Chapter 31: Evidence and the Power of Sprouts

# Chapter 31: Evidence and the Power of Sprouts

As the morning light just passed over the sunshade net of the old variety base, the long table of the cultural and creative workshop was filled with spreads - the laptop was on, and on the screen was a folder of evidence organized according to the timeline. Chen Wang's fingertips tapped lightly and quickly on the keyboard, marking each document with notes; Lin Xiaoman sat next to him, holding a pencil in his hand, lowering his head to check the test report of the county agricultural science institute. The tip of the pencil lightly circled the conclusions of "the cooling agent contains excessive sprout inhibitors" and "the shade net coating exceeds the standard of photosensitizers", marking them clearly.

Three-year-old Lin Chen squatted at the foot of the table, holding a small plastic shovel in his hand, "digging" a hole in the soil on the ground. Occasionally, he looked up at the screen, pointed at Su Qing's figure, and asked in a baby voice, "Mom, why did this auntie hurt Miaomiao?"

Lin Xiaoman put down the report, reached out and pulled her son onto her lap, and gently wiped the mud off the tip of his nose with her fingertips: "Because she did something wrong, we must tell everyone the evidence and let everyone know the truth." When she lowered her head, the ends of her hair fell beside Chen Wang's hand. He helped her tuck it behind her ear, and the warmth of his fingertips rubbed against her earlobe very lightly. The two looked at each other, both secretly curled the corners of their mouths, and without saying a word, they each went back to the work in their hands.

"Look at this test report," Lin Xiaoman pushed it in front of Chen Wang, pointing to a page. "The cooling agent Su Qing sent contained three times the normal level of sprout inhibitors. Used alone, it would only slow seedling growth, but once mixed with the 'soil conditioner' she recommended, it produced a substance that burns the roots. No wonder the seedlings are rotting." She paused, then clicked on the screenshots of the chat history on her phone. "And then there's the message she sent impersonating 'Professor Li' from the Agricultural Science Institute, saying 'conditioners + cooling agents are a golden combination for resisting high temperatures.' There's actually no Professor Li; she fabricated that identity."

Chen Wang's fingers paused on the keyboard, his face darkening. He'd actually believed "Professor Li" and nearly rolled out this combination base-wide. Luckily, Lin Xiaoman insisted on a pilot program, preventing further damage. "She even had the nerve to forge her identity," Chen Wang's voice tinged with anger. "And what about the sunshade net? She claimed the SPF was high enough, but it turns out the photosensitizer in the coating breaks down when exposed to ultraviolet light. That was intentional."

Lin Xiaoman nodded and pushed another stack of documents over. "I checked the logistics document when she delivered the nets. The shipping address wasn't a 'company warehouse' at all, but a small workshop in town. She also ordered these nets a week in advance. She knew about the strong ultraviolet rays and deliberately sent us low-quality nets, waiting to see our seedlings get sunburned."

The two arranged the evidence into a growth chart in the order of "forged identity - malicious materials - surveillance footage - physical evidence testing". The accompanying text did not contain emotional accusations, but simply stated the facts: "A clarification regarding Su Qing's forged identity at the Agricultural Science Institute, the provision of inferior materials to damage the Qingxi Village traditional variety base, and the subsequent rumors, with a complete chain of evidence attached. The base has now replaced the materials with qualified materials, and the crops are recovering well. Thank you for your attention."

Less than half an hour after the post was published, the forum's tone completely reversed. A discerning netizen discovered that "Professor Li"'s contact information was completely unreachable. Another dug up a post from the owner of the workshop where Su Qing ordered her products: "She specifically requested the addition of a photosensitizer, saying 'let the nets become ineffective after a few days of sun exposure.'" Regular customers spontaneously forwarded the post, saying, "I bought their tomatoes last year, and the quality was absolutely reliable. Su Qing is sabotaging them!" Xiao Zhou, the e-commerce manager, ran in, his refund slips nearly empty, and he was holding a new order, laughing: "Mr. Chen! A supermarket chain in town wants to sign a long-term supply contract with us, saying they trust our quality control!"

Xiaochen was lying in his mother's arms, browsing his phone. When he saw someone say, "Su Qing is a liar," he immediately clapped his hands and shouted, "The liar aunt has been exposed! Miaomiao can grow well now!"

As they were talking, Uncle Li passed by the workshop carrying a hoe and called out from afar, "Xiao Wang, Xiao Man! Go check out the old pear tree! New buds are sprouting at the roots, and even the strawberry patch next to it has new leaves!"

