hard work and with good food and drink, many of them soon began to get quite drunk.
Xia Lu Nong still had a clear head, but most of the others were a bit worse for wear.
Kong Zhi, despite his strong tolerance, had been plied with drinks under various pretexts and finally succumbed, unable to even stand straight.
Xia Lu Nong smiled and helped him back. In his current state, it was clear that any earlier promises wouldn’t hold up.
Kong Zhi’s movements were uncontrollable, but his mind was still clear. Seeing Xia Lu Nong’s relieved expression, he muttered, “If not today, then tomorrow. You can dodge once, but not forever.”
“Who’s dodging? I can do it today!” Xia Lu Nong retorted confidently, glancing at Kong Zhi’s lower body. “Can you even stand up?”
Having drunk so much, Kong Zhi naturally couldn’t.
He took stock of himself and gritted his teeth. “One of these days, I’ll have my way with you!”
Xia Lu Nong hummed smugly. “You think you’re tough enough? Come at me tonight if you dare!”
