A Divine Farmer

C66 – For What?

Zhang Xiaoloong was jolted by the sound, though he hadn’t witnessed the incident firsthand. Recalling yesterday’s incident with the prototype, he could well imagine what transpired within.

Who would dare to intrude upon his greenhouse?

Pondering, Zhang Xiaoloong realized Lee Xiulian was the sole individual present. Could it be her?

Doubt crept into Zhang Xiaoloong’s mind. Despite the warmth of his greenhouse, it remained desolate inside. With no lawn and frequent visitors, who would be foolish enough to engage in mischief here?

Drawing nearer to investigate, he immediately identified the culprit as Lee Xiulian. Yet, something seemed amiss…

Placing the young wolf by the door, Zhang Xiaoloong hurried inside. “Elder Sister Lianzi, what happened?”

He found Lee Xiulian lying on the ground, clutching her waist with one hand while the other remained pressed against the ground. She appeared distressed, breathing heavily. “I’ve twisted my waist…”

Rushing to her aid, Zhang Xiaoloong supported her and began employing the Herb Growing Art, gently massaging her injured waist.

The Herb Growing Art not only treated illnesses but also healed internal and external wounds. This was evident when Zhang Xiaoloong successfully cured Big Brother Bi, who had sustained a head injury in a car accident.

However, Big Brother Bi’s injury wasn’t severe initially; he had merely lost consciousness due to the impact. Without timely treatment, the outcome might have been dire.

Fortunately, Lee Xiulian’s injury was minor in comparison, making it relatively straightforward to heal with divine power.

While it may seem miraculous, Zhang Xiaoloong’s abilities were limited. Divine Power only assessed the severity of wounds, making it challenging to heal significant injuries under ordinary circumstances.

For instance, if someone were severely wounded, Zhang Xiaoloong’s divine power might not suffice for immediate recovery, as was the case with Big Brother Bi’s head injury.

Conversely, Lee Xiulian had merely suffered a sprain due to lack of exercise and sudden exertion, making her recovery relatively simple.

With her divine power restored and Zhang Xiaoloong’s application of ancient massage techniques from the Shennong inheritance, Lee Xiulian recuperated within a mere two minutes.

“Is she feeling better now, Sister Lianzi?” Zhang Xiaoloong sensed an improvement and inquired.

Under the soothing touch of the massage, Lee Xiulian experienced a sense of comfort. The large hands seemed almost magical, exuding warmth and vitality wherever they landed.

Despite his inner reluctance, upon hearing Zhang Xiaoloong’s query, he reluctantly responded, “Yes, much improved. Your qigong is truly effective!”

“That’s a relief.” Zhang Xiaoloong helped her up, noticing the headgear on the ground. “Sister Lianzi, what were you doing?”

“I felt idle, so I decided to turn over the soil inside. I didn’t anticipate…” Lee Xiulian admitted with some embarrassment, “I’m getting older, my bones are not as resilient as they used to be. A few movements and I twisted my waist. If you had arrived any later, it would have been agonizing.”

“Sister Lianzi, you’re still young. How could you notice signs of aging? But it appears you could use more exercise,” Zhang Xiaoloong remarked with a smile. “Luckily, I arrived in time. Otherwise, Sister Lianzi would have been yelling here for quite a while. I thought I built this greenhouse for a reason!”

“For what?” Lee Xiulian blushed, recognizing the implications of Zhang Xiaoloong’s words. She had heard that tone before. She hadn’t expected him to tease her. Could it be that this boy was becoming more perceptive?

Clearing his throat, Zhang Xiaoloong chuckled. “Oh, nothing.”

Among peers in the village, some ribald banter was normal. However, Zhang Xiaoloong wasn’t typically one to engage in such behavior.

Had it been someone else, they might have joked, “Just do it. You do that thing with Lord Zhu!”

Even though Zhang Xiaoloong didn’t vocalize it, the implication was there. Reaching this level of jest was a sign of progress, indicating his acceptance of their camaraderie.

“Look at you being so straightforward. So, you’ve been studying these things too, huh? Seems like little brother Xiaoloong is growing up,” Lee Xiulian teased, seizing the opportunity to play along. “What’s this? Want to hear more from your elder sister?”

Unable to handle the teasing from such a mature woman, Zhang Xiaoloong’s face flushed crimson, yet he managed to stammer, “No… I’m afraid Zhu’s Grandpa might hit me with a shovel.”

“Oh, no,” Lee Xiulian chuckled, observing the boy’s embarrassment with amusement. She found teasing Zhang Xiaoloong quite enjoyable. “Don’t worry, Zhu’s Grandpa wouldn’t dare. Besides, Sister Lianzi is here.”

“Well, Sister Lianzi, take a break. I’ll go start planting the vegetables,” Zhang Xiaoloong said, feeling slightly disheartened as he scurried away.

Witnessing the other party’s awkward demeanor, Lee Xiulian couldn’t stifle another chuckle. Once a single aperture was opened, worrying about the other eight wouldn’t be necessary.

She remained unperturbed, knowing well that certain matters couldn’t be hurried. Like cooking, some dishes demanded intense heat, while others benefited from slow simmering over a low flame. Clearly, Zhang Xiaoloong’s dish required gentle braising. Intensifying the heat would only result in frying.

…

After bidding farewell to Lee Xiulian, Zhang Xiaoloong earnestly began planting vegetables.

With the Nine Death Soul Returning Grass now in place and aided by his Herb Growing Art, rejuvenating the life force in this area through successive cycles was assured.

Delaying the planting would squander valuable time.

Having procured the vegetable seeds a few days prior, the soil now soft and dry, presented the optimal conditions. Sprinkling various vegetable seeds across the greenhouse required minimal effort.

Initially, his focus remained on planting seeds in this acre. The remaining nine acres would be developed gradually once he recouped his investment and turned a profit. It was a long-term strategy.

Given the quality of his vegetables, the yield from one acre wouldn’t suffice. Even ten acres might prove inadequate.

That was a concern for the future. The specifics were unclear to Zhang Xiaoloong, but the overarching plan centered on developing these ten acres first, and it wouldn’t take too long.

Sprinkling seeds and watering them to maintain warmth, Zhang Xiaoloong took extra precautions by employing the nurturing power of his Herb Growing Art.

Returning the following day, he found various seedlings had already sprouted.

By the third day, the seedlings had grown over two inches long, transforming the greenhouse into a verdant landscape, a stark contrast to its previous emptiness.

Surveying his progress, Zhang Xiaoloong couldn’t help but feel elated, anticipating the imminent transformation of these seedlings into profits that would astonish his parents.

As he glanced around, he suddenly noticed the little wolf positioning itself at the edge of the vegetable field, its gaping maw aimed inward.