Chapter 46 Four puppies found in the cornfield

The director took out a lottery box and handed it to everyone, and everyone drew lots in the same order as before, following the rock-paper-scissors game.

Soon, everyone received their slips of paper.

Su Tangtang unfolded the note and read, "Our family is spinach."

Zhou Yan continued, "Cilantro."

Lin Lang spoke up, "Cabbage."

Meng Meng said softly, "Lettuce."

Shen Yingying also announced, "Romaine lettuce."

Qiu Nan laughed upon hearing this, "It seems like this time you've planted mostly leafy and stem vegetables."

The director nodded in confirmation, "That's right, these vegetables have a relatively short growth cycle, and they can be harvested in about 40 to 60 days."

"Alright, everyone can start preparing starting today."

After everyone responded, the director left first, leaving everyone to discuss the matter.

Zhou Yan and the others naturally walked to Su Tangtang's side.

Qu Xian said with a hint of complaint, "The director didn't even give us any start-up funding."

Qiu Nan sighed in agreement, "Yes, there's absolutely no support."

Su Tangtang smiled and said in a relaxed tone, "Don't get your hopes up, he definitely won't give it to you."

She then asked with concern, "Does your family have enough money right now?"

Zhou Yan nodded, "That's enough."

Su Tangtang nodded in relief.

Zhou Yan suddenly lowered her voice and asked in a slightly gossipy tone, "Your family must have seventy or eighty thousand in savings now, right?"

Upon hearing this, the eyes of the people around them quietly turned to Su Tangtang and Gu Qingke.

Su Tangtang waved her hand with a smile, "There aren't that many."

Zhou Yan looked incredulous.

Their family has saved over 20,000 yuan so far, which they earned selling vegetables and watermelons. Su Tangtang's family has always had a good income, so they must have saved a considerable amount.

Zhou Yan suddenly remembered something, and spoke in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for Meng Meng and the others nearby to hear, "By the way, did Meng Meng return your money?"

Su Tangtang was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "I almost forgot about it if you hadn't mentioned it."

After she finished speaking, she turned her gaze to Meng Meng.

Hearing the conversation, Meng Meng looked over and met Su Tangtang's gaze. She pursed her lips and said, "I'll return it to you later."

Su Tangtang nodded, adding, "And don't forget about the interest too."

Meng Meng: "..."

She scoffed inwardly. It was just a loan, why was she so concerned about it?

Besides, it wasn't her who asked to borrow it.

Thinking about the slap Su Tangtang gave her, she still felt a little pain in her cheek, and her disgust for Su Tangtang grew even stronger. But since they were recording a show, she had to be mindful of the camera, so she decided to let it go for now and settle the score with her after the recording was over.

She was thinking to herself.

Gu Qingke glanced at Su Tangtang in the crowd. She was smiling and holding hands with Huo Yizhou. He was extremely jealous and wished he could cut off Huo Yizhou's hand. However, he did not act as he had before. Instead, he was making plans in his mind.

He was determined to have her; everything would be fine once the show ended.

Shen Yingying glanced at Gu Qingke, a hint of coldness flashing in her eyes, and then said, "Let's go over and discuss it with them."

Gu Qingke hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Okay."

Meng Meng saw this and secretly felt indignant for Shen Yingying, her face full of reluctance.

Shen Yingying gently touched her arm. "Let's go."

Meng Meng sighed, and finally gave in, "Okay."

Shen Yingying pulled Meng Meng over to Su Tangtang and the others, a polite smile on her face. "What are you talking about? Let's join you."

This sudden action surprised everyone.

After all, aside from maintaining a facade of harmony in front of the camera, they almost never interact in private. Their initiative to get closer now is probably because after the last episode aired, viewers pointed out that they had a clique, and the director specifically instructed them to show unity.

Zhou Yan was the first to come to her senses and replied, "We're discussing the planting plan and when to buy the seeds."

Shen Yingying responded and turned her gaze to Su Tangtang and Huo Yizhou, "Tangtang, Yizhou, let's go together then."

Su Tangtang: "..."

Everyone: "..."

Meng Meng suddenly remembered Shen Yingying's previous statement about "taking care of" Huo Yizhou, and she didn't expect that she was serious.

Su Tangtang felt goosebumps all over her body.

What's wrong with Shen Yingying? It's one thing to suddenly call her so affectionately, but the worst part is that she even calls her boyfriend so intimately!

She immediately became alert, but her expression remained calm. "Of course."

Shen Yingying smiled with satisfaction.

At this moment, the director walked over and said to Su Tangtang, "Now that you have money, find some time to pay back the money you owe the production team."

Upon hearing this, Meng Meng's face immediately lit up with a gloating smile. She had just been urging them to pay back the money, and now they've finally gotten their comeuppance. She glanced at Su Tangtang triumphantly.

