Chapter 33: The Queen of the Land

German supermarkets offered limited options: potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini, and little else. Day in and day out, Qin Li was growing tired of the monotony.

The household of four foodies had already devoured most of the supplies from the last trip to the Asian market in Munich. All that was left was a bag of mung beans, round and shiny, sitting neglected in the pantry. Staring at them, Qin Li had an idea—why not try sprouting her own bean sprouts?

She soaked the mung beans in water overnight, and by the next morning, tiny green shoots had begun to peek out. Excited, she found a large soda bottle, cleaned it thoroughly, and poured the beans inside. Wrapping the bottle with layers of black tape to keep out any light, she set it aside.

Initially, it was just an experiment, but three days later, she was thrilled to see a bottle full of fresh, fragrant sprouts.

That evening, Qin Li turned her first batch of homegrown sprouts into a bean sprout feast: dry-fried sprouts, boiled sprouts, stir-fried sprouts with pork, and spicy bean sprout salad.

When the dishes hit the table, Thomas gasped, "Is today Bean Sprout Day?"

Qu Dani looked at the spread suspiciously. "Did you go back to the Asian market?"

Yan Sen shook his head, equally puzzled.

Proudly, Qin Li beamed. "I grew these myself!"

She brought out the soda bottle from the windowsill, showing off her homemade sprout garden like a trophy.

Thomas shrieked, "That was my soda bottle!"

Qu Dani squinted at the sprouts. "Wait, what did you use to grow them?"

"Mung beans," Qin Li replied matter-of-factly.

Qu Dani's jaw dropped, as though she'd just discovered a new planet. "So that's where bean sprouts come from—mung beans?"

Qin Li nodded. "Yup. If I'd known earlier, I could have been sprouting my own in China instead of worrying about eating those chemically treated sprouts."

Qu Dani quipped, "Why stop there? Why don't you plant your own veggies too? Fertilize with cow dung—pure organic!"

Qin Li's eyes sparkled. "Actually, that's not a bad idea!"

The success of the bean sprouts sparked her creativity. She thought of the plot of land in front of the farmhouse—bare and unused. Why not cultivate it into her personal garden?

When she brought the idea to Yan Sen, he nodded. "You can use it, but you're in charge of all the work."

Qin Li thumped her chest confidently. "Deal!"

Thomas, ever curious, asked, "What do you want to plant?"

She began listing with her fingers: "Broad beans, snow peas, luffa, eggplant, winter melon, chili peppers, and bok choy..."

Thomas scratched his head. "Some of those I've never even heard of. Where are you going to get the seeds?"

Stumped, Qin Li paused. He had a point.

That's when Qu Dani snapped her fingers. "How could we forget the holy grail of online shopping?"

In unison, the two women shouted, "Taobao!"

"But can Taobao ship to Germany?" Qin Li wondered.

Qu Dani smirked. "Of course! There's AliExpress—the international version of Taobao!"

"And the shipping fees?"

"Thank Ma Baba for free international shipping on small items. It'll take a bit of time to arrive, though."

"How long?"

"Ten days to two weeks. If you're in a hurry, you can pay extra for express shipping. It'll be here in three days."

"You've ordered before?"

Qu Dani nodded. "I once bought a pair of Meizu earbuds. Took about two weeks, and the price wasn't bad at all."

Qin Li's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Then I'm placing an order right now!"

Once introduced to AliExpress, Qin Li fell down the rabbit hole. By the time she resurfaced, she had ordered over a dozen packets of vegetable seeds, several flower seeds, and even a Xiaomi plant monitor for good measure.

When Yan Sen walked in, she tossed her phone aside and grabbed his arm. "Lend me some tools for farming!"

"Do you even know how to use them?" he asked skeptically.

"You'll teach me," she declared with determination.

Watching the exchange, Qu Dani smirked as she painted her nails. "A match made in the fields: you farm, I harvest, you raise chickens, I milk cows. Husband and wife in perfect harmony."

Blushing, Qin Li snapped, "One more word and you're not getting any of my veggies!"

Qu Dani laughed. "I'll bet you a cucumber you won't grow a single thing."

Ignoring her, Qin Li turned to Yan Sen, her gaze expectant. "Let's go!"

He sighed but gestured for her to follow.

In the storage shed by the lawn, Qin Li's curiosity peaked. She'd seen the locked door many times but never knew what was inside. Now, following Yan Sen in, she was greeted with an arsenal of tools. Shovels, hoes, rakes—some she could name, others she couldn't.

Yan Sen handed her two tools: a hoe for breaking the soil and a rake for leveling it. Both were sturdy and surprisingly heavy.

Balancing them on her shoulders, Qin Li marched out like a soldier on duty.

From the balcony, Qu Dani called down, "Hey, it's Zhu Bajie!"

Qin Li glared at her, then turned to Yan Sen. "Which part of the land is the most fertile?"

Qu Dani yelled, "I bet she's just going to lose interest after three minutes!"

"Quiet!" Qin Li shot back.

Ignoring them both, Yan Sen pointed to a random spot with a knowing smile. "There."

Qin Li hefted the tools over her shoulder and strode to the plot Yan Sen had pointed out. She stomped her foot on the ground to test it. Soft and pliable, it felt just right.

"Here?" she asked.

Yan Sen gave her a thumbs-up, nodding.

Gripping the hoe with all the determination of a conquering empress, she slammed it into the soil. "This is my kingdom now!"

