He had mentally prepared himself to face the tragic state of his own field. However, the scene in front of him stunned him.
A rice field that was growing extremely well greeted him. The rice ears grew tall and strong. The grains were so plump and heavy that the stalks were almost bending over.
A light breeze blew, creating layers of golden waves in the rice field.
The aroma of ripe grains wafted through the air, blending with the delicate, pleasant scent of earth.
Wha… what?!
He must have walked to the wrong place.
Second Fu shook his head. He must have walked the wrong way.
This must be someone else's rice field.
He turned and walked. No, that was indeed his rice field.
He couldn't be wrong, because there was a large pond and a water bucket that he made himself beside the field.
He walked back and rubbed his eyes, staring in disbelief.
How could this be?
When he came by the day before yesterday, his crops were dry and flat. They looked as if they were dead. They were in a state that seemed impossible to salvage.
He only missed out on coming to the field yesterday because his wife gave birth to their daughter.
In just a day, there was such a huge difference.
Second Fu walked into his field and plucked a rice stalk with trembling hands. He took a bite. They were even more plump than Old Wang's grains.
No, it was the plumpest grain that he had ever encountered in his entire life.
It was completely different from what he had seen two days ago.
The surprise came so suddenly
that Second Fu sat on the ground in a daze.
Was he dreaming?
He looked up at the sky and then down at his own field.
Had the heavens finally recognized his efforts?
He was giddy with happiness.
He continued sitting in his spot until someone walked over and helped him up. "Second, are you alright? Did you suffer another blow?"
Logically speaking, he should have gotten used to suffering blows after encountering them for so many years.
"No. Look at my fields." Second Fu said as he recovered from his daze.
He was afraid that he was daydreaming and quickly requested for the person to confirm what he had seen.
"Wow! Second, what fertilizer did you use on your crops? How did they grow so well all of a sudden? When I passed by the other day, your crops were as good as dead." That person walked over to pluck a handful and exclaimed, "Look at these! These look even better than mine! No, these look better than any that I have seen before in my life!
This time, you will have the best harvests out of all of us.
Second Fu grinned so widely that his jaws ached.
"It's real! It's real!"
He wasn't seeing things, nor was he daydreaming.
Their Fu family was indeed starting to get lucky.
"What's real? Second, can you share what fertilizer you had used on your crops to revive them, and to make them grow so well?"
In just two days, these crops seemed to have been reborn.
It was truly amazing.
Second Fu covered his mouth and laughed.
There was no fertilizer.
He was confused too.
"Would you believe me if I said I didn't use any?"
That person did not believe him and said, "Alright, alright, I won't ask anymore. After so many years of farming, you could finally enjoy some fruits of your labor."
If it were to happen to him, he wouldn't tell anyone the secret to reviving his crops too.
He had known Second Fu for many years and had always felt sorry for him when he saw the hardworking man struggle to get a decent harvest each year.
"Yes! After growing crops for decades, I finally succeeded this time." Second Fu was filled with emotions and tears welled up in his eyes.
It was not easy.
Farmers worked hard throughout the year in an effort to become self-sufficient in their rice production.
With this, he was sure that his family would not have to starve anymore.
They could eat as much rice as they wanted without worrying about their next meal.
He estimated that his harvests this time would be over ten thousand catties.
He would store some at home and sell the others for money. He would be able to build some savings.
If it were in the past, he wouldn't even have dared to think about it.
Some villagers heard the news and came over to take a look out of curiosity.
Second Fu had been farming for decades, but his luck only grew worse with each passing year. This was a well-known fact in the village.
How could it be possible that his harvests were good?
It was impossible.
In an instant, many people gathered in the Fu Family's field.
Some of them came over with the intention to add insult to injury. However, they were immediately dumbfounded when they reached the scene.
"Am I seeing things? Is this really the Fu Family's rice field?"
"That's impossible. I passed by yesterday and saw that all these crops were on the verge of death. How did they suddenly recover and grow so well?!"
"I saw that too. How strange! Dead crops that somehow revived on their own!"
Many had seen Second Fu's rice fields with their own eyes.
Some even made it a point to drop by his field to 'comfort' him whenever they passed by.
It had only been a short while, but the state of the rice field had already changed massively.
It was like a magic trick.
"Look at that! I've farmed for decades, but I've never seen grains that are this plump! Every single stalk is full!"
Everyone wore a look of envy.
"You can look, but don't touch," Second Fu warned confidently, aware of the envy his bountiful crop was eliciting.
Many of the villagers had mocked and laughed at his field in the past, but now he felt vindicated.
"Second Fu, it looks like you'll get to harvest at least ten thousand catties this time. They will last your family for the next few years!"
This was really strange.
Previously, he had no harvest at all. Now, it multiplied by a few folds.
Why was the Fu family suddenly not unlucky anymore?
"Thank you." Second Fu smiled modestly and said, "I didn't expect much before today. But now… I'm so happy that I don't know what to say."
"Second Fu, tell us honestly, what fertilizer did you use?"
It couldn't be that the crops had revived on their own, could they?
Second Fu smiled, saying nothing.
These exuded enigmatic vibes
that only served to fuel the villagers' suspicions that he was hiding something from them.
"Second Fu, I heard that just yesterday, your sons picked up some pigeons. And today,your crops came back to life. I think that your family is starting to get lucky."
"Your wife gave birth to a daughter. Your Fu family is going to prosper!"
Some people remembered what that seemingly-unreliable fortune-teller had said about the Fu family. With a daughter, they would finally prosper.
Their luck and fortune would improve tremendously.
His words seemed to be coming true now.
"Yes, yes, it's all thanks to my daughter," Second Fu said, seizing the opportunity to share some news with the villagers. "We are having a banquet to celebrate her one-month-old birthday at my house. Please come and join us in the celebration."
It was indeed thanks to his daughter.
His daughter had brought a series of good fortune to the family since she was born.
"You are holding a one-month-old celebration for your daughter?"
Wow!
It was rare to see one-month-old celebrations being held for girls in the village.
The Fu family was going to be the rare exception.
"Absolutely," Second Fu replied. "She's the first girl in our family, so of course we have to celebrate. Don't forget to stop by and have a drink with us."
He was previously planning on inviting just a few people, but now he decided to invite many more.
"Okay."
Quickly, the miraculous revival of the Fu Family's rice fields spread to every corner of the village.
The news of Fu Xing'er's ability to bring good fortune to the family quickly became a topic of much discussion among the villagers too.
On his way back home, Second Fu straightened his back and walked in great strides. He was in an extremely good mood.
He excitedly held up the ear of rice in his hand to anyone who would listen, proclaiming that his family would have a bumper harvest this year.
When he passed by Old Wang's house, he did not forget to knock on his door.
"Second, why are you looking for me? Are you going to tell me about the tragic state of your crops?" Old Wang thought that this was the only thing that could happen. "I've already told you not to grow them anymore, but you refused to listen to me. See? It's…"
But before he could finish his sentence, Second Fu interrupted him, waving the ear of rice in his hand energetically. "Old Wang, just look at how well my rice is growing!" he boasted.