Chapter 17

Wang Yong ran to the orchard and was also greatly surprised by the three trees. The changes were truly enormous. Compared to the other trees nearby, it was like comparing foxtail grass to peony, one in heaven and one on earth, the difference was too great. This made Wang Yong clearly realize that the Spirit Spring not only had miraculous effects in the small world but also had magical effects in the outside world. From now on, he would have to be more careful when using the Spirit Spring and must control the amount used. However, the gene-modified liquid he sprayed yesterday seemed to have no noticeable effect, probably due to the short time.

When Wang Yong returned home, Grandpa and Wang Qian had already left. He hadn’t eaten breakfast, and it was already past eleven. His stomach was growling in protest. Wang Yong decided to prepare something good to reward himself.

He picked a large head of cabbage from the space, which was already in short supply. He planned to give some to Grandpa and Aunt in the afternoon; this thing was not simple! Otherwise, that alien from Acala wouldn’t have been so excited. He also picked a cucumber and two tomatoes. The large head of cabbage would be stir-fried with vinegar, and the cucumber? It would be paired with bean sheets (our local term, some places call it dried tofu or tofu skin), minced garlic, shredded scallions, and cilantro. Unfortunately, he didn’t have homemade soybean paste, which would have made it a perfect dish. One tomato would be mixed with sugar, and the other would be stir-fried with eggs.

Thinking of the eggs, Wang Yong suddenly remembered that he had only given the chicks a little Spirit Spring on the day he bought them and hadn’t fed them since. Had he forgotten about them? Had they all starved to death? The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he became. Wang Yong turned and ran out of the house, heading towards the chicken coop.

He could hear the “cheep cheep” sounds of the chicks from a distance of several dozen meters, indicating that the situation wasn’t too bad. Upon closer inspection, he saw the chicks leisurely wandering or searching for food under the guidance of the mother hen. Occasionally, a mischievous chick would break away from the group to chase after discovered food. On the ground, Wang Yong found some cracked corn and wheat he had used as chicken feed, and the water trough still had plenty of water. He realized that Uncle and Aunt must have come to feed them. He really was a poor caretaker, forgetting to feed the chickens for several days. This was quite a rarity.

With a broad sky and brave heart,

I will break the chains of fate with determination.

Those cold-hearted people,

Thank you for once looking down on me,

Making me live a more vibrant life without bowing down.

A cell phone ringtone interrupted his thoughts. Wang Yong took out his phone and saw an unfamiliar number from the city.

"Hello, I’m Wang Yong. Who is this?"

"Hehe, guess who?" A man’s voice came from the phone, somewhat familiar.

"Guess who? Da Wei, when did you come back?" Wang Yong finally recognized who it was.

Gao Wei, nicknamed Da Wei, was Wang Yong’s childhood friend. They were the same age and had grown up together, following Wang Qiang around and causing mischief. They were classmates from elementary school to junior high. This guy was always full of mischief, but when it came to studies, he was a complete failure. He always ranked at the bottom of the class. After junior high, he refused to continue his education. His father couldn’t do anything about it and sent him to a technical school to learn auto repair for three months. After working for half a year, he quit and went to another technical school to learn cooking for half a year. Then he went to SD to work for over two years. Just as he settled down, he jumped ship with the head chef to Guangzhou. He stayed there for over a year and then went to CQ for some reason. When Wang Yong returned home recently, he met Gao Wei’s father and learned that Gao Wei was now in Dalian. His father complained that his youngest son had been married for several years and his child was almost four, but Gao Wei showed no signs of settling down. He asked Wang Yong to help persuade Gao Wei to find a suitable partner and get married soon.

"I just got back from BJ. I heard about your touching story of returning to your hometown as a college graduate to lead the villagers to prosperity. So I immediately called to express my high respect! You’ve worked hard, and we will always love you!..."

"Enough, enough. You’ve only been in BJ for a few days, and you’ve already picked up their BS. Get over here quickly; I haven’t even had lunch yet. I’ll let the village chief check out what skills you’ve learned over the years and give you some feedback."

"Got it! I’ll make sure you eat once and want to eat twice, eat twice and want to eat three times, eat..."

Wang Yong, hearing him get carried away, hung up the phone. "You little brat, I can still handle you." He turned and walked back home, waiting for Da Wei to come and prepare a delicious meal for him. Of course, he didn’t forget to pick a few jujubes to tide over his hunger.

When he got home, it didn’t take long for Da Wei to walk in, dressed in a short-sleeved white shirt, a pair of dress pants, and shiny shoes, carrying a glass bottle. As soon as they met, Da Wei said, "Catch this, it’s a specialty from BJ that I brought for you."

Wang Yong gave him a dirty look and took the bottle, which turned out to be Beijing Niu Lan Shan Erguotou. He noticed a small label on the cap with the name of a local trading company.

