BYBOTE Chapter 22: Planting Melons Together

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After switching to a soft buckwheat pillow, Luo Fei finally felt that his neck no longer hurt when he slept at night.

He knew that his previous discomfort was more psychological than physical. After all, the original owner of this body had been using a wooden pillow for years, and his body should have been accustomed to it. But sometimes, psychological feelings outweighed physical ones. Once his mind felt at ease, everything else naturally felt better too.

With no more discomfort, Luo Fei had been in a bright and cheerful mood every day. As long as it wasn’t raining, he would wake up early, usually opening his eyes as soon as the rooster crowed. He would then start tidying up—folding the blanket, sweeping the kang bed, and gathering his changed clothes to put in a basin. After that, he would wash his face and prepare breakfast.

Xie Yanqing, however, always woke up even earlier than him. As soon as he got up and dressed, he would go out to fetch water, ensuring the kitchen's water jar was full before chopping firewood. He usually chopped enough wood for a day or two and stacked it neatly to the side.

As the days grew warmer, they no longer needed as much firewood as before since the rising temperatures kept the house naturally warm. Nowadays, after cooking, Luo Fei would avoid burning extra firewood, and the western room, which used to be heated every two days, was now only heated every three days.

On this particular day, Luo Fei decided to put his newly learned skills from Luo Ru to the test and steamed mantou (plain buns) and huajuan (twisted steamed buns) all by himself for the first time. Watching Xie Yanqing take a bite, he bit his chopsticks eagerly and asked, “How is it? How is it? Does it taste good?”

Xie Yanqing knew this little donkey had already sneaked a taste beforehand and only put them on the table after deciding they were good enough. Now, he was just fishing for compliments. So, Xie Yanqing furrowed his brows slightly and said, “Why does it taste like it didn’t rise properly? The dough seems too dense.”

“Huh?” Luo Fei was taken aback. “No way!” He took a bite himself and mumbled, “I think it tastes fine…” His expression looked particularly wounded.

“Tsk, I was just messing with you.” Xie Yanqing originally wanted to tease him a little longer, but seeing that his little donkey was about to turn into a pitiful puppy, he decided to stop. “Want to hear the truth?”

“Of course!” Luo Fei glared at him.

“This is the best steamed bread I’ve eaten since I came here.” Xie Yanqing took a big bite, then squeezed it lightly. “So soft, and it’s risen perfectly. And it was made by my dear wife, no less. Finally, I won’t have to suffer through eating rock-hard mantou anymore. I’m happy.”

“In that case, I’ll pack up the rest for later,” Luo Fei said, getting up. Today, they were going to the dry fields to water the soil in preparation for planting soybeans.

“Finish your meal first. We can deal with that later.” Xie Yanqing pulled him back down and even peeled an egg, placing it in Luo Fei’s hand.

“You eat it,” Luo Fei said. That morning, he had wanted to boil two eggs, but when he checked the basket, there was only one left. Since he had already boiled it, he hadn’t felt right about eating it himself. With the cold weather earlier, the hens had stopped laying much, making eggs quite valuable. This one had been bought by Xie Yanqing from someone in the village, part of a batch of only seven. They had been carefully rationing them.

“You should eat it. You’ve still got two more years to grow, and you need proper nutrition. Besides, with the weather warming up, eggs will be easier to buy. Whether I eat it today or later doesn’t matter.” Xie Yanqing placed the egg in Luo Fei’s bowl.

“Then… let’s split it.” Luo Fei broke the egg in half and handed the bigger piece to Xie Yanqing. “You don’t mind, right?” After all, it had been in his bowl.

“Of course not. How could I mind something from my dear wife?” Xie Yanqing took the smaller half from Luo Fei’s other hand and popped it straight into his mouth.

“You’re so shameless!” Luo Fei grumbled as he ate the bigger half, feeling both touched and slightly annoyed. This man was impossible—always finding ways to tease him!

Xie Yanqing finished his bowl of rice porridge and happily ate a large steamed bun. Luo Fei, who had a smaller appetite, took his time but still finished quickly.

After tidying up the table and washing the dishes, Luo Fei took off his apron and followed Xie Yanqing outside.

“I’ll carry two buckets. You go find a water ladle and bring a basket,” Xie Yanqing said in the courtyard. “We might need to bring something back.”

“Bring something back? Aren’t we just going to water the fields?” Luo Fei asked, confused. He knew they were preparing the soil for planting soybeans. Since the dry field was too parched, watering it before planting would help the seeds sprout. But right now, the field was still empty—what was there to bring back?

