Chapter 44 - Forty-Two: The Farm That Became Too Small

Chapter 44: Chapter Forty-Two: The Farm That Became Too Small

Lin Yue had made one mistake.

She had believed that defeating the Hollow would give her a few peaceful days.

She was wrong.

It took exactly three days.

On the fourth morning, someone knocked on her bedroom door.

"Lady Lin!"

Lin Yue opened one eye.

"No."

The person outside froze.

"I haven’t said anything yet."

"You’re going to tell me something needs fixing."

A pause.

"Yes."

Lin Yue pulled the blanket over her head.

"Tell it to someone else."

"But Lady Lin—"

"I’m sleeping."

"It’s nearly sunrise."

"Exactly."

Another knock.

Then another.

Finally, the door opened.

Her grandmother walked in.

"Get up."

Lin Yue immediately sat up.

"Yes, Grandmother."

Her grandmother smiled.

"Good girl."

The Problem

By breakfast, Lin Yue discovered the problem.

There were too many people.

Too many crops.

Too many animals.

Too many orders.

Too many visitors.

And far too many ideas.

Her father placed a ledger on the table.

"Three merchants arrived yesterday."

Her stepmother, Madam Zhao, placed another beside it.

"Four families want to move into the valley."

Her grandmother added a third.

"Six people asked whether we could sell your pickled vegetables."

Shen Rui placed a fourth ledger down.

"Two engineers want access to your workshop."

Lin Yue stared.

"Why?"

Shen Rui answered calmly.

"Because they heard you built a water filtration system."

"I did."

"They want to improve it."

"That is reasonable."

"They also heard you have interworld seeds."

Lin Yue’s expression changed.

"Ah."

Her father nodded.

"And now everyone wants to know what we’re growing."

Lin Yue slowly put down her spoon.

"This is going to become a problem."

Grandmother took a bite of porridge.

"It already is."

The Meeting

By midmorning, the family gathered around the large table.

Lin Yue drew a map.

The valley.

The farm.

The workshops.

The orchards.

The Memory Vault.

The school.

The new gardens.

The World-Tree.

And the World Road.

Then she drew another circle.

"What is that?" Shen Rui asked.

"The future agricultural district."

Her father stared.

"You’re expanding?"

"Yes."

"How much?"

Lin Yue pointed.

"Three times the current farmland."

Everyone became silent.

Her mother asked carefully:

"Do we have enough workers?"

"No."

"Enough water?"

"Not yet."

"Enough storage?"

"No."

"Enough money?"

Lin Yue paused.

"Technically..."

Everyone leaned forward.

"...yes."

Grandmother narrowed her eyes.

"That means no."

Lin Yue smiled.

"That means we need a better plan."

The New Farm

The expansion began with something Lin Yue considered more important than crops.

Water.

She refused to expand farmland until irrigation was secured.

New wells were dug.

Rainwater collection systems were built.

Reservoirs were constructed.

Channels were lined with stone.

Simple filters were installed.

Wastewater was separated from drinking water.

The villagers complained.

"Why so many rules?"

Lin Yue pointed toward the wells.

"Because clean water keeps people alive."

Nobody argued after that.

The Sanitation Lesson

Lin Yue also redesigned the village sanitation system.

Separate waste collection.

Composting.

Animal waste treatment.

Greywater drainage.

Protected wells.

Handwashing stations.

Food storage rules.

Kitchen cleanliness.

It wasn’t glamorous.

Nobody sang songs about drainage channels.

But within months—

illnesses decreased.

Children became healthier.

Workers missed fewer days.

The farmers had more energy.

Her grandmother quietly admitted:

"Your strange obsession with toilets seems to be useful."

Lin Yue nearly choked.

"Grandmother!"

"What?"

"You could say sanitation."

"Why use ten words when one is enough?"

The Agricultural School

The school also expanded.

Lin Yue refused to make herself the only teacher.

Instead, she created departments.

