Chapter 190: Everything is Fine

Inside the newly built kitchen, it was bustling with activity. People gathered in small groups, looking here and touching there.

A standard rustic earthen stove was burning brightly with charcoal. Zaker, sitting beside the hearth, casually tossed a few split logs into the fire while a blower roared on the other side.

This was the first time the newly constructed kitchen was being put into use, and the occasion was none other than the completion ceremony scheduled for the afternoon.

Everyone would share a lunch at noon, followed by the completion ceremony in the afternoon, and with a small red envelope handed out to each person present, the event would be officially wrapped up.

The dining area was also housed in a newly built restaurant which, to be frank, could truly be described as "simple and unadorned."

Why say that?

The entire restaurant lacked any sense of grandeur or high-end luxury. There were no private dining rooms whatsoever; it was just one large open hall furnished with three round tables, and nothing more.

The construction materials used were also rather earthy and unpretentious.

Even the round tables departed from conventional styles, replaced instead by tables pieced together from slender wooden sticks.

Yet, precisely because of this, stepping inside inexplicably brought a sense of great comfort and a deep, genuine human warmth.

At this moment, the round tables were completely filled with people. Everyone was chatting away animatedly, and conversations flowed freely between the different tables without the slightest trace of estrangement.

All in all, there were roughly twenty-odd people occupying the three tables. Every table was laden with an abundance of delicacies—cold dishes, hot dishes, and various kinds of grilled skewers.

As soon as he stepped into the restaurant, Zhong Di caught a rich, savory aroma. Oh boy, the aroma today was definitely appetizing enough.

"Zhong Di, you're here! Come and take your seat!" Zhong Hui pointed toward the center table.

"That wouldn't be right. That seat should be reserved for Dad."

The spot his elder sister was pointing to was clearly the host's seat. For a younger generation member like him to sit there felt thoroughly inappropriate.

"Oh, come on! You're the guest of honor at today's completion ceremony. If you don't sit there, who will? Hurry up, stop being so overly modest," Zhong Hui urged.

"Exactly, what are you standing on ceremony for? Just sit down."

"Old Zhong, your son is doing great! He's achieved so much success, yet he hasn't forgotten his roots."

Many people chimed in with discussions. Zhong Tian also wore a beaming, cheerful smile. Just as everyone was saying, how could he not be happy seeing his son achieve such success while remaining grounded?

"What success? I still have to rely on the support of everyone here," Zhong Tian replied. He then walked over to Zhong Di, pulled him along, and guided him to the main seat. "Zhong Di, from now on, you're the head of the Zhong family. Sit down!"

Seeing how things stood, Zhong Di took the seat.

"Dear uncles and aunts, thank you for all your trouble over this past period. That the farm can reach where it is today is entirely thanks to everyone's hard work. I won't say too much—everyone will receive a red envelope after the meal."

Zhong Di offered a few polite remarks. He didn't particularly care for this kind of environment, but certain things still had to be said.

Amidst the clinking of glasses and toasts, the midday meal came to a close.

Whether it was the freshly roasted mutton, the pre-prepared cold dishes, or the freshly grilled oysters, every single item was exceptionally delicious, and everyone ate with immense delight.

Just this spread of dishes alone averaged nearly a thousand yuan per person. How could they not eat happily? Even the remaining sauces were wiped clean with steamed buns.

If someone were slightly less particular, they could practically use the same plates for their next meal; they were wiped that brightly polished.

Even though it wasn't the first time everyone had tasted the food from the farm, they still couldn't resist its powerful appeal.

By the afternoon, amidst the joy of distributing the red envelopes, the completion ceremony officially commenced. After a few brief remarks, Zhong Di had everyone disperse, including his parents and his sister, ultimately leaving only Zhong Di and Shao Hong behind.

"It's finally quiet!" Zhong Di collapsed onto the ground and muttered.

He was truly exhausted, especially from coping with such large crowds.

"Yeah, it's quiet. Still, it feels pretty good," Shao Hong said, the corners of his eyes lifting slightly upwards as a faint smile touched his lips.

Ah, as expected, Shao Hong still possessed the kind of personality that enjoyed interacting with people, quite unlike himself.

"Do you prefer the feeling of today, or the days when it was just the two of us bustling around?"

Observing Shao Hong's expression, Zhong Di couldn't help but ask.

"Back when it was just the two of us, how should I put it? It was wonderful too—pulling weeds, doing farm work, making whatever delicious food we wanted whenever we felt like it. It was great."

"As for now, every day is fulfilling, and it allows my mother to live a good life. Well, enough said, everything is great." Shao Hong trailed off as he spoke.

Zhong Di swallowed the words at the tip of his tongue, paused slightly, and said softly, "Yeah, everything is great." Through Shao Hong's declaration that everything was great, he already knew the answer to his own question.

One cannot define another person's life by the kind of life they desire for themselves.

One cannot define another person's desired standard of living by their own standards.

One cannot force others to compromise and accommodate one's own changing moods.

Right.

Everything is great.

Except for himself.

A subtle decision formed quietly in Zhong Di's mind, and he pondered it deeply. The answer had been there all along, hadn't it?

It was just that whenever he saw everyone, Zhong Di couldn't bear to cut ties; now, however, he had found the best possible solution.

Whether it could be successfully implemented would depend on subsequent plans.

The farm's work was not yet finished; the greenhouses needed to be built, and the fruit trees needed to be replaced.

After chatting idly for a while, the two went off to attend to their respective tasks.

Watching Shao Hong busy at work, Zhong Di said nothing. Everyone had the life they believed was right for them.

If he imposed his own ideas on how others should live, how would he be any different from those who forced expectations on others?

He himself preferred quiet contentment, being a lazy slacker, and living a peaceful life, but that did not mean others desired the same.

Whether it was his elder sister, Shao Hong, or his parents, Zhong Di could only ensure they were given a life with choices rather than being forced into paths, and that would be enough.

Ah, right! It seemed he still had an article left unwritten.

While idling about, Zhong Di suddenly remembered that there was still something he hadn't done.

It was the technical article regarding pesticide application in peach orchards that he had previously promised to Zhou Zheng.

This time, Zhong Di intended to write the piece in the form of popular science, because after all, the conditions of every fruit grower were not identical.

Orchard management was inherently complex, particularly the aspect of spraying pesticides.

Tree age, soil condition, and variety were among the many factors influencing pesticide application. Sweeping generalizations and a rigid, one-size-fits-all technical article were clearly inappropriate.

Zhong Di had pondered this issue previously and settled on a general direction, which was solidified just now when he looked at the jujube trees nearby.

Unlike before, when writing about jujube trees—represented specifically by gray jujubes, which encompassed a relatively fixed routine for soil, fertilizer, and water management, pruning, and so forth—peach orchards presented a broader challenge.

For instance, the three-stage sequence of the jujube tree's flowering period was universally practiced, but spraying pesticides in a peach orchard—goodness, that was a much wider scope.

Moreover, it didn't even target a single uniform variety, which made a difficult task even harder. If it were the same variety, it would have been somewhat easier to write.