“You did such a good job steaming mantou and huajuan today, so I have a reward for you. But I can’t tell you what it is yet.” Xie Yanqing slung the carrying pole over his shoulder. “Let’s go.”

“On it!” Luo Fei quickly grabbed a basket and placed it beside Xie Yanqing. Then, he rushed inside, filled a container with water, and hurried back out. After they stepped out the door, Xie Yanqing locked it behind them. Luo Fei couldn’t contain his curiosity. “What’s the reward? Is it in the field?”

“I’m not telling you.” Xie Yanqing smirked. “But if you call me ‘dear husband,’ I might just tell you.”

“Keep dreaming! I don’t care that much anyway!” Luo Fei huffed, slinging the basket over his shoulder and striding forward with exaggerated indifference. His posture practically screamed, I’m rolling my eyes at you with my whole body!

Seeing his sulky little donkey act so stubborn, Xie Yanqing quickly caught up with him. Still, he didn’t reveal what the reward was.

The couple now owned six acres of land—four acres of paddy fields and two acres of dry land. Xie Yanqing had already planted corn in one acre of dry land, leaving four acres of paddy fields and one acre of dry land unplanted. Today, they were watering Luo Fei’s one acre of dry land.

Luo Fei’s field was quite far from Xie Yanqing’s, with one in the east and the other in the west of the village. Managing them separately wasn’t ideal, but at least their paddy fields were in the same area. Xie Yanqing planned to focus on the soybeans first before tackling the rice paddies. Their four acres of paddy fields weren’t in the best location, so his expectations for them weren’t high. However, he had already discussed with Luo Fei that they would use one acre for an experimental planting method this year.

Luo Fei wasn’t an expert in farming, so he figured it was best to follow Xie Yanqing’s lead. He trusted that Xie Yanqing had a solid plan. One acre of dry land would be used for intercropping corn and soybeans, while the other acre would be solely for soybeans. As for their backyard vegetable garden, they had already planted eggplants, cucumbers, leeks, green onions, potatoes, cabbage, and beans.

The variety of vegetables here was surprisingly decent—many of the crops they assumed would take years to be introduced were already available. While they didn’t have the same variety as in modern times, they at least had enough options to avoid eating the same thing every day.

If only they had more fruit.

Since getting married, Luo Fei had only eaten apples once and occasionally some dates. If things continued like this, he feared he would soon forget the taste of all the delicious fruits he used to enjoy.

Sometimes, he wished he had a cheat ability—like a mystical space or a magical spring—so he could at least feel a little special. But reality was harsh. He had nothing. Everything had to be earned through hard work.

Well, not everything. He did have Xie Yanqing.

Now that he thought about it, maybe his greatest cheat in this world was having such a capable “boss” at home. A boss who loved teasing him whenever possible.

What a life. At least this boss had some morals and wouldn’t actually take advantage of him. He just enjoyed playful banter.

As Luo Fei followed Xie Yanqing’s instructions and poured water into the field, he suddenly asked, “Qing-ge, do you think we could grow fruit to sell? There aren’t many fruit vendors around here.”

“There’s no cold storage, and fruit doesn’t keep well. Plus, the local market isn’t that reliable.” Xie Yanqing chuckled. “Are you craving fruit?”

“Yeah, aren’t you?” Luo Fei scooted closer and muttered, “Back in modern times, I ate fruit every day. I can’t get used to this.”

“I’m not picky about food. But don’t worry, if we keep working hard, we’ll have everything we want someday.” Xie Yanqing tucked a stray lock of hair behind Luo Fei’s ear. “Tired? Want to rest for a bit?”

“Nah, let’s finish up and head home. My clothes are sticking to me.”

“Alright, then pour the last bucket while I fetch another.”

“Wait, why? There’s only a small patch left—this should be enough.”

"Did you forget that I said I'd reward you?" Xi Yanqing chuckled and walked back to the riverbank.

Luo Fei originally thought that Xi Yanqing was going to catch two fish for him. But later, he realized that Xi Yanqing wasn’t fishing at all. After fetching water, Xi Yanqing poured it over a large patch of plants that Luo Fei couldn't name. These plants weren’t big, hadn't bloomed, and the tallest was only about the size of a palm. They were all growing by the roadside.

After watering them, Xi Yanqing began to dig them up.

"What are you doing?"

"This is called 'He Tian Tian.' Its scientific name is Solanum nigrum. It’s a type of small berry from the nightshade family. When ripe, it turns blackish-purple, tastes sweet, and can be eaten as a fruit or used as medicine. I plan to transplant them to our vegetable garden so that, once they ripen, you can snack on them instead of letting the birds eat them all."

