Chapter 54: Zhong Tian's Fall

Zhong Di recalled what Uncle Zhang had said before—it was precisely for the purpose of building a greenhouse that this person had been added, so he took this opportunity to ask.

“Is it possible to build a greenhouse here? My idea is to use it as a way to draw in customers, let them witness our production process, which would be great publicity.”

“A greenhouse? According to the regulations, it’s not allowed,” Wu Qi replied after a moment’s thought. In recent years, there had been a strong push for environmental greening, and management on this matter was extremely strict.

“There’s really no other way?” Hearing this, Zhong Di’s heart sank. He had considered secretly building one himself, but this world wasn’t one where you could just do whatever you pleased.

No matter where you lived, there were always rules that bound you.

“For now, no. I’ll go back and check the relevant policies, see if there’s any other way,” Wu Qi offered. As someone appointed by the deputy director himself, even if there was no solution, he would still do his utmost.

At that moment, the car door of the vehicle carrying the deputy director suddenly opened.

“No need to check. I’m making a special exception for this matter. If anyone has an issue, tell them to come to me.”

He was quite curious to see just how far this young man could go.

With this settled, the forestry bureau officials left. What followed would likely be a long period of tracking and investigation until the exact location of the Pallas’s cat population was determined.

Watching the departing crowd, Zhong Di felt that the world was sometimes truly uncanny. He had only added Wu Qi’s contact because of the greenhouse issue, never expecting things to develop like this. In his estimation, it was precisely because he had Wu Qi’s contact that Xuan Yin, through big data calculations, had pushed his short video to Wu Qi, leading naturally to everything that followed.

The reason the deputy director had made a special exception was likely because he had discovered the Pallas’s cat. Don’t think these things are unrelated—there is, in fact, a deep connection.

Amazed as he was, Zhong Di also felt a chill down his spine. In today’s world, privacy was a thing of the past. He’d discussed buying a dress for Wen Ya, and as soon as he opened his shopping app, nearly all suggestions were dresses.

Was it coincidence? Clearly not. It was all data capture, big data calculation, predicting your needs based on your age, economic status, and a string of other factors.

That’s why, when you start browsing short videos, you just keep scrolling, and before you know it, an hour has passed. When you open your shopping app, you end up buying far more than you intended.

Every time you spend money, you don’t even realize how it happens—you use credit first, sometimes not knowing where your money went, and then you’re stuck paying off one loan after another in an endless cycle.

They worked straight through till noon before taking a break. The spraying would probably take another afternoon to complete, and after this round, two more would suffice.

After lunch, Zhong Di gave it some thought and sent Uncle Zhang a message, asking him to find two people to help ring-bark the jujube trees in his orchard.

His initial idea was to make two cuts without peeling, as peeling the bark would easily kill the tree, or so he’d heard.

Uncle Zhang agreed readily enough—their own orchard’s jujubes had already set, and the only thing left was to pick the fruit, so there was time for other odd jobs and to earn a little extra.

Actually, Zhong Di would have liked his own father to do it, but his father was too stubborn. He was happy to help out, but to have him return to full-time farming was something he couldn’t accept just yet.

Many people might wonder—since it’s now so profitable, why not return to farming? But when someone has lost heart in something, there’s a deep-seated resistance that’s not easily overcome.

It wasn’t until the afternoon, when a group of visitors arrived, that Zhong Di and his crew paused their work. These were people who had come as a group, mainly to see the little hedgehogs.

They were all from well-off families; normally, those without means didn’t have leisure time for such outings. Before they left, they bought some free-range eggs and chickens. They complained about the price, but bought them anyway—after all, at a place where you come to enjoy yourself, you can’t expect everything for free. The extra charge was to be expected.

They understood this well. With money to spare and women among them, no one quibbled about the price; those who would complain would never have come in the first place.

After the group departed, Zhong Di and his team resumed spraying. As dusk approached, his mother suddenly called.

“Zhong Di… Zhong Di, come quickly to the county hospital. Your father… your father has fallen and hurt himself!”

As soon as he answered, his mother’s tearful voice burst through the receiver, shaken and nearly incoherent.

“Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll be there right away,” Zhong Di replied, hastily hanging up and dropping his work to race to the county hospital.

He sped along the way, plagued by a sense of foreboding ever since his father had started taking odd jobs. He’d always tried to dissuade him, but his father was too stubborn; even if nine oxen tried to drag him back, he wouldn’t budge. That was why his older sister and his father had been at odds for so many years.

