Chapter 2

The dinner that evening was simple: leek pies.

The golden, crispy crust and tender leeks made Liu Yuxuan's appetite soar, and he ate seven in one breath.

"Big Brother is so amazing, eating seven. Fangfang can only eat one. When Fangfang grows up, I'll also eat seven," the little girl Fangfang said enviously, looking at Liu Yuxuan's good appetite.

"Sure, Grandma's leek pies are the best. When Fangfang grows up, you'll definitely be able to eat seven too." Liu Yuxuan agreed with Fangfang. "Alright, Fangfang, let's go move the watermelons."

The watermelons were the result of Liu Yuxuan's experiments in his space. When he came back, he told his parents that a friend had given them to him. If he had said he bought them, his parents would have been reluctant to eat them, as winter watermelons were very expensive.

The watermelons in the space were all pollinated by Liu Yuxuan himself. There were no bees in winter, so he planned to catch a few in the spring.

Before returning home, Liu Yuxuan took out 20 watermelons from his space, which almost exhausted him. The watermelons were too large, each weighing over 25 pounds, and it took him more than two hours to move them with his current mental energy.

"Brother, the watermelons you brought back are really good. They're big, have thin skins, lots of water, and few seeds. Most importantly, they're really sweet," Liu Yunhai said while eating and praising.

"Yes, so you can rest assured. These are from a classmate who brought them back from abroad. I plan to grow this type of watermelon this year, so you can rest assured. It will definitely be profitable," Liu Yuxuan reassured his parents again.

"You should ask more about it. How will you manage it? Our family has never grown watermelons before. Don't mess it up," Liu's mother was still a bit worried.

"Mom, I've already asked. This variety is disease-resistant. Other watermelons need a five-year break, but ours only need a three-year break. They won't get sick, and you can plant them normally."

Hearing Liu Yuxuan's assurance, his parents felt a bit more at ease. If they could grow them, they wouldn't be afraid of losing money.

After watching some TV, everyone went to rest. Of course, Fangfang would sleep with Big Brother.

In the morning, when he opened his eyes, he saw little Fangfang with her little belly exposed, one leg on him, and her little mouth puckering. He wondered what delicious thing she was dreaming about.

He helped his little niece cover herself with the blanket. He thought he should tell his mother not to make the room too warm at night.

Standing in the courtyard, he practiced a set of Tai Chi. He had learned it from an old man in the park when he was in college.

At that time, to improve his English, he would run to the park early in the morning. He noticed this old man practicing Tai Chi and gradually got to know him.

Unlike other elderly people who exercised to music, the old man said he practiced authentic Chen-style Tai Chi, which could make one forget the self and the world, combining hardness and softness, and allowing one to control it at will.

When Liu Yuxuan expressed his desire to learn, the old man didn't hold back and taught him move by move. Liu Yuxuan learned with great dedication and eventually developed a good sense of the movements. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to make a few people run around the ground.

"Big Brother, are you exercising? Fangfang wants to learn too," Fangfang said as she got up. Children usually go to bed early and wake up early. She watched for a while.

For Fangfang's request, Liu Yuxuan always responded positively. He also felt that the old man wasn't exaggerating. This set of Tai Chi should have a solid foundation. He originally planned to teach it to his family, so there was no problem teaching his niece.

"Fangfang, follow Big Brother step by step. In the future, I'll test you in the morning. If you don't learn well, I won't take you for ice cream."

"Okay, Fangfang will learn well, and then Big Brother will buy lots of ice cream," Fangfang answered solemnly.

Seeing the big and small practicing Tai Chi, even though Fangfang was young, she learned quite well. Liu Yunhai, who was brushing his teeth, laughed out loud.

"What are you laughing at? You're not even as good as Fangfang. Your body is so weak at your age. In the future, you should practice with me. Get up early every day. I'll teach you and the parents and Xiaoli. This can strengthen your body."

Hearing his brother's scolding, Liu Yunhai had nothing to say. He had the lowest status in the family. His brother could indulge him like when they were young, but for serious matters, his brother never indulged him.

Since it was the first day of the family fitness plan, Liu Yuxuan didn't teach too much. This required persistence.

Breakfast was simple, a classic Northeastern breakfast: porridge, fried dough sticks, and pickles.

It's worth mentioning that pickles in Northeastern rural areas are usually pickled in large soy sauce jars. Besides the vegetable flavor, they have a soy sauce aroma. Of course, the soy sauce used for pickling isn't as good after pickling, so it's usually the leftover soy sauce from the previous year. Eating a small cucumber with a strong soy sauce flavor and drinking a mouthful of porridge is truly a delicacy.

"Yunhai, you should accompany me to the county. I plan to buy a small pickup truck. It will be convenient for going to the fields and for other things."

"Sure, we should buy a car. You're not used to those farm vehicles. A pickup truck is good, practical, and durable," Liu Yunhai nodded in agreement.

