Chapter 100

“Growth is normal, results are normal.”

“Sugar and vitamin levels are within range.”

Half an hour later, Qin Yun and Liu Wensheng arrived at the Seed Laboratory. It was now 3 p.m., and dozens of researchers were gathered inside, all focused on recording data in front of the glass chamber on the south side.

“Is this the Acid Rain Watermelon?” Liu Wensheng asked first. Inside the glass room sat three watermelons, each the size of a football. They were round and firm, with a tautness that looked like they might burst at any moment.

“Yes,” Song Yueshan replied, stepping aside to make room for them. She then activated the data panel on the glass chamber. “These are the stats for the Acid Rain Watermelon…”

The panel refreshed.

Name: Watermelon (Unnamed)

Seed Source: Jinghe No. 3, Longlei No. 2

Composition: Glucose, sucrose, fructose, malic acid…

Acid Rain Soil Compatibility: 100%

………

The Acid Rain Watermelon was a result of a new hybrid between Jinghe No. 3 and Longlei No. 2.

In July 3028, heavy rainfall struck Zhongnan in Longnan, causing a massive drop in watermelon production across Longxia. Currently, all watermelons on the market are grown in greenhouses, and due to rising production costs, the price per jin has surged from three yuan two years ago to thirty-two. Apples, bananas, oranges, and other basic fruits have also skyrocketed in price. It’s not just hard to grow watermelons in Longxia now—it’s hard for people to even afford them.

The Acid Rain Watermelon project was launched a year ago. It relied on transplanting mother plant watermelons into the plantation, with research conducted through both field observation and lab data. The successful development of the Acid Rain Watermelon marked a major breakthrough for the farm’s independent research. It meant that from now on, the farm could bypass the system’s seed restrictions and develop its own plant varieties!

“As long as we have watermelons, that’s what matters,” Liu Wensheng praised without holding back. He pointed at the glass room. “Can we eat them?”

“We have base-grown watermelons,” Song Yueshan said, instructing the staff to bring over five melons. These had been grown at the farm’s external watermelon base, which served as a local control group. With the farm’s research projects expanding, over 3,000 mu of experimental fields had been established around the facility.

Song Yueshan picked up one watermelon and placed it on the nearby scale. It weighed twenty-three jin—considered a “little melon king” in the market.

“Nice!” Liu Wensheng was clearly pleased with its size and appearance. He picked up a fruit knife and expertly sliced it open.

The watermelon split cleanly in half. Liu Wensheng cut it into multiple pieces and handed one to Song Yueshan. She rolled up her sleeves and passed them along to the researchers behind her.

Soon, everyone had a slice in hand. Liu Wensheng took one and handed another to Qin Yun. “Try it.”

Qin Yun didn’t hesitate and accepted it.

“Delicious.” The moment he bit into the watermelon, a wave of comfort washed over him. It was sweet and refreshing—better than most watermelons even before the Longnan floods.

“Really good,” Liu Wensheng agreed, munching as he thought about the watermelon’s growth cycle. It was late January, the perfect season to plant. If all went well, people could be enjoying fresh watermelon by May.

Five minutes later, Liu Wensheng realized he had a palm full of watermelon seeds. Looking around, he saw the same with the other researchers. These seeds might not all grow, but in a time of global fruit shortages, they held immense value as collectibles.

By 5 p.m., the researchers had finished compiling the Acid Rain Watermelon data. Once it passed the Ministry of Agriculture’s review, nationwide planting could begin as early as mid-February.

The next morning, Liu Wensheng took the watermelon report to Jinghe for a meeting. Qin Yun set out for Meng Province.

………

“This is the Hazhana Grassland. People used to hold horseback races here.”

On the morning of January 27th, inside an off-road vehicle headed to the forage base, Ba Mu pointed out the window at the vast grassland.

Ba Mu was a researcher in the agricultural team, originally from Wufeng County in Meng Province. Due to his busy schedule at the research institute, he hadn’t been home in two years. Now that the Acid Rain Watermelon project had succeeded—and with Qin Yun assigned a mission in Meng Province—Song Yueshan had arranged for Ba Mu to serve as their guide.

In truth, the farm’s operational capacity didn’t require a guide. Ba Mu knew this was just Song Yueshan’s way of giving him a chance to visit home.

Their destination was on the eastern side of Wufeng County. According to the plan, they would complete the task at the planting base first, then spend the night at Ba Mu’s home and return to the farm the next day.

“I used to love herding cattle on the grasslands,” Ba Mu reminisced. “I remember back in eighth grade, I got lost while herding. It was Ajie who brought me home.”

