Chapter 3 – Transplanting Rice Seedlings
For the next few days, Xia Lu Nong didn’t actively ask to go out again.
However, his brother still took him out for walks every day and brought him to Dr. Ou for supernatural ability treatments.
His strength steadily increased, and three or four days later, he no longer needed his brother to carry him. He could walk the path from their home to the medical clinic on his own.
That day, after Dr. Ou finished his check-up, he told the brothers, “Lu Nong has mostly recovered. From now on, he just needs to rest. No further treatment is necessary.”
Xia Huo Qu, still cautious, asked, “If he continues the treatment for a while longer, could it help him build a stronger foundation?”
“The effect won’t be great. Right now, Lu Nong just needs to eat better, exercise moderately, and gradually recover.”
Xia Huo Qu was still pondering.
Xia Lu Nong quickly said, “I also feel much better already. I haven’t felt tired at all these past few days. I don’t think we need to bother Dr. Ou anymore. There are so many patients at Dr. Ou’s clinic—”
Xia Lu Nong had no ability to earn a living yet, and everything at home relied on his brother.
Most of the resources his brother earned were handed over to the medical clinic.
Xia Lu Nong really felt heartache over their family’s resources.
No matter what, Xia Lu Nong didn’t want to go back to the medical clinic.
After asking Dr. Ou for a thorough check-up, Xia Huo Qu agreed for the time being, but he warned that if Lu Nong felt unwell in any way, he shouldn’t tough it out and should immediately see Dr. Ou. Otherwise, he’d have to stay at the clinic again for some time.
To avoid staying at the medical clinic, Xia Lu Nong became very diligent during this period. He followed others in picking wild vegetables on the field paths, brought back meals from the canteen, did housework at home, and did each task with care.
That day, Xia Lu Nong brought back lunch for the two brothers from the canteen. After setting the table, he discussed with his brother, “Brother, you should take back part of the family’s land.”
Xia Huo Qu looked up at him, his eyes resting on his face, and said, “I can provide for you.”
“It’s not about whether you can provide for me.” Xia Lu Nong discreetly covered a piece of meat with cabbage and put it into his brother’s bowl. “I’m a grown man, staying at home doing nothing every day. If I continue like this, I’ll be useless. Brother, give me something to do.”
Xia Huo Qu deftly used his chopsticks to uncover the piece of meat from under the cabbage and put it back in Lu Nong’s bowl. “Farming is tough. The environment isn’t good right now—there are lots of bugs and weeds in the fields, and sometimes even mutant plants with attacks. Tomorrow, I’ll take you to help out at Liao Cheng’s farm for a day, and then you’ll understand.”
Xia Lu Nong didn’t refuse the meat this time and popped it into his mouth, closing his eyes slightly with a look of contentment. He then quickly followed the flavor with a big bite of bland sweet potato.
After hearing what his brother said, he replied, his cheeks puffed with food, “If I manage to do well at Brother Liao Cheng’s farm tomorrow, will you reclaim a small piece of land for me?”
Xia Huo Qu glanced at him and put the only two pieces of meat left into his bowl. “We’ll talk after tomorrow.”
Xia Lu Nong refused to eat the meat, placing it back into the serving dish. After swallowing the food in his mouth, he downed the remaining porridge in his bowl with a slurp. “Brother, you better keep your word.”
Xia Huo Qu, still focused on finishing the leftovers, responded, “I will!”
That night, Xia Lu Nong went to bed early, washing his feet and turning in just as dusk was falling.
The next day, at the crack of dawn, his strong biological clock woke him up. He grabbed the meal tickets from home, went to the canteen to fetch breakfast, and got ready for work.
His brother prepared a straw hat for him, tied his pants at the ankles with elastic bands, and did the same for his sleeves. He also made sure Xia Lu Nong wore long sleeves and gloves for protection.
As his brother fussed over him, Xia Lu Nong obediently complied but grumbled, “Do I really need to be so bundled up?”
He had some experience weeding gardens, and being dressed so heavily would make him hot in no time.
Xia Huo Qu replied calmly, “You’ll understand soon enough.”