Soil and CropsAnimal HusbandryWater ManagementForestryFood PreservationHerbal KnowledgeTool RepairAccountingBasic EngineeringPrintingHousehold Management

Children could learn practical skills alongside reading and mathematics.

Adults could attend evening classes.

Farmers taught farmers.

Craftsmen taught apprentices.

Healers taught herbal knowledge.

Engineers taught machine repair.

Lin Yue taught environmental systems.

Shen Rui taught engineering fundamentals.

At first, the children complained.

Then they discovered they could build things.

After that—

nobody wanted to leave.

Shen Rui’s Classroom

Shen Rui’s first lesson was simple.

He placed a broken cart wheel on the table.

"What is wrong with it?"

A child raised her hand.

"It’s broken."

Shen Rui shook his head.

"That’s what it looks like."

The children stared.

He pointed toward the wheel.

"Find the actual problem."

They examined it.

One child noticed the axle.

Another noticed a crack.

Another noticed the uneven wood.

Shen Rui smiled.

"Good."

Lin Yue watched from the doorway.

He caught her looking.

"Do you have something to say?"

"No."

"You’re smiling."

"I am?"

"Yes."

"Maybe I like watching you teach."

His ears turned slightly red.

The children immediately noticed.

"Ooooooh!"

Shen Rui cleared his throat.

"Back to the wheel."

Lin Yue quietly escaped.

She was smiling all the way down the corridor.

The New Market

With production increasing, Lin Yue created a market.

Not a simple village market.

A structured agricultural exchange.

Farmers could sell:

Grain.

Vegetables.

Fruit.

Eggs.

Milk.

Honey.

Herbs.

Seeds.

Preserved foods.

Tools.

Textiles.

Furniture.

Printed books.

And eventually—

specialty crops from other worlds.

But Lin Yue established one rule.

"No monopolies."

A merchant frowned.

"Why?"

"Because if one person controls all the grain, everyone else becomes dependent."

Another merchant asked:

"What if we simply offer the best price?"

"Then others will have to compete."

"Isn’t that good?"

"Yes."

"But what if we become too successful?"

Lin Yue smiled.

"Then someone else should be allowed to compete with you."

The merchants stared.

They had never heard a businesswoman say that before.

The Seed House

The most important building was not the market.

It was the seed house.

Lin Yue created a carefully controlled seed bank.

Every variety received a record.

Origin.

Growing conditions.

Harvest season.

Water requirements.

Soil requirements.

Disease resistance.

Yield.

Storage method.

And most importantly—

multiple copies.

Seeds were distributed among several locations.

No single disaster could destroy them all.

Lin Yue stood inside the cool storage room.

Shen Rui looked at the shelves.

"How many varieties?"

"Hundreds."

He raised an eyebrow.

"And you remember all of them?"

"Most."

"That’s impossible."

She smiled.

"I read a lot."

"A lot?"

"Thousands of books."

He laughed.

"Of course."

The Book Problem

Unfortunately, Lin Yue’s love of books created another problem.

The library was overflowing.

One morning, her father opened the door.

Books fell on him.

He disappeared beneath them.

"Lin Yue!"

She rushed over.

"Are you all right?"

A hand emerged from the pile.

"No."

She pulled him out.

"How did this happen?"

He pointed toward the shelves.

"You ordered another shipment."

Lin Yue looked embarrassed.

"I needed those."

"You already have twelve books about irrigation."

"These are different."

"How?"

"One is about traditional irrigation."

"And?"

"Another is about hydraulic systems."

"And?"

"Another is about ancient canals."

"And?"

"One is beautifully illustrated."

Her father stared.

Lin Yue smiled.

"Important."

He sighed.

The Printing House

To solve the problem, Lin Yue expanded the printing house.

Instead of importing every book—

they would produce their own manuals.

Agriculture.

Engineering.

Medicine.

Accounting.

Construction.

Food preservation.

Animal care.

Forestry.

Navigation.

Education.

Even children’s books.

Lin Yue insisted that every manual use simple diagrams.