Su Tangtang glanced at Meng Meng indifferently, not understanding what was so smug about it; it wasn't like the money was being returned to her.

She readily nodded to the director, "No problem, director."

After giving his instructions, the director left first, and the others gradually dispersed as well, since there was still a lot of farm work to be done in the fields.

Back home, Su Tangtang couldn't help but say to Huo Yizhou, "What's wrong with Shen Yingying today? Her sudden behavior is really a bit scary."

Huo Yizhou gently pulled her into his arms. "Don't worry, I'm here."

"Mmm," Su Tangtang smiled and then gently nudged him, "It's so hot."

She tried to break free from his embrace.

Huo Yizhou hugged her even tighter, saying, "Let me hug you a little longer."

Su Tangtang discovered that Huo Yizhou was unusually clingy; he wanted to be close to her whenever he had the chance.

Is this still the same aloof and ruthless big shot from the original book?

They didn't say that the big shot became a completely different person after falling in love!

"We should get to work in the fields," Su Tangtang gently reminded him after hugging him for a while and seeing that he still hadn't let go.

Huo Yizhou then released her. "Okay."

"Remember to wear sun-protective clothing," he carefully reminded her.

Su Tangtang nodded and went inside to change her clothes.

She paired a blue floral camisole with a white sun-protective jacket and long pants adorned with pink stars, making her look youthful and radiant.

Before leaving, Huo Yizhou pulled her into his arms again and kissed her gently.

The two then walked out of the house hand in hand.

The photographer, who was waiting in the courtyard, saw them come out and immediately followed.

As a photographer watched them walk away, he couldn't help but whisper, "I feel like they've been particularly close lately."

Another photographer smiled knowingly, "You noticed it too? Don't you think it's especially sweet?"

“Indeed,” the photographer nodded repeatedly, “it’s way too sweet.”

Soon, they arrived at the edge of the cornfield. The corn stalks were taller than a person, lush and green, forming a continuous expanse. Soon, they would be able to eat fresh corn.

"Don't you feel that the temperature suddenly rises when you walk next to the cornfield?" Su Tangtang said, fanning herself with her hand.

Huo Yizhou nodded. "I definitely felt it."

"Why is that?" Su Tangtang asked curiously.

Huo Yizhou thought for a moment and explained, "Corn plants are tall with broad and lush leaves. During the peak growing season, their metabolism is very vigorous. A single lush corn plant can transpire several liters of water a day. Through this powerful transpiration, the entire cornfield is like continuously humidifying the air."

“So these thousands upon thousands of corn plants together,” Su Tangtang continued, “are like a giant, continuously operating humidifier array, delivering large amounts of water vapor into the surrounding air, right?” She looked at Huo Yizhou with sparkling eyes.

“Yes, that’s it,” Huo Yizhou smiled approvingly. “In addition, the dense corn plants block the natural wind, so when you walk next to the cornfield, it feels more stuffy than other places.”

Su Tangtang turned to the side, tilted her head and looked at him, "You're so amazing, you know so much."

Huo Yizhou did not feign modesty, but frankly said, "I saw these in an article about crops before."

"You have such a broad knowledge base," Su Tangtang said sincerely.

"I only learn a little about things that interest me," Huo Yizhou said calmly.

Su Tangtang gave a soft "hmm," her tone tinged with envy, "Your habit is really good. Sometimes I'm clearly interested in something, but I'm always too lazy to delve into it, and in the end, it just fizzles out."

Huo Yizhou turned his head to look at her, his voice gentle, "We can get to know each other together in the future."

Su Tangtang's eyes suddenly lit up, as if starlight had fallen upon them, and she nodded vigorously, "Okay!"

The two chatted as they walked along the ridges of the fields and soon arrived at the vegetable garden.

Although the oil paper on the roof of the greenhouse had been removed, it was still much hotter and stuffier inside than outside. After only a short while inside, both of them were covered in a thin layer of sweat.

"It's so hot and stuffy," Su Tangtang said, fanning herself with her hand, somewhat annoyed. "I should have brought the fan with me."

Huo Yizhou saw that her forehead was damp with sweat, with a few strands clinging to her smooth temples, and couldn't help but feel sorry for her, saying, "Should I go back and get it for you?"

Su Tangtang quickly waved her hand, "No need, no need."

“I’ll run faster, very fast,” Huo Yizhou insisted.

Su Tangtang shook her head again, "We just came to take a look first, and we'll bring them when we officially start working this afternoon."

Huo Yizhou nodded in agreement, but then suddenly remembered something and said, "The watermelons and white melons in the cotton field should be ripe by now, right? Shall we go take a look?"

"That's right!" Su Tangtang clapped her hands in surprise. "I would have forgotten if you hadn't mentioned it!"