Ba Mu was thirty-three, tall and broad-shouldered. Qin Yun, intrigued, asked, “Where’s Ajie now?”

“She got married in a nearby county. When she heard I was coming back, she came home early today,” Ba Mu said with a grin.

Half an hour later, their convoy pulled into a red-walled compound with a sign that read: [Longteng Ranch].

Thanks to prior arrangements by Longxia, Qin Yun headed straight to the ranch’s planting area. Longteng Ranch mainly grew ryegrass and Napier grass. The last batch had just been harvested, and the new seeds were sprouting. Qin Yun walked around, then picked up a handful of ryegrass seeds and scattered them across an open plot.

Host Name: Qin Yun

Current Task: Participate in twenty types of planting labor

Task Progress: 95%

……

As the seeds hit the soil, the system refreshed.

“How is it?” Ba Mu asked nervously.

“All done.”

With the forage planted, just one more round of rice planting would complete the task.

The straight-line distance from Longteng Ranch to Ba Mu’s home was seventy kilometers. After a brief rest, they drove straight there. Though most buildings in Meng Province followed the traditional Meng architectural style, along the way they passed many red-brick, white-walled houses. Against the backdrop of blue skies and white clouds, they looked open and inviting.

By 5 p.m., the group arrived at Wufeng Village, where Ba Mu’s family lived.

As they approached the village entrance, they saw a group of villagers—men, women, and children—standing by the roadside, looking expectantly toward the road.

“Amma! Abba!” As soon as the car stopped, Ba Mu jumped out.

He greeted his parents in the local dialect, then turned to introduce them. “These are my amma and abba.”

Ba Mu’s parents looked to be around seventy. Qin Yun and the others greeted them with respectful bows. Behind the elderly couple stood a woman in her forties, holding a two-year-old girl in her arms, with two seven-year-old boys at her side. All three children wore red cotton jackets and stared shyly at the newcomers.

“These are some chocolates for you.”

Qin Yun pulled out the gifts he had prepared in advance, then handed the elderly couple a stack of beautifully wrapped pastry boxes. “These are from our colleagues.” The gifts had been secretly prepared by the agricultural team before departure. Combined with Qin Yun’s own offerings, the presentation looked generous and thoughtful.

After he spoke, the elderly couple quickly gestured something.

Qin Yun looked to Ba Mu for translation.

“They said thank you, but the gifts are too extravagant—you really should take them back,” Ba Mu said, scratching his head.

He hadn’t known the agricultural team had prepared gifts. It wasn’t until they were boarding the plane that he realized their intention. He was a rough man, but when he saw the gifts, he nearly cried.

The weather in Meng Province was still a bit chilly. After a few words of small talk, the group followed Ba Mu home. His house was a spacious siheyuan courtyard. Thanks to the money he’d been sending home over the years, the house now had a fridge, microwave, and other appliances, making it bright and comfortable.

As they stepped into the courtyard, they saw five or six villagers washing pots and dishes. Nearby were plates of cold dishes and beef, covered with steaming cloths.

“They’re all neighbors,” Ba Mu explained. In rural areas, it’s tradition to help each other during festivals or big events. As a college graduate who had made it out of Wufeng Village, and returning home for the first time in two years, the neighbors had come over before noon to help.

“You really didn’t have to go to all this trouble,” Qin Yun and the others said, feeling a bit embarrassed by the warm welcome. Including Ba Mu, there were twelve people on this mission—none of them had ever received such a heartfelt reception before.

Ba Mu also felt it was a bit much to trouble the neighbors and relayed Qin Yun’s sentiments to Ajie.

“You all just wait here.” Ajie pushed Ba Mu down onto the table in the courtyard. It was a square table that had been prepared in advance, surrounded by long benches. Qin Yun and the others were practically dragged into their seats.

Ajie brought out the cold dishes he had prepared.

A-ma and A-ba took their seats.

Though A-ba was getting on in years, he still poured everyone a glass of mare’s milk wine that had been set aside earlier.

“Thank you, thank you!” Qin Yun and the others quickly stood up to show their respect.

By 7 p.m., plates of chicken and fish had been brought out one after another. The sun had set, and the moon hung high in the sky. A villager lit two bursts of fireworks at the entrance to the courtyard.

The fireworks bloomed like peonies, lighting up the courtyard in brilliant color.

For the next two hours, Ba Mu’s courtyard turned into a lively garden. Many villagers came by to join the fun.

