Rebirth of Bloody Romance

After arranging a cozy accommodation and gently putting down the fully loaded luggage, Zhong Yuemin turned to Zhou Xiaobai with a sly smile on his face, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Wife, let's go for a walk in the fields and feel the breath of nature."

Zhou Xiaobai smiled gently upon hearing this, but responded with some concern, "Yuemin, you just sat on the train all night, you are exhausted, why don't you take a rest first and get enough rest?"

Zhong Yuemin chuckled and patted his solid chest. "You've experienced your husband's body before. How can sitting on the train all night be a big deal? Your teacher is as strong as a bull. Sitting on the train all night is a piece of cake for me!" There was a hint of mischief and confidence in his words.

Zhou Xiaobai's cheeks turned slightly red and she spat lightly. "Hate it! I'm talking to you about serious matters!" Although her voice was soft, it was filled with a hint of coquettishness.

Zhong Yuemin walked forward with a smile and gently put his arms around her waist. "Wife, do you miss your husband?" His eyes were as gentle as water, as if they could melt everything.

Zhou Xiaobai lowered her head, her voice as soft as a mosquito, but it was clearly heard by Zhong Yuemin. "I thought about it." There was a hint of shyness and sweetness in her voice.

Zhong Yuemin smiled and teased, "Wife, what did you say? I didn't hear you clearly." He teased her deliberately, enjoying this rare warmth and sweetness.

"You bad guy! You only know how to bully me." Zhou Xiaobai pounded his chest coquettishly, but a happy smile was on her face.

Zhong Yuemin grabbed her hand, his tone gentle but firm. "Wife, do you want me to bully you?" His eyes were full of doting and love.

Zhou Xiaobai struggled slightly, but her hands were tightly held, so she could only say helplessly and shyly, "Yuemin, can you please not be like this? It will be so embarrassing if the children and mom come and see us like this."

Zhong Yuemin smiled even more when he heard that, but he knew when to stop, so he gently scratched her nose and said softly, "Okay, okay, I won't tease you anymore. Let's go for a walk in the fields and breathe some fresh air. But, it's night, hehe, you have to make it up to me."

When Zhou Xiaobai heard this, her cheeks turned red, but her heart was filled with sweetness. She nodded gently, and the two smiled at each other, then walked out of the house hand in hand.

When Xiao Shihua saw Zhong Yuemin and Zhou Xiaobai, she immediately ran over like a happy little bird, shouting as she ran, "Dad, Mom, where are you going? Take me and my brother with you!"

Xiao Shihua's voice was clear and pleasant, attracting Xiao Haichen and Chen Yijun in the room to curiously stick their heads out.

When Xiao Haichen saw his parents were going out, his eyes lit up immediately, and he ran out, shouting in a baby voice, "Mom, I want to go too! I want to be with Mom and Dad!"

Zhou Xiaobai squatted down, gently stroked Xiao Haichen's head, and patiently explained, "Mom will take Dad to the fields to have a look. Dad will teach the farmers how to grow garlic. You, grandma, and sister stay at home and wait for Mom to come back and bring you some delicious food, okay?"

"No, I want to go too!" Xiao Haichen shook his head stubbornly, with dissatisfaction written all over his little face.

Xiao Shihua also joined the "protest", pouting and coquettishly saying, "Mom, I want to go too. I want to see how garlic is grown, and I want to play with mom and dad."

Zhou Xiaobai wanted to persuade them a little more, but was interrupted by Zhong Yuemin. He looked at the two children with a smile and said cheerfully, "Then let's go together! Let the two little guys see the hard work of farmers, and maybe let them experience the fun of farming."

Zhou Xiaobai glared at him in dissatisfaction and muttered quietly, "How old are your daughter and son? Are you willing to let them suffer?"

Zhong Yuemin laughed and patted his chest to assure them, "Don't worry, I'm here! I will take good care of them. Moreover, this is also a rare educational opportunity, so that they will know how to cherish food and understand the meaning of labor from an early age."

As he spoke, Zhong Yuemin picked up little Haichen and held little Shihua's hand, and the family walked happily towards the fields. Zhou Xiaobai and Chen Yijun shook their heads helplessly, but followed.

Zhou Xiaobai led Zhong Yuemin into the vast farmland, and what unfolded before their eyes was a simple and ancient farming picture.