"Did you really bring it from BJ? Or did you buy it from your uncle’s place on the way here?" Gao Wei’s uncle, Gao Yingfeng, had run a small store for his entire life. Now it was run by his daughter-in-law, who had renamed it a supermarket to keep up with modern times.

"Is that a problem? If so, I’ll take it back when I leave. I haven’t even paid your aunt yet," Da Wei said nonchalantly.

"Being shameless and stingy to this extent is a miracle. Stop talking and get cooking; I haven’t had breakfast yet," Wang Yong pointed to the kitchen and said.

This time, Da Wei didn’t argue and went straight into the kitchen. "Damn! Your conditions are pretty good. You even have a whole kitchen with a fridge. Do you waste things? You have one in the living room and one in the kitchen. If you have money to burn, let me help you spend it!"

Wang Yong ignored him and continued to lie on the sofa watching TV.

"Ah—" A surprised cry came from the kitchen. Wang Yong, impatient, shouted, "What’s wrong now? Did a dog bite you? Or did you cut your hand?"

"Guess what, I’ve been doing this for over ten years, how could I cut my hand? Come clean, where did you get these vegetables?" Da Wei held a cucumber in one hand and a tomato in the other, staring at Wang Yong.

"Are you kidding? Of course, I bought them. Did I grow them myself? Oh, wait, I did plant some. But they’ve just sprouted."

"What? You planted these vegetables? Come on, take me to see them." He tried to pull Wang Yong.

"Wait, let’s eat first. After we’re full, you can see them. My stomach is still empty, and I don’t have the energy to go up the mountain. Besides, it’s only been a few days. What can you see?"

Da Wei thought about it and turned back to the kitchen. As a chef, he immediately recognized the extraordinary quality of the vegetables. A good chef encountering good ingredients couldn’t help but be excited. This was money, Renminbi! These days, there were plenty of rich people who didn’t mind the price. As long as the food was good and satisfied the customers, the more expensive it was, the more people would eat it. He took a bite of the cucumber, and the taste was unlike anything he had experienced in his years as a chef. Although some high-end organic vegetables and soil-free, non-toxic green vegetables were quite good and could fetch sky-high prices, they were nothing compared to what he had in his hands.

True to his years of experience in the kitchen, it took him less than half an hour to prepare four dishes and a soup. The cucumber with bean sheets was beautifully sliced, paired with white scallion threads, minced garlic, and green cilantro, making it very appetizing. The large head of cabbage was stir-fried with sugar and vinegar, a golden color that he didn’t know how the kid achieved. The tomatoes and eggs were a classic combination, red and golden, a feast for the eyes. The cucumber with sliced meat was so fragrant that Wang Yong’s stomach growled in protest as soon as it was served. The last dish was a tomato and egg soup, which made Wang Yong mutter about waste, thinking it would have been better as a stir-fry.

"Let’s eat!" Wang Yong said, snatching a pair of chopsticks and a bowl from Da Wei. He immediately went for the tomatoes and eggs.

"Hey! This is your house, and I’m the guest," Da Wei complained.

Wang Yong didn’t have time to deal with him. He put a bite of tomatoes and eggs in his mouth, and the sweet and sour taste of the tomatoes combined with the aroma of the eggs made him unable to stop. He had no time to respond to Da Wei. Seeing this, Da Wei realized that if he didn’t act fast, Wang Yong would eat all the tomatoes and eggs. He quickly grabbed a few bites without another word. Both of them focused on eating, not saying a word.

When they were both full, Wang Yong picked up the bottle of Erguotou Da Wei had brought, opened it, found two cups, and poured a drink for each of them. He handed one to Da Wei and raised his glass, "Here, let’s drink."

They both raised their glasses and took a sip. The fiery liquid burned from their mouths to their throats and down to their stomachs. It felt great!

"Hey, tell me, what’s the deal with these vegetables?" Da Wei asked eagerly.

"I’m not sure. I bought them from the county market. I saw the seeds and bought them all. That’s all I know. Maybe it’s some new variety?"

"Is that so? Do you have more of these vegetables? Give me some, and I’ll send them for testing. I want to check the nutritional content and make sure they’re safe to eat. If they pass, I’ll buy all of them. I’ll send a truck to pick them up, and I’ll pay you 10% more than the price of top-grade vegetables. No arguing."

Wang Yong, without lifting his head, continued to drink, saying casually, "Sure, do what you think is best." He trusted his brother and was glad he wouldn’t have to find a buyer himself.

After that, the two old friends put aside their worries and focused on drinking. After finishing the Erguotou Da Wei brought, Wang Yong took out a bottle of Liu Fu San Xing left over from the pot. After finishing that bottle, both of them honorably collapsed on the floor, completely unconscious.