The family of three ran toward the old pear tree. Xiaochen ran the fastest. When he reached the tree, he wanted to squat down and touch the new buds. Lin Xiaoman quickly grabbed him, saying, "Xiaochen, be gentle! The buds are very tender. Don't hurt them." Chen Wang squatted down and carefully scraped away the soil. A few silvery-white roots trembled gently, soaking in the moist soil. Not only was the old pear tree alive, but it had also revitalized the strawberry plants nearby. Even more surprising, two green buds on the stem of Xiaochen's "Star Pattern" tomato seedling had already unfurled their tiny leaves, revealing a vibrant, tender glow.

"Grandpa wrote in his notes," Lin Xiaoman said with a smile, "The old pear tree is the 'root' of this land. If it is alive, the crops around it will also be vibrant." In the evening, the three of them went to the mountain stream to fetch spring water to water the trees. Xiaochen held his small enamel cup, stood on tiptoe to get half a cup, and insisted on giving it to the old pear tree to "drink" first: "Grandpa tree, drink quickly and grow tall!" Lin Xiaoman and Chen Wang stood by, looking at their son's serious look, and smiled at each other - after experiencing so many twists and turns, this stability is even more precious.

But before they could completely relax, they received a call from the police station that afternoon: "After Su Qing was arrested, she still insisted that you owed her money. She has an 'IOU' in her hand. Do you want to come over and check it out?"

The family of three rushed to the police station. Su Qing was sitting on the chair awaiting trial. When she saw them come in, a provocative smile appeared on her lips: "I have the IOU you signed. You owe me 500,000 yuan for setting up the base. It's time to pay it back now, right?"

Lin Xiaoman didn't panic. Instead, he asked calmly, "When was the IOU signed? Where was it signed? Is there any record of the transfer?"

Su Qing was stunned for a moment, then took out a crumpled piece of paper: "I signed it at the base office last winter. I paid in cash. There is no transfer record."

Lin Xiaoman smiled, pulled out her phone, and opened the surveillance footage. "Last winter, our base office was under renovation, and there were surveillance cameras the entire time. No one was there at all. Furthermore, our startup capital last winter came from a combination of village crowdfunding and government support. We have complete financial records, so we didn't need to borrow your money." She paused, then looked at the police officer. "Also, I suspect this IOU is a forgery. I'm requesting a handwriting identification."

Su Qing's face paled instantly, and her previous arrogance was gone. The police took the IOU and said to them, "We will do a handwriting analysis later. Don't worry, fabricating evidence is also illegal."

When leaving the police station, Xiaochen took Lin Xiaoman's hand and said, "Mom, Aunt Liar lied again. Will the police uncle punish her?"

Lin Xiaoman squatted down and touched his son's head: "Yes, if you do something wrong, you will be punished. We must be honest people, just like we plant seedlings with our heart, only honesty can grow well."

When they returned to the base, the setting sun was gilding the old pear tree with a warm golden hue. The tomato vines were tinged with a faint yellow, and new leaves were unfurling in the strawberry patch. Xiaochen's tomato seedlings were already half a foot tall. Xiaochen ran over, plucked a green strawberry, and offered it to Lin Xiaoman. "Eat it, Mom! It's a little sour, but it'll be sweet in the future, just like our seedlings."

Lin Xiaoman took a small bite, and found a hint of sweetness hidden in the sourness. She smiled and nodded: "Well, it will be very sweet in the future."

Chen Wang took out his phone and took a photo of the new sprouts, tomato seedlings, and the shadows of his family of three under the old pear tree. He then wrote in his "Orchard Diary": "The rumors have been debunked, the scam has been dismantled, and new sprouts have grown. I'm grateful to everyone who believed in us, and to the woman by my side—she always spotted flaws in the details and accompanied me through the most difficult hurdles. In the future, I will be even more dedicated to planting each seedling and live up to everyone's trust."

In the evening breeze, the three of them walked home hand in hand. Xiaochen walked in the middle, humming a tuneless song: "The seedlings are green, the trees are budding, let's go home together..." Lin Xiaoman leaned on Chen Wang's shoulder and whispered, "No matter what tricks she plays in the future, we can handle it." Chen Wang held her hand tightly, bent down and placed a light kiss on her forehead: "Well, with you here, I'm not afraid."

As night deepened, the lights at the base came on. The villagers were still busy in the fields—Uncle Li was helping to set up a new seedling shed, Aunt Wang was tying tomato vines to supports, and Grandma Zhang led the children in watering the seedlings. Under the lights, their figures were peaceful and lively, like stars scattered in the night, gentle yet resolute. Meanwhile, at the police station, Su Qing stared at the confiscated "IOU," her eyes filled with resentment. Unbeknownst to anyone, she still had a forged "base land lease contract" hidden in her bag, which she hadn't yet taken out. Her calculations were far deeper than what appeared on the surface.