"If a farmer cannot understand it after one reading, simplify it."

The printers nodded.

The first manual was titled:

THE FARMER’S GUIDE TO BETTER SOIL

The second:

CLEAN WATER FOR EVERY HOUSEHOLD

The third:

HOW TO REPAIR COMMON FARM TOOLS

And the fourth—

WHY YOU SHOULD NOT EAT MYSTERIOUS MUSHROOMS

The squirrel was offended.

The Interworld Trade Council

Eventually, the World Road became too busy.

People arrived from different worlds.

Farmers.

Researchers.

Merchants.

Craftsmen.

Healers.

Teachers.

Lin Yue realized they needed rules.

So she created the Interworld Trade Council.

Its first rules were simple.

No forced trade.

No stealing.

No monopolizing Worldseed resources.

No dangerous biological materials without approval.

No magical artifacts sold to children.

No destroying local ecosystems.

No hiding information about serious contamination.

And absolutely no smuggling Hollow-infected objects.

The last rule was written in enormous letters.

The First Argument

Not everyone liked the rules.

One merchant stood before Lin Yue.

"You are restricting trade."

"Yes."

"You are restricting profit."

"Yes."

"You are making business difficult."

"Sometimes."

He became angry.

"You cannot control everyone."

Lin Yue smiled.

"Correct."

He looked confused.

"Then why make rules?"

"Because rules aren’t meant to control everyone."

She pointed toward the market.

"They’re meant to protect everyone from the people who want to control everyone."

The merchant had no answer.

A Quiet Afternoon

Despite all the work—

Lin Yue still found time for the farm.

She loved these moments.

No meetings.

No ledgers.

No Guardians.

No World Road.

Just soil.

She knelt beside a row of young plants.

Shen Rui approached.

"You escaped."

She looked up.

"From what?"

"Three merchants."

She smiled.

"Are they still looking for me?"

"Yes."

"Good."

He sat beside her.

"You know you can’t avoid business forever."

"I know."

"You’ve built an agricultural empire."

Lin Yue laughed.

"That’s dramatic."

"Is it?"

She looked around.

The farms stretched across the valley.

The workshops were busy.

The school was full.

The market was crowded.

The Memory Vault had expanded.

The World Road shimmered in the distance.

She sighed.

"Perhaps a little."

A Small Gift

Shen Rui reached into his sleeve.

"I brought you something."

Lin Yue looked surprised.

"For me?"

"Yes."

He handed her a small wooden box.

She opened it.

Inside—

was a necklace.

Simple.

Hand-carved.

A tiny crescent moon hung from it.

Lin Yue touched it.

"You made this?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

He looked slightly embarrassed.

"You’ve been carrying everyone else’s responsibilities."

She looked at him.

"I thought you deserved something that was only yours."

Lin Yue’s expression softened.

"Thank you."

She lifted the necklace.

"Put it on?"

He nodded.

He carefully fastened it around her neck.

His fingers brushed her hair.

For a moment—

neither spoke.

Then Lin Yue smiled.

"I like it."

"Good."

"Very much."

His smile widened.

The Family Notices

Unfortunately—

they were not alone.

Grandmother stood behind a tree.

Her mother stood beside her.

Her father was pretending not to watch.

The squirrel was eating an apple.

Grandmother whispered:

"Finally."

Lin Yue turned.

"Grandmother!"

Everyone scattered.

The squirrel remained.

Lin Yue stared.

The squirrel shrugged.

"I have no dignity."

The Wedding Question

That evening at dinner—

Grandmother suddenly asked:

"When are you getting married?"

Lin Yue nearly dropped her chopsticks.

"What?"

Her father coughed.

Her stepmother, Madam Zhao, suddenly became very interested in her tea.

Shen Rui froze.

Grandmother continued eating.

"You heard me."

Lin Yue’s face turned red.

"We’re not—"

She glanced at Shen Rui.

He looked equally embarrassed.

"—discussing that."

Grandmother nodded.

"Fine."

