Rebirth 70: I am a Koi

After visiting clients for several days, I finally managed to stabilize the situation. I felt like my body was falling apart and I was exhausted. Bai Hanchuan had also lost weight, and the stubble on his chin had appeared, making him look even more stern.

"Come on, walk with me to the garden." I took his hand and walked towards the small garden behind the planting base.

This small garden was opened up by Bai Hanchuan and I. We planted a few roses and some unknown wild flowers. Although it is simple, it is proof that we have taken root in this land.

The afterglow of the setting sun fell on the petals, coating them with a layer of gold, and the breeze blew, bringing bursts of fragrance. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and felt my tense nerves finally relax.

Bai Hanchuan hugged me from behind, holding me tightly in his arms, resting his chin on the top of my head, and said in a low voice with a hint of fatigue: "Jinli, I'm sorry for making you suffer."

I shook my head, but couldn't help but tears welled up in my eyes. We have been through so many ups and downs during this period of time, from starting from scratch to hot-selling products, to the malicious competition today, every step has been extremely difficult.

"No, I should be the one saying sorry. If I hadn't..." My voice choked, and the past of being framed and slandered came flooding back to my mind like a tide.

Bai Hanchuan covered my mouth and stopped me from saying anything more: "Silly boy, we are a family, why are you saying sorry? From now on, I will work harder, support you, and never let you suffer any injustice again."

We hugged each other tightly, letting our tears flow freely. The setting sun stretched our figures particularly long, as if telling a memorable love story.

Back in the dormitory, Bai Hanchuan put on an apron and cooked for himself. The aroma of food soon wafted out of the simple kitchen.

"Try it and see if it suits your taste." Bai Hanchuan brought two plates of dishes and placed them in front of me.

"Wow, sweet and sour fish, and braised pork, both of which are my favorites!" I looked at him in surprise. I have been busy dealing with the crisis these days and I haven't had a good meal for a long time.

"Eat it quickly. It won't taste good if it gets cold." Bai Hanchuan looked at me gently, his eyes full of pampering.

I picked up the chopsticks, picked up a piece of braised pork and put it in my mouth. The familiar taste instantly awakened my taste buds. Although the conditions were simple, I ate it particularly sweetly at this moment, as if all my troubles had temporarily dissipated.

After dinner, I was about to clean up the dishes, but was stopped by Bai Hanchuan: "I'll take care of these, you go and have a rest."

I couldn't persuade him, so I had to give up. Watching him busying himself under the dim light, a warm feeling welled up in my heart.

"Knock knock knock..." A series of rapid knocks on the door suddenly sounded, breaking the tranquility of the night.

Bai Hanchuan put down the bowl and chopsticks in his hands, walked over and opened the door, only to see a worker standing at the door with sweat all over his forehead, and said anxiously: "Director Bai, it's not good..."

"Director Bai, it's bad. The land in the south seems to be infested with insects!" The worker was sweating profusely and looked panicked.

My heart sank suddenly. Before I had time to ask any further questions, Bai Hanchuan and I followed the workers and hurried to the planting area in the south.

As soon as I approached the ridge of the field, I saw that the originally green vegetable field seemed to be covered with a layer of gray shadow. Some leaves had been eaten up, leaving only broken stems.

"How could this happen..." I took a breath. I came here for inspection a few days ago and everything was normal at that time.

"Don't worry, let's see the situation first." Bai Hanchuan held my hand and gave me a reassuring look.

I squatted down and carefully observed the eaten leaves. I found some tiny black insect eggs on them, and my heart sank.

"It's cabbage loopers, and they've already hatched. We must take immediate action, otherwise..." Before I could finish my words, I was interrupted by a quarrel.

"Director Bai, we can't use that new fertilizer anymore. Look, these bugs must be attracted by the fertilizer!"

"That's right. Our ancestors have been farming for generations, and we have never seen such a severe insect plague. There must be something wrong with the new fertilizer!"

Several old employees gathered together, pointing at Bai Hanchuan and complaining loudly, their words full of dissatisfaction and doubt.

Bai Hanchuan's face turned pale, and he was about to explain when I stopped him.

"My dear uncles and aunts, I know everyone is very anxious, but the most important thing now is to solve the problem first, rather than blaming each other." I took a deep breath and tried to speak in a calm tone, "Director Bai and I researched the new fertilizer together. We want the crops to grow healthily more than anyone else."

"How about this, everyone go back and rest today. Tomorrow morning, I will lead everyone to clean up the pests and re-formulate the fertilization plan. As for the losses, Director Bai and I will also give everyone an explanation."

As soon as I finished speaking, Bai Hanchuan continued, "We will share the loss with everyone this time. We will compensate all the damaged crops according to the market price."

My heart trembled slightly. I knew that this loss was undoubtedly adding insult to injury for us, but we had to do this in order to stabilize people's hearts.

Fortunately, my sincerity and Bai Hanchuan's commitment softened the attitude of some old employees who were against the new management plan. They all expressed their willingness to cooperate with us and overcome the difficulties together.

It was late at night, and I lay in bed, but I couldn't fall asleep. Although the number of new customer orders had slightly increased, this sudden insect plague undoubtedly brought us new challenges.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine." Bai Hanchuan's voice sounded in my ears, with a hint of comfort.

I know that he, like me, is worried about the future of the planting base.

