The corner of Adrian Hawthorne’s mouth lifted imperceptibly, and he silently walked away. Though Jim Thorne’s words were harsh, the big oaf had spoken what was on Adrian’s mind. He was strong, but sometimes, he got tired too.

’If only Rosalind Green were half as tough as Phoebe Huxley, perhaps his life would be much easier.’

"Kenneth..."

Rosalind Green looked at her son, her eyes blurry with tears, hoping for a few words of comfort.

Adrian Hawthorne looked at her with a complicated expression. "I’m going to do some hoeing."

This made Rosalind Green cry even more sorrowfully. ’My son despises me now, too. I really am useless. I can’t do anything right.’

"Still crying... So annoying! I’m going to go hoe too!"

Jim Thorne was furious. He decided to just go work with Adrian Hawthorne since the sound of all the sniffling and crying was getting on his nerves. He quickened his pace to walk alongside Adrian Hawthorne, only to suddenly realize the other guy was now noticeably taller than him, which soured his mood even further.

’I’ll have to eat an extra bowl of rice tonight. A horse can’t get fat without its nightly fodder. If I eat more at night, I’ll grow taller. A real man has to be big and burly to be impressive, and I’ll definitely be more impressive than Adrian Hawthorne.’

"Where are you off to hoe?" Jim Thorne asked, just to make conversation.

"Next to that plot from last time."

"What’re you planting?"

"Soybeans." 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"Are you an idiot? Planting soybeans on land that fertile? You planning on just eating the leaves?"

Jim Thorne grabbed Adrian Hawthorne and pulled him in another direction, toward the patch of wasteland Adrian had cleared earlier. The bamboo rhizomes had already been removed and were piled to one side to dry. Adrian hadn’t yet decided what to plant, as it wasn’t the right season for corn or sweet potatoes.

"Soybeans need poor soil. Plant a few rotations of soybeans, and the soil will get fertile. After you harvest the beans, you can plant corn. You could even plant some August beans. You can get two harvests a year, which will be enough for you all to eat."

When it came to farm work, Jim Thorne knew it like the back of his hand. All the kids from the countryside knew this stuff. Even the normally shiftless Goldie Thorne wasn’t a bad farmer—he was just too lazy to do the work. When he actually got serious, he was quite capable.

Adrian Hawthorne listened attentively. ’He really didn’t understand any of this. He’d assumed all crops needed fertile soil; he never would have guessed that soybeans, in fact, preferred poor soil. It just goes to show how different fields are worlds apart. Every trade has its own secrets.’

Tang Xiaonan saw her third brother and Adrian Hawthorne working together harmoniously from a distance and breathed a sigh of relief. ’As long as they weren’t fighting, everything was fine.’ She glanced over at Rosalind Green, who was still sobbing, and couldn’t help but sigh. ’That beautiful woman sure knows how to cry.’

"Aunt Green, my third brother just says whatever comes to his mind. Please don’t be angry with him."

"It’s my fault... I’m so useless... But I’m really scared... Everyone here is so fierce..."

Rosalind Green cried even more sorrowfully, covering her face as she retreated into her room. Tang Xiaonan had no choice but to follow. ’Her third brother started this mess,’ she thought, ’so I should at least offer a few words of comfort.’

Tang Xiaonan expected to find Rosalind Green sobbing in her room, but in reality, she was washing her face. She was using the highest-grade scented soap available, making herself smell lovely. After drying her face and hands, she meticulously applied pearl cream, spreading it slowly until every inch of her skin was covered. Then she combed her hair in front of the mirror. ’Crying is one thing, but one’s hairstyle must never be messy.’ Tang Xiaonan felt a wave of exasperation and quietly left.

’The woman didn’t need comforting at all. Her husband was a big shot, and her son was one too. A beauty like Rosalind Green truly only needed to be in charge of looking gorgeous. What was I even worrying about for nothing!’

"Tang Xiaonan, time to head home! It’s about to rain!"

Jim Thorne shouted from outside. The sky had turned gloomy. The weather had been favorable this year. The first lunar month had been full of clear skies perfect for celebrations, and as soon as the spring planting began, intermittent rains had followed. The harvest was sure to be a good one.

Adrian Hawthorne had also finished his work for the day. ’After it rains, I’ll plant the soybeans tomorrow,’ he thought. ’That’ll save me the trouble of watering them. In a little while, I’ll burn those bamboo rhizomes into ash. A handful of ash in each planting hole for fertilizer, and it won’t need anything else.’ That’s what Jim Thorne had just taught him.