Chapter Eight: The Wasteland

Wang Susu’s attention had always been fixed on Chen Ling. So, the moment she noticed him looking at her, she slightly raised her head and met his intense gaze.

In the past, Wang Susu would have awkwardly looked away or lowered her eyes, afraid to meet his stare. Back then, Chen Ling’s eyes were intimidating, especially when he was angry. But now, things were different.

Even with Chen Ling staring at her, she no longer felt afraid. Instead, a strange little happiness blossomed deep within her heart, sweet and tender. For a moment, the atmosphere grew warm and faintly intimate.

Yet, the village committee’s loudspeaker interrupted the mood, announcing that the land exchange must be completed this month and urging all households involved to prepare quickly. The announcement was repeated three times.

Each time it rang out, Wang Susu’s face paled further. When the broadcast finally ended, her expression shifted from a mix of shy joy to one of panic and helplessness. She looked at Chen Ling, wanting to say something but too afraid to speak, like a frightened little rabbit at the slightest noise.

“Don’t worry, Susu. I can handle the land exchange,” Chen Ling reassured her with a smile before adding, “You stay home and rest. I’ll go to the village committee.”

“What… what are you going to do?” Wang Susu was startled, quickly standing up and looking at him nervously.

“I’m going to settle the land exchange,” he said. “Fifth Uncle also mentioned yesterday that Er Zhu’s greenhouse land has been officially designated, so we won’t be able to get our farmland back. Since that’s the case, it’s better to get it done early. Redrawing the farmland boundaries isn’t simple, and delaying might cause more trouble.”

“But, but Er Zhu’s land can’t be farmed…” Wang Susu’s worry deepened, her brows knitting tightly. “It’s been barren for over ten years; not even grass grows there. Nothing can be cultivated.”

“Let’s think of another way,” Chen Ling said, patting her hand reassuringly. “Don’t worry, Susu, I’ve got a plan. Do you think I’ve been wasting time in the county these past two years? I’ve gathered quite a bit of information. I heard the south has many methods to turn abandoned barren land into fertile fields, and I’ve learned those techniques.”

“So, trading our ten or so acres for Er Zhu’s thirty-plus acres is full of potential!”

“Besides, cultivating barren land isn’t without benefits. At least we won’t have to pay the annual retention fees, and there’s a subsidy of thirty yuan per mu each year. You should know that, right?”

Chen Ling’s earlier words were mostly nonsense—he had done little but enjoy himself in the county before. But what he said afterward was entirely truthful.

Hearing this, Wang Susu felt conflicted. Biting her lip, she whispered, “But Er Zhu’s land used to belong to the lime factory. There’s so much lime buried underground. Whatever you plant dies. Can that kind of land really be turned into fertile fields?”

What Wang Susu said was true. Er Zhu’s land was where his father had run a lime factory. After a great earthquake, the ground beneath the factory collapsed, burying tons of lime underground. Because of this, Er Zhu’s father was heavily in debt and lost the land.

Now, it had been lying fallow for nearly ten years, surrounded by a ring of graves. Nothing grew there—trees planted years ago mostly died, and the few survivors remained no taller than a person, their leaves yellow and lifeless, all scorched by the lime beneath.

Wang Susu knew this well, so she had never felt at ease about exchanging land with Er Zhu. If it had been the old Chen Ling, he would have been helpless. But the new Chen Ling possessed the Sun and Moon Cave. Whether it was saline-alkali soil or lime soil, it was no problem for him. The cave’s miraculous properties meant even a chopstick stuck into the ground could sprout.

Chen Ling smiled confidently and comforted her, “Don’t worry, I have a way to fix this. Trust me, Susu!”

“All right, stay home. I’ll be back soon.” He patted her hand again and headed out.

Seeing Chen Ling’s resolute and confident demeanor, Wang Susu opened her mouth as if to say something but ultimately remained silent. She only watched his back and let out a long sigh.

…

After leaving home, Chen Ling went straight to the village committee. Along the way, he passed groups of people chatting on the street, some subtly pointing at him. Listening carefully, Chen Ling realized that Wang Susu had lied to him yesterday.

Apart from Er Zhu, the land exchanges with the other families were actually paid leases. No one wanted to trade with Er Zhu because everyone in the village knew the situation with that land. It couldn’t grow grain; no one was foolish enough to accept it.

Only Chen Ling, the lazy good-for-nothing, had foolishly signed the agreement for the two hundred yuan per mu subsidy Er Zhu offered.

Wang Susu had hidden this from him, telling him yesterday that a few families were exchanging land, some refused, and those who refused were leased by Er Zhu. She had tried to persuade Chen Ling this way, hoping to negotiate with Er Zhu to convert the exchange into a lease.

But Er Zhu had quickly gotten approval from the township for greenhouse construction, so the exchanged land officially became his.

“Poor Susu…” Chen Ling sighed inwardly. He understood that Wang Susu had no choice but to deceive him.

If it had been the old Chen Ling, hearing the truth might have angered him, thinking Susu was insulting him: ‘Everyone else refused except you. Are you stupid?’ With his temper, before trying to change the lease, he might have even hit Susu first.

“Er Zhu’s land is just barren waste, lying fallow for over ten years, with grass barely growing. What can be planted there?”

“That lazy Fu Gui only thinks about eating and drinking and wants to get that two hundred yuan subsidy per mu from Er Zhu. He doesn’t even consider that Er Zhu pays one hundred yuan per mu annually to others, thirty or forty more than the village average.”

“Anyone can see which deal is better!”

“Later, Fu Gui realized this and regretted it bitterly!”

“I heard from someone in the east village yesterday that Fu Gui fainted in his yard after hearing from the village chief that the land couldn’t be reclaimed. He only woke up after dark.”

“My late grandmother also told me about this. They blame that good-for-nothing’s greed. It’s too late to regret now.”

“Such a pity for such a good wife who has suffered so much following him.”

…

Along the way, all sorts of gossip filled the air.

Finally, Chen Ling arrived at the village committee. Wang Laishun wasn’t there yet; he had gone with township family planning officials for an investigation.

Chen Ling had no choice but to sit and wait on a chair.

After about twenty minutes, Wang Laishun returned, followed by a tall, curvaceous, and beautiful young woman in her thirties, exuding a refined aura and dressed stylishly—at least by contemporary standards.

Chen Ling glanced at her and thought she must be the family planning official from the township.

“Oh, Fu Gui, you’re here!” Wang Laishun greeted him with a smile.

He then pointed behind him and said, “Let me introduce you. This is Qin Qiumei, Director Qin from the township family planning office.”

“She’s temporarily staying at Dongmei’s house nearby. Since you live opposite each other, you’ll be seeing a lot of each other these days.”

Wang Laishun chuckled as he spoke.

What? Staying across from Dongmei’s house?

Chen Ling suddenly realized this official was someone familiar. On his first day after crossing over, not knowing where he was, he had wandered outside in just his shorts. Qin Qiumei had caught him with a bucket of water, thinking he was up to no good, and dumped the cold water on his head.

He hadn’t expected to meet her here, and now he learned she held such an important position—the director of the township family planning office. Quite an impressive title indeed.