Inheriting a Farm Made Me an Internet Sensation - Chapter 45

Returning to the farm courtyard, Tan Xiao went upstairs and immediately called Lin Muhan. After chatting for a long while, she finally ended the call.

The next day, after finishing her classes, she saw a succession of vehicles driving onto the farm. These people were sent by neighboring farm owners to learn from her.

Although the courtyard looked large, there weren’t many guest rooms. After greeting Tan Xiao in the fields, these people drove to the nearby town to book rooms and resolve their accommodation issues.

The intermittent arrival of visitors disrupted Tan Xiao’s original schedule. It took her nearly two hours to finish inspecting all the experimental vegetables in the greenhouse.

She had just tucked away her notebook and walked to the greenhouse entrance when Song Qinlan’s panicked voice rang out in her ear.

“Xiao Xiao, there are… there are reporters here.”

Tan Xiao’s brow furrowed slightly, feeling a bit puzzled. If this was because of people maliciously slandering her for questioning the “Father of Hybrid Rice,” it seemed a bit late—after all, four days had passed since the initial report was broadcast.

Had she made the trending searches again?

Surely not?

Recovering her breath, Song Qinlan looked at her and added, “They said they are reporters from CCTV.”

Now Tan Xiao was even more bewildered. Her little situation shouldn’t be enough to alarm reporters from CCTV.

CCTV—that belonged to the national government.

Suppressing the doubt in her heart, she walked toward the road and asked, “Did they say why they came?”

Song Qinlan nodded. “I asked. They said they want to document you growing vegetables.”

Chen Cuihua, who was weeding nearby, heard Song Qinlan’s voice from a distance and ran over. Hearing this, she stopped immediately, bending over and panting heavily. “Then… then won’t the whole country know about our farm?”

Song Qinlan slapped her thigh. “Exactly! Everyone will know about Xiao Xiao then.” She turned to Tan Xiao. “Xiao Xiao, you’re really going to be famous this time.”

Chen Cuihua glared at her. “Is our Xiao Xiao the kind of person who wants to be famous?”

Song Qinlan realized her slip and covered her mouth. After a moment, she turned around. “I… I won’t argue with you. I’m going back to host them. Xiao Xiao, you hurry up too…” Before she could finish, she sprinted off.

Since they were guests, Tan Xiao immediately replied, “Alright.”

She reached the road and turned to look at Chen Cuihua, who was still standing there catching her breath. “Sister Chen, do you want to come along?”

Chen Cuihua looked down at her clothes and then pointed toward the field. “There are still some weeds to hoe. You’re the protagonist; you go back first.”

Tan Xiao knew that Chen Cuihua felt her clothes were a bit dirty and was afraid of losing face. Seeing through it but not saying it, Tan Xiao pointed toward the courtyard. “Then I’ll head back first. Come back as soon as you’re finished.”

“Okay.”

When Tan Xiao returned to the courtyard, she saw two vans parked there. The reporters were sitting in the yard fiddling with their equipment.

She counted them; there were six people in total—four men and two women. Judging by their appearance and dress, the oldest were only in his thirties or forties.

Seeing her, the six of them stood up. The oldest man pushed his glasses up his nose and smiled as he walked toward her. “Hello, Tan Xiao. I am Zhu Quanyong, a local CCTV reporter. By virtue of being the eldest, I am the leader of our group of six.”

Tan Xiao quickly reached out to shake his hand. “Hello. Conditions in the countryside are limited, so please bear with us.”

“Compared to the remote mountain villages in Bashu, the geographical conditions here can already be described as paradise.” A baby-faced male reporter stopped next to Zhu Quanyong and extended his hand. “My name is Liu Bin. This time, we are here to do an exclusive interview with you.”

“Don’t worry, just follow your usual rhythm. What we want to record this time, besides your planting process, is your daily life,” Zhu Quanyong explained.

On the way back, Tan Xiao’s biggest worry was that she would be too busy to look after the reporters. Hearing this, she felt a wave of relief.

She withdrew her hand and nodded slightly. “Thank you for your hard work.”

“It’s our duty.” A spirited female reporter stepped up to her and offered her hand. “My name is Gao Jie. Can you take me as an apprentice? Don’t worry, I’m very obedient, and I’ve always been interested in farming.”

“If you don’t mind, you can be my assistant.” From Gao Jie’s eyes, Tan Xiao could see her sincerity.

It was this sincerity that made her want to set aside some time to let Gao Jie try.

Gao Jie immediately flashed a sweet smile. “Great! I’ll definitely be a capable assistant.”

Tan Xiao chatted with the six reporters for a while. From their words and mannerisms, she changed her view of reporters; at least these few in front of her were easygoing and interesting, not stiff or formal.

Knowing they had already found a place to stay, she didn’t ask Chen Cuihua to arrange anything, but she did ask Song Qinlan to prepare an extra dinner.

She also told Lin Muhan about the CCTV reporters coming to the courtyard.

Upon learning this, Lin Muhan changed her plan to rest for another day and decided to set off back to Binhai the next morning.

Tan Xiao originally wanted to pick Lin Muhan up, but she really couldn’t get away. Several farm owners who had received her call had arrived in person; as the one who issued the invitation, it would be improper if she didn’t host them.

Not only was she busy, but the helpers selected by Chen Cuihua to teach had already begun leading interested people around the fields to explain the process.

The six CCTV reporters, true to their word, stayed quiet and recorded behind her, with only Gao Jie interacting with her.

Early winter in Binhai already carried a hint of chill. However, the people in the fields had all taken off their coats. There was no other reason than that thick clothing made it difficult to move, especially for Gao Jie, who was currently digging.