She took another bite.

"But I’m preparing the guest list."

"GRANDMOTHER!"

The entire table burst into laughter.

Even Shen Rui.

The First Interworld Festival

Three months later, the valley held its first festival.

Every world contributed something.

One world sent moonfruit.

Another sent blue rice.

Another sent glowing flowers.

Another sent medicinal herbs.

Another sent woven cloth.

Another sent mechanical toys.

Children ran through the market.

Musicians played.

Farmers exchanged seeds.

Craftsmen demonstrated tools.

Teachers exchanged books.

The Memory Vault opened its doors.

The World Road glowed overhead.

Lin Yue stood at the center of it all.

She looked around.

This was no longer her little farm.

It was something much larger.

Yet—

she still saw the original courtyard.

The cracked walls.

The empty soil.

The neglected garden.

The little space that had once contained almost nothing.

She smiled.

"We’ve come a long way."

The Unexpected Visitor

A bell rang.

Everyone turned.

The World Road opened.

A figure stepped through.

Lin Yue recognized the clothing immediately.

Ancient.

Formal.

Royal.

The visitor carried a silver staff.

Behind him stood several guards.

The man approached Lin Yue.

"Are you Lin Yue?"

"Yes."

He bowed.

"I am King Ardan of the Northern World."

The festival became silent.

Lin Yue blinked.

"A king?"

"Yes."

"What brings you here?"

The king looked around.

Then—

he knelt.

Lin Yue’s eyes widened.

"Please."

His voice was desperate.

"Save my kingdom."

She immediately stepped forward.

"Stand up."

He did.

"What happened?"

The king looked toward the World Road.

"Our kingdom has no crops."

Lin Yue frowned.

"Drought?"

"No."

"Pest?"

"No."

"Disease?"

"No."

"Then what?"

The king’s face became pale.

"Our soil..."

He swallowed.

"...has forgotten how to grow."

Lin Yue’s heart stopped.

She knew those words.

The Hollow had left a scar.

But this was different.

The king continued:

"And something is growing beneath our capital."

A chill moved through Lin Yue.

"What?"

The king looked at her.

"A black tree."

The New Problem

The festival ended early.

The family gathered.

The Guardians arrived.

Shen Rui studied the king’s map.

Lumi hovered over the drawing.

Eira’s expression became grave.

Lin Yue looked at the location.

The black tree stood directly beneath the royal palace.

She whispered:

"The Hollow seed."

The king looked confused.

"What is that?"

Lin Yue slowly stood.

"We thought we had transformed it."

Eira shook her head.

"No."

"What?"

Eira pointed to the map.

"The Hollow wasn’t destroyed."

Lin Yue stared.

"Then where did it go?"

Eira answered:

"It followed the World Road."

The room became silent.

Shen Rui looked at Lin Yue.

"And now?"

Lin Yue closed the map.

"Now we find out what it wants."

Grandmother sighed from the doorway.

"You’ve been home for three months."

Lin Yue looked guilty.

"I know."

"And you’re leaving again."

"Yes."

Grandmother shook her head.

"Take food."

Lin Yue smiled.

"Yes, Grandmother."

The squirrel raised its paw.

"Can I come?"

Everyone shouted:

"NO!"

The squirrel lowered its paw.

"...Worth asking."

Lin Yue laughed.

Then she looked toward the World Road.

Another journey was beginning.

This time—

she would not be traveling to save a dying world.

She would be traveling to discover whether the thing they had called the Hollow—

had truly become something new.

Or whether they had accidentally planted the seed of something far more dangerous.

Lin Yue touched the crescent necklace around her neck.

Shen Rui stood beside her.

"Ready?"

She smiled.

"Never."

He laughed.

"Good enough."

Together, they stepped toward the World Road.

Behind them, the farm continued growing.

Because that was the promise Lin Yue had made.

She would build a place strong enough—

to survive even when she left.

And somewhere beneath a distant kingdom—

a black root slowly opened its first silver flower.

To be continued...