Chapter 51: Bear Cubs Working for Free

George arrived very early the next morning. Basically, whenever Liu Heming needed help with anything now, he would rush over right away.

George jumped down from the seeder and looked at him. “Dexter, this is a three-row seeder. Are you sure you can handle it all by yourself?”

“No problem. I’m not planting that many potatoes anyway,” Liu Heming replied with a smile.

“Haha, Dexter! Are these two little ones going to work alongside you, too?” George asked, finally noticing the two bear cubs behind Liu Heming.

The bear cubs looked different today. Each wore a little pouch around their necks. Despite Liu Heming’s best efforts to shorten the straps, they still hung a bit too long.

“I can’t leave them alone at home safely. The bags carry their favorite snacks,” Liu Heming explained as he lifted the cubs onto the truck seat. “George, what’s the outlook for your wheat harvest this year after all our hard work? It won’t be for nothing, right?”

“Dexter, all the townsfolk want to thank you. This year’s harvest will definitely be our best in years,” George said seriously. “I’ve heard back from townspeople who moved away. Some chose to return, others did not. I truly hope the climate improves going forward. Only then will your help have been worthwhile.”

“Let’s not dwell on that yet,” Liu Heming said, looking directly at George. “But I must remind you: my water is only for the people currently living in town. And honestly, they get it only because of my good relationship with you.”

“So, whether you like it or not, I want you to remain the Town Mayor. Although the property rights the town transferred to me are legally binding, I don’t want future troubles. Human hearts change easily.”

“Dexter, rest assured. Honestly, I’d rather you bought the whole town! That might bring Xiangshui Town back to prosperity faster,” George declared firmly.

“Don’t say that,” Liu Heming shook his head helplessly. “Even with this lake, if the weather stays like this, how could it water fields for the whole town?”

Instantly, George’s eager expression crumbled into dismay. Liu Heming spoke the truth; the lake alone could never meet the farming needs of the entire town.

“Alright, whether things improve depends on whether God decides to look favorably upon us. For now, let’s just focus on getting these potatoes planted,” Liu Heming said, patting George’s shoulder. “Stay for lunch. I’ll cook a couple of dishes for you.”

The bear cubs lived for honey. George lived for reviving Xiangshui Town. Liu Heming couldn’t really understand that kind of dedication. If it were him, he’d be perfectly happy just getting his own ranch running smoothly. He wouldn’t bother with the extra worry.

Two vehicles, one following the other, drove to the sandy plot Liu Heming had chosen for his potatoes. This patch was reserved for sweet potatoes, peanuts, and potatoes. Though somewhat sandy, it was perfect for these crops.

“Dexter, I’ll start out slow so you can keep up while loading,” George called out, leaning out from the seeder.

“OK,” Liu Heming replied, giving a thumbs-up.

The seeder started moving. Liu Heming quickly realized George had been wise to slow down; trying to handle three rows’ worth of work alone was tougher than he expected.

His job was placing cut potato pieces onto a metal deflector plate. The plate carried them into the seeder. Digging, fertilizing, planting, covering – the entire sequence happened in one smooth operation.

When they were nearly halfway done, Liu Heming realized he’d overestimated himself again. His stamina had been fine starting out, but exhaustion from yesterday, especially the lingering soreness in his right arm, made keeping up difficult.

“George, hold up a moment, please,” Liu Heming waved after finishing another three rows.

“Should I call Megan and see if she can help?” George suggested.

“You can call her for lunch. But help? Maybe not,” Liu Heming grinned. “I’ll try having the little bears help instead.”

These free-loading fluff balls deserved to earn their keep! The task wasn’t complicated. Their tiny paws could easily grip the potato pieces.

He placed the two confused bear cubs on the seat. Oblivious to Liu Heming’s plan for unpaid labor, they curiously examined their surroundings.

Liu Heming held Bear Cub Da’s (Xiong Da) front paws, picked up a potato piece, and placed it onto the deflector plate. After repeating the motion several times, he signaled George to let the seeder run idle.

The spinning plate fascinated Xiong Da. He tried mimicking the movement Liu Heming taught. His first attempt failed. He released the potato piece, but his paw swept it off.

Liu Heming didn’t get discouraged. He guided Xiong Da’s paws patiently again. This time, the little bear seemed to grasp the knack, possibly finding this tiny “game” rather fun.

Using the exact same method, Liu Heming taught Bear Cub Er (Xiong Er). George watched, completely dumbfounded. He never imagined baby bears could be this clever! True, Liu Heming was an extremely patient teacher… but they were bears! How did they learn so fast?

George climbed into the seeder’s cab, utterly perplexed. Glancing back as he drove, he saw the Liu-and-bears team working surprisingly smoothly. Liu Heming even had spare moments to feed the little cubs some snacks!

Occasionally, a potato piece slipped from clumsy Xiong Da or Xiong Er’s grip, but Liu Heming was quick to replace it. Missing one or two pieces amidst so many wasn’t a big deal anyway. Everyone makes mistakes, especially junior bear laborers!

Megan arrived in George’s truck and was startled by the scene behind the seeder. “Goodness! Dexter! They’re such great helpers!” she praised, walking up to Liu Heming as the machine finally stopped.

“They can’t live at the ranch for free forever. Their appetites will only get bigger,” Liu Heming replied with a satisfied smile. “They must learn to contribute!”

The two little bears, unknowingly destined for future hard labor, had no inkling of Liu Heming’s grand plan. With the machine stopped, they clambered down and swarmed their human, eager for playtime.