Upon hearing Jiang Yi’s Grandma words, Ying Zhuohan couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Qin Lan lowered his head, trying hard to suppress his laughter, while Zhong Mao sighed, saying, “Brother Lu, you’re really something.”

The drivers unloaded the suitcases from the cars and informed the young masters before driving away. They would come back to pick them up after the boys had enough fun.

The sight of four or five luxury cars driving into the village naturally attracted the curiosity of many villagers. They saw a group of well-dressed young men step out of the cars—looking every bit like they came from wealthy families, exuding an air of elegance with every gesture.

Their clothes were stylish, they wore sunglasses and watches, and they certainly stood out, looking especially dashing.

Grandma Jiang Yi led the group toward the courtyard while Qin Lan took out his phone, snapping pictures of the scenic surroundings. The nearby pond was a vivid green with a few water lilies floating on the surface. The dense shade from the trees cast irregular light patterns, and the golden fields swayed gently in the breeze. The fresh air was deeply refreshing.

Indeed, the beauty of an untouched natural landscape was incomparable.

Qin Lan, filled with admiration, selected a few pictures and posted them on his social media with the caption: “Returning to nature.”

Although Zhong Mao didn’t fully understand, he still happily liked the post.

As they walked, Lu Li kept a wary eye on Ying Zhuohan, deliberately edging him away from Jiang Yi whenever he got too close.

With a backpack on, Jiang Yi pointed to the grape trellis in the courtyard and said the grapes were almost ripe and ready to eat in a few days.

Cheng Chao, dragging his suitcase while hopping, grew increasingly frustrated as he eyed the chickens walking by. Angrily, he shouted at the strutting chickens, “Get lost!”

Lu Li glanced back, enjoying the scene and leaned toward Jiang Yi, whispering in his ear, “He’s so upset about his stomach problems, and now he can’t stand the chickens either?”

Jiang Yi: “…”

Not to be outdone, Ying Zhuohan squeezed in and asked, “Stomach problems?”

Curious, Zhong Mao joined in, “What’s going on?”

Jiang Yi silently pushed Lu Li’s head away and turned to his grandmother, saying, “Grandma, I want steamed eggs.”

Grandma chuckled, “Alright! Country eggs are super fresh!”

“I’ll make you steamed eggs tonight.”

As they entered the courtyard, they noticed how clean and well-kept it was. Corn was drying on the walls, and the old grape trellis was wrapped in healthy vines with clusters of grapes hanging down, growing splendidly.

Inside the main hall, it was cool, with all the rooms open for ventilation. The rooms were clean and neat, with new bedding and pillows carrying the warm scent of sunshine. When the windows were opened, one could see a large forest.

Zhong Mao tossed his luggage into his room and immediately went on a tour, visiting each of the other rooms.

Qin Lan was busy unpacking and looking for his slippers when Zhong Mao, full of energy, kicked him in the backside. Stumbling, a furious Qin Lan threw a slipper at him.

Zhong Mao laughed and kicked the slipper back to Qin Lan before running off to check out Lu Li’s room.

He checked every room, even Cheng Chao’s sanitized room, but couldn’t find Lu Li’s.

Confused, Zhong Mao went to Jiang Yi’s room, planning to ask if he knew which room Lu Li was in.

He knocked on the door without much thought and pushed it open, saying, “Jiang Yi, do you know—”

Before he could finish, he was dumbfounded by what he saw.

In Jiang Yi’s room, Lu Li sat cross-legged on the bed, folding clothes, while Jiang Yi lay sprawled on the bed, tapping away at his phone, playing a game. Their matching black and white suitcases were neatly placed in the corner.

Hearing the door open, Lu Li looked up, frowning, “Know what?”

Zhong Mao shuddered, looking at Lu Li, “Brother Lu, where’s your room?”

Lu Li: “Here.”

Zhong Mao, still dumbfounded, asked, “Isn’t this Jiang Yi’s room?”

Lu Li replied, “I know.”

Zhong Mao, still processing, asked again, “You know?”

Lu Li: “…”

“If you’ve got nothing to do, get lost.”

“Or go find the guy with stomach problems—”

Before he could finish, Jiang Yi quickly covered Lu Li’s mouth, nervously looking at Zhong Mao, “He’s talking about the chickens outside.”

Before Zhong Mao could react, Grandma’s voice called from the main hall, “Sweetie, a hen just laid an egg. Do you want to go collect it?”

