Chapter 604: Chapter 23: Dropping the Ball at a Critical Moment (Part 2)
"This month we sold fifteen melons for fifteen thousand Heaven-defying Value points. Xiao Xian gets the lion’s share, ten thousand points, and I get the small share, five thousand points," Zhang Yiyi stood in the Spiritual Fruit Garden, cheerfully picking longans from the tree.
To make herself feel less guilty about taking the Heaven-defying Value points, Xiao Xian took responsibility for the early morning selection and scaffolding. The later stages were all handed over to Zhang Yiyi.
The longan tree that Yiyi was responsible for picking today is her newly developed business project—it gets tiresome eating apples and Hami melons every day.
Although there weren’t many longan trees in the Spiritual Fruit Garden, since longan trees grow tall and the fruit scatters far apart, those who plant longan trees would ask Zhang Yiyi for help with harvesting. It was agreed that after a day of picking, she could take some home.
Recently, Zhang Yiyi has gained some fame in the Spiritual Fruit Garden. She’s quick and efficient at picking fruits, so some intermediate students who grow tall fruit trees would have her help out.
All the longan fruits accessible from about a meter above the ground were picked. The nearby longan trees, which had matured over many years, could grow as tall as eight or nine meters. In past years, there were accidents with people falling while picking. But now, with Zhang Yiyi picking them, there was no fear of falling.
She looked up at the tree, estimating she would need to climb the trunk to reach the higher longans.
When others climb trees, they use both their hands and feet. They grab the trunk with their hands first, then clasp the tree with their legs, using their strength to hold on before moving their limbs one by one to climb up.
Zhang Yiyi saved effort, though. She simply gathered her hair behind her neck, placed her hands on the trunk, took a deep breath, and scaled up like a gecko.
After climbing up the trunk, Zhang Yiyi moved forward a few steps, blending in with the tree.
From below, the sound of an argument drifted up. Zhang Yiyi stopped her handiwork to look down. The dense foliage obscured her view, as well as the view of the people below.
"What’s going on, not a single melon seed has sprouted," a familiar female voice exclaimed, and Zhang Yiyi dug at her ear.
"You won’t grow Hami melons in Area B, so stop fussing. If you like them so much, I’ll buy you ten or eight. If they’re not available in Area B, I can buy them in Area A," said a male student, his tone filled with flattery, probably addressing his lover.
Whole Hami melons with seeds sounded like something only the wealthy could afford. Judging by the man’s tone, he was likely one of the advanced students from Area A.
"Eat, eat, eat. All you know is eating. Do you even have a brain? Would I, Xu Lan Ya, go to the trouble of planting just a few tasty melons?" the woman berated the man without mercy.
When Xu Lan Ya heard that Hami melons were being sold in Area B, she shrewdly planted them secretly in the Spiritual Fruit Garden. After waiting a month and digging them up, she found the seeds had rotted without sprouting a single shoot.
This was the case for several melons in a row. The Xu Family was adept at cultivating various flowers and plants, especial ones with unusual appearances or special effects, but they would never stoop to growing ordinary Hami melons that were fit for eating but not for use.
Xu Lan Ya had taken an interest in Hami melons because she knew the precise conditions required for their cultivation. Hami melons cannot be waterlogged; they must be planted in sandy soil.
At this time of year, even Xinjiang has few melons left to harvest. Just a few melons a week, yet the vines are fresh. Each melon’s texture is identical, such stable quality must result from a consistent environment and the best cultivation techniques.
"Why don’t you understand? These Hami melons are grown in Area C, you can even find sand on them. What did you tell me? Area C is only suitable for growing cattails and century plants. Now someone has managed to cultivate Hami melons, so it’s only a matter of time before they take over the greening project in Area C." Xu Lan Ya, with her keen mind, noticed sand on the melons and compared it with that from Area C. Upon comparison, she found the sand to be the same.
The last time Ye Heng went to great lengths using an airplane to sow seeds, days and months passed without any sign of where the seeds had been blown.
"Lan Ya, don’t be angry, they’re just a few melons. Besides, why do you insist on getting those ten thousand Heaven-defying Value points? Are those matters more important to you than I am?" Ye Heng questioned suspiciously.
"Brother Heng, look where you’re taking this. Am I not doing it for our future? Your strength is great, advanced students from the North Campus can bypass the preliminaries for the Cangqiong Palace selection in three years. I’m just trying to accumulate more Heaven-defying Value points to help you advance sooner," Xu Lan Ya adopted a vulnerable demeanor, nestling into Ye Heng’s embrace, her fingers tracing circles as she caressed him, "After all, if there really is such an outstanding new student, he might just stand out, and in the future, become your rival."
Heaven-defying Value points could be used for more than just daily expenses, they could also help with advancement? Zhang Yiyi was now paying close attention. She had seen mention of this in the freshman manual before but had not read it carefully. Xu Lan Ya? That seemed to be the person who caused trouble for Xiao Xian and Xuerou last time.
Zhang Yiyi, clinging to a branch, shifted uncomfortably.
"So that’s the deal. Oh, it’s so hard on you. Lan Ya, I blame myself for my poor background. If I were like Wang Shuai, with a powerful family backing me, I wouldn’t have to worry about these things. I’m sorry you have to sneak around with me. Don’t worry, I’ll go to Area C tomorrow to take a look. If we really find such an impressive new student, then we’ll just make him disappear in the depths of Area C’s desert." As soon as Ye Heng finished his sentence, his hands started to wander improperly.
The breathlessness that followed, coupled with the rustling of clothing being removed, made Yiyi curse internally, "A pair of dogs in heat," and she shifted slightly. But that shift caused a big problem—the longan tree emitted the sound of a breaking branch. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian () to cast your recommendation ticket, monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation.)