Inheriting a Farm Made Me an Internet Sensation - Chapter 12

Lin Muhan turned her head to glance at Tan Xiao, who was already seated on the sofa. She turned her body slightly and asked in a low voice, “Is something the matter?”

She had always known that Su Han didn’t have a good impression of Tan Xiao. Judging by Su Han’s tone, she suspected that calling Tan Xiao over this time boded no good.

“Muhan, are you defending her?” Su Han countered.

Lin Muhan’s hand tightened around her phone. “Understood. I’ll tell her.”

Having been friends with Su Han for many years, how could she not hear that Su Han was angry?

Putting down her phone, she turned to look at Tan Xiao, who was looking down at her own phone, and said softly, “Su Han is looking for you.”

Tan Xiao quickly looked up, uttered an “Oh,” and stood up to walk upstairs.

Lin Muhan followed her up the stairs. “I’ll drive you there.”

Tan Xiao stopped and turned back to meet Lin Muhan’s gaze. Catching the unease in Lin Muhan’s eyes, she nodded. “It seems like it’s nothing good.” She shrugged and continued walking upstairs. “No matter—we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

However, this only made her more curious as to why Su Han was calling her over.

She glanced out the window at the darkening sky; it seemed every time Su Han looked for her, it was always at night.

After showering and blow-drying her hair, she picked out a silk dress, walked to the car, opened the door, and got in.

Once they entered the city, Lin Muhan, sitting in the driver’s seat, hesitated for a moment before speaking up to caution her: “Su Han is the type of person who responds to persuasion but not coercion. If a dispute really breaks out, remember not to go head-to-head with her.” Her eyelashes flickered slightly. “Don’t forget, that farm isn’t yours yet.”

Leaning her face toward the window, Tan Xiao’s thoughts began to whirl. It seemed her “cheap” cousin was somewhat reluctant to part with this farm.

Rightly so; the farm was so large that if managed properly, the annual returns would be significant.

But the cheap cousin shouldn’t have let her know about the farm’s existence in the first place.

Now that she knew and had signed the agreement, as long as she could use the farm to pay off the liquidated damages advanced by her cousin within six months, she would gain the right of inheritance.

When the car stopped, Lin Muhan originally wanted to enter the villa with her, but Tan Xiao refused.

Lin Muhan meant well, but it wouldn’t be right to put her in the middle between herself and Su Han again.

She made her way into the living room with practiced ease. Just as she was about to look around for Su Han, she heard the sound of high heels descending the stairs.

She turned her head and saw not Su Han, but her aunt-in-law, Huang Manyu.

Huang Manyu’s smile remained unchanged. “I’m so sorry to have you come over so late.”

Tan Xiao rose from her seat and nodded with a faint smile. “It’s no trouble.”

Huang Manyu walked over and sat opposite her, lightly pressing her hand down to signal for her to sit as well.

“I called you here today because I heard that you’ve not only replaced the varieties your uncle originally selected but have even changed the planting methods.” Huang Manyu took a sip of the coffee the maid handed her before continuing, “If I remember correctly, you studied Business Management and have no experience in cultivation. So, what you’re doing at the farm now…” She let the sentence trail off significantly.

Tan Xiao had guessed as much on the way there, but she hadn’t expected the person questioning her tonight to be her aunt-in-law, who was known for her gentleness.

Suppressing her thoughts, she pulled out the same explanation she had used with Lin Muhan: “I have an interest in cultivation, so I’ve been taking livestream classes all along.”

Huang Manyu set her coffee down. “That would explain it.” Her hands rested on the armrests; her smile unfading. “They say it’s not easy to change a habit. What do you think?”

Tan Xiao’s heart skipped a beat. This was a suspicion regarding her identity.

She feigned composure and said, “After experiencing debt collectors, cyberbullying across the entire internet, and a suicide attempt, if I still didn’t wake up,” she gave a bitter laugh, “I would truly be beyond saving.”

