Chapter 10

【Mutter the Saitu website three times, do you remember? If you don't remember, I'll ask again in the next chapter. It's best to share it on Facebook.】

They were all young people, and although they hadn't been to any high-end restaurants, they often frequented small eateries. Now, with the most ordinary eggplant, after one bite, they couldn't stop.

Unable to resist, the six of them almost simultaneously raised their chopsticks and took a few more bites. Han Li swallowed a few times, blocking the others' chopsticks.

"You all eat like you were reborn as starving ghosts. Stop it, Xinyu hasn't eaten yet."

"Han Li, you're the closest to Xinyu. Why didn't you say anything before?" Brother Han Jun glared at Han Li.

Han Li smiled bitterly, "Brother, I am close to Xinyu, but he never cooks. He eats steamed buns and pickles himself. Where would I go to eat his cooking?"

As he spoke, the door opened, and Zhao Xinyu came in with a bottle of wine. "The wine isn't good, but please bear with it."

Zhao Xinyu filled their glasses and pointed to the dishes on the table, smiling, "Why don't you like the taste?"

"Xinyu, with your cooking skills, why do you have to pick up trash? With your skills, you'd be in high demand even in a starred restaurant," Han Li patted Zhao Xinyu on the shoulder, laughing and scolding him.

Zhao Xinyu smiled bitterly, "Han Li, who would want me like this? It's only you guys. If it were others, they'd probably be disgusted."

Han Jun and the others sighed inwardly. Among them, only Han Li knew what Zhao Xinyu used to be like. The other five didn't know, but they understood that with Zhao Xinyu's current appearance, he wouldn't even get through the door for a chef position.

"Xinyu, why aren't you drinking?"

"I'm not used to this wine. When I have time, I'll go back to my hometown and bring you some medicinal wine my grandfather made. It's much better than this," but after saying that, Zhao Xinyu's expression suddenly darkened, clearly thinking about his current appearance and how his grandfather would react if he saw him like this.

The seven of them chatted as they drank, and before they finished their first glass, the chicken, duck, and fish were barely touched, but the dishes made from vegetables grown in the space were completely finished.

Seeing the empty plates, Zhao Xinyu got up, "I'll cook a few more dishes for you."

Han Li laughed, "No need for meat. Just make more of those few dishes."

After the meal, the chicken, duck, and fish were still barely touched. Zhao Xinyu cooked three more times, and in the end, nothing was left except for the chicken, duck, and fish.

"Xinyu, your cooking is too good. Why don't we open a restaurant together?" Han Li said with a smile.

His suggestion was immediately met with enthusiasm from Han Jun and the others, "That's a great idea. It would be a waste of your skills not to open a restaurant."

"Let's do it. After we clean up the yard, I'll find a place. We'll open a restaurant together, with Xinyu getting half the shares, and the six of us the other half. What do you think?"

Zhao Xinyu quickly waved his hands, "Han Li, look at me. If the customers see me, the restaurant will be ruined. This year, I plan to grow vegetables. I won't consider anything else."

"Xinyu, my father also said that. Everyone is growing vegetables these days. How much can you earn in a year? If growing vegetables were profitable, the people in our village wouldn't have to go to the city to work."

After Han Li said this, everyone in the room fell silent. Xi Han Ridge wasn't small, but the only people left in the village to farm were the elderly and women. There were very few young people.

"Han Li, you're often out. Do you know any bulldozer operators?"

Han Li was taken aback, "Xinyu, what are you planning? You're not thinking of rebuilding your house, are you? I'm telling you, even though this place is close to the city, no one wants it. It's better to save the money and buy an apartment later."

"It's not about rebuilding the house. The village has leased the farmland by the Luo River to me. I've talked to Grandpa Han, and I plan to lease the sewage ditch as well, but it needs to be renovated. If you know someone, ask how much it would cost."

