Omegaverse: Salted Fish Life in the Yaoi Novel

The sun hung high in the clear sky, pouring bright light over the fields and giving the crops and wildflowers the warmth they needed. Below that brilliant canopy the guests stood in a loose group behind the man as he set the shovel aside and began the first part of the lesson.

"The first step in tilling is removing the grass," he explained in the same icy, measured tone he had used all morning. He drove the hoe into the turf with a practiced motion and pulled back.

Shhhk.

He continued without looking up, the only sound the steady scrape of the blade and the soft tear of roots leaving the earth. After clearing a small path he finally stopped and turned to the group.

"Did you watch all that?" he asked, tone as icy as ever.

The guests nodded at once. They had watched every movement with careful attention.

The man gave a short nod and crouched down among the remaining grass. "Before you pull the grass out, make sure you sink the hoe about an inch deep. This step has several advantages. It stops the grass from competing with whatever you plant later." He glanced up at them, expression still unreadable.

"And after you loosen the top, make certain you pull out the roots that stay below the soil." He demonstrated by plucking a stubborn clump from the bare earth and tossing it neatly into a growing pile at the corner. Every movement was smooth and economical, the clear mark of long experience.

He rose, retrieved the shovel, and drove it into the ground. "The next step is aeration. This lets fresh oxygen into the soil and allows the carbon dioxide that has built up to escape." He pulled the handle backward, lifting and breaking the compact earth so it could breathe. He worked in silence for several moments, neither speaking nor looking at the guests.

The guests exchanged uncertain looks. Is he expecting us to learn purely by watching? The thought hung unspoken among them.

Then the man finally looked up. A flicker of genuine surprise crossed his face, as though he had only just remembered they were still standing there. "Ah," he said, confirming their suspicion.

He averted his gaze a moment later, but a faint blush had appeared at the tips of his ears. He cleared his throat, straightened his posture, and offered a small, stiff bow. "I apologize. I am used to working alone, so....." He trailed off and simply returned to the task, clearly deciding that further explanation was unnecessary.

The guests traded another round of puzzled glances. Meanwhile the live barrage found the entire exchange endlessly entertaining.

[LMAO, THEY LOOK SO CONFUSED!]

[I mean, I would too. I even zoned out while watching him LOLOL!]

[Am I the only one who thinks this is so entertaining?]

[NAH, ME TOO!]

[Fr fr, especially when he was pulling the grass back.. that was so satisfying.]

[Agreed.]

A smaller but steadily growing group of viewers who had never paid attention to the show before now found themselves drawn in by the farming segment.

[I wasn’t interested in this show before, but as a farming enthusiast, I couldn’t just avert my eyes and ignore this segment....]

[Oh, me too! After hearing they’re doing some farming actions here, I quickly flew by LMAO]

[Fr fr, and the location they got is good too. You can really see how well preserved their farmlands are.]

[Agreed, just look at that soil.]

[Also, isn’t it interesting how the director mixed a love variety show and a farming show?]

[I agree. And the thing is, you can see the guests are determined to learn, but you also can’t help but gush to them.]

[Fr fr, especially to the pair that is holding a baby and a kid.]

The small group of farming viewers continued to grow, and with them came a quiet appreciation for the guests themselves.

[I must say, PD Xu Cui is smart for doing this move.]

[Huh? How come?]

[Well, he started the segment with the love variety one so that we can get attached to the guests.]

[And?]

[And after he got us to do that, he placed our beloved guests in the countryside to farm. Not only gaining more viewers for the show, but also subtly promoting agriculture. Which is so W move.... After all, with technology booming these days, and everything moving way too fast in the name of development, we are slowly forgetting how to just enjoy nature and take things slow.]

[Oh, that’s true.... He really is the GOAT.]

While PD Xu Cui quietly collected new admirers.. the man continued the lesson without pause.

