Gourd Farm Chapter 83
Translated by Etherna
Chapter 83: Uncle's Furious Embarrassment
This morning, as soon as Uncle Yang got up, he heard Aunt Hua chattering at the door, saying that not only had the tomato disease been cured, but the yield was also higher than before.
At first, Uncle Yang didn't believe it. He had used so many medicines himself without success, but Aunt Hua had used the medicine provided by Yang Feng for just two days, and it worked.
After breakfast, he went with Aunt Hua to their greenhouse to check. Indeed, there were no fallen fruits, and the tomatoes looked much better than before.
With the current growth, not only would they not lose money, but they might also make a small profit in the end.
Uncle Yang couldn't accept it. He ran all the way to his own greenhouse. Upon entering, he found the tomatoes still in a miserable state. Every morning, he opened the curtain full of expectations, only to end up utterly disappointed.
Seeing Uncle Yang running so fast, Yang Meng thought the tomato disease had been cured. He chased after him into the greenhouse, and both of them were dumbfounded.
Looking at the tomatoes, Yang Meng said with a sigh, "Dad, if the tomatoes continue like this, they'll probably all die within a week."
Uncle Yang had gained quite a few white hairs in these past few days. Initially, he expected to earn over ten thousand from this batch of tomatoes, but now, with the calculations, he might only manage to sell one batch, not even covering the costs.
He had just leased another thirty acres of land, and the family savings were not much.
Uncle Yang wasn't worried about the tomatoes in front of him but concerned about how to plan for the other thirty acres of land outside.
This was the first time he encountered such a situation, and anyone in his shoes would feel uneasy.
As the saying goes, once bitten by a snake, one is scared by a rope for ten years.
If such a situation happened again in the future, what would they do? At this rate, within half a year, the family's savings would be emptied.
Uncle Yang was regretful to the core. He thought it would have been much better to peacefully cultivate the land. Instead, he had to dream big and ended up putting his son's wedding money into it.
The more he thought, the angrier he became. The cigarette butts on the ground kept increasing, and the greenhouse was now shrouded in smoke.
Seeing Uncle Yang like this, Yang Meng felt uncomfortable. "Dad, should I go and find Yang Feng?"
Uncle Yang finished his last drag of the cigarette, stood up, and said, "No, don't embarrass us. Don't go."
Originally, venturing into greenhouse farming was just following the trend. Besides, the whole village knew about the last incident, and running to ask for help now would only further damage their reputation.
"It's already this problematic, and you're still clinging to your pride, suffering needlessly," Yang Meng shouted, his voice strained.
Uncle Yang turned around, his eyes glaring like bull's eyes. "You little brat, you won't let me have my way either."
Yang Meng jumped up and pointed at the tomatoes in front of him. "All you care about is your face. Look at these tomatoes; can they afford any more delays?"
This time, Uncle Yang played the victim card directly, "Even if they all get thrown away, you're not allowed to go."
Yang Meng was amused by Uncle Hei's stubbornness. "Alright, alright, you're so wealthy. Then, why don't you just throw away the other thirty acres of land outside?"
"I..."
Uncle Yang was hit right in the soft spot by his son. He moved his mouth for a while but didn't say a word, his face alternating between red and white.
Seeing his father like this, Yang Meng decided not to argue further. If he pushed too hard, he might worsen his father's health, leaving them with no support.
Originally, he didn't plan to argue, but with Uncle Yang’s temper, if you didn't confront him head-on, it wouldn't work.
Looking at his silent father, Yang Meng said, "Dad, I still want to go and find Yang Feng."
Uncle Yang remained silent, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Yang Meng walked away on his own. Watching his son's retreating figure, Uncle Yang sighed, continuing to stare at the tomatoes, lost in thought.
"Dadadada."
Yang Meng parked his motorcycle by the roadside and saw Yang Feng working on spraying pesticides in the field, with Xia Ying also present.
Yang Meng walked over and greeted, "Xia Ying, busy?"
Xia Ying, still engaged in her work, raised her head, blinked, and gave a brief response, "Hmm."
She lowered her head again to continue her work. She wasn't very familiar with Yang Meng.
Seeing Xia Ying not particularly engaging with him, Yang Meng didn't pursue further. He had a purpose in coming today, not just wandering around as he usually did.
After waiting at the edge of the field for a few minutes, Yang Feng completed a round of spraying and returned. "Yang Feng, spraying again?"
Xia Tian, standing nearby, took over the conversation. "Do you even need to ask? If he's not spraying, what else could he be doing, playing with water?"
Yang Meng glanced at the nearby Xia Tian, a guy he didn't seem to recognize, wondering why he seemed hostile towards him.
Unaware that Xia Tian had added Yang Meng to her blacklist when she saw him talking to her sister earlier, Yang Meng ignored the slight and said, "Yang Feng, are you done with your work? Got something to discuss."
Yang Feng glanced at Yang Meng, sensing something unusual about him today. If it were in the past, he would have jumped at the chance to argue with Xia Tian after being mocked.
Looking at Yang Meng, Yang Feng raised an eyebrow, "Just finished. What's up?"
Yang Meng took a cigarette out of his pocket, waved it around, and grinned, "It's a small matter. With the wind so strong, I'll treat you to a meal."
"Forget about the meal; just tell me what's going on," Yang Feng said, taking the cigarette. He knew it wouldn't do to go too far when it came to being courteous.
"Come on, it's already noon. You're almost done with work anyway. There's a new restaurant in town with good reviews," Yang Meng said, pulling Yang Feng towards the roadside.
Being dragged onto the road, Yang Feng got a bit annoyed. "Hurry up and let go. This shirt cost over a hundred yuan."
"Pfft."
Hearing Yang Feng's complaint, Xia Tian burst into laughter. Looking at Yang Feng's worn-out shirt, it seemed like it had been worn for at least three years, and the brand on the chest was barely visible due to wear.
Yang Meng paid no attention and exerted even more force. "If the shirt gets ruined, I'll compensate you. I can afford to compensate for one shirt."
In this manner, Yang Feng was dragged all the way to his motorcycle near the greenhouse. Yang Meng pretended to start the motorcycle and shouted loudly, "Take them both with you, no need to worry about extra chopsticks."
Yang Feng shook his arm, adjusting his clothes. He glared at Yang Meng. "Yang Meng, are you going to talk or not? If not, I'll go home. Don't say I didn't give you a chance."
"Look at you, someone invites you to dinner, and you won't go. I just can't understand you!"
Seeing that if he didn't speak now, he might miss the opportunity, Yang Meng muttered three words softly, "Tomatoes."
Yang Feng didn't hear him. "What are you talking about?"
Yang Meng repeated himself in the same low tone.
Yang Feng turned and walked away. This dragging and delaying was too much like a woman's behavior. He had a lot of work to do, and he didn't have time to waste here.
"Tomatoes."
Yang Meng shouted from behind, scaring both Yang Feng and Xia Tian.
Xia Tian tilted his head. "Brother Feng, I heard him shout 'tomatoes' just now. What does that mean?"
Even now, Yang Feng was confused. What was the meaning behind those words? It seemed like someone's mind had been disturbed.