Chapter Sixty-Six: Planting Watermelons

After Lin Miao-miao and Li Yan-he returned, Lin Miao-miao resumed her busy work at the factory and began designing this season’s new clothing. Her inspiration this time came from modern garments with a dreamy, ethereal flair.

As she sketched her designs, Li Zheng sat nearby, watching her with curiosity. He held a pen in his hand and remarked, “This pen is quite novel.”

Lin Miao-miao glanced at her pen and replied, “What’s so special about it? It’s just carbon wrapped in paper—nothing extraordinary.”

She looked at Li Zheng in puzzlement. Hearing the casual tone in her voice, Li Zheng grew serious and said, “Of course it’s special. On the battlefield, this pen could speed up communication. It’s easy to write with and convenient to carry, perfect for passing messages.”

Lin Miao-miao nodded thoughtfully after considering his words. “But the markings fade quickly. It’s not suitable for long-term communication.”

Li Zheng nodded in agreement, and the two fell into silent contemplation. Lin Miao-miao had considered mass-producing pencils, but even in modern times, people use carbon pens, not pencils, for important documents. Thus, pencils could never replace the brush as the prevailing trend. After a moment, Li Zheng said, “Actually, pencils are perfect for short-term intelligence transmission. Despite their flaws, they’re convenient.”

Lin Miao-miao agreed and soon arranged for a batch of pencils to be sent to Li Yan-he’s military camp. Their appearance caused a stir—especially among the strategists, who found them incredibly handy.

Watching Li Zheng spend his days languidly in her small courtyard, Lin Miao-miao asked, “Don’t you have anything better to do? Doesn’t anyone need you?”

Li Zheng replied, “Someone else handles everything. Whether I show up or not makes no difference.” He continued, “If I had to take care of every matter myself, with so much waiting for me, I’d be exhausted.”

Lin Miao-miao pursed her lips. “You really are living the life—unlike me, who has to do everything personally.”

She returned to her ledger. In truth, she wasn’t particularly tired; reviewing her accounts was simply a way to pass time. Otherwise, she’d be bored to death, stuck at home with nothing to distract her.

Just then, Li Yan-he returned from work, carrying a watermelon in his arms. Lin Miao-miao perked up instantly, skipped over to greet him, and was so delighted that Li Yan-he could only shake his head with a smile.

Li Zheng raised an eyebrow at the sight of the watermelon. “What’s this—” But before he could finish, Li Yan-he and Lin Miao-miao had disappeared into the courtyard.

The watermelon wasn’t quite ripe, but Lin Miao-miao was relieved just to see it. She asked Li Yan-he if he could provide some watermelon seeds. Before she could finish, Li Yan-he pulled out a small pouch from his arms. Ecstatic at the sight of the seeds, she exclaimed, “We really think alike! Now I can grow watermelons.”

Overjoyed, she set about finding someone in a nearby village who knew how to cultivate fruit. Li Zheng accompanied her to Dry City, where they hired Old Tian, a seasoned farmer. Though his skills were excellent, age and family matters had left Old Tian with little land.

Land was scarce in Da Ankou, and fertile plots even rarer. With his brothers and sisters-in-law being difficult, Old Tian lived in poverty. Lin Miao-miao spent a long time asking her employees to find him.

Old Tian was a true peasant—his expertise lay in farming. When approached about fruit cultivation in Dry City, he initially intended to refuse. But Li Zheng produced a silver ingot and said, “This is your wage. If the crop grows, it’s yours. If not, then no silver for you.”

Faced with this offer, Old Tian couldn’t refuse and followed them to Dry City. At first, Lin Miao-miao thought Li Zheng’s way of throwing money around was unseemly, but soon found it remarkably effective.

Once in Dry City, Old Tian began the process of germination. The watermelon seeds sprouted quickly, wasting hardly any in the process. After all the seeds had germinated, he planted them one by one.

Lin Miao-miao and Li Zheng stayed, and as she watched Li Yan-he purchase land, she rolled her eyes. Then Li Zheng explained, “If these fields can yield watermelons, the land will sell like hotcakes. Even if not, we can sell it when land prices peak.”

Lin Miao-miao felt like a fraud compared to Li Zheng’s shrewdness. If he lived in modern times, he’d be a powerhouse.

Seeing her expression, Li Zheng laughed. “What’s the matter? Suddenly admiring my intelligence?”

She rolled her eyes again, feeling as if her admiration was wasted on him.

Li Zheng hardly required anyone’s admiration. Lin Miao-miao sighed and followed him home.

Thanks to Li Zheng’s extensive connections, they found a clean, well-kept inn without difficulty.

Old Tian rented a house in a nearby village. Lin Miao-miao, not one to be harsh, arranged for local villagers to help him build a house beside the watermelon field she’d bought, which was quite large.

They stayed in Dry City for about ten days. By the time they visited again, the watermelon seedlings were already growing.

Looking at the arid soil dotted with vibrant green plants, Lin Miao-miao’s mood lifted. Each little seedling promised a bountiful harvest.

The house she funded for Old Tian was also completed. Li Zheng, seeing the watermelon seedlings thriving in the sand, glanced at Lin Miao-miao with a fox-like grin.

She didn’t know what to make of his look, but that sly smile made her uneasy.

“Hey, Li Zheng, what are you up to? I’m still so young—what are you planning to do to me?”

She eyed him warily. Li Zheng replied, “I have no interest in children. I just want you to keep an eye on the watermelon field.”

She rolled her eyes again. The next day, Li Zheng departed in haste, leaving her wondering what was so urgent.

A month later, Li Zheng returned, dusty and weary, with a whole sack of watermelon seeds. Seeing him like this, Lin Miao-miao couldn’t help but laugh.

Li Zheng said, “Once our watermelons mature, we’ll have plenty of seeds. Why bother searching for more?”

She asked, “How is that any different?”

Li Zheng replied, “The first year, we can sell for a high price. By the second year, everyone in Dry City will know that watermelons can be grown in the sand. Do you think they won’t start planting them?”

He looked at her as if she were a fool, and Lin Miao-miao felt her intelligence crushed.

Indeed, in this era, peasants were plentiful and more experienced in sprouting seeds and farming than she or Li Zheng. Watermelons, no matter how expensive, provided plenty of seeds for anyone who bought even a slice.

Initially, yields would be low, but with practice, production would soon increase.

Lin Miao-miao shook her head with a smile. Li Zheng handed all the seeds to Old Tian, who quickly germinated them and enlisted locals to plant them.

Their vast fields were soon carpeted with green seedlings, and Lin Miao-miao’s spirits soared.

Returning to the factory, she realized she’d been away far too long. Lin Qi had managed all operations single-handedly, growing from someone who asked her about everything to someone capable of running things independently.

Watching Lin Qi and the others grow step by step, Lin Miao-miao suddenly thought she could start a youth program to cultivate talent for her factory.