Chapter 82

Logan had been silent the whole time. As he finished his work, he nodded and joined Summer in leaving for the day.

After work, they left the school and headed to the garden before returning to their community center. As they walked, they discussed the upcoming Sunday dinner for the community leaders.

"I'll talk to Aunt Linda tomorrow and ask her to help us," Summer said. This time, it wasn't about borrowing money but rather asking Linda to help organize the dinner and invite the key community members.

As they reached the garden, Summer suddenly stopped in her tracks, staring at the riverside.

Logan followed her gaze and, seeing what she saw, smiled wryly. "What happened to all the plants?" Summer exclaimed, noting that Henry's plot was filled with dead seedlings.

Logan stepped into the garden, his tone indifferent. "Who knows?"

Summer was about to step down into the garden when a scream startled her. She turned to see Henry and his group rushing over, Grace's voice ringing out, "What's going on? Why are all the plants dead?"

No one responded immediately. After a moment, Lily muttered, "Are they all dead?"

Her words sent a chill through the group. Even Henry, usually so composed, looked gravely concerned as he stepped into the garden to inspect the seedlings. The others followed, bending down to examine the plants.

Grace whispered, "Do you think someone sabotaged us?"

The suggestion was clear but dangerous to voice without proof. Lily and Cecilia, beside her, shook their heads, unwilling to stir up more trouble.

After inspecting the plants with no clear answers, Henry called out to Charlie and Gabe, "Go find a local farmer to take a look."

The two ran off and soon returned with a farmer in his forties. The farmer took one look at the withered plants and sighed, "Oh dear, what happened to all your plants?"

Henry, maintaining his composure, asked, "Can you tell what's wrong?"

The farmer inspected the plot and said, "The soil looks fine, no signs of pests. Did you water them recently?"

Henry replied, "We watered them yesterday at noon."

The farmer slapped his thigh, "You can't water plants at noon in this heat! The sun was scorching yesterday. Watering them then is like boiling them alive."

Gabe was confused, "But we thought the plants needed water in that heat. We were trying to cool them down."

The farmer explained, "In the midday sun, water droplets act like magnifying glasses, focusing the sunlight and burning the plants. You should water them in the evening."

Grace added, "But we used cold river water."

The farmer hadn't finished his explanation when Logan's laughter caught everyone's attention. Grace, irritated, snapped, "What's so funny?"

Logan replied, "I'm laughing at how clueless you all are."

Grace clenched her fists, about to retort, but the farmer interrupted, "Logan, as a teacher, you should explain the science behind it."

Logan looked directly at Henry, saying, "Watering plants under intense sunlight causes the water droplets to act like lenses, focusing the sunlight and burning the leaves. The heat also causes the water to evaporate quickly, leaving the plants dehydrated."

Henry stared at Logan, not responding.

The farmer, slightly confused by the terminology, trusted that the educated youths understood. "Remember, no more watering at noon."

With that, Charlie and Gabe escorted the farmer away. The group remained silent, staring at their ruined garden.

Twenty minutes later, in the kitchen of the community center, Henry's group sat around the table, looking defeated. Gabe tried to lighten the mood, "Come on, it's not a big deal. We'll just plant new seedlings."

Grace muttered, "Easy for you to say. We're wasting our time and resources. It's embarrassing."

Lily added quietly, "Then maybe you shouldn't talk about it anymore."

In the back, Summer and Logan sat by the stove. Summer, curious about the group's tension, leaned forward to peek, only to be gently pushed back by Logan. She repositioned herself next to him, offering him some sunflower seeds. They shared the seeds in silence, observing the group's silent frustration.

Henry, glancing toward the back, noticed them. Summer and Logan, aware of his gaze, calmly continued eating their seeds, pretending not to notice.

Henry sighed deeply, realizing that their efforts had been in vain.