The fresh egg had been set aside for Jiang Yi, a little tradition from his childhood when he loved to collect eggs during visits to his grandma’s house.

“I’ll go, I’ll go! I’ll go with Jiang Yi!” Ying Zhuohan shouted, slipping on his slippers and rushing out, beaming, “Grandma, I’ll help Jiang Yi collect the eggs!”

Grandma laughed, “Alright, you two go together and collect the eggs.”

Luckily, there were enough chickens laying eggs for all the kids to collect.

Lu Li’s face darkened, thinking Ying Zhuohan was just as annoying as Cheng Chao, always popping up everywhere.

So annoying.

As Jiang Yi stood up, he noticed Lu Li also rising, saying firmly, “I’m going to collect eggs too.”

Even Zhong Mao, who had never collected eggs before, grew interested and joined in, “I’ll go too!”

Five minutes later, at the chicken coop, Jiang Yi turned around to look at the group behind him, “Aren’t you guys going to collect eggs?”

The hen in the coop stood proudly, staring at Ying Zhuohan and Zhong Mao with a fierce glare.

Ying Zhuohan and Zhong Mao: “…”

Jiang Yi, ever the thoughtful one, reassured them, “Don’t worry, it won’t peck you. Just be gentle.”

With practiced ease, Jiang Yi reached into the nest, pulled out two eggs, and placed them into the basket. Then he made some space for Lu Li, who was behind him, to take over.

Lu Li squatted down, grabbed the hen’s wing with one hand, and expertly rummaged through the nest. A few warm eggs rolled out.

Jiang Yi patted Lu Li’s head. “You’re still the same as when you were a kid. Be more gentle.”

Lu Li, still crouching as he put the eggs in the basket, replied without looking up, “It bit you when you were a kid.”

Back when they were young, Arno had visited Jiang Yi’s hometown and helped gather eggs with him. Once, Jiang Yi had grabbed an egg too quickly, and the hen turned around and pecked him hard enough to draw blood.

Arno had lost his temper, grabbed the hen’s wing, and bit it back, sending feathers flying everywhere. The scene had startled Jiang Yi, who was initially crying, into stunned silence.

Though the hen ended up on the dinner table that night, Arno had held a lasting grudge against chickens. To this day, he handled egg collection with aggressive efficiency.

Ying Zhuohan and Zhong Mao exchanged wide-eyed glances, then hesitantly reached into the nest to retrieve some eggs, being as careful as possible.

Because she knew Jiang Yi was coming, the old lady hadn’t collected the eggs for three days, saving the task so her precious grandson could enjoy himself.

Jiang Yi collected a whole basketful, diving deep into the nests to get every last egg. When he finally emerged from the coop, basket in hand, he noticed Cheng Chao hunched over, looking uncomfortable.

Curious, Jiang Yi asked, “What’s wrong with Cheng Chao?”

Ying Zhuohan answered honestly, “He saw us collecting eggs. The eggs were still warm, with some chicken droppings on them. He asked if it was chicken poop, and I told him it was. Then he threw up.”

Jiang Yi: “…”

Lu Li, leisurely carrying the basket, commented smugly, “Ignorant bumpkin.”

That evening, despite the table being filled with various dishes, Cheng Chao didn’t touch a single egg. His expression was numb as he contemplated the fact that the eggs he’d been eating for years had shells coated with chicken droppings.

Jiang Yi, on the other hand, happily filled everyone’s bowls with meat, sincerely saying, “Eat up, everyone. Tomorrow, I might need to ask for your help with something.”

Lu Li took a tomato from Jiang Yi’s bowl. “What kind of help?”

Jiang Yi answered seriously, “Something big.”

Ying Zhuohan laughed, thinking nothing of it, and patted his chest in assurance. Zhong Mao, enjoying his meal, also nodded in agreement. After all, what major task could there be in the countryside? The biggest thing would be looking for a lost duck, cow, or fish from a pond. That’s no problem for them.

Jiang Yi smiled earnestly. “I’ll wake everyone up early tomorrow.”

Qin Lan, excited, agreed. “Sure, it’ll be nice to get up early and breathe in the fresh mountain air.”

He imagined going for a walk, having a farmhouse breakfast, and enjoying the rural scenery.

That night, after a long day of travel, everyone went to bed early, falling into a deep sleep with the sound of frogs croaking in the background.