"Xinyu, are you crazy? If the Luo River could make money, it wouldn't be available to you. Just digging out the garbage and silt will cost at least 40,000 to 50,000. Besides, what can you do with it? There's no water, and it's useless."

"Han Li, since Xinyu asked you, just ask. Let's go, we've had enough wine and food. It's time to get to work."

"No rush. It's still over a month before we start planting vegetables."

In five days, all the garbage and waste in the yard were cleared out. Han Li even found people from the village to help tidy up the yard, making the vegetable beds and irrigation channels. Of course, Han Jun and the others helped for free, but leveling the land, digging the channels, and making the beds all cost money. It took Zhao Xinyu over 1,400 yuan to tidy up the yard.

During these five days, Han Li, Han Jun, and the others spent almost all their time with Zhao Xinyu, except for sleeping. In this short time, the seven of them, who were about the same age, became very close.

"Xinyu, we agreed. If growing vegetables doesn't work this year, we'll open a restaurant next year," Han Li said, staring at Zhao Xinyu as they sat together drinking one day.

If it were before, Zhao Xinyu wouldn't have had any confidence, but now it was different. With the space, and the tomatoes and cucumbers in the plastic buckets already growing over a foot tall and thriving, Zhao Xinyu knew that if he used more space water, the vegetables would definitely be in high demand.

"Han Li, let's do it your way. If I make money from growing vegetables, will you come back to help me?"

Han Jun and the others laughed. They were all from Xi Han Ridge and knew what the villagers had been doing over the years. If growing vegetables were really profitable, they wouldn't need to work in the city.

"Sure, when you get rich from growing vegetables, we'll all come back to help you."

"Woof woof," Han Jun and the others laughed, but Hei Feng, who was on the ground, was unhappy. The nearly half-grown dog barked fiercely at Han Jun and the others.

Looking at the nearly half-meter-tall Hei Feng, Han Jun looked at Zhao Xinyu, "Xinyu, you're not kidding. Hei Feng is really smart. Whenever we say something bad about you, he barks. Where did you get Hei Feng?"

Zhao Xinyu petted Hei Feng, who rubbed against Zhao Xinyu's leg obediently, but his eyes showed a hint of human-like dissatisfaction when he looked at Han Jun and the others.

"Hei Feng, I found him on the street."

"You're really lucky. Who would throw away such a good breed of dog? They must be blind."

"Hei Feng, come here," Han Li said after scolding him, looking at Hei Feng.

But Hei Feng turned his head and ignored him, making Han Jun and the others laugh even harder.

After dinner, Han Jun and the others left together. While Zhao Xinyu was tidying up, he received a call from a regular customer at Tianyi Garden. The customer said that the people at Tianyi Garden missed his vegetables.

From that day on, Zhao Xinyu went to Tianyi Garden every morning, and the rest of the time, he spent with Han Jun and the others.

After the Lantern Festival, Han Jun, Han Li, and the others left Xi Han Ridge to work in the city, and the large yard became quiet.

With free time, Zhao Xinyu began to consider whether to dig out the spring that had been buried for decades, as Han Tianliang had mentioned. After thinking for a long time, Zhao Xinyu didn't find anyone to dig. Han Tianliang was helping him with the contract for the Luo River, and he was worried that digging might cause jealousy among the other villagers. If someone else interfered, it would be a loss for him.

On this day, after delivering vegetables to Tianyi Garden, Zhao Xinyu went to a seed store. When he returned to the large yard, he brought several large bags of seeds back to his room.

The vegetables in the space were thriving. The tomato, cucumber, eggplant, green beans, and bell pepper seedlings were growing thicker. The tomato plants were over two meters tall, and Zhao Xinyu estimated that each plant would yield at least 40 to 50 pounds of tomatoes. The cucumbers were even more abundant, and each bell pepper plant would yield at least 10 to 20 pounds of peppers.

The grape vines he had propagated during the New Year were already over a meter long, and the grape cuttings he had stolen two days ago were already sprouting and rooting.

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