T/N: Herb or short-lived perennial shrub, sometimes purple-green, hairy with glandular and simple, non-glandular hairs; prickles absent.

Xi Yanqing waited until the water had fully soaked in before using a shovel to dig out the Solanum nigrum plants, roots and all. He dug about twenty or thirty times and managed to collect over twenty plants. He knocked off the larger clumps of soil, leaving each with just enough dirt to keep moisture in—about the size of a fist—so they wouldn't dry out on the way home.

"How did you even know these were here?" Luo Fei asked. He had never eaten them before—not in his past life, nor in this one. The original owner of his body didn’t seem to know they were edible either.

"I saw them sprouting last time when I was tilling the land. But they were too small to transplant then, so I left them alone." Xi Yanqing placed the seedlings into a basket and picked it up. "Let's go."

"I'll carry it."

Now that Luo Fei knew these plants were meant for him, he found them even more endearing. He couldn't help but feel a sense of attachment. What kind of fruit would they eventually bear?

However, with the soil still attached, the plants were quite heavy. Xi Yanqing didn’t let Luo Fei carry them. But Luo Fei kept wanting to take a closer look because he felt like they were a special gift for him. In the end, Xi Yanqing let him touch them to his heart’s content once they reached their vegetable garden. He even personally planted them, teaching Luo Fei how to do it properly.

Luo Fei had never shown such keen interest in anything besides his embroidery kit. But now, he was completely absorbed. He personally planted each of the Solanum nigrum seedlings, and every morning, the first thing he did was water them—even before washing his face or using the restroom. These twenty-something seedlings became his treasured little darlings.

Xi Yanqing watched this unfold and almost got jealous. If only all that attention was directed at me!

Had it not been for the increasing workload as the weather warmed, Xi Yanqing might have sat Luo Fei down and asked, "When exactly are you going to fall for me?" But with so much work, he barely had time. He woke up before dawn and went to bed late at night, often falling asleep before they could even exchange a few words.

He alternated between cursing Luo Fei as a stubborn little donkey and sulking over his own predicament. But he failed to realize that sometimes, love begins with 'loving what they love.

After finishing planting the dry fields, they still had to tend to the paddy fields. Luo Fei had declared early on that he would never work in places with leeches—not even if his life depended on it. So, all the work in the paddy fields fell on Xi Yanqing. Luo Fei was only responsible for delivering lunch at noon; the rest of the time, Xi Yanqing was in the fields alone.

In this area, they hadn’t yet adopted the method of dry nursery cultivation and sparse planting—they simply broadcasted the seeds directly into the fields, which resulted in very low yields. Xi Yanqing thought about it and decided to plant three acres using the traditional method while setting aside one acre as an experimental field.

Even without a greenhouse, he still wanted to try raising seedlings in dry soil before transplanting them into the paddy field. This way, he could control the spacing between the seedlings, ensuring they received adequate sunlight, reducing the chances of disease and pests, and optimizing nutrient distribution in the soil. Ideally, this would lead to larger and healthier rice panicles, ultimately increasing the yield.

Of course, this was still just a hypothesis. Crop yield also depended on the quality of the seeds and the climate.

"AHHHHHHHH!!"

"What happened?!"

Xi Yanqing was checking on his rice seedlings when he suddenly heard Luo Fei screaming at the top of his lungs. Alarmed, he dropped everything and ran over.

"They sprouted! They sprouted!"

Luo Fei was ecstatic, pointing at the tiny watermelon seedlings that Xi Yanqing had somehow acquired and planted for him. He was circling around the seedlings like an eager little cat eyeing a fish.

"Look, look! Aren't they adorable?!"

"You scared me half to death just for this?" Xi Yanqing sighed in exasperation. "If you get this excited over sprouts, what are you going to do when you see actual watermelons?"

"Hey! You deal with plants all the time, of course you don't think it's a big deal. But this is my first time nurturing something from seed!"

Although his ultimate goal was to eat them, the process of growing them was incredibly satisfying. There was something indescribably fulfilling about watching a tiny seed sprout and anticipating its future growth.

"As long as you're happy." Xi Yanqing draped an arm over Luo Fei’s shoulders, sighing. "But while you're fussing over these plants, could you spare a thought for your poor, suffering admirer?"

"How do I do that?"

Luo Fei didn't immediately dodge the question this time.

"What do you think?"

"I don't know." Luo Fei grinned and walked away. But he didn’t walk fast—as if waiting for someone to catch up.

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