The next morning at five, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, Lu Li was half-asleep when he heard someone call his name. Groggily, he opened his eyes, only to be startled by the sight in front of him.

Jiang Yi was fully covered, wearing a headscarf and face mask, with only his eyes visible. “Wake up, it’s time to get up,” he said.

Still dazed, Lu Li asked, “What are we getting up for?”

Jiang Yi smiled shyly and said, “To pick corn.”

Half an hour later…

A group of people, fully dressed and bewildered, stood before a cornfield.

Zhong Mao, still half-asleep, looked at the gloves in his hands and murmured, “Am I still dreaming?”

Qin Lan, equally confused, mumbled, “I don’t know. I think I’m still dreaming.”

Ying Zhuohan, his curly black hair a frizzy mess, didn’t care about how hard it was to pick corn. Glaring, he complained, “Why is his basket so much bigger than mine?”

Lu Li, who had the largest basket: “…”

Jiang Yi explained, “Because picking corn is hard work.”

Ying Zhuohan’s hair wobbled as he fumed, “So you think he can do it, but I can’t?”

Jiang Yi: “…”

Cheng Chao, with a cold expression, picked up his basket and headed into the cornfield first. Lu Li followed right behind, and Ying Zhuohan rushed in, afraid others would pick the corn before him, and began aggressively pulling at the stalks.

None of them had ever picked corn before, so they were just winging it. Their neighbor, who was working in the adjacent field, couldn’t bear to watch any longer and came over to teach them how to do it properly.

By eight o’clock, they all understood why Jiang Yi had woken them up so early to pick corn.

At five or six in the morning, the fields were still cool, but by eight or nine, when the sun rose higher, the cornfields became suffocatingly hot, like a steamer, leaving them drenched in sweat.

Lu Li took Jiang Yi’s basket and told him to go sit in the shade. To ensure Jiang Yi wouldn’t protest, he even gave him two corn to guard.

By eleven in the morning, exhausted and with several baskets of corn, they returned to the courtyard, collapsed on the sofa, and stared blankly.

They all thought they were done after picking the corn, but it turned out it was just the beginning. Jiang Yi’s grandmother had not only grown corn but also rice and peanuts.

They could use a tractor to harvest the rice, but after harvesting, the rice needed to be spread out to dry, and it had to be turned over every two hours. Moreover, in fields where the terrain was unsuitable for tractors, they had to harvest by hand.

So, for the next few days, they woke up before the chickens and went to bed later than the dogs, following the local neighbors into the fields with hoes in hand.

At first, Cheng Chao insisted on wearing his own clothes, refusing to put on the clothes Jiang Yi’s grandmother had prepared for him. But eventually, after seeing everyone else squatting in the fields in their big, flowery shorts, eating lunch, he finally caved and donned the colorful but breathable shorts.

On the fourth day of work, the group had transformed from trendy city folks into sunburned, dust-covered laborers, with straw hats, sickles, and hoes never leaving their hands. Out in the fields, names didn’t matter much anymore; people were mostly referred to as “the one with the blonde hair,” “the one with the curls,” or “the one in green pants.”

Qin Lan sat on a stack of rice, munching on a steamed bun while scrolling through the lively comments under the photos he had posted on social media a few days ago. He glanced at the plain bun in his hand and, feeling somewhat bitter, decided to hide the post.

Life in the countryside during the busy farming season was intense, leaving little time to prepare dinner. Neighbors from a few houses would take turns hosting meals together. For the first time, Jiang Yi and his group followed his grandmother to the village chief’s house for dinner. Everyone was curious about Lu Li, with his blonde hair and blue eyes.

The warm-hearted village chief, seeing that Lu Li was a foreigner, proudly presented him with some imported goods from his home, assuring him that they were the real deal. Lu Li looked down at what the village chief handed him—it was a few packets of foreign baby formula. Genuine, indeed.

That same evening, Lu Li made the formula for Jiang Yi, suggesting that maybe Jiang Yi shouldn’t go to the fields for the next few days because it was too tiring. Soaking his feet, Jiang Yi responded slowly, “No way.”

“Didn’t you say before that if I didn’t want to study, I could come back and work on the farm?”

“I’m just getting a head start on adjusting to this life.”

Lu Li was speechless.

