Chapter 20: Setting up a small plot of land

Later that night, Lin Feng shared his conversation with the elders with his most trusted confidant, Housekeeper Yang, and asked for the latter’s assistance in navigating the internet. He made the excuse that he was not very good at using it.

Housekeeper Yang naturally did not believe this reason.

He assumed that the real reason was that the young master was afraid of being reminded of the scandal that had erupted online some time ago.

Thus, Housekeeper Yang straightened his back and gave a slight bow after hearing Lin Feng’s request.

"Young master Lin Feng, if you trust me, I can help you narrow down your options."

Lin Feng’s eyes brightened as he smiled happily. "That would be helpful."

The pair, one elder and one youngster, then went to the study and turned on the computer.

In this regard, Housekeeper Yang was unexpectedly quite the techie. He knew exactly how to navigate to Peking University’s official website and even opened an online question-and-answer service where they could enter the conditions they were looking for.

"Young master, what kind of plants do you intend to focus on?" Housekeeper Yang asked. "Or rather, do you want to specialize in one particular type of plant, or would you prefer to gain a general understanding of different kinds of plants?"

Lin Feng thought about it.

"Actually, I don’t want to focus only on flowers, even though I do like them the most." He paused before adding somewhat shyly, "I believe every plant has its own appeal. I also quite like growing cabbages and other herbs."

Housekeeper Yang nodded and entered the information into the chat box.

"Regarding the amount of effort involved, do you prefer to be completely hands-on and closely manage your farm or garden? Or would you rather minimize the amount of labor required and focus on creating a more self-sustaining ecosystem?"

Lin Feng answered this one quite easily. He was not exactly the hardworking type. If he had a choice, he would naturally prefer something that didn’t require too much effort.

"I would prefer something that requires less work."

Housekeeper Yang nodded again and continued asking a few more questions.

Lin Feng answered each one honestly.

What kind of plants did he want to grow? How much did he care about agriculture? Did he prefer intensive cultivation or a more natural approach? Was he interested in environmental management and sustainable development?

After entering all the information, they finally managed to narrow down the choices to a single major at Peking University.

It was the ecology major under the College of Urban and Environmental Sciences.

....

....

The next day, after Lin Feng ate his breakfast leisurely, he went up to Housekeeper Yang with an expectant look on his face.

They had promised to both go check out a plot of land in the farmstead for Lin Feng to practice his hands on.

Lin Feng, who had been Madam Lin in his previous life, had always been someone who took every responsibility seriously. Now that he had chosen a career path that would likely shape the course of his life from this day onward, he naturally wanted to do his best.

That was why Lin Feng asked Housekeeping Yang if there was a small plot of land where he could freely experiment with growing different plants.

It was early spring in Beigou Village. The winter chill had only just begun to fade, and the bare branches around the village were slowly showing hints of green leaves. The mountain air was crisp and clean, carrying with it the faint scent of damp earth.

Lin Feng walked alongside Housekeeper Yang, inhaling deeply the fresh morning air. It was the scent of land that was stirring awake after the long winter.

Soon, both of the elder and the youth stood in front of an empty plot of land near a small, cottage-style cabin.

"From here," Housekeeper Yang gestured at the cottage style cabin on the left, then spread out his arm and pointed to the wall at the distance, "To there, it’s all yours, young master."

Lin Feng put a hand to cover his mouth and chuckled, his eyes curving up gently in amusement. "Uncle Yang, you sounded like the protagonist from the show we watched the other day."

Before getting to know Housekeeping Yang, Lin Feng had been somewhat cautious in his interactions with the capable and serious-looking housekeeper. However, it did not take long for him to realize that beneath Uncle Yang’s stern appearance was genuine goodwill.

As they spent more time together, Lin Feng discovered that Uncle Yang was not nearly as serious as he appeared. In fact, he had a rather subtle sense of humor—often saying amusing things while maintaining the same straight face, as though he had said nothing unusual at all.

Those little moments gradually made their everyday life together more lively and warm.

Lin Feng had always longed for familial warmth and companionship, and this simple, sincere bond put his heart at ease.

He did not have to worry about making a great effort to befriend someone. He did not have to constantly think of ways to make himself appear more pleasing or approachable. With Uncle Yang, everything came naturally.

Perhaps it was precisely because of Housekeeping Yang’s companionship during those days that Lin Feng had been able to gradually step out of the gloom of his past.

"So after plowing to loosen the soil, I must remove all the weeds?" Lin Feng hesitantly looked at the large area that Housekeeper Yang had indicated earlier.

Housekeeper Yang sensed his hesitation. "Don’t worry, young master. We have tools and machines that can help make the work easier. It will still be quite tiring, but I believe the gardeners will be glad to help."

He planned to add a bonus for anyone who would help the young master with fieldwork.

Lin Feng was still a little worried. "But wouldn’t it be better if I did it myself? After all, I’m trying to learn."

"It’s because you’re still only learning in your free time that you should enjoy the process more, young master. As long as you understand how things work, then you don’t need to feel worried about the heavy labor part."

’Because you are the young master, not a farmer relying on farming for a living,’ Housekeeper Yang inwardly added.

If he was a villager who wanted to rely on this for a living, Housekeeper Yang wouldn’t say this.

But he knew the young master’s real identity, and such a precious person would never starve or lack food in the future.

Even the major they had painstakingly looked for was so that the young master would be able to live a carefree and idyllic life.

As expected, Lin Feng did not refuse any further. He did not like heavy labor, and he was used to planning and doing the light work while leaving the tiresome parts to the servants and managers.

His goal was to be able to study his major well, so he would not be too clueless when he attended university in the next school year.

Next, they planned what to plant on the plot of land. Lin Feng’s eyes were shining.

"I want to learn how to plant ready-to-grow and fast-growing vegetables first. I want to try lettuce, cabbage, basil, onions, garlic, tomatoes, potatoes..."

Housekeeper Yang was initially nodding along, but later, the list became a bit farther from the fast-growing types.

Still, he did not stop the boy from continuing.

Seeing the boy count on his fingers while racking his brain, with his eyes glowing in excitement and the corners of his mouth curving up, Housekeeper Yang just wanted to indulge the boy.

Soon, Lin Feng began to realize that he might be overdoing it and going beyond what he could do.

Sheepishly, he said, "Well, it seems that I added too much, and some might not be easy to plant after all..."

"It is true that some may not be very easy to plant or may not grow up fast, but we can definitely try planting them. We have a lot of space to experiment with."

"But wouldn’t it be bad if they wilted? What if I don’t plant them well?" Lin Feng was still hesitant.

"Young master, isn’t it precisely because you’re still learning that it’s normal to fail a few times? When we study, sometimes we get something wrong and fail, but we learn best from failures too. So don’t worry about failing, because you will learn from it."

As he listened, the worries and hesitation in Lin Feng’s eyes faded.

Housekeeper Yang was right. No one does it perfectly the first time.

Lin Feng was studying now, so even if he failed, it would not be too embarrassing, compared to going to class without any preparation and failing in front of everyone.

Regaining his courage, Lin Feng cheered himself up. "That’s right. Isn’t it precisely because I’m studying that I’m allowed to fail? Why am I being scared? There’s nothing scary at all."

Housekeeper Yang could not help but show a small smile.

Realizing his gaffe, Lin Feng flushed, but in the end, he also could not help but smile foolishly like a silly child.

There was something comforting about having someone around—someone who did not demand anything from him, yet quietly filled the otherwise empty days with a sense of warmth and familiarity.