“Dad, how do you feel? Is your leg hurting anywhere?”

Sitting by the hospital bed, Zhong Di asked gently.

When he arrived, his father’s injury had already been bandaged and placed in a cast. It was just a leg injury and didn’t look too serious—if he were younger, he’d likely recover on his own.

“Ah, your mother always makes a fuss. Just a fall, and she drags me to the hospital, wasting good money,” his father grumbled, but there was no real blame in his tone.

“Wasting money? Health is most important. Money is cold; the body is warm. Dad, there’s something I’ve wanted to say for a long time, and today I must say it.”

Looking at his father, Zhong Di knew he had to speak his mind.

“Go on,” his father replied, perhaps more willing to listen quietly because of the injury.

“I’ve told you before—you’re not young anymore. Once you’re recovered, don’t do those manual jobs outside. If you really can’t sit still, just work the land at home. Just think how much you’ve spent on labor alone.”

“I knew you’d say that… I’ll think about it,” his father muttered, bowing his head as if admitting to himself that he was growing old.

A man who has sheltered his family for half a lifetime—Zhong Di and Zhong Hui grew up thanks to their father’s hard work. For him to accept that he was old now was a heavy blow.

“What’s there to think about? The children are doing well and earning good money. I say it’s time to stop working,” his mother, Di Chunhua, chimed in.

“Mom, I’m planning to buy another plot of land soon. You should quit your job too. From now on, just help out with the work and take it easy.”

Zhong Di wanted to settle both matters in one go. Though his parents weren’t especially capable, they’d devoted their lives to the family, and that was enough for him.

The truth is, most people in this world are ordinary.

Now that his parents were getting older, it was time for them to do something easier. In a few years, they would be ready to retire.

“I’ll think about it too,” his mother replied. As someone from the older generation who had endured many hardships, she preferred to do the safest thing. No matter what, a job brought steady income—no worries about drought or flood.

“Family of Zhong Tian, please come forward.”

As the family discussed, a doctor in a white coat appeared at the door, calling out. It was probably to explain the situation; his mother had already paid the medical fees, which weren’t high for such a minor injury.

“You’re Zhong Di, right? In my opinion, it would be best to transfer your father to Kulun City Hospital for a more thorough examination,” the doctor said.

“Do you think there might be something else wrong with my father?” Zhong Di stood up, surprised; he’d thought it was just a minor injury.

“No, don’t get agitated. From what we can see, your father should be fine. With proper rest, he’ll recover quickly. It’s just that conditions here at the county hospital are limited; some underlying issues might not show up.”

“What I mean is, if your family can afford it, it’s best to go to a larger hospital for a comprehensive checkup, especially given his age.”

Such advice, while not great for the hospital’s image, was a matter of medical ethics. If something were overlooked due to technical limitations, the consequences could be irreversible, and the doctor’s conscience would not be at ease.

“Alright, thank you,” Zhong Di replied, relieved. He understood the doctor’s reasoning and appreciated his candor—only big hospitals had the capability to detect certain hidden problems.

Now that his father was older, they needed to be careful.

After the doctor explained a few precautions, Zhong Di returned to the ward.

“What did the doctor say?” his mother asked anxiously as he entered. Though his parents often quarreled, their affection was deep.

“The doctor said, as long as we’re careful, Dad will recover quickly. But I’m planning to take him to Kulun City for a thorough checkup at a big hospital.”

He subtly changed the doctor’s words—what the doctor told him and what he told his family were two different things.

“Why bother spending more when the doctor says it’s fine?”

“Listen to your son. We’ll go to the big hospital for a checkup tomorrow.”

When Zhong Di returned to the orchard, it was already night. His mother would stay to look after his father, and she’d already arranged time off work for the next day.

“How is he? Is Uncle alright?” Shao Hong, aware of what had happened that afternoon, naturally asked.

“He’s fine. We’ll go to Kulun City for a checkup tomorrow. I won’t be here, so I’ll have to rely on you to look after the orchard.”

“Don’t worry, everything’s under control.”

Just as he was about to rest, his older sister called.

“Why didn’t anyone tell me Dad was hurt?” she demanded.

“You’ll have to ask Dad about that. Look, don’t keep up this standoff with him. Tomorrow we’re taking Dad to Kulun City for a checkup; after your husband delivers his goods, let’s go together.”

Not informing his sister had been their father’s decision, and Zhong Di didn’t want to get involved.