Gao Jie wiped away sweat and panted slightly. “Why do I feel like digging here is more effective than doing yoga at home?”

Before Tan Xiao could respond, Liu Bin, who was in the same group as Gao Jie, chimed in, “Your goal for yoga is to lose weight; naturally, you’ll sweat more from digging.”

Tan Xiao nodded, agreeing with Liu Bin.

Gao Jie fixed her gaze on Tan Xiao. “Look at Xiao Xiao. Under those clothes, there’s hidden muscle.”

As soon as these words landed, Tan Xiao received several scrutinizing glances. She gave a dry, slightly embarrassed laugh.

When she looked up again, she saw Lin Muhan walking toward them. She immediately dropped her hoe and sprinted toward her.

“So, is that Xiao Xiao’s girlfriend?” Gao Jie turned around, following the direction Tan Xiao was running, and fixed her eyes on Lin Muhan. “What beauty.”

Having run close, Tan Xiao didn’t hear Gao Jie’s praise, and she temporarily forgot that there were reporters behind her. Unable to suppress her overwhelming longing, she pulled Lin Muhan into a tight embrace.

During the two days Lin Muhan was away, she truly understood the meaning of the phrase “one day apart feels like three autumns.”

She put the reporters out of her mind, but Lin Muhan couldn’t ignore them; the cameras were pointed right at them. But smelling the woody fragrance on Tan Xiao and feeling her body heat, Lin Muhan felt a surge of reluctance to let go and ultimately let Tan Xiao hold her.

“I missed you,” Tan Xiao murmured, not hiding her longing for Lin Muhan.

Lin Muhan’s heart trembled slightly. She really hadn’t expected such mushy words to come directly from Tan Xiao’s mouth.

And yet, it was one of the most beautiful things she had ever heard.

“Next time you want to go out to clear your head, you must tell me. I’ll go with you.” Tan Xiao’s tone was firm; she didn’t want to endure that sense of worry and urgency while waiting for news again.

She had even thought about calling the police.

“Okay.”

In truth, Lin Muhan didn’t like being alone at all. The reason she frequents nightclubs was mostly due to inner emptiness and loneliness. That sense of loneliness had disappeared shortly after meeting Tan Xiao. When she stood at the top of Mao’er Mountain and parted ways with the middle-aged woman, that loneliness had returned. But unlike before, she now had someone she wanted to share things with, to talk about what she saw and what she thought.

On the way back, she had also been looking forward to a trip for just the two of them.

She would be in charge of admiring the scenery, while Tan Xiao would prepare their food amidst the beautiful views and her company. When the food was ready, she and Tan Xiao would sit on the grass, enjoying the distant views and the occasional flick of a cow’s tail while sharing a meal. That feeling would surely be wonderful.

Belatedly remembering that the reporters were still filming, Tan Xiao released Lin Muhan. She looked down at Lin Muhan’s legs. “Your legs are sore; you should rest properly in the house.” She squatted down. “Get on, I’ll carry you back first.”

“But they…”

“They won’t mind for a little while,” Tan Xiao said certainly. She didn’t believe the CCTV people would broadcast such trivial matters.

Hearing this, Lin Muhan hesitated for a moment but then moved her steps and leaned onto Tan Xiao’s back, enjoying the “transportation service.”

Seeing this, the students working in the fields and the people who had come to learn all watched the scene with their mouths hanging open.

“This is too much. We’re digging in the dirt and still getting fed a mouthful of ‘dog food’ (public displays of affection).”

“I couldn’t tell, but Xiao Xiao’s small frame actually has so much strength.”

“This dog food came out of nowhere.”

“I never thought a plot that only exists in idol dramas would happen right before my eyes. No, I have to record this and post it online to make them jealous.”

“I have to say, the looks of these two are incredible. If they went to film a drama, I’d definitely follow it.”

“They could clearly rely on their looks, yet they choose to rely on talent. That really hits me.”

Tan Xiao, who had already walked far away, had no idea about the discussion in the fields. She quietly listened to Lin Muhan talk about what she had seen and heard at Mao’er Mountain.

Returning to the courtyard, she placed Lin Muhan on the sofa on the second floor. “Sit here. I’ll boil a basin of water for you to soak your feet, and I’ll massage them for you tonight.”

Lin Muhan nodded obediently, deeply enjoying the feeling of being pampered in the palm of someone’s hand. The smile on her face never faded, and her eyes were full of happiness.

Tan Xiao was very fast. She soon prepared a basin of water, and only after seeing Lin Muhan put her feet into the bucket did she leave.

Lin Muhan didn’t want Tan Xiao to go; she wanted her to stay. But she also knew Tan Xiao couldn’t be away for too long, as all those people in the fields were waiting for her.

She withdrew her gaze, took out her phone, aimed it at her feet, and took a picture of herself soaking. She posted it to her WeChat Moments.

The water temperature my girlfriend prepared is just right.

Very soon, her “fair-weather friends” began to comment.

Director Lin, does this count as an official announcement?

Why do today’s dates taste a bit sour?

Love shown publicly dies quickly.

Jealousy makes me energized.

Director Lin, you should keep a low profile. You know the combat power of Tan Xiao’s anti-fans.

Respect to you, warrior.

Lin Muhan glanced through a few comments and then lost interest. She began preparing content for a clarification on Weibo. Since this matter was quite large, she mentioned the CCTV recording in her post. As for the photo, she had already taken a picture of everyone busy in the fields before Tan Xiao had seen her.