C9 Brothers

She was completely taken aback by how quickly the rice had sprouted in the field. The tender green shoots were thriving, and it was astonishing to see. From the moment she initiated the automatic planting process, only about 20 to 30 minutes had passed. It defied all logic, as she knew the typical germination process for rice.

Under normal conditions, rice seeds need to soak for 12-24 hours at 77-95°F, and then a hot water treatment at 100-104°F for 15-30 minutes can speed up germination, which usually takes 2-3 days to reach the standard. Typically, at 68-77°F, rice seeds take 5-7 days to sprout.

After a brief moment of confusion, she was overjoyed. With a 1,000 square-foot rice field, it seemed like they could harvest a crop in about a day. Did this mean her family would no longer have to eat the coarse grains they found hard to swallow, and could enjoy white rice at every meal?

She quickly dismissed the thought, remembering the elderly couple she had rescued from a fire on the farm. Their daughter had married well, and it was easy to learn about their family background. A word here and there, and the debt the Zong family owed the Qi family was declared invalid, with compensation awarded...

She knew she had to be cautious, leaving no trace and protecting the secret of the farm space.

As the evening work music played, signaling the end of the day, the villagers packed up to head home. Zong Qingshan, the village head, was usually the last to leave, but today he was anxious. "Hurry up, folks. Stack these up so we can continue tomorrow."

Everyone understood what had happened that day, and no one was about to criticize him at such a critical moment. As soon as the work was done, he almost sprinted home, completely forgetting to call out to his three sons waiting by the roadside.

Fortunately, the three sons were used to it. When they saw their father walking over, they quickly followed. Once the four of them got home, the first thing they did was check on their sister.

The four of them crowded at the door of Fulai's room, making the place seem small and cramped.

Zong Qingshan furrowed his brow slightly and turned to his sons, instructing, "One of you, hurry up and carry forty pounds of rice over to the Qi family. Make sure everyone sees it."

The second and third sons both looked at the eldest.

Zong Liming sighed. Being the eldest wasn’t always easy; when no one else in the family wanted to step up, it was his job.

"Dad, are we really giving them forty pounds of rice?" He felt a pang of reluctance at the thought. The family only managed to get about sixty pounds of rice a year.

That forty-pound bag of rice had been hard to come by, and they hadn’t even opened it for themselves yet. The incident with his sister helping in the rice field had been blown out of proportion by the Qi family, making it seem like they had done her a huge favor.

Zong Qingshan didn’t want to discuss it further. He was eager to see his daughter.

"Your sister agreed to it, and I approved. What’s the point of asking now?"

His father's reaction caught him off guard. Scratching his head awkwardly, he replied, "No, it’s nothing. Just feels like the Qi family is taking advantage."

Seeing his father getting impatient, he quickly added, "I’ll go get that forty-pound bag of rice and take it over."

"Alright, go on!" Zong Qingshan turned and walked into his daughter’s room, his expression instantly softening into one of warmth and joy. "Sweetheart, are you feeling better?"

Zong Fulai had already noticed her father and the others. As he entered the room, she obediently poured a glass of water and handed it to him. "Dad, have some water. Don’t worry, I’m all better now."

"Ha ha ha, that’s great! My daughter is so thoughtful, knowing her dad is thirsty and bringing him water." His pride and joy in his daughter were written all over his face.

Following behind, the second and third brothers exchanged glances, speechless. Their father often had them running around, fetching tea and water, without a word of thanks.

The second brother noticed the open window. "Fulai, why's this window open? You shouldn't be in a draft right now."

"I opened it while playing with Binbin. I'll close it now," Zong Fulai replied, ready to get out of bed and shut the window.

The third brother waved his hand dismissively. "It's just closing a window. Some people like to talk more than act."

"Don't listen to your third brother's nonsense," Zong Xuanming quickly interjected. "I'm just doing what's needed, not complaining about closing a window."

Zong Fulai chuckled, "Of course not. Both of you treat me well. Let me get you some water."

The second and third brothers grinned, about to accept, when Zong Qingshan shooed them away. "Alright, you two, that's enough. Don't hang around here and disturb Fulai's recovery."

"Take care, sis," the brothers said, leaving with their heads down. They had so much more to say, especially about that Ren Yuanbo matter.

Once they left, their father closed the door, and the room grew tense. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that both today's events and his daughter's behavior were quite unusual.

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