Lei Zhong looked even thinner than when they had last met, his chin covered in unkempt stubble.
After entering, he said nothing. He simply took his deed of servitude from his robes and presented it to Qin Ke with both hands.
Qin Ke lowered his gaze and slowly accepted the document that determined a person's fate. Though he took it, in his heart, whether it was Lei Zhong or Han Qi, they were not slaves without rights. They were more like workers employed under him.
"Master. Madam."
Seeing Qin Ke accept the deed, Lei Zhong lowered his head slightly—an unmistakable gesture of submission and acknowledgment of his master.
"That's enough. There are only my wife and me in this household. There aren't so many rules here. Have Han Qi help you get settled."
Qin Ke rubbed his chin, thinking that if he wanted to recruit more people in the future, the neighboring courtyard would no longer be enough to house them.
Lei Zhong's arrival, however, resolved one of Qin Ke's pressing concerns. When he heard about the nightly patrols at the watermelon fields, he proactively offered to stay there at night.
Not long after the spring plowing, Qin Ke had already anticipated the need to guard against thieves. He had taken Li Nanqiao to cut down some trees and built a simple wooden hut by the watermelon fields. With the nights now cool, sleeping there posed no problem.
After giving it some thought, Qin Ke felt that Lei Zhong—who had traveled extensively and possessed rich experience surviving in the wild—would naturally remain alert even while sleeping. He was an ideal candidate to guard the fields, so Qin Ke readily agreed.
Thus, Lei Zhong moved into the hut by the fields at night, bringing bedding with him, along with Chu Yi (former: Chuyi) and Shi Wu (former: Shiwu).
In just two short months, Chu Yi and Shi Wu had grown noticeably bigger. When they ran at full speed, they were already hard to catch. Animals had keener hearing and sense of smell than humans, making them excellent guards.
And Qin Ke did not yet know that his name had already spread to the distant city of Jinzhou.
"Family Head, this is a local specialty sent by Song Qingshan of Yong'an Town, specially for your review."
A man dressed in dark fitted clothing bowed deeply as he presented the item with both hands, his gaze fixed firmly on the ground, not daring to look up.
"Oh? Yong'an Town?" A voice gentle and pleasing to the ear sounded.
This was Gu Lanxi, the current head of the Gu family. She smiled faintly as she accepted the letter. The contents were filled with flattery and declarations of loyalty. She skimmed through it quickly, her gaze settling on the description of the gift that followed.
"Watermelon? Interesting. Go and cut it open."
"Yes." The man bowed again and withdrew.
"Lanxi?"
After the man left, a tall, refined man with clear features and eyes like cold stars emerged from behind the screen. He was slimmer than most men, his lips pressed thin, his posture upright and steady.
"You're awake?" Gu Lanxi stepped forward and supported his arm.
"My injuries have mostly healed. There's no need to be so careful," he said with a faint smile, patting her hand. The stern solemnity he carried elsewhere softened into warmth before her.
As they spoke while seated on the couch, the servant returned with a plate of sliced watermelon and knelt on one knee.
"Family Head, Son-in-law, it has already been tested—non-toxic."
Unlike how it was served in taverns or ordinary homes, the cook here had removed the rind entirely, cutting the bright red flesh into neat cubes and arranging them on the plate.
Curious, Gu Lanxi picked up a piece with her fork and placed it into her mouth.
Seeing the satisfied look on her face, the man followed suit and tasted a piece himself.
"It truly is sweet and juicy," Gu Lanxi said. "Song Qingshan said this fruit was grown from seeds a man named Qin Ke bought from foreign merchants. It brought considerable business to their restaurant."
She took another piece before wiping her hands with a handkerchief.
"Foreign merchants?" The man raised an eyebrow, his smile ambiguous. "The tributary items presented to our dynasty over the years have never included such a thing."
Noticing his expression, Gu Lanxi waved her hand, signaling everyone to withdraw. Only after the room was empty did she ask, "Are you suggesting that this Qin Ke is lying?"
"I'm only speculating. Either such an item truly exists in foreign lands but is common and cheap, thus unworthy of tribute—or Qin Ke himself has a secret."
Naturally, he leaned toward the latter.
Such a novel crop—unheard of and unseen in their realm—would not escape the notice of well-traveled foreign merchants. Why would they casually sell a handful of seeds to a farmer in a remote town?
Moreover, how could a common farmer, struggling to make ends meet, afford to buy unknown seeds and choose to plant them instead of rice or soybeans?
"In that case," Gu Lanxi said thoughtfully, "since we're due to inspect our holdings anyway, why don't we make Yong'an Town our next stop?"
She, too, was curious about the man capable of growing such a thing.
Unaware that he had drawn suspicion from afar, Qin Ke sat stern-faced in the main hall.
"You're certain you struck his leg?"
"Yes," Lei Zhong replied, seated respectfully below, head slightly lowered. "He had accomplices. I'm still unfamiliar with the terrain, so I didn't pursue further."
"This makes me furious!" Li Nanqiao sprang up, face flushed with anger. "I thought you were just being overly cautious, Master. I never expected someone to actually commit such despicable theft!"
Han Qi pulled her back and pressed her into her seat as she paced angrily.
Qin Ke, having already prepared for the worst, was calmer than expected.
He understood why Li Nanqiao was so angry. Qin Ke's fields were in remote locations that outsiders couldn't easily find. Anyone who could sneak into the watermelon fields at night must have had help from someone within the village—or worse, was a villager themselves.
Either possibility was enough to infuriate her.
"Here's what we'll do," Qin Ke said. "We'll head to the fields shortly and harvest all the ripe watermelons for storage. That way, even if they come again, our losses will be reduced."
He then turned to Li Nanqiao. "Nanqiao, go around the village and see if any outsiders have arrived recently. Also, try to find anyone with a leg injury or difficulty walking."
Having calmed down, Li Nanqiao immediately set off to carry out his instructions.
The rest followed Qin Ke to the fields to harvest. He noticed that while the first batch had ripened, the second batch was already flowering and bearing fruit.
He had been gradually storing watermelons in his space, which extended their shelf life. Still, he dared not be too conspicuous, adding them little by little.
They hauled all the ripe watermelons back home. Han Qi made three full trips with the cart. This batch alone would likely supply Caiyue Pavilion for several days.
That way, even if thieves returned, they would only find unripe fruit.
But Qin Ke doubted they'd succeed anyway—with Lei Zhong guarding the fields.
Though the thirty taels he spent had been costly, Qin Ke felt it was well worth it. Lei Zhong was steady, experienced, and highly skilled.
For reasons unknown, Li Nanqiao suddenly wanted to learn martial arts from Lei Zhong.
As a result, during the day, it became common to see Lei Zhong holding a willow switch, watching sternly as she practiced horse stance in the courtyard—his expression severe and his standards uncompromising.