With that, the two turned and walked toward the cotton field.

When they passed by Zhou Yan and her group's place, they saw them busy inside. They greeted each other and continued walking without stopping.

Before long, they arrived at the cotton field. Pushing aside the dense cotton plants, they went inside and, sure enough, saw the watermelons they had planted earlier.

Watermelon vines sprawled across the ground, spreading very long, and several large, round watermelons lay prominently among the green leaves.

"We've harvested quite a few!" Su Tangtang exclaimed excitedly.

She crouched down, gently tapped the bright green striped watermelon in front of her with her finger, and upon hearing the crisp "thump-thump" sound, a smile immediately spread across her face: "It's ripe!"

She carefully picked the watermelon.

Huo Yizhou looked around and said, "Let's pick a few more and share them with everyone."

Su Tangtang nodded, then looked troubled again, "But we can't carry that much."

“It’s alright,” Huo Yizhou said. “We’ll call them over to pick them in a bit.”

Su Tangtang hummed in agreement and then excitedly ran to pick the small white melons next to her, saying as she picked, "I should have just called them to come along earlier."

"It's the same whether you call it later."

The two picked a few melons, carried them out of the cotton field, and when they passed by Zhou Yan and her group again, they told them to pick some themselves later.

They were tired of watermelons, but they were quite interested in the fresh little white melons. Zhou Yan readily agreed, "Okay, we'll go pick some after we're done with this."

Su Tangtang then asked, "Are Lin Lang and the others in the fields?"

Zhou Yan replied, "They didn't come. I'll pick a few more and take some over to them later."

Su Tangtang nodded, "Then we'll head back now."

Zhou Yan waved to them.

Back on her own land, Su Tangtang picked up a small white melon, wiped it casually with the corner of her clothes, and couldn't wait to take a bite. The sweet juice instantly filled her mouth. "So sweet!"

Seeing her satisfied expression, Huo Yizhou couldn't help but smile. "This kind of white melon is indeed very delicious."

He followed her example, wiping the melon with his clothes and taking a bite. The two smiled at each other, and the sweet melon aroma seemed to blend into the warm atmosphere.

Just then, a faint, childlike bark broke Su Tangtang's laughter. She listened intently and asked uncertainly, "Did you hear a dog bark?"

Huo Yizhou nodded. "I heard you."

The two of them looked at the cornfield next to them without prior arrangement.

Su Tangtang pointed over there, "The sound seems to be coming from over there."

Huo Yizhou put down the melon he was holding. "Let's go take a look."

Su Tangtang immediately nodded and followed.

Seeing this, the photographer also carried his equipment and went with them.

As I ventured into the cornfield, the edges of the dense leaves were somewhat sharp, causing a slight itch when they scratched my skin.

Huo Yizhou walked ahead, occasionally brushing aside the leaves blocking his path, and turned back to remind him, "Slow down, be careful not to get scratched by the corn leaves."

Su Tangtang responded softly, "Okay."

The puppy barked once and then fell silent. The four searched for a long time among the corn stalks, which were taller than a person, but found nothing.

Just as they were about to give up, another weak "woof" came from over.

They immediately stopped in their tracks, holding their breath.

"Woof..."

Then another sound followed.

They carefully took a few steps in the direction of the sound and sure enough, they saw a small, pure white puppy. It looked like it had just been born and was walking unsteadily.

The two followed the little white dog further inside.

Not far away, we saw a white female dog lying on the ground, with three smaller puppies nestled beside her. One was white and black, one was pure black, and the other, like the puppy that had led the way, was pure white.

As soon as you get close, a strong stench of decay hits you.

Su Tangtang instinctively covered her nose, her voice muffled, "The mother dog isn't moving, is she dead?"

Hearing the noise, the three puppies lying next to their mother dog stood up shakily and timidly approached them.

Huo Yizhou stepped forward and carefully examined the mother dog's condition.

It had a clear wound on its body, on which maggots were even crawling. He covered his mouth and nose and said in a deep voice, "It is indeed dead, and it has already rotted."

Looking at the puppies whimpering and bewildered around their mother's corpse, Su Tangtang felt a pang of tenderness. She wanted to reach out and stroke them, but hesitated. "What about these four puppies? Should we... take them home?"

Huo Yizhou looked at her, "You want to raise it?"

Su Tangtang didn't nod immediately, but her eyes were filled with pity. "If we don't take them with us, they will definitely starve to death."

Huo Yizhou agreed, "Indeed."

“Then let’s take it back,” he decided.

Su Tangtang immediately nodded, "Okay!"

As she was about to reach out to hug the puppy, Huo Yizhou stopped her, saying, "I'll do it."