Qu Dani yawned and gave a lazy wave as she turned back toward the house. "Good luck."

Yan Sen handed her a pair of work gloves before heading off to his own tasks, leaving Qin Li to her grand ambitions.

Though it was her first time working the land, Qin Li wasn't entirely clueless. She'd seen enough movies and had a decent grasp of the basics—or so she thought. Gloves on, she diligently swung the hoe, churning up soil and flipping weeds.

Fueled by dreams of a bountiful harvest, Qin Li attacked the land with gusto. She worked tirelessly from eight in the morning until noon, creating a sizable 8×2 meter patch of dug-up earth. She didn't feel tired—yet.

At noon, Yan Sen returned for lunch. To his surprise, the kitchen table was empty. Puzzled, he stepped out onto the balcony and spotted her, drenched in sweat, still hacking away at the ground.

He chuckled to himself, grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge, and headed out.

Qin Li was learning firsthand the meaning of the old Chinese poem: Hoeing grain at noon, sweat drips into the soil; who knows, each grain on the plate comes with toil. Farming wasn't just hard work—it was humbling. She silently vowed never to waste food again.

"Take a break," Yan Sen called as he approached.

Wiping her brow, Qin Li waved him off. "No way, I need to finish this in one go!"

Shrugging, Yan Sen sat in the shade, watching her labor.

Finally, when her plot was complete, Qin Li dropped the hoe and plopped down next to him, exhausted but triumphant.

Taking the water bottle he handed her, she guzzled half of it in one go.

"Not bad, huh?" she asked, flashing him a grin.

Yan Sen raised an eyebrow. "That's it? That's all you managed this morning?"

Her smile faltered. "What do you mean? What's wrong with it?"

"You didn't remove the weeds," he said plainly. "You just flipped them over. When it rains, they'll regrow and take over."

Qin Li's face fell. "Then what should I do?"

"Pull them out," Yan Sen said. "Root and all. Leave nothing behind."

Her jaw dropped. "You're kidding, right?"

He gave a small shrug, his expression unreadable.

Qin Li narrowed her eyes at him. "You're messing with me, aren't you?"

Yan Sen didn't even bother to reply.

Realizing he was serious, Qin Li groaned. "I have to pull them out one by one?"

He nodded.

Staring at the thousands of weeds in her plot, she felt her soul leave her body. By the time she was done, she'd probably lose all her hair too.

But there was no getting around it. With a sigh, she picked herself up and began the tedious task of pulling weeds.

As she worked, she muttered to herself about Cinderella's animal helpers. "She had birds and mice to help her. Where are my helpers?"

By the time she was halfway through her first row, Thomas popped his disheveled head out of the house.

"Li! What's for lunch?"

She kicked a clump of weeds, irritation evident in her tone. "Nothing! I don't have time to cook!"

He blinked. "What are you doing?"

"Digging your grave," she shot back without missing a beat.

Thomas quickly retreated, muttering, "What's gotten into her?"

Yan Sen called out from the shade. "Take a break and eat something."

Qin Li, stubborn as ever, shook her head. "I'm not eating until these weeds are gone!"

Yan Sen sighed. Thankfully, the plot was only 8×2 meters. Any larger, and she'd end up starving herself.

Inside the house, Thomas was rummaging in the kitchen. "What's wrong with her?" he asked as he slapped peanut butter onto bread.

Yan Sen shrugged.

"She'd better lose interest soon," Thomas said, chewing. "Or we're stuck eating bread every day."

"You used to eat bread every day before she came," Yan Sen pointed out.

"That was before I knew better," Thomas lamented. "Now that I've tasted her cooking, bread and potatoes just make me want to puke."

"Are you even German?"

"Not if being German means eating this crap. If I could eat Chinese food every day, I'd happily be Chinese."

Yan Sen rolled his eyes. "During a war, you'd be the first to sell out as a traitor."

Thomas smirked. "Whatever. You can keep eating your bread, saint."

Yan Sen made a pair of sandwiches, reluctantly adding a second one for Qin Li. He headed back outside, finding her still hunched over the soil.

He dragged her to the shade, shoved a sandwich into her hands, and said, "Eat."

Too hungry to argue, Qin Li took a bite—and immediately grimaced.

"Who made this?"

Without flinching, Yan Sen lied smoothly, "Thomas."

"No wonder it tastes so bad," she muttered, taking another reluctant bite.

Yan Sen cleared his throat.

"Once I'm done with the weeds, can I plant the seeds right away?" she asked.

"First, you have to water the soil thoroughly," he replied.

"And how do I do that?"

"Wait for rain," he deadpanned.

Her eyes narrowed. "What if it doesn't rain?"

He shrugged again. "Then you're out of luck."

She glared at him, sensing he was teasing her, but his expression was as serious as ever.

Finishing his sandwich, Yan Sen stood and patted her shoulder. "You could always pray for rain."

Before she could respond, he walked off, leaving her stewing in confusion.

As Qin Li pondered more efficient ways to pull weeds and water her plot, a shiny green cricket hopped past her.

It sparked a memory: when she was little, her father loved catching crickets in the fields and frying them up as a snack. The crispy, savory taste had been unforgettable.

Grinning at the thought, she decided to relive that childhood delight. The field was teeming with insects, and they were slow-moving, unaccustomed to predators. She easily caught a handful, tossing them into an empty water bottle.

Her plans for the evening were set—crisp, fried crickets. A true farm-to-table delicacy.