In this season, the fields are golden, but the farming methods seem quite primitive. The old oxen slowly pull the plow, turning deep furrows in the soil, and in the distance, you can occasionally glimpse a hand tractor, puffing smoke and driving hard on the ridge of the field, which is a rare symbol of "modernization" on this land.

Looking at this scene, Zhong Yuemin couldn't help but sigh, frowning slightly, with a bit of worry in his eyes.

Zhou Xiaobai noticed his emotions and asked curiously, "Yuemin, why are you sighing? Do you think this place is different from what you imagined?"

Zhong Yuemin shook his head and said with emotion, "This production equipment is still too backward. It relies entirely on human and animal power, and the efficiency is too low. Look, how long will it take to cultivate such a large piece of land?"

Zhou Xiaobai smiled bitterly. She knew the hardship involved and said softly, "There's nothing we can do about it. Most of the rural areas nowadays are like this. The degree of mechanization is low, the technology is backward, and we can only rely on traditional methods to farm."

"When I went to work in the countryside, I also farmed here. After so many years, there hasn't been much change, except for the addition of walk-behind tractors."

“It’s not something that can’t be helped.”

"After all, it's because we're too poor." There was a hint of helplessness in Zhong Yuemin's words. He knew very well that financial constraints were the root cause of all this.

Zhou Xiaobai sighed upon hearing this, with a hint of determination in his eyes. "That's right! That's why I want to make a change. Although the power is small, someone has to stand up and try to do something. Even if it's just a little progress, it's good."

Zhong Yuemin held Zhou Xiaobai's hand tightly, his eyes full of support and encouragement. "Xiaobai, you are right. Let's work together to bring changes to this land."

The two smiled at each other, and Zhou Xiaobai's heart was filled with longing and hope for the future. She seemed to see new vitality and vigor quietly brewing on this ancient farmland.

Zhou Xiaobai led Zhong Yuemin and his group to a field where garlic was being planted. The sun shone on the soil, creating a golden glow, and the air was filled with the unique fresh scent of soil and garlic.

Zhou Xiaobai smiled and greeted a farmer who was working. "Fellow farmer, how much garlic have you planted?"

The farmer looked up and shouted in surprise, "Hey, County Magistrate Zhou, you're here!"

Zhong Yuemin carefully observed the planted garlic, frowned slightly, and then said to the farmer, "Brother, you planted the garlic too densely. In the later stage, the size of the garlic will be affected. If the size is small, the price will not go up. If the price is not good, your income will be reduced. Brother, do you think I am right?"

When the farmer heard this, he was a little stunned. He scratched his head and said honestly, "I, I see that others grow crops this way."

Seeing this, Zhou Xiaobai smiled and introduced the farmer. "Fellow villager, this guy is not an ordinary person. He is a professor at Yenching University and has in-depth research on economics and agricultural planting."

When the farmer heard this, he was at a loss. He quickly wiped the dirt off his hands, took out a cigarette from his pocket and handed it to Zhong Yuemin. "Professor, please smoke."

Zhong Yuemin glanced at Zhou Xiaobai, a smile appeared on his lips, and he took the cigarette handed to him by the farmer brother and said kindly, "Brother, don't listen to her nonsense. I was also a farmer. I joined the production team and worked as a farmer for many years. We are all family, don't be polite."

When the farmer heard what Zhong Yuemin said, he immediately relaxed a lot and said sincerely, "Professor, I listen to you. Please teach me how to plant garlic so that it grows well and sells at a good price."

Zhong Yuemin nodded. "In this way, plant each garlic plant about seven or eight centimeters tall..." Zhong Yuemin patiently explained to the farmer the techniques and precautions of garlic planting, and gave detailed guidance on everything from seed selection, fertilization, watering, covering with plastic film, to disease and pest control.

The farmer listened with great interest, nodded from time to time, his face filled with the joy of gaining knowledge.

Zhou Xiaobai watched this scene and quickly took out paper and pen to record it, preparing to promote it throughout the county.

Zhong Yuemin looked at Xiao Shihua and Xiao Haichen on the side, smiled, and asked softly, "Daughter and son, do you two want to give it a try?" His voice was full of encouragement and guidance.

When Xiao Shihua heard this, her eyes suddenly sparkled with excitement, and she was eager to try. "Dad, can I plant it?" Her voice was full of anticipation and desire.

