Chapter 17: Testimonies of Spiritual Plants in the Wind and Rain
# Chapter 17: Testimonies of Spiritual Plants in the Wind and Rain
On the third day after Su Qing left, the sky over Qingxi Village was so overcast it seemed to be pressing down. Chen Wang squatted beside the shared farmland, testing the soil's acidity and alkalinity with pH test paper. The science-savvy man always liked to use data to determine his work, even relying on test paper to determine soil fertility. When his phone rang, just as the test paper had changed color and the words "Su Qing" popped up on the screen, his fingertips paused, and he nearly dropped the test paper into the mud.
"Chen Wang, I heard from the convenience store owner in the village that the weather is bad over there," Su Qing's voice came through the receiver, soft as if it would melt into the rain and mist. "Remember to reinforce the tomato vine racks. The flower pots in your lab were blown over by the wind before, so you always forget these details. By the way, how are you thinking about the smart agriculture project? My dad said there's still a deputy director position for you."
She didn't mention the report or their previous dispute, only her concern. However, every word she spoke poked at Chen Wang's hesitation—he hadn't completely reinforced the bamboo frame, nor had he completely rejected the "Deputy Director's" proposal. Chen Wang held the test paper, his voice a little slurred. "I understand. Thank you. As for the project... I'll think about it."
After hanging up, he looked out into the backyard. Lin Xiaoman was leading the villagers in packaging freshly made strawberry jam. The glass jars were neatly arranged on the table, and like her life and work, she exuded a sense of practicality. Chen Wang tucked his phone into his pocket and, without mentioning Su Qing's number, walked over and said, "The soil's pH is normal. Just water it again this afternoon."
Lin Xiaoman looked up at him, with a hint of subtle concern in her eyes: "Who called just now?"
"Nothing, just selling fertilizer." Chen Wang avoided her gaze and bent down to help move the glass jars. He didn't mean to lie, he just didn't know how to say it—he was afraid that Lin Xiaoman would see his hesitation, and even more afraid to admit that he hadn't completely let go of the past.
Not long after, the roar of cars could be heard at the village entrance. Two cars, emblazoned with the words "Market Supervision," stopped beneath the old locust tree. Several uniformed staff members entered the shared farmland. The leader, holding a document, spoke in a serious tone, "Who is Chen Wang? Someone has reported that your old crop varieties are using banned hormones. We need to collect samples for testing."
Chen Wang's heart skipped a beat, and he nearly dropped the glass jar. He hurried over. The staff member handed him a report detailing "abnormal enlargement of star-shaped tomatoes," "strawberries unusually sweet," and "suspected addition of chemical sweeteners"—they were exactly the same as what Su Qing had said that day on the ridge of the field. But he subconsciously tried to find an excuse: "Could it be a misunderstanding? Su Qing...is just worried I won't be able to grow them well."
"Whether it's a misunderstanding or not depends on the test results." The staff member ignored his muttering and took out the sampling bag. "Until the results come out, sales of your products will be suspended, and the picking experience will also be suspended."
The news was like a bucket of cold water, instantly dampening the village's excitement. The women packing the fruit in the workshop stopped, their ribbons dropping to the ground. Tourists booked for next week's harvest called one after another, demanding refunds, their voices filled with suspicion. A supermarket they had previously partnered with also sent a message: "Wait until the test results are out before continuing to work together to avoid risks."
Chen Wang sat at the old wooden table in the workshop, watching the endless stream of refund notifications pop up on his phone. His fingertips swiped across the screen, and he suddenly remembered Su Qing's call. How had she known it was going to rain? And why did she mention the "smart agriculture project" at this very moment? Reason told him that the report was most likely related to Su Qing, but a voice in his heart kept defending her: Was she so concerned about my stomach medicine before? Was she just worried that I'd been wronged?
"Chen Wang, look at this!" Lin Xiaoman ran in with a pile of receipts, sweat on his forehead. "This is the proof we used to buy fertilizers and pesticides. They all came from legitimate channels and can be traced back to the source! There's also Grandpa's notebook, which records the time and amount of fertilizer applied each time. There's no hormones at all!"
Chen Wang took the bill, his fingertips touching Lin Xiaoman's hand. Her hand was cool, yet steady. He looked up at her. Lin Xiaoman's eyes shone like falling stars. Even in the face of danger, she didn't flinch. Chen Wang suddenly felt a little guilty—Lin Xiaoman was firmly protecting their spiritual plant, while he was still hesitating about someone from the past.
Just then, the phone rang again. It was Su Qing again. Chen Wang walked outside the workshop and answered it. His voice was a little colder: "What's going on?"
"I just saw the news. They said Qingxi Village's crops were reportedly being treated with hormones," Su Qing said with a hint of regret. "I knew it wasn't easy for you to stay in the village. Things like this are hard to guard against. Why don't you come back to the city with me? We're still short of people for the smart agriculture project. You'll be able to get started right away. It's better than being bullied in the village."