"Well, I believe you." I turned around and buried my head in his arms, feeling his warm body temperature, and my heart gradually calmed down.

The next morning, Bai Hanchuan and I led the workers to clean up the pests, spray pesticides, and re-fertilize. Everyone worked together, sweating profusely, and finally controlled the spread of the pest in the evening.

Looking at the fields that were regaining vitality under the setting sun, I breathed a long sigh of relief.

"It seems that we will be busy for a while again." Bai Hanchuan walked to my side and gently put his arm around my shoulders.

I nodded, a hint of determination flashing in my eyes.

"By the way, I went to town this afternoon..." He paused, looked into the distance with deep eyes, as if he wanted to say something but stopped.

"What happened in town?" I turned to look at him, feeling a little uneasy.

Bai Hanchuan did not answer directly, but took my hand and walked towards the edge of the field: "Let's talk while we walk."

"I went to town today and heard some news..." He paused, his tone becoming serious, "Someone is spreading rumors behind our backs, saying that our planting base uses banned pesticides, and that our vegetables and fruits contain toxins."

My heart sank suddenly. I knew without thinking that this must be a despicable move by our competitors. Seeing that the insect plague had not completely defeated us, they came up with this dirty trick to ruin our reputation.

"Don't worry, I've asked Uncle Wang to find out who is behind the rumors. Also..." He paused and turned his gaze to me with a hint of apology in his eyes, "I've made another decision, I hope you can understand."

"What decision?" I asked puzzledly.

"I have decided to strengthen the security measures of the planting base. I have contacted a group of veterans who will form a security team to be responsible for the safety of the base."

I was stunned for a moment, then I realized that he was worried that our competitors would attack us again.

"I know what you are worried about. I assure you that the people I have selected this time are all reliable. Moreover, I will train them personally and will never let them abuse their power." He held my hand tightly and said in a firm tone.

I nodded, and a warm feeling welled up in my heart. I knew that everything he did was for the good of me and the planting base.

"I believe you."

While Bai Hanchuan was working on upgrading security measures, I was not idle either. Although the space system's functions have been limited recently, I have not given up on cultivating new species.

I flipped through the agricultural books I found in the space library and, combined with my years of planting experience, tried to improve the existing vegetable varieties, hoping to cultivate new varieties with higher yields, better taste, and greater resistance to diseases and pests.

Although the process is full of challenges, I enjoy it. Every time I see the seeds sprout, grow and eventually bear rich fruits under my careful care, my heart is filled with a sense of accomplishment.

Bai Hanchuan also often came to my experimental field to help, accompanied me to record data, observe growth conditions, and cheer me up from time to time.

"I believe you can succeed." He looked at me, his eyes full of encouragement and support.

I smiled and nodded, feeling motivated.

However, just when we thought everything was going in the right direction, I started having nightmares more frequently.

In my dream, I saw the planting base once again engulfed in flames. The workers were running around in panic, but Bai Hanchuan and I were trapped in the flames, with nowhere to escape...

Every time I wake up from a dream, I feel a sense of fear. I know that this is not just a dream, but also a worry about the future deep in my heart.

I am worried about the next round of attacks from my competitors, and I am also afraid that problems within the planting base will break out again.

This worry hangs over me like a shadow, and it won't go away...

"What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?" Bai Hanchuan's voice sounded in my ears with a hint of worry.

I suddenly came to my senses and saw him sitting beside the bed, looking at me with concern... "What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?" Bai Hanchuan's voice sounded in my ears, with a hint of worry.

"I'm fine, I just had a dream." I pulled the corner of my mouth, not wanting to make him worry, and reached out to help him unbutton his army green coat, "Have you dealt with everything?"

"Well, Uncle Wang has found some clues. I will handle it as soon as possible." He held my hand, and his warm palm conveyed a reassuring strength. "Don't worry, I'll take care of everything."

"Yeah." I nodded, trying hard to suppress those uneasy emotions.

I know that Bai Hanchuan has been working hard for our common future, and I can't let him be distracted. However, those dreams are too real, and the malice hidden in the dark seems to be ready to pounce at any time and destroy everything we have worked so hard to build.

In the next few days, I forced myself to work, hoping to use busyness to dispel those lingering shadows. Bai Hanchuan and I worked together to improve the base's security system, train security team members, and develop emergency plans...

Bai Hanchuan was very observant and he soon noticed something was wrong with me. After finishing a day's work, he held my hand and asked softly, "Lili, have you been worried about anything recently? Can you tell me?"

I hesitated for a moment, but decided to tell him about my dreams. After listening to my story, Bai Hanchuan frowned tightly, and he held me in his arms, and a deep voice sounded in my ears: "Don't be afraid, I will protect you and our home."

His embrace was warm and powerful, as if it could dispel all my anxiety and fear. I buried my head in his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat, and my chaotic thoughts gradually calmed down.

However, some things cannot be solved by avoiding them.

That day, I was checking the growth of new varieties in the experimental field when Uncle Wang came hurriedly over. His face looked a little ugly and he seemed to be hesitant to speak.

"What's wrong? Uncle Wang, did something happen?" I put down the tools in my hands, and a bad feeling arose in my heart.

Uncle Wang took a deep breath and lowered his voice and said, "I went to town today and heard some rumors about...about you and Mr. Bai..."