Chapter 121: This Is Far Too Forward

Lin Xiao could tell exactly what Su Rou was thinking just from the look on her face, but she merely smiled without saying anything. Those who understood needed no more words; there was no need to lay everything bare.

“Oh, look, there’s a gorgeous peony over there! I’m going to take a photo,” Su Rou cried out in delight upon spotting a large, splendid peony near the Herb Garden, and dashed off toward it.

She found the right angle, switched on a filter, and with a click, captured the moment.

“Dear, since Zhong Di broke up with his girlfriend, should we ask our relatives and friends to introduce someone new to him?”

Just as Su Rou was about to put away her phone, she heard a familiar voice. It was Auntie, apparently planning to set Zhong Di up with someone. That would never do!

Su Rou edged closer to the source of the voices, listening more intently.

“Yes, Zhong Di isn’t getting any younger. We need to find someone for him quickly. I’ll start asking around soon,” Zhong Tian replied with a sigh. Their child was already grown; it was time to arrange a marriage, to hurry the wedding along while the two elders were still in good health—so they could help care for a grandchild. Once he was married, they could finally set aside this worry. Their mission would be complete.

Hearing this, Su Rou wanted to shout, “No! Zhong Di is only twenty-three, how is that old? Why are you in such a rush?” It made her anxious and uncomfortable, but she couldn’t say anything to Zhong Di—not if she wanted to maintain her composure and dignity.

After eavesdropping a little longer and hearing nothing further of interest, Su Rou pretended to take a few more photos before returning to Lin Xiao’s side.

“Look at this, the peony is beautiful,” she said, showing off her photo, though her mind was elsewhere.

“It’s nice,” Lin Xiao replied absentmindedly, her gaze already drifting. “Hey, they’ve just put up a new graffiti wall over there. People are already painting on it. Let’s check it out.”

A crowd had gathered by the graffiti wall, with people eagerly painting away. Lin Xiao was intrigued—graffiti was such a great way to relieve stress.

Whenever she felt troubled or under pressure, she’d make time to sketch or paint graffiti; afterward, she always felt better. The best part was that graffiti had no set template; one could paint whatever one liked. Life was full of rules and restrictions, but this was a momentary liberation—truly delightful.

“I’d rather go play with the hedgehogs, honestly,” Su Rou muttered under her breath.

“You can stick a note on the wall if you want,” Lin Xiao suggested. “Write something and put it up there.”

“Let’s go paint some graffiti!” Su Rou responded cheerfully, grabbing Lin Xiao’s hand. She had no interest in the sticky notes; she just wanted to paint.

Meanwhile, Zhong Di was helping out with some chores. He’d tried Zack’s naan bread before—it was delicious—and had always been curious about how Zack baked it. Previously, they didn’t have a tandoor; once they’d built one, there hadn’t been time. Finally, today was the chance.

As he helped Zack with odd jobs, he watched him bake naan. Just as Zack had described, it was a slow and complicated process, with every step requiring care. At first, Zhong Di was interested, but his patience waned as time went on. Clearly, baking naan wasn’t something just anyone could do.

Suddenly, Zhong Di’s phone rang. It was Wu Qi, likely about the manul cat issue—there must have been some progress. Director Xing probably hadn’t had time to call himself and delegated the task to Wu Qi.

He suspected they kept him in the loop because he’d discovered the manul in the first place, and there was some inexplicable connection.

“Zhong Di, about the manul, Director Xing asked me to thank you. The people behind it have been traced.”

As expected, it was about the manul. Zhong Di wasn’t surprised; even a poaching case could have so many complications.

“Were they caught?” Zhong Di asked.

“No, the people involved are somewhat influential. Director Xing couldn’t move on them directly and handed the case over to the higher-ups,” Wu Qi replied.

He, too, had been surprised when he received the news. Initially, they’d only uncovered a local manager. Beyond catching the manul, there were other protected animals involved. Director Xing had taken the matter seriously, mobilizing connections to investigate thoroughly—only to find there was more behind it.

Pull one thread, and the whole web moves. Poaching cases were either the work of the reckless, or those with powerful backing.

“And another thing—the funding for the reforestation project has been approved. Knowing your situation, Director Xing had part of the funds released to you in advance. You can start preparing on your end,” Wu Qi added.

After discussing some details, Wu Qi hung up. Zhong Di was pleasantly surprised that the funding had come through so smoothly. This would take the pressure off and allow them to launch the project without worry.

Looking at it this way, it was indeed time to get started. That land had already been designated for reforestation; though it was a funding package, the land leveling and parceling had already been done, so there was no need for further investment. What remained was clearing the area, watering, planting trees, and subsequent management.

As for interplanting cash crops, that would have to wait until next year—this year wasn’t feasible. Perhaps after Uncle Qian’s fishing contest wrapped up, they could get started with the reforestation.

He’d hire an uncle to handle watering and keep an eye on things—nothing more. Clearing away dead trees could be done by hiring a few men, while he supervised. Ideally, his father would oversee this, but with the construction of the greenhouse ongoing, his father was too busy, so Zhong Di would have to manage for now, or find someone else suitable.

With all the preparations, it would likely be late September before they could begin. It was best to wait, dig the pits, and then plant the trees once they entered dormancy.

There was a big difference between planting in winter and spring. For spring planting, it was best to do it before the buds emerged; for winter, as long as the ground could be worked, planting could proceed.

The main concern was survival rates. Planting in winter was like moving a person into a new bed while they were still asleep. In spring, if you planted before the tree had woken, it was like moving someone before they’d woken up. If you waited until the buds had sprouted, it was like relocating someone just as they were getting ready for breakfast.

Zhong Di planned to plant at the turn of autumn and winter, when the trees were entering dormancy and the ground was still workable. With a small excavator, digging holes would be quick. Once planted, he’d water them immediately, then irrigate again when the ground began to freeze. The following spring, as the ice melted, the trees would recover well.

Lost in these thoughts, Zhong Di finished preparing the meal and went to call everyone to eat.

The main event at the farm today was the construction of the central path, installation of the graffiti wall, trash bins, and benches. Many people were curious and paid close attention to the changes.

The path itself wasn’t ideal, though—it should have been paved with marble slabs, leaving gaps for grass seed, so the entire area would be lush and green, pleasing to the eye. Fortunately, his sister already had a suitable plan in place.