Jiang Yi continued, “There are three acres of land. I’ll need to learn how to drive a tractor in the future, or else it’ll cost 100 yuan per acre to hire someone else to do it. It’s expensive.”

Lu Li handed him the formula with a glare.

Since Jiang Yi’s grandmother’s yard was spacious enough, they didn’t need to haul the rice to the drying ground. They dried the grains directly in the yard. For the rice, sudden downpours were the biggest threat. If the rice got wet, it would become unusable.

One night, a loud thunderclap startled the entire village awake. Everyone leapt up and rushed outside. Some were collecting the rice, while others were pulling tarps over it. The village chief, worried that Jiang Yi’s group didn’t understand the urgency of saving the rice, hurried over with a few helpers, only to find them in a frenzy—more anxious than anyone else.

The group was so flustered that they didn’t even have time to put on slippers. They rushed around collecting the rice, stumbling in their haste. Qin Lan and the others didn’t really understand why they were in such a panic. After all, the rice in the yard wasn’t worth as much as a pair of their shoes, but they were frantically trying to protect it, worried that their hard work would be ruined.

The thunder didn’t rumble for long before a torrential downpour began. Soon, water started pooling on the ground. Fortunately, most of the rice in the yard had been collected in time.

Everyone collapsed in the hall, sitting in a disheveled heap on the floor. Suddenly, they all looked at one another and burst into laughter. Even Cheng Chao, who had a bit of a cleanliness obsession, sat on the floor laughing.

No one knew exactly what was so funny, but they couldn’t stop laughing. Zhong Mao cursed between fits of laughter, “Which idiot stepped on me? I nearly did a face-plant.”

Qin Lan laughed heartily, “You don’t need to fall to look like you’ve face-planted.”

Leaning against Lu Li, Jiang Yi also laughed. Then, he looked out toward the yard and asked, “Whose flip-flop didn’t make it back?”

Everyone’s gaze turned toward the yard, and sure enough, a lone flip-flop was floating in the pooled water. In an instant, someone—no one knew who—started laughing uncontrollably again. Ying Zhuohan even laughed so hard he fell off the couch.

The next morning, the group, now well-versed in the routine, changed into their work clothes and grabbed a few tomatoes to munch on as they headed to the fields. With hoes slung over their shoulders, they looked proudly at the land they had harvested, feeling a great sense of accomplishment.

That evening, after working hard for some time, Jiang Yi’s grandmother slaughtered three chickens to nourish everyone. At dinner, even Cheng Chao, who usually avoided eggs at all costs, was eating boiled eggs without batting an eye. After all, once you’ve worked in the fields, what’s a little chicken poop?

After dinner, the group lounged under the grapevine trellis, with the golden evening light stretching across the sky. Qin Lan reached up, plucked a bunch of grapes, popped two into his mouth, and instantly made a face of disgust.

A few seconds later, he calmly handed the bunch to Zhong Mao, who casually asked, “Are they good?”

Qin Lan replied earnestly, “Delicious. So sweet.”

Zhong Mao popped two grapes into his mouth.

A minute later, Zhong Mao passed the bunch to Ying Zhuohan, saying sincerely, “So sweet. Want some?”

Without looking, Ying Zhuohan tossed four or five grapes into his mouth, his face twisting with disgust.

When Cheng Chao looked over, Ying Zhuohan, mustering all his acting skills, smiled and said, “Really sweet. You should try some. Seriously, you don’t believe me?”

Cheng Chao raised an eyebrow. “If you eat another one, I’ll believe you.”

Ying Zhuohan grabbed three more grapes, threw them into his mouth, and chewed them with a natural expression. “They’re really good.”

Cheng Chao took the bunch, watching as Ying Zhuohan savored the grapes, and plucked one for himself.

“…”

Kill a thousand enemies, lose eight hundred of your own, right?

Cheng Chao turned with a smile and offered the grapes to Lu Li, “They’re good. You should try.”

The rest of the group, who had already tasted the grapes, chimed in, “Yeah, they’re good. Go ahead, give them a try.”

Eyeing the group’s smiling faces, Lu Li reclined in his chair, feeling a sense of superiority, and said with a hint of pity, “Sorry, this grapevine was planted by me and Jiang Yi.”

Back when they planted it, Jiang Yi’s grandmother had warned them that the grapes might not survive. Even if they did, they might not taste good due to insufficient sunlight.

So who gave these guys the courage to act in front of him?