The Farm Life Of a "Fool"

Chapter 51

The matter was finally resolved. Xu Ran went straight home, and the construction crew did not participate in the fun, instead returning to work. Mr. Hu was alone at home, watching the fire and smoking the dried bean curd, while Liu Tong took their two children out to cut grass.

The four dogs chased each other around the yard and rolled around. Tangtang and Guoguo, most likely, were the ones who persuaded them to stay. Xu Ran realized he hadn't been to the strawberry field since his return, so he decided to take advantage of the time he had today to go take a look.

The ten mu of land were connected so Xu Ran couldn't see the end of them, but only a large piece of greenery.

When he got close, he discovered that some strawberries were blooming while others were rotting, so he took out all of the dead strawberries. He would cut some strawberries and place them in the empty spaces while the other strawberries sprouted new sprouts.

The strawberry seedlings that were in bloom were healthy, but the majority of them were not. Additionally, Xu Ran noticed speckles on some of their leaves. He recalled strawberries contracting a disease. He couldn't remember what it was called, but he knew the consequences would be dire if he didn't get it under control.

Agricultural chemicals were not present. The only thing that came to mind for Xu Ran was to strew ash on them. The pests would not be able to ascend to their leaves if this was achieved. It was said and finished in the blink of an eye. He went home right away and got a bamboo dustpan full of ash from the back of their house, scattering it from field to field, but not much to either of them.

After all, It was not a good idea to disperse so much. A wide field covered ten mu of ground. Xu Ran knew he couldn't finish it on his own, so he worked on it while pulling weeds, doing as much as he could. He'd take care of the rest after he dug up the bamboo shoots.

Xu Ran stayed in their fields for about four hours and then realized that the sun was setting. At this time, he finally remembered that he hadn't eaten lunch, or that his family hadn't eaten lunch.

Xu Ran believed he had discovered something significant since it had been a long time since something similar had occurred. "Do the two kids and Mr. Hu feel hungry?" he wondered.

Xu Ran quickly picked up the empty bamboo dustpan and rushed home.

When he returned home, he spotted Liu Tong busy in the kitchen, Tangtang and Guoguo face down on the stools, and the four dogs prostrate and helpless on the grass. They were most likely all hungry.

Xu Ran himself didn't feel hungry. He walked over and touched the heads of Tangtang and Guoguo, saying, "You are all hungry, right? Is there anything to eat at home?"

Tangtang and Guoguo shook their heads weakly and said, "No."

"Wait a while, then. Let me help your daddy cook."

While speaking, Xu Ran entered the kitchen. Mr. Hu was staring at the fire, and Liu Tong was chopping vegetables with a curious expression on his face. He lifted his head and wiped the sweat from his forehead when he saw Xu Ran. "You've returned! You must be starving! We'll eat for a while."

Xu Ran rolled up his sleeves and went to help him wash the vegetables. "I don't feel hungry, but the two kids are quite hungry. I guess Mr. Hu is hungry, too."

Liu Tong said with an ashamed smile, "It's my fault. I forgot the time."

"Hey, Tongtong, that's not right. I don't feel hungry, either. You forgot because you were too busy."

Mr. Hu seemed to be concerned that Xu Ran might point the finger at Liu Tong. As a result, he began defending Liu Tong before Xu Ran could even speak.