Chapter 24 Quitting My Job to Go Home and Farm (1)
Kacha Township, the mountain road winds and turns, and the old bus finally delivered Baiye to his destination.
A wooden road sign with the words "Lijia Village" written on it.
The font color was originally red, but due to years of wind and rain, the three characters "Lijiacun" have now turned into "Zishicun".
Bai Ye raised his hand and wiped the dust off, "Clang—"
The road sign is upside down.
It was torn to pieces, broken into seven or eight fragments.
"..."
Bai Ye looked left and right, found no one, and quickly slipped away.
A gravel path leads to the only village on the mountaintop. It took Bai Ye more than ten minutes to walk from the village entrance to the door of his home, which he remembered.
The village was too big, and the houses were not close together. The dirt paths that had been worn down by people had become overgrown with vegetation again because no one had walked on them for a long time.
As Bai Ye walked, he pressed down grass, dragging his suitcase with great difficulty.
When I got to my doorstep, good heavens, the wooden door was covered in ivy.
Upon closer inspection, there were two spider webs on it. One had been there for a long time, like an indigenous person, while the other was newly formed, like a newcomer.
Like him, the newcomer stood trembling at the door.
Bai Ye stood at the gate, looking at the earthen house inside, which was short and about one and a half stories high.
To his surprise, the mud house was truly muddy, constructed entirely of yellow clay and straw.
Why do these kinds of houses still exist in the world?
It's 5202 now. Even without the skyscrapers and bustling traffic of provincial capitals, it should still have the unique charm of small counties and towns.
Bai Ye thought of his hometown, a small county town in central China. Although the town wasn't wealthy, the houses were still brand new and stood side by side. The roads weren't wide, but at least they were paved with cement.
And here—
The village has dirt roads, earthen houses, and overgrown weeds at the gates that can hardly be called roads.
Bai Ye had no memory of Li Bufan; he only had a few literal interpretations that were strangely forcibly inputted.
"Strange, is this the place where you set up fakes?"
I really can't believe it.
Players are urged to take this seriously. The dungeon environment is based on the real world, and the urban-rural divide remains a reality. Please do not assume that "my world is my own."
Bai Ye was stunned; he had actually been given a bizarre lecture.
But on second thought, that statement isn't wrong either.
Why should people in wealthier areas turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to poverty, and assume that it's all a lie?
How much truth have the human eye actually seen?
How many distances have human feet measured?
How narrow can human cognition be?
Bai Ye accepted the reality before him, pushed open the courtyard gate and went inside. He had only taken two steps when he heard a cough.
It was faint and indistinct, very faint and light.
But his heart clenched, his body began to tremble instinctively, and then came a deep sense of worry.
I instinctively called out, "Grandpa?"
The coughing in the earthen house suddenly stopped.
After a while, the wooden window covered with newspaper without glass was pushed open, and an old man leaned out the window, straining to look outside.
His eyes narrowed to slits, but the corners of his mouth curved upwards in a distinct smile. "Xiao Fan, is that you back?"
Both emotions and memories told Bai Ye that the old man standing at the window was her maternal grandfather.
The eerie film does this very well; the characters are quickly drawn in, and there is no sense of discomfort.
Bai Ye put down his suitcase, strode to the window, and took the old man's hand. "Grandpa, it's me. I'm back."
The old man was very excited. He walked out of the room, leaning on his cane, his steps sometimes fast and sometimes slow.
As Bai Ye stepped into the kitchen, the old man happened to be at the doorway. He casually reached out and pushed the stool forward, saying, "Xiao Fan, you must be tired after coming back. You've been on the train for a long time. Take a rest."
Then he went to the stove, bent down and felt around, found a bowl, and then felt for a kettle on the counter.
Bai Ye then noticed that the old man's eyesight seemed to be poor; he could touch things that were right in front of him, but he didn't look at them.
Is it nearsightedness?
Or is it blindness?
Just then, the old man had already poured some cooled boiled water and walked back with his cane. Although he was swaying, he didn't spill a drop of the whole bowl of water in his hand.
"Xiao Fan, drink some water."
Bai Ye quickly took it.
The old man turned to leave again, muttering as he went, "It's the middle of the day, I didn't know you were coming back. There's nothing to eat, but I'll rummage through the cupboard and I found some rice cakes."
Rice cake, a type of fermented and steamed rice cake, is soft, glutinous, and sweet, making it very suitable for elderly people with few teeth.
Moreover, this kind of pastry is durable; even in the hot summer, as long as it is stored in a cool place, it can last for three days.
The old man took out a bag of rice cakes from the cabinet, skillfully untied the rope, and pushed it all forward.
"Xiao Fan, you eat, you eat."
Looking at the rice cake that had crumbled into pieces, and then at the edges that had become dry and hard, Bai Ye could smell a slight sourness when she got close. Her nose started to sting with tears.
I wonder how long this rice cake has been stored.
