Chapter Thirty: Getting Along

The tender green grass grew in lush patches, already taller than the sprouts just emerging along the path we had taken earlier. Looking around, the soil, softened and dampened by the recent rain, was blanketed in dense growth. For Wang Jusheng, who had witnessed the extent to which this land had been neglected, the sight was nothing short of astonishing.

"It’s true. For over a decade, this place was nothing but barren, white earth. How did grass sprouts suddenly appear this year?" Wang Susu was equally amazed. She bent down and pulled up two blades, finding them surprisingly sturdy, which only deepened her surprise.

Chen Ling, busy tidying up the plow and rake nearby, replied, "It must be that after all this time, the soil fertility is starting to recover. Don't you remember the two bags of soil I brought back last time? This land isn't as hopeless as we thought. If we put in the time to cultivate it, it’s still viable."

"Viable! It’s highly viable, Fugui!" Wang Jusheng seemed even more excited than the couple. He plucked two blades of grass, chewed on them, then scooped up two handfuls of soil, kneading them in his palm before walking over to Chen Ling. "Look at this soil. It’s far better than it used to be. If all thirty acres are like this, you actually got the better end of the deal!"

"Oh, what deal? I’m just messing around!" Chen Ling shook his head, unhitching the cart to prepare the donkey for the plow.

Wang Jusheng stepped in to help. Neither of them was particularly skilled at farm work, and the donkey was far from cooperative, so it took quite an effort to get the plow rigged up.

"Fugui, tell me the truth. When you agreed to swap this land with Er Zhu, you weren't actually planning on farming it, were you? You’re planning on doing something else, right?" Wang Jusheng asked quietly while they were busy with the plow.

"You’re overthinking it, Brother Jusheng. What else can we do in this mountain hollow? Open a quarry? Start another lime kiln?" Chen Ling chuckled, fed the donkey a handful of peanuts, and prepared to start plowing.

"Well, you definitely shouldn't do those! I think you could get into animal husbandry. I’ve seen people in the township raising chickens and ducks, and they’re doing quite well—it’s a quick way to make money!" Wang Jusheng said, keeping his eyes fixed on Chen Ling to gauge his reaction. Regardless of what the villagers said, based on his two interactions with Chen Ling, he didn't think the man was a fool. Swapping land with Chen Er Zhu surely involved some hidden calculation or scheme.

"Husbandry? I don’t have the heart for that. I’d have to fence this place off and build sheds. It would be a complete waste of time."

The two men chatted as they drove the donkey to plow the field.

"A waste of time? How so?" Wang Jusheng asked, confused.

Chen Ling smiled without answering. He couldn't exactly say that a major flood was coming in three months. Although the 1995 flood didn't cause any casualties in this area, the damages were severe. There was no point in starting something now when he could just wait until after the flood.

Chen Ling changed the subject. "Did you just stay home during the rainy days?"

"Yeah. Unless there's an emergency or it's my shift, I generally don't go to the township when it rains." Wang Jusheng nodded. Seeing that they were a good distance away from Wang Susu, he lowered his voice, acting conspiratorial. "Fugui, have you heard? The man who lives across from you is quite the playboy in town. He’s even keeping a mistress!"

*Good grief, I shouldn't have started talking about the township with you,* Chen Ling thought, speechless. He hadn't realized this square-jawed, upright-looking man had such a gossipy streak. It seemed he had too much free time at work.

As he mused to himself, Wang Jusheng continued, "It’s lucky that the laws against 'hooliganism' aren't enforced as strictly these days. Otherwise, one tip-off letter would have that turtle-son in real trouble for his illicit affairs."

"What’s the matter, Brother Jusheng? Are you jealous?" Chen Ling teased, hearing the sour tone in his voice.

"Pah! You, Fugui, what are you spouting? I’m a decent man, why would I be jealous of that?" Wang Jusheng retorted, eyes widening. Then, noticing Wang Susu wasn't paying attention, he chuckled. "Though I have to admit, that little girl is quite pretty... Next time you go to town, I’ll point her out to you."

Chen Ling suppressed a laugh and agreed. He found Wang Jusheng quite amusing; in some ways, he reminded him of friends from his past life. A sense of familiarity grew, and the conversation flowed more easily.

They spent the day chatting about this and that while plowing. By the time the sun began to set, they had managed to plow over three acres.

"Whoa, we haven't been slow today!" Wang Jusheng said, squatting on the ridge and picking up his water bowl.

Over four hours, they had plowed more than three acres. Averaging over an hour per acre with a donkey-drawn plow was certainly not slow.

"It’s not slow, mostly because the majority of these thirty acres are flat. Otherwise, you wouldn't stand a chance of finishing an acre in under two hours," Chen Ling noted.

He and Wang Susu then picked up their rakes, preparing to smooth over the newly plowed earth. Behind them followed two little balls of fur, one black and one yellow. The puppies were only half a month old, but thanks to the goat milk mixed with the mysterious spring water, they were growing fast and were full of energy, having run back and forth all day without stopping.

"Woof! Woof..." The chubby black pup and the little golden one were like tiny whirlwinds, tails wagging as they barked and provoked the donkey. The donkey, resting on the ridge, ignored them entirely.

Wang Jusheng thought it was amusing and reached out to touch them, but they nimbly dodged his hand. After a few failed attempts, he gave up, saying, "I suppose you're right. When Er Zhu's father first cleared this land, he intended to plant fruit trees, so it wasn't this level then. Later, after they started the lime kiln, they had no choice but to flatten it."

Half an hour later, Chen Ling and his wife finished raking the field. They boarded the donkey cart, and with Wang Jusheng riding his bicycle, the three of them returned to the village under the glow of the sunset.

"Brother Jusheng, come by my place for a moment. Take some more peanuts for your wife," Chen Ling called out as they entered the village.

"You got it!" Wang Jusheng replied readily. Having worked alongside Chen Ling all day and chatted freely, they had grown comfortable with each other, so there was no need for formalities.

However, when they arrived at Chen Ling’s house, two people were waiting outside the gate—one adult and one child. The adult sat on the stone door pier, smoking a dry tobacco pipe, while the child was crouched on the ground, playing with marbles.

"Brother Xian, Liu Ni, why are you here?" Chen Ling recognized the father and son immediately, quickly pulling the donkey to a stop and jumping down.