"You just need to stick the shovel into the ground," he said. He jumped lightly onto the top of the blade so it sank firmly into the earth. "Now pull it back and allow the oxygen to enter." He demonstrated the motion cleanly. Soft "oohs" and "aahs" rose from the guests as they continued to watch with full attention.

He demonstrated several more times, pausing only to remind them to remove any rocks they uncovered. When the soil in front of him was properly loosened he exchanged the shovel for the hoe again.

"Now for the next step." He drove the blade down and began breaking the larger clumps. "All you have to do is reduce the soil into smaller pieces. Because if you don’t—" He knelt, pulled up a dense chunk of clay, and held it out for them to see. "—this is the kind of soil you’ll be working with." He stood and continued breaking the earth with swift, expert strokes, once again displaying his mastery of the craft.

When the demonstration was finished he pulled the last of the weeds and straightened. "Your turn," he told the alphas. Then he turned to the omegas. "Follow me." He walked toward a bucket of radish seeds a staff member had prepared.

Mo Xingxue gently set Shen Guoxing down. The girl immediately ran to Su Wanyan’s side and wrapped her arms around the alpha’s thighs. Su Wanyan chuckled and looked at Mo Xingxue.

"Good luck," she said softly.

Mo Xingxue answered with a gentle nod and smile. "You too," she replied, then followed the other omegas and the man.

Left with the two children, Su Wanyan hesitated for a moment, unsure how she would manage both of them once the actual work began. She glanced toward PD Xu Cui and found him already walking in her direction.

"Give me my grandkids," he said without preamble.

Su Wanyan laughed and carefully transferred the still-sleepy Mo Yan into his arms. "I’ll have to trouble you, PD."

PD Xu Cui gave her an exaggerated look of offense. "How dare you call these children ’trouble’? These are my grandkids. Stop slandering them in front of their grandpa."

As if in answer, Mo Yan reached up and tugged firmly on his goatee. PD Xu Cui yelped but made no move to stop her. He smiled at Shen Guoxing, who still clung to Su Wanyan’s legs.

He then looked at Shen Guoxing, who was still clinging to Su Wanyan’s legs, and smiled. "Xing’er, let’s go meet the kids in the village."

The invitation worked instantly. Shen Guoxing looked up at Su Wanyan for permission. Su Wanyan chuckled and nodded. "Go with Grandpa."

The girl’s face lit up. "Thanks for your permission, Aunt!" She walked over to PD Xu Cui, who scooped her into his free arm. "Let’s go?" he asked. Shen Guoxing nodded and waved goodbye. Su Wanyan waved back until the three of them disappeared from sight.

She turned toward the other alphas. Qin Yuran, who had been quietly considering strategy, looked up when she approached.

"You ready?" Qin Yuran asked, voice teasing and amused.

Su Wanyan laughed and nodded. "Ready as I’ll ever be."

Qin Yuran laughed with her, then turned her gaze toward the wide green plot and let out a quiet sigh. Su Wanyan noticed the sudden drop in energy.

"What’s wrong?" she asked.

Qin Yuran glanced at her and smiled. "Nothing." She looked back at the field. "I just thought that we’re really lucky to come here." Her tone had shifted into something more mature and reflective.

Su Wanyan waited quietly, giving her space to continue if she wished.

Qin Yuran noticed the willingness to listen and continued. "Think about it. There are so many artists and ordinary people right now who are working themselves to the bone just to put food on the table. And here we are, able to stand in a place like this and enjoy the view." A faint self-deprecating note entered her voice.

Su Wanyan pressed her lips together, then managed a small smile. "Well, we won’t be enjoying this view for long." She pointed toward a staff member who had begun distributing shovels and hoes.

Qin Yuran laughed and shook her head. "You’re right."

Su Wanyan simply smiled and nodded, with quiet confidence settling over her features.

Farming, here we come, she thought, already looking forward to putting her skills to use.

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

I HAVE KEPT MY PROMISE!