However, the elderly are reluctant to eat, or they eat very slowly.
Now that his grandson has returned, he is not stingy at all and has taken out all of it.
"Xiao Fan, eat up, I'll make you steamed egg custard."
Bai Ye quickly pulled the old man aside and helped him sit on the stool opposite him. "Grandpa, don't bother, I'm not very hungry. You haven't had lunch either, have you? Let's eat together. I'll make the steamed egg custard in a bit."
“I know, I know. You’ve been smart since you were little. You could start a fire and cook by yourself when you were only five. When your grandma and I came back from the fields, we saw smoke coming out of our chimney and could smell the aroma of food when we got closer. We thought a fairy godmother had come into our house.”
Bai Ye listened with a smile, occasionally breaking off pieces of slightly sour rice cake and stuffing them into his mouth, glancing around as he ate.
The earthen house has three rooms in total. The kitchen is right inside the entrance. It is well-ventilated from north to south and has windows in the front and back, but there are not many panes of glass installed.
At the far end of the kitchen was an earthen stove with a chimney leading straight to the roof. In the middle was a wooden table with most of the red paint on it worn off, but it was very clean and tidy, without a trace of grease.
Several stools were placed next to the table. The stools had cracks in the seats, some wear on the legs, and were uneven.
To the left is the old man's room. A doorway was dug from the front of the kitchen to lead into it. From where Bai Ye was sitting, he could see the interior of the room at a glance. Apart from a wooden bed, there were only two large wooden cabinets.
The doorway on the right leads to another room.
This is where he will be staying now.
The door was ajar, so the interior couldn't be seen yet, but it was probably no different.
In short, the house was completely empty, with bare walls.
The grandfather and grandson ate some rice cakes and chatted for a while before the old man asked, "Xiao Fan, why did you come back during the holidays?"
From the provincial capital to the remote Lijia Village, the journey takes at least ten hours, involving a combination of bus, subway, train, and bus.
The old man remembered this clearly when his grandson came back for the Chinese New Year, and he was particularly heartbroken.
Bai Ye wanted to say something nice or lie, but the words came out before he could say the truth: "Grandpa, I resigned."
"ah?"
"I quit my job in the provincial capital and came back with all my belongings."
The old man remained silent.
"I've saved up some money over the years and I want to go back home to renovate my house and then contract a few plots of land to grow vegetables. Now, it's popular to eat organic vegetables in big cities. Our Lijia Village is located on a mountaintop, with a cool and humid climate all year round, which is especially suitable for growing vegetables."
After a pause, Bai Ye added, "Most importantly, I want to go home and spend time with you all."
The old man's eyes were blank, but he still nodded. "Do whatever you want, but Xiao Fan, farming is hard work. Be prepared to suffer."
"Working like an ox or a horse is tough too. Working overtime continuously almost killed me."
But Bai Ye only dared to mutter these words to himself and didn't say them to the old man's face. Finally, he nodded gently and said, "Grandpa, I can endure hardship."
As long as the hardship is worthwhile and brings rewards, the hardship is not considered hardship.
In the old man's view, there is no distinction between high and low value in earning money through one's own labor, no matter what one does.
It's just a bit of a pity that my grandson finally managed to get a university degree.
The old man had never been to school, and in his limited understanding, a college student was a very remarkable person; decades ago, such a person could directly become an official.
Bai Ye couldn't help but chuckle, "Grandpa, there are so many college students these days, millions graduate every year, they're practically worthless."
"How can it be worthless? Those who graduate are all smart people, quick-witted. There aren't many college students from our village."
Bai Ye recalled what he saw as he walked into the village. This dilapidated little mountain village probably didn't even have a village primary school. The learning conditions were too harsh, and it was true that few people could go on to college.
However, this does not mean that the situation is the same outside of Lijia Village.
The old man was filled with emotion, but the thought of having his grandson by his side, whom he could see and touch, brought him joy.
"Quickly, call your grandma and ask her to buy some groceries and bring them back."
"Yes, where is my maternal grandmother?"
Bai Ye remembered that Li Bufan was raised by his maternal grandparents. Since he had been home for so long, where was the other elderly person?
The old man smiled and leaned on his cane, saying, "I went to your uncle's place."
The related two-dimensional memories re-enter the brain.
Li Bufan has three maternal uncles. His eldest and second maternal uncles live in Lijia Village, but they are located at opposite ends of the village and are quite far apart, with a river in between.
As for my uncle, he opened a general store in the neighboring ancient town, doing some small business, and also bought a house in the town to settle down.
My maternal grandmother would go to a temple in the ancient town to worship Buddha on the first day of each lunar month, and stay overnight at my uncle's place before taking the bus home the next day.
Bai Ye took out his phone, searched for his uncle's number in his contacts, and prepared to make a call.
Upon checking, wow, the number of contacts in my address book was pitifully small.
The phone numbers of my three uncles, my three college roommates, and several classmates from middle school.
