Inheriting a Farm Made Me an Internet Sensation - Chapter 16

Without waiting for Tan Xiao to answer, Lin Muhan said to herself, “Never mind. These tomatoes could have been bestsellers, but if you show your face, they might actually end up unsold.”

Tan Xiao: “…”

Thank you for your understanding and consideration.

“I don’t know what Su Han was thinking, asking such a stupid question,” Lin Muhan said with a curl of her lip.

Remembering something, she regained her composure. The reason Su Han asked was likely to test whether Tan Xiao intended to return to the entertainment industry. She turned to glance at Tan Xiao, and an image involuntarily flickered through her mind: Tan Xiao dressed in formal attire, facing a crowd of reporters and agricultural experts, confidently talking about her achievements on camera.

As for acting… forget it.

Although Tan Xiao didn’t know exactly what Lin Muhan was thinking, she could tell from her gaze that it wasn’t anything good.

Having rested enough, she stood up from her seat. “Let’s go. Didn’t you want to learn how to plant flowers? I’m free now.” Since the equipment in the greenhouse had been replaced, her workload had eased significantly; she only needed to go in at scheduled times to record data.

The final results of the first batch hadn’t met her expectations. Last night, she had refined the planting methods again, hoping the second batch would reach the desired standard. Sister Chen had asked her if she wanted to start mass cultivation, but she had refused. With the current yield per acre, large-scale planting would require too much manpower and material resources—it wasn’t cost-effective.

Hearing this, Lin Muhan followed closely behind her to the upstairs balcony.

By now, the sun had shifted westward, and the sky had dimmed slightly. The plants on the balcony began to stretch their leaves, gradually regaining their vitality under the mist of water.

Tan Xiao pulled a pot of Endless Summer hydrangeas in full bloom away from the wall. Picking up a pair of scissors, she began pruning while saying, “These flowers that have started to wither need to be cut off promptly to save nutrients for the other branches. Stand closer; I’ll teach you how to take cuttings now.”

Finding no stool, Lin Muhan simply squatted in front of the flowerpot, watching Tan Xiao’s movements intently.

Tan Xiao explained each step in detail as she worked. Finally, she brought a pot filled only with soil over to Lin Muhan, handed her the remaining cuttings, and signaled for her to try with a look.

Lin Muhan took them carefully. Whether she had grown used to the soil or something else had changed, she no longer felt any resistance to her hands coming into intimate contact with the earth. Step by step, she followed the method Tan Xiao had just taught to plant the cuttings.

“Very good.” Tan Xiao picked up a spray bottle and misted the newly planted stems. “Remember, you must keep the soil moist.” After saying this, she used pre-prepared plastic wrap to cover both the pot and the cuttings, then sprayed a little more water over the wrap.

“Why do that?” Lin Muhan asked, puzzled.

Tan Xiao used her foot to push the flowerpot toward the wall before slowly explaining, “First, it reduces moisture loss; second, it prevents direct sunlight to increase the success rate; third, it promotes sprouting.”

Lin Muhan nodded in realization. “Do I need to water it every day?”

“The daily temperature is around 28°C; without watering, you can’t keep the soil moist. Just remember, don’t overwater. Just dampening the surface layer is enough,” Tan Xiao instructed.

“Okay.”

The tomatoes in the fields were ripe. Every day, the sun arrived on schedule. To avoid the direct midday heat, the workers woke up at five and were in the fields by five-thirty sharp to begin harvesting.

Because the tomatoes didn’t ripen all at once, the red ones were picked first, while those still tinged with green were left for the second batch.

Tan Xiao flipped through Sister Chen’s notebook. When she saw the massive quantity of orders, she suggested, “From now on, for any order exceeding two thousand pounds, we should either add an extra ten cents to the base price or have them provide their own people for the harvest.”

Chen Cuihua was quick on the uptake. She knew Tan Xiao wanted to use the extra money to hire temporary workers or give bonuses to the hardworking regular staff. She immediately responded, “Alright.”

Tan Xiao looked into the distance. As far as the eye could see, nothing but tomatoes were planted. Relying solely on the farmhands and help from local villagers, they simply couldn’t keep up with the daily order volume.

“Post a recruitment notice,” she ordered. “There’s strength in numbers.”

Chen Cuihua had the same intention. In her view, it would be a crying shame if such high-quality tomatoes ended up rotting in the fields like they used to. Moreover, every order had a deadline; if they missed them, the farm’s reputation would be ruined.

“I’ll go arrange it now.” After taking a few steps, she stopped and looked back at Tan Xiao, hesitating. “I accidentally let it slip earlier that there are other vegetables in the greenhouse… they all want them.”

“No, those must be kept for seeds,” Tan Xiao refused decisively.

Hearing this, Chen Cuihua knew there was no room for negotiation. She turned back and walked toward the small courtyard. Once she left, Tan Xiao adjusted the straw hat on her head and joined the harvesting ranks herself.

Somehow, the news had leaked. That evening, even Lin Muhan started eyeing the vegetables in the greenhouse.

“It’s not that I’m greedy,” Lin Muhan explained. “It’s Su Han who wants to give them as gifts.”

Being half-involved in that social circle, she knew that wealthy people didn’t care about the price as long as the quality was good.

Seeing no response from Tan Xiao, she continued, “I think this is a business opportunity. Later on, we can set aside some land to grow seasonal vegetables. These won’t enter the general market but will be supplied exclusively to the wealthy or high-end hotels.”

Tan Xiao pondered for a moment, staring at her. “You have a head for business.”

“Right? I actually planned to enter the business world originally,” Lin Muhan sighed. “Unfortunately, I never found a good opportunity.”

Catching sight of Tan Xiao, a spark ignited in her eyes. “Once you get full control of this farm, let’s partner up. Your planting technology plus my connections—this farm will definitely reach the top.”

She was answered by the sight of Tan Xiao’s back.

Tan Xiao hadn’t forgotten her original intention. If she only wanted to make money from farming, she wouldn’t need to rack her brains trying to balance green cultivation with high yields. According to her plan, once all fruits and vegetables reached the expected yield, she would promote this planting method nationwide. Only then could she ensure that everyone could afford a bite of pure, ecological produce.

“Hey, don’t walk away!” Lin Muhan chased after her. Seeing that Tan Xiao wasn’t stopping, she quickened her pace and stepped in front to block her path. “We can set the partnership aside for now, but about those vegetables Su Han wants…”

“No more than twenty pounds of each kind,” Tan Xiao finally relented. After all, Su Han was her ‘financial backer.’ Whatever the benefactor wanted, she had to give if she had it.

Lin Muhan snapped her fingers. “Don’t worry, you won’t lose out.”

Tan Xiao was speechless. She bypassed her and headed upstairs.

The next morning, Lin Muhan got up extra early. She planned to load the vegetables Sister Chen had picked into her car and take them to the city for Su Han. With the help of Sister Chen and Zhang Da, the harvested vegetables were quickly loaded into the vehicle.

Just as she was about to drive into town, she saw a luxury van (nanny van) driving toward her.

The road was a single-lane track. Thinking she wouldn’t be parked for long, she had parked somewhat carelessly, partially blocking the other side. The van was forced to stop early.

In just a few moments, a glamorous woman dressed in stylish clothes stepped out of the van. She smiled and asked, “Excuse me, are you the person in charge of Anxin Farm?”