After tidying up the house, Xia Huo Qu also handed him a large bamboo hat, the kind woven from bamboo strips with dry leaves stuffed inside, making it quite heavy on the head.
Xia Lu Nong felt the weight on his head and found it quite uncomfortable.
He was about to take it off when his brother said, “Keep it on. It’ll protect you from rain and sun.”
“It’s spring; the sun’s not that strong.” Xia Lu Nong muttered, “And I’m already wearing long sleeves and pants.”
Xia Huo Qu pretended not to hear and led his brother out the door.
The place they were headed to for work was the private farmland of Xia Huo Qu’s friend, where they would primarily be transplanting rice seedlings.
When they arrived, a tall, thin, and dark-skinned young man greeted them. He introduced himself casually to Xia Lu Nong, saying his name was Liao Cheng, and told him to just call him brother.
After the introduction, Liao Cheng led them to the edge of the field and pointed to the seedlings nearby, saying to Xia Lu Nong, “These are the seedlings we’ll be transplanting today.”
Xia Lu Nong, having had almost no experience with farming, looked at the seedlings and then at Liao Cheng, unable to hide his surprise. “We just throw them in? What if they don’t land right?”
Liao Cheng chuckled, “If they don’t, we just toss them again. It’s easy. Try it, and you’ll see.”
As he spoke, he bent down to pick up a bamboo basket full of seedlings, balanced it on his arm, grabbed a seedling with his other hand, and stood on the field’s edge. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the seedling into the waterlogged field.
The seedling flew from his hand, roots facing down, and gently landed in the mud below.
One seedling, two, three… In just over a minute, he had finished tossing the entire batch.
The seedlings stood upright in the field, not one of them toppling over. The spacing between them was just right. From the edge of the field, you could see the seedlings lined up neatly, like a game of Five in a Row—horizontal, vertical, and even diagonal lines were perfectly aligned.
Xia Lu Nong’s face showed clear astonishment.
Liao Cheng bent down again to grab another batch of seedlings. After pulling out most of them, he handed the remaining few to Xia Lu Nong. “Try it yourself, it’s not hard.”
Xia Lu Nong took the seedlings, feeling a bit nervous since they were precious.
Liao Cheng laughed heartily, flashing a set of white teeth. “Don’t worry about it. If you’re not sure, just watch how we do it again.”
Xia Lu Nong hesitated, not daring to throw the seedlings right away. They were so thin and soft, he was afraid he’d break them.
Seeing this, Xia Huo Qu took the larger bunch of seedlings from Liao Cheng and said, “You go ahead with your plowing. I’ll teach him.”
Liao Cheng nodded with a grin, “Alright, I’ll go smooth out the field then. You two can handle things here.”
Curious, Xia Lu Nong watched as Liao Cheng rolled up his pant legs, stood on the edge of the field, kicked off his shoes, and then jumped into the water with a splash. He grabbed a wooden rake from the side and dragged it across the field, smoothing the muddy bottom beneath the water.
He knew a little about the principle of plowing the field.
Once the field is repeatedly plowed and leveled, the soil beneath becomes soft and even, allowing the seedlings to settle into the mud with their roots.
Otherwise, the seedlings wouldn’t be able to stand firm.
It was only today that Xia Runong realized how many steps were involved in planting rice.
As he watched everyone repeatedly prepare the fields, he felt a rare sense of respect growing inside him.
“Stop looking around,” Xia Huo Qu said, guiding the seedling in his hand while lifting his chin slightly. “Watch my movements.”
Xia Lu Nong pulled his gaze back and quietly leaned closer to his brother, asking, “Bro, when did you learn how to plant seedlings?”
“After a few tries, you’ll get it,” Xia Huo Qu replied. “Throw them out. If they don’t land right, we’ll just pick them up and try again.”
Xia Runong nodded quickly, adjusted his footing, leaned forward, and carefully tossed the seedling.
The root was still covered in soil, which naturally helped it settle. To his surprise, the seedling landed exactly where he wanted it to.
His eyes lit up, and he tugged at his brother’s sleeve. “Bro, look!”