Now that the villagers' income has increased, there are dedicated buses running from the village to the county, four times a day, which is quite convenient.

The brothers took Fangfang and rode for over 40 minutes to the county. Since they arrived early, the Great Wall 4S store wasn't open yet, so they took Fangfang to KFC to satisfy her desire for ice cream.

The store was run by his classmate Zhao Yan. The county wasn't very big, and many of his classmates from junior high and high school lived there.

Zhao Yan was his high school classmate. His family was among the first to become wealthy, doing coal business. Zhao Yan didn't do well in school, so his father got him a Great Wall 4S store. Now that there were more rich people, business was good. He had called before coming, not to save money, but because he trusted his classmate and friend, and it would save a lot of trouble with the procedures.

Walking into the store, Liu Yuxuan immediately saw Zhao Yan. Mainly because Zhao Yan was too fat. At 1.7 meters tall, he weighed 180 pounds. He could fit two people.

"Xuanzi, I've missed you so much," Zhao Yan said, opening his arms and running towards Liu Yuxuan.

"Stop, Zhao Yan, you've gotten even fatter since last year. I can't handle your enthusiasm."

Liu Yuxuan felt a bit nervous, unsure if he could withstand the enthusiastic hug, so he quickly stopped him.

"What can I do? I've been trying to lose weight, but my wife doesn't even give me dinner, and I'm still this fat," Zhao Yan said, helpless about his body. As the saying goes, he gained weight even drinking cold water.

"Here, this watermelon is from Tianjin. It's for you," Liu Yuxuan said, handing the snake skin bag to Zhao Yan.

"Wow, I have to try this. Hey, it's pretty heavy," Zhao Yan said, seeing Liu Yuxuan carry it easily, but almost dropping it when he took it.

"Don't just eat it yourself. There are two watermelons. Take one for your dad. This watermelon is really good," Liu Yuxuan reminded the greedy fat man.

"I know, I know. I don't know who his son is. This morning, I told him you'd come for lunch, and he's been talking about it. He said you haven't come to see him all year," Zhao Yan said resentfully. After junior high, Liu Yuxuan's personality changed a lot. He occasionally visited Zhao Yan on Sundays and helped him with his studies. Zhao's father liked Liu Yuxuan very much. During college and work, Liu Yuxuan would visit the Zhao family every year. This year, he was busy deciding to return home to farm and didn't have time to visit.

"It's been busy before the New Year. I'll explain to Uncle Zhao at lunch. By the way, recommend a car to me. I haven't paid much attention to pickup trucks. Which one do you think is good? I'll just drive it away."

"The Fengjun, 2.4L diesel engine, powerful. I bought it for 57,000 yuan, and with all the procedures and license plates, it will be 65,000 yuan. The manufacturer is also offering a promotion, giving 2,000 yuan worth of fuel," Zhao Yan said, reciting the details without hesitation. He wasn't making a profit, selling it at cost, and even giving some free interior accessories.

"Alright, I'll take this one," Liu Yuxuan was quite satisfied and decided to go with it.

"Do you have anything else to do this morning? If not, come home with me to see the old man. We'll come back in the afternoon, and the license plates and interior will be ready," Zhao Yan asked.

Liu Yuxuan saw he had nothing else to do, so he agreed.

Zhao Yan drove a BMW X5. He was too fat for a sedan, and he wasn't short of money.

At the Zhao family's house, Liu Yuxuan, his brother, and niece greeted everyone and apologized to Zhao's father, explaining that he had been busy before the New Year and would have more time now that he was staying at home.

"Uncle Zhao knows you're a big shot. If you need help, just let me know. If you have any difficulties and don't tell me, it would be too distant."

"Speaking of which, I do have something. I plan to grow some special watermelons and need fermented chicken manure. Do you have any connections in this area?" Liu Yuxuan didn't hesitate to ask Zhao's father.

"My friend Lao Sun specializes in this. How much do you need? I'll call him when you decide."

"I'll contact the land rental today. Once I'm sure, I'll let you know."

"Alright, by the way, you said you're growing watermelons. Is it the big watermelon you brought? Yanzi, cut it open and let's try it," Zhao's father instructed.

"Grandpa Zhao, Big Brother's watermelon is really delicious. Fangfang loves it," Fangfang said, hearing they were going to eat watermelon, and smacked her lips.

"If Fangfang says it's delicious, it must be. Fangfang, will you eat with Grandpa Zhao?" Zhao's father also liked the little girl.

"Yes, this watermelon tastes good. It definitely has a market," Zhao's father said while eating the watermelon.

"Xuanzi, remember, when you grow them, I'll drive some away," Zhao Yan said.

"All you think about is eating. You should have a grandson for me soon," Zhao Yan had been married for over a year and still had no children. Seeing the cute Fangfang, Zhao's father felt even more eager.