Huang Manyu nodded slightly and sighed. “I’m also to blame. At that time, I couldn’t accept the fact that your uncle was gone and kept deceiving myself. If I had arranged for Hanhan to find you earlier, you wouldn’t have had to suffer so much.”

So, Huang Manyu and Su Han knew everything the original owner went through from the beginning?

Then the story in the book, where the cousin only came looking for her after the suicide—that was intentional.

She didn’t dare think further, but the hands resting on her lap tightened instinctively.

She forced a smile and shook her head. “Uncle and Aunt were a devoted couple; it’s understandable. Uncle and I never met, yet he was still willing to leave the farm to me. I am very grateful.”

Huang Manyu lowered her eyes, successfully masking the frustration within. She had known about the will her husband left behind and had specifically instructed her daughter to add the clause about paying off the liquidated damages within six months, hoping to make Tan Xiao give up in the face of difficulty.

She never expected that Tan Xiao would actually understand cultivation. From what she knew of the current situation, Tan Xiao even seemed quite skilled at it.

In the blink of an eye, she returned to her normal state, a smile on her lips. “If you truly want to be grateful to your uncle, then take good care of the farm.”

Tan Xiao stood up and promised, “Rest assured, Aunt. I will certainly manage the farm well and not let Uncle’s expectations down.”

Previously, she had been somewhat apprehensive; after all, she was an outsider who only had the right to inherit this large farm because of the original owner’s status. Now that she knew the backstory, that guilt and trepidation vanished instantly. Regardless of what her “cheap” uncle intended by leaving this will, and regardless of what her aunt-in-law thought of her, she would rely on her own abilities to secure the farm.

“I was married to your uncle for many years and remained infertile, so we later adopted Hanhan.” Huang Manyu raised her hand in mid-air. “I remember when Hanhan first came home, she was only this high. Now, in the blink of an eye, she’s not only an adult but also capable of helping me manage the company.”

Tan Xiao blinked. What did her aunt-in-law mean by saying this?

She didn’t believe for a second that her aunt-in-law was just making small talk.

However, the fact that Su Han was adopted was indeed a surprise to her.

Taking in her reaction, the wariness in Huang Manyu’s heart lessened slightly when she saw the confusion in Tan Xiao’s eyes.

The reason she had called her here today was to test her. As long as she didn’t harbor any other greedy thoughts, the farm could be given. If she had thoughts she shouldn’t have, it would all end in vain.

Realizing this belatedly, Tan Xiao spoke frankly: “To be honest, my main goal is to use the farm for experiments. If the experiments are successful, I believe it will also be of help to my cousin.”

Since her aunt-in-law was guarding against her because of the property, she might as well give her a reassurance. It would save the trouble of being called over every time her aunt-in-law grew suspicious.

As for the last sentence, it was to tell her aunt-in-law that she could bring benefits to Su Han’s career.

Saying this wasn’t out of gratitude, but to reduce unnecessary trouble. She hadn’t forgotten that Lin Muhan told her she only gained inheritance eligibility after paying off the debt within six months. This meant there were more hurdles ahead.

She didn’t expect that saying this would stop her cousin from setting up more obstacles, but she hoped her cousin might show a little more mercy.

Huang Manyu raised an eyebrow and asked nonchalantly, “Can you tell me about your plan?”

“I want to increase the yield of purely ecological cultivation,” Tan Xiao said without hiding anything.

Huang Manyu was surprised. Having managed the farm with Old Su for years, she knew exactly what it would mean if Tan Xiao’s claim could be realized. It would subvert the entire planting industry and become a benchmark existence.

She suppressed her internal shock and maintained a calm facade. “If your uncle knew you had such ambitions, he would certainly be very gratified.” She stood up. “It’s late. You should rest here tonight.”

“No need, Lawyer Lin is still waiting for me.”

Huang Manyu frowned slightly and asked probingly, “You and Muhan seem to have a very good relationship.”

Su Han had just finished her work and reached the corner of the stairs when she heard this. She stopped, her eyes filled with a complex expression as she waited for Tan Xiao’s answer.