“Well done,” Xia Huo Qu said. “Do it again.”
Xia Runong picked up another seedling and repeated the action.
This time, it landed just right again.
Overjoyed, Xia Lu Nong’s enthusiasm skyrocketed.
Standing beside him, Xia Huo Qu helped him plant the seedlings one by one.
In no time, the two brothers had finished planting the small patch of field in front of them.
Xia Lu Nong hurried off and brought back another basket of seedlings.
Xia Huo Qu looked at the field in front of them and said, “You stay here; I’ll go over there, and we’ll meet in the middle.”
Xia Lu Nong gave a thumbs up and flashed a bright smile, revealing his perfect white teeth. “Let’s see who finishes faster.”
Xia Huo Qu smirked. “Make sure it’s done right.”
“Got it!”
Xia Lu Nong, eager to win, focused intently on the task, his competitive spirit kicking in.
Both Xia Huo Qu and Liao Cheng glanced at him a few times, making sure he was managing well before they let him continue planting.
Xia Lu Nong got more and more into the rhythm, not even feeling tired. He was quite satisfied with his performance.
One field, two fields, three fields.
The three of them spent the entire morning planting seedlings in three fields.
By the end, Xia Runong could barely lift his arms, but he was filled with a sense of accomplishment.
Panting, Liao Cheng placed the wooden plow on the edge of the field. “Thanks to you guys today. I’ll treat you to lunch later—we’re having meat.”
Xia Lu Nong’s eyes lit up, and he ran over to help carry the plow, flashing his bright white teeth again. “Liao Cheng bro, you’re too generous.”
“It’s only right—base rules, you know,” Liao Cheng said, stretching his back. “I’ve got some garlic sprouts in my field. I’ll pull a couple later and take them to the cafeteria so they can cook us some stir-fried pork.”
The base was mostly surrounded by walls, so it was hard for people to find firewood.
Even after harvesting crops, the leftover stalks weren’t enough to cook many meals, and cooking also required oil, salt, sauces, and cooking utensils.
Most families at the base didn’t cook. They either went to the cafeteria with meal tickets or brought their own ingredients and had the cafeteria staff cook for them.After working hard all morning, Xia Lu Nong was already hungry, and the mention of stir-fried pork made his mouth water.
He immediately offered, “Liao Cheng bro, where’s your field? I’ll help you pull them.”
Liao Cheng stretched his back with a few cracking sounds. “Over there, in that corner under the plastic greenhouse.”
“I’ll go pull them. Two stalks, right?”
“Make it three. And grab a bunch of the baby greens too. They’re the last tender ones. Boiling them would be a waste. They need a little garlic for a proper stir-fry.”
Xia Lu Nong smiled and immediately ran toward the greenhouse.
As he ran off, Xia Huo Qu disapprovingly said to Liao Cheng, “Meat is so expensive now. You don’t need to splurge on stir-fried pork.”
Liao Cheng chuckled heartily. “Consider it a celebration that Xia Nong has recovered. Anyway, spring is here. Once the spring planting is done, I’ll go out with the scavenging team to gather some things, and things will ease up a bit.”
Only then did Xia Huo Qu remain silent.
Liao Cheng pulled a small packet of tobacco from his pocket, rolled it with a piece of paper, and offered it to Xia Huo Qu, who declined. Liao Cheng tucked the tobacco back into his pocket, lit a match, and took a deep drag from his cigarette. “Now that Xia Nong’s better, what’s your plan?”
“We’ll see.”
Liao Cheng took another drag and said, “Now that your household will use less food, I think you should stop risking going to the bigger towns for supplies. Just come with us nearby and hunt. With your skills, you won’t run short of food.”
“It’s not that easy. There aren’t many unmutated animals left,” Xia Huo Qu said. “Dr. Ou said Xia Nong’s injuries have affected his core. He might not be able to shapeshift in the future. I need to find a way to make a big score and take care of him properly. If that doesn’t work, I’ll have to find a stronger healer.”
Liao Cheng sighed.
Xia Huo Qu remained calm. “We’ve already been through the hardest times. This is nothing. Don’t tell him about this.”