Before Su Tangtang could react, she saw him deftly take off his sun-protective jacket, lay it flat on the ground, and then carefully pick up the four dirty puppies one by one, place them on his jacket, and then gently scoop them up. "The mother dog's body is rotting, and they may have bacteria on them as well."

Su Tangtang was surprised by his thoughtfulness and felt a warmth in her heart. A gentle smile appeared on her lips. "Okay."

The four puppies were tucked inside the clothes, whimpering anxiously, their voices tender and pitiful.

"They sound so cute when they meow," Su Tangtang couldn't help but whisper.

Huo Yizhou hummed in agreement, adjusted his position to make the puppies more comfortable, and said, "We'll take them to the town's pet hospital later for a thorough cleaning and check-up."

Su Tangtang nodded quickly, "Of course."

Watching Huo Yizhou's practiced movements, she asked curiously, "Do you have any pets?"

Huo Yizhou replied, "Yes."

What is it?

"A corgi."

Su Tangtang let out a surprised "Ah".

She originally thought that someone like Huo Yizhou would prefer to keep large dogs like Tibetan Mastiffs or Golden Retrievers, but she didn't expect him to keep a Corgi.

"What's wrong?" Huo Yizhou asked when she didn't answer.

By this time, they and the photographer had already left the sweltering cornfield.

Su Tangtang smiled and said, "It's nothing, I just didn't expect you to own a corgi."

Huo Yizhou smiled, his tone carrying a hint of gentleness, "Corgis are cute, especially their butts, which are round and chubby."

Su Tangtang burst out laughing, her eyes curving into crescents. "I think so too! Sometimes when I look at a corgi, I get a really 'wicked' thought."

Huo Yizhou turned his head to look at her, and asked with great interest, "What evil thoughts?"

Su Tangtang pursed her lips and smiled a little shyly, "I just want to give its fluffy little bottom a good rub!"

Huo Yizhou: "..."

He chuckled and shook his head, his tone tinged with indulgent helplessness, "Yeah, it's pretty 'evil'."

Su Tangtang burst into laughter at his words, her clear laughter echoing through the fields.

On their way back, they ran into Shen Yingying and her group.

Shen Yingying's gaze fell on the bulging package in Huo Yizhou's hand, and she asked curiously, "Yizhou, what are you carrying?"

Huo Yizhou's eyes darkened slightly, and he only glanced at her indifferently without replying.

Hearing her address Huo Yizhou so affectionately, Su Tangtang felt a pang of discomfort and quickly replied, "It was a puppy found in the cornfield."

Shen Yingying smiled at Su Tangtang, but her gaze remained fixed on Huo Yizhou. "Can we take a look?"

“No, they are too small,” Huo Yizhou said coldly.

Shen Yingying's smile froze instantly, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

Su Tangtang spoke up at the right moment, "We were just about to take them to the town's pet hospital for a check-up, so we have to go ahead."

At this moment, Gu Qingke suddenly interjected, her tone deliberately concerned, "The stray dogs are of unknown origin and may carry viruses, so it's best if you avoid them."

Su Tangtang: "..."

She thought to herself: What kind of virus could these puppies possibly have?

Too lazy to argue, she just rolled her eyes at Gu Qingke, then took Huo Yizhou's arm and walked straight ahead.

Gu Qingke stared at her retreating figure without any hesitation, his gaze lingering for a moment until the two figures gradually disappeared into the distance.

He looked away and said to the people beside him, "Meng Meng, Ke Tangshu, you two go back first. Yingying and I have something to talk about."

Meng Meng looked at Shen Yingying hesitantly.

Shen Yingying nodded. "You guys go first."

After the two left, Gu Qingke signaled the cameraman to stop recording. The cameraman looked hesitant but eventually turned off the equipment temporarily.

Shen Yingying crossed her arms and tilted her chin up. "Say what you want to say."

Gu Qingke frowned, her face displeased. "Shen Yingying, what do you mean?"

"What do you mean?" Shen Yingying asked dismissively.

"Don't play dumb," Gu Qingke said coldly. "I remember you and Huo Yizhou didn't have much interaction. What are you trying to do by suddenly calling him so affectionately?"

Shen Yingying scoffed lightly, "What's it to you?"

Seeing her attitude, Gu Qingke became angry. "You'd better explain yourself clearly."

Seeing his exasperated look, Shen Yingying felt inexplicably pleased, and a playful smile curled her lips. "I want to pursue him, just like how you suddenly became interested in Su Tangtang. I suddenly find Huo Yizhou very manly. Is that reason enough?"

Gu Qingke was speechless for a moment before finally saying, "What's so great about liking a pretty boy like him? I advise you to give up on that idea as soon as possible."

"This is my business, no need for you to worry about it," Shen Yingying said, and walked away, quickly leaving him with a dashing back view.

Watching her retreating figure, Gu Qingke was furious, his fingers cracking from gripping her so tightly.