Gone, just like that!
Is this person socially anxious?
Bai Ye opened WeChat again. Apart from the original work group that she hadn't deleted, there was only one university group and two middle school groups.
Other WeChat contacts can also be counted on one hand.
Bai Ye fell silent for a while, then asked, "Strange, when you're immersing yourself in a role, there's no requirement that you can't break character, right?"
I'm someone who's always smiling, can talk to anyone and even strangers, and is naturally outgoing. I really can't pretend to be socially awkward.
[Player character immersion is not considered out-of-character (OOC). Please note that the ultimate goal is to work hard, complete tasks, and earn five-star customer reviews.]
Bai Ye felt relieved.
He immediately made a phone call.
"Beep beep beep—"
"Hello?"
The call went through.
Bai Ye held his phone with a bright smile, his white teeth almost blinding, and his tone was extremely cheerful.
"Uncle, it's me, Xiaofan! I'm home! Yes, yes, I'm sitting at home right now. Grandpa is doing well. I miss Grandma. When is she coming home? I'll come to town to pick her up!"
"Uncle, you don't need to take me. I just rode my bike over. I've missed you too. We only saw each other once during the Spring Festival, and it's been two months since we last saw each other. I miss you so much."
"I have to go cook for Grandpa now. Please say hello to Auntie for me. Goodbye Uncle."
After hanging up the phone, the middle-aged man, Li Jianping, looked puzzled.
After repeatedly confirming the phone number, he finally believed that the talkative young man on the phone was his taciturn nephew.
Meanwhile, Bai Ye started a fire and cooked a sweet steamed egg custard for the old man.
Then he took out two bags of fruit candies from his suitcase and left the house based on his memory.
When I reached the other end of the village, I saw the plum tree by the yard and started calling out, "Uncle, Second Uncle, I'm back! Are you home? I've come to borrow an electric scooter to go to Uncle's to pick up my grandma!"
After saying that, he casually picked a tender plum from the tree, popped it into his mouth, and chewed it.
I gave them two bags of fruit candy, exchanged pleasantries, and got the electric scooter.
Without delay, Bai Ye drove straight down the mountain.
We had barely arrived in the ancient town and hadn't even caught our breath when the mechanical sounds began.
[If you spot a potential customer, please take note and immediately bring them home, then treat them with great care.]
"?"
[Attention! A large group of customers is gathering nearby. Please choose carefully.]
"??"
Bai Ye was completely dumbfounded. A customer? What customer?
Quit your job and go home to farm; aren't your customers just the people who buy vegetables?
The problem is, this vegetable hasn't even been planted yet.
[Please note that during the mission, those providing care and maintenance are considered customers. Please distinguish carefully.]
At this moment, Bai Ye stopped at the entrance of a street in the ancient town. To his right was a small shop, and next to the shop was a seed shop.
Across the street, the area is empty and there are no shops for the time being, except for one electric vehicle repair shop.
So, was it because the car stopped at the seed store that the mechanism was triggered?
Bai Ye had a guess in mind, so he parked the car and went inside the store.
The moment we entered, the mechanical sounds rose and fell in a cacophony of excitement.
Players, please take note: carefully select customers who appear to be of high quality.
Players, please take note: if you spot a five-star customer, please make every effort to retain them.
[Attention players! This is the most suitable and attentive customer service; please don't miss it.]
[Attention players...]
Bai Ye stood on the shelf, surrounded by bags of colorful vegetable seeds. His eyes darted in every direction, and a mechanical voice broadcast announcements.
Furthermore, the mechanical sounds are most intense when looking straight ahead.
The shop owner noticed the visitor and immediately came out enthusiastically, saying, "Young man, buying seeds?"
"Ah! Right, boss, what type of vegetable seeds are suitable for planting in spring?"
Bai Ye thought for a moment and then added, "I might choose to set up a greenhouse, but my home is on the mountaintop."
The owner grabbed a few bags from the shelf right in front of him, grinning, "Spring is perfect for growing vegetables; anything can grow. The temperature difference is small on the mountain, and the soil is moist and cool, so lettuce, spinach, and rapeseed are all good to grow this season, as are cucumbers and cherry radishes. If you're looking for a longer growing season, you can also plant some cucumbers, loofahs, and cowpeas."
The shopkeeper enthusiastically recommended the seeds, stuffing a bag of cowpea seeds into Bai Ye's arms. "These are good. They grow like crazy in the summer if you build a trellis. Cowpeas are a great vegetable; you can stir-fry them, pickle them, or make cold dishes. You can eat them from summer to autumn, which is almost half a year."
[Attention players, the best customer has appeared, please don't miss it.]
The mechanical voice was calm and even, but Bai Ye could still detect a cheerful atmosphere in it.
Bai Ye didn't know much about growing vegetables, but when the boss told her that long beans had a high yield, she immediately felt that this was a sure thing.
We absolutely must buy these seeds.
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