Ba Mu was the pride of the village. Word had spread that he now worked at the Jinghe Agricultural Institute and had brought his colleagues back with him—quite the novelty for this small village. Ba Mu might be a bit simple, but he greeted every visitor warmly, offering them sunflower seeds and candies with a smile.

Though the language barrier made communication a bit awkward, the joyful atmosphere was infectious. By the end of the night, Zhang Hu was even wrestling with a few of the local villagers. The third night of the Lunar New Year passed in a chorus of laughter and cheer.

By 10 p.m., the villagers began heading home.

There weren’t enough rooms in Ba Mu’s house, so a few staff members stayed with neighbors. Qin Yun and Zhang Hu remained at Ba Mu’s place.

They were put up in a guest room that had been prepared in advance. The electric blankets had already been warmed, two thick quilts were laid out on the bed, and the room was clean and tidy.

“Feels a bit embarrassing,” Zhang Hu said, scratching his head. They had only meant to stop by and visit Ba Mu’s family, not cause them so much trouble.

“Yeah, a little,” Qin Yun agreed, equally sheepish.

Maybe it was the lingering warmth from the mare’s milk wine, but Qin Yun couldn’t fall asleep. After lying down for a while, he decided to step outside for some fresh air. As he walked into the courtyard, he saw Ba Mu alone at the table, clearing dishes.

“Still up?” Qin Yun walked over to help.

But as he got closer, he sensed something was off.

Qin Yun looked up.

Ba Mu’s eyes were red, and tears were silently streaming down his face.

Realizing he’d come at the wrong time, Qin Yun was about to turn back when Ba Mu quickly wiped his eyes and said, “It’s nothing.”

He hadn’t been home in two years. Seeing his parents now, hunched over, their hair completely white—it hit him hard.

Overwhelmed by emotion, Ba Mu began to talk. “I was just chatting with A-ma. Ajie went up the mountain before the New Year to cut grass for the sheep and fell—broke his arm. I noticed something was off with his arm this afternoon…”

Ajie had always had it tough. He was forty-two, but years of exposure to the elements made him look closer to forty-eight. His brother-in-law worked outside the village, so Ajie stayed home to care for the kids. With little income, he scraped by selling goat’s milk. Ba Mu helped when he could, but Ajie and his brother-in-law were proud men—whenever they had money, they paid him back.

Ba Mu’s clearest memory was of getting lost while herding cattle as a child, and Ajie searching for him in the dark, just a young girl back then. Now, not only were A-ma and A-ba old—Ajie had aged too.

Qin Yun could feel Ba Mu’s sorrow but didn’t know how to comfort him.

After a moment, he said, “I could talk to Academician Song and ask if you can stay home a few more days?”

Ba Mu wiped his nose and shook his head. “No need.”

The Acid Rain Watermelon had been successfully developed, but there was still a lot of work to do at the farm. Things would carry on without him, but he didn’t want to fall behind on the research.

Ba Mu looked at Qin Yun. “I told A-ma earlier that I’ve met the researchers working on Acid Rain forage grass. She said I was amazing and told me to develop a plant like that one day.”

He hadn’t just met the forage grass researchers—he’d actually worked on the seed development. But since it was classified research, he couldn’t say much.

He had once considered quitting and returning home. But seeing how Wufeng Village had transformed from barren and desolate last year to fertile and thriving now, he felt a deep sense of pride. He wanted to keep going—restore the ecosystem, and one day let the villagers of Wufeng see the world beyond.

The two of them chatted like that, back and forth, until midnight.

The next morning, the group set off on their return journey.

Ba Mu and his family said their goodbyes reluctantly, standing just as they had when the group arrived, watching the convoy drive away.

Ba Mu’s eyes turned red again. Thinking of how emotional he’d gotten the night before, he felt a little embarrassed. “I’m fine now.”

“Have some cheese.” Qin Yun handed him a piece.

It was one of the many things Ba Mu’s family had insisted on stuffing into the car’s trunk before they left—along with cheese, there was mare’s milk wine and some dried beef. It was their way of expressing heartfelt hospitality in the simplest, most sincere manner.

…

Long Xia News: [January 25, 3030 — The Longxia Agricultural Research Institute has successfully developed the Acid Rain Watermelon. The watermelon has been officially named “Chuyi No. 1”…]

As Qin Yun and the others made their way back, on the evening of January 28, Longxia officially announced the news of the Acid Rain Watermelon. Since the breakthrough happened on the first day of the Lunar New Year, the watermelon was named “Chuyi No. 1.”