Xiao Haichen was not to be outdone, and immediately said, "And me, I want to try it too."

Zhong Yuemin looked at them. "Of course." His words were brief and powerful, full of trust and support for the children.

When Xiao Shihua and Xiao Haichen heard what Zhong Yuemin said, they couldn't wait to run to the fields and started planting garlic. Although their little hands were clumsy, they were extremely serious, as if they were carrying out a sacred mission.

After a while, Zhong Yuemin came over to check their results. He squatted down and looked carefully at the garlic they planted. "Girl, son, you two stop for a moment."

When Xiao Shihua and Xiao Haichen heard what their father said, they stopped what they were doing and looked up at him curiously. "Wow! Daddy is so tired! What does he want us to do?" Xiao Shihua said coquettishly, her voice carrying a bit of childishness and fatigue.

Yuemin smiled and touched Xiao Shihua and Xiao Haichen's heads. There was still some dirt on their hair, which made them look particularly cute.

Zhong Yuemin said gently, "Look, the garlic you planted is so neat! But remember, planting garlic requires not only neatness, but also skills. For example, the planting depth of garlic should be moderate, not too shallow or too deep. The distance between plants should also be well controlled, not too sparse or too dense. Only in this way can the garlic grow big and good."

Xiao Shihua and Xiao Haichen listened to Zhong Yuemin's teachings and nodded seriously. However, at this moment, Zhong Yuemin changed the subject and said to Xiao Haichen, "And Xiao Haichen, I want to criticize you."

When Xiao Haichen heard this, he was stunned. He almost shouted, his voice full of grievance. "Why?"

Zhong Yuemin pointed at the garlic he planted and said seriously, "Why? Look at the garlic you planted, many of them are upside down. Do you think they can sprout and grow?"

Xiao Haichen looked down at the garlic he had planted and found that some of the garlic heads were buried in the soil. He pouted his lips in grievance and asked in confusion, "Why can't they grow?"

Zhong Yuemin squatted down and explained patiently, "What if I asked you to lie upside down every day? Do you think it's okay?"

Xiao Haichen thought about it and shook his head. "I, I, I... Of course I can't do that. It would be very uncomfortable."

"Yes, it's the same with garlic," Zhong Yuemin said with a smile. "They also need to be oriented correctly to thrive. So, next time you plant garlic, remember to plant it with the head facing up."

Xiao Haichen listened to his father's words, nodded, and then seriously corrected the mistakes he made in planting. Seeing the children's serious and focused appearance, Zhong Yuemin and Zhou Xiaobai smiled at each other, their hearts filled with relief and joy.

In the evening, the afterglow of the setting sun filled Jinqiu County, covering this quiet town with a golden coat. Li Wenbo and Yu Guodong finally arrived here, with some fatigue from the journey on their faces, but more of anticipation for what was to come.

Zhong Yuemin saw them and said with a teasing smile, "Hey! I thought you guys wouldn't come until tomorrow! Are you confused by the sugar-coated bullets and don't want to leave?"

Li Wenbo smiled bitterly and explained, "Mr. Zhong, please don't joke. The comrades in the city were so enthusiastic that they talked to us for a long time. What a pity! There are no good projects."

Yu Guodong also took over the conversation. "Mr. Zhong, you don't know, we heard that there would be more people coming from the province, so we hurried over here. We were afraid that we would delay Mrs. Zhong's business."

Zhou Xiaobai was listening on the side and interrupted with a smile, "You came at the right time. Our Jinqiu County Government will treat you to dinner tonight. It's a welcome treat for you."

Upon hearing this, Li Wenbo and Yu Guodong quickly stood up and replied, "Mrs. Zhong, you are too polite. If you have anything to ask, just tell me. There is no need to have a meal. We are here to serve you, not to have a meal."

Zhou Xiaobai looked at Zhong Yuemin with a questioning look in her eyes. She knew that if she didn't go, she would have a hard time explaining herself!

Seeing this, Zhong Yuemin laughed and teased, "You two don't look down on Jinqiu County, do you? You don't even want to eat. Don't worry! Although Jinqiu County is poor, we can still afford a meal."

After hearing what Zhong Yuemin said, Li Wenbo and Yu Guodong smiled at each other and finally stopped refusing and readily agreed to the evening banquet. They knew that this was not just a matter of a meal, but also a show of support and respect for Zhou Xiaobai.