"How do you know about the report?" Chen Wang finally asked, his fingertips clenched white.
Su Qing paused for half a second, then quickly covered it up: "It's all over the internet, I just saw it too. Chen Wang, I'm not rushing you, I just feel sorry for you - you're such a proud person, how could you be wronged like this?"
After hanging up the phone, Chen Wang stood there, the cool touch of raindrops falling on his face sobering him up a bit. He turned back to the workshop, where Lin Xiaoman was helping Aunt Wang sort through the tourists' refund records. A soothing smile played on her lips, and even though she was panicking herself, she was still trying to comfort others. Chen Wang suddenly remembered that Su Qing would only say, "You've been wronged, come with me," while Lin Xiaoman would say, "Let's prove our innocence together"—this was the kind of "rooting" he wanted, not escaping, but facing it side by side.
But before he could gather his thoughts, he saw Su Qing's car parked at the intersection outside the village. She didn't enter the village, but simply rolled down the window and looked in the direction of the shared farmland. Lin Xiaoman also saw it. She walked over to Chen Wang and said softly without asking any questions, "The supervisor said we need to provide the planting records for the past three months. I'll go get Grandpa's notes."
Chen Wang looked at Lin Xiaoman's back, then at the car at the intersection. He felt like something was blocking his heart. He walked over and stopped Su Qing's car at the village entrance: "What do you want to do?"
Su Qing didn't panic. Instead, she showed an aggrieved expression: "I'm just worried about you and wanted to come and see you. Chen Wang, why do you think of me so much? Do you think I'm the kind of person who would do such a thing?" She took out the box of stomach medicine from the passenger seat and handed it to him, "I'm still worried about you. Take it, don't forget to take it."
Chen Wang didn't answer, his gaze fixed on her phone screen—she hadn't hung up yet, and the call log was still on the "Market Supervision Bureau" number. Su Qing subconsciously hid her phone, her face paling. "You must have seen it wrong. I was just asking about the testing process..."
"That's enough." Chen Wang interrupted her, his voice no longer filled with hesitation. "Go back and don't come here again."
Su Qing was about to say something when she saw Lin Xiaoman approaching with a notebook, followed by several villagers. She bit her lip and finally drove off. A piece of paper floated down the window – the light grey business card.
Back at the shared farm, supervisors were taking samples. Lin Xiaoman handed over his planting notes, detailing the timing and dosage of each watering and fertilizing application, along with soil testing data. Each page featured a photo from that day. Chen Wang had previously found this record-keeping too cumbersome, but Lin Xiaoman had said, "This is all evidence, if needed," and now it had indeed come in handy.
The villagers also gathered around to testify: "We help in the fields every day, and we have never seen them use hormones!" "We make these strawberry jams ourselves, and we use our own honey!" Uncle Li also brought out the fertilizer packaging bags, on which the traceability code can be found to the regular manufacturer.
The supervisor flipped through his notes and compared the fruit samples—the tomato leaves were natural, free of hormone-induced deformities; the strawberries were moderately sweet, without the astringent taste of chemical sweeteners; and the blueberries had an even, white frost, characteristic of natural growth. The leader nodded, "This evidence is crucial. We'll have the test results out as soon as possible."
For the next two days, Chen Wang and Lin Xiaoman worked together to sort through materials, answer questions from tourists, and reinforce the bamboo trellises for the tomato vines. Chen Wang didn't mention Su Qing again, nor did he look at the business card. He simply focused more on his work than before. He quietly placed the stomach medicine and coffee Su Qing had given him into the convenience store's donation box, as if saying goodbye to past ties.
On the morning of the third day, the regulatory office received news: test results showed that all fruits were free of banned hormones and all indicators exceeded green food standards. The report was deemed malicious, and the police were contacted to track down the whistleblower. Even more gratifying, the regulatory officials were moved by their planting records and the villagers' solidarity and offered to help them apply for "Geographical Indication Product" certification.
The villagers cheered, and the workshop returned to its former bustle. Chen Wang and Lin Xiaoman sat on the edge of the field, watching the spiritual plants come alive again—the golden edges of the tomato vines were shining, the strawberry fruits in the bed were glowing red, and even the previously wilted "honey heart fruit" had sprouted new leaves.
"I'm sorry," Chen Wang suddenly said, his voice a little soft, "Before... I shouldn't have hesitated."
Lin Xiaoman turned to look at him with a gentle smile in her eyes: "I know you need time."
Chen Wang held her hand, the warmth from his fingertips passing through her skin, more resolute than ever: "I will take care of the past. From now on, I just want to work with you to grow the old varieties well."
Lin Xiaoman nodded, said nothing more, and just gently shook his hand back.
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