Chapter 7: First Day as a Farmer

Liu Heming sat in his room and thought for a long time, but still couldn’t come up with any ideas. Then he made an ‘important’ decision: he would stop thinking about it.

Since he couldn’t figure it out anyway, he decided to just go with the flow. Three months wasn’t very long, but it wasn’t short either. He would live as a farmer—after all, he had been a farmer before going to university. Although he hadn’t embezzled a lot of money that he was afraid to spend, he was still a farmer’s son.

Once he made up his mind, he felt a bit more relaxed inside. At least he had a goal now, and a better future seemed to be waving at him.

You could say he had a carefree personality. To put it plainly, he was a bit careless. Actually, if it weren’t for this trait, he might have been promoted at the company.

The System, hiding somewhere unknown, sighed and wiped away a bitter tear. It truly felt its fate was too harsh. Now it thought that even if it wholeheartedly helped Liu Heming, this wasteful master, it would still struggle to complete the mission.

Liu Heming didn’t know that the System had already categorized him. Right now, he had important things to do.

As a farmer, you first needed to know your land. Which plot was good for growing crops, which for vegetables, which for raising pigs, and which for keeping chickens—all this needed planning.

He took out the documents he brought with him. The original ranch was well-planned. There were Wheat Fields and grazing areas, with many cattle but no sheep. However, over time, it fell into disuse. The cattle were gone, the Cattle Shed was torn down, and the barn was demolished, leaving only a drafty Warehouse and a place to live.

Now that he could clearly see the map, those unfamiliar place names no longer felt strange. He finally confirmed his location. It was in a fairly well-known county in Montana called Sanders County, which was the poorest county in Montana.

Even if this place hadn’t been poor to begin with, given its current state, it would have become poor no matter where it was.

Looking at his location on the map and then at his daughter’s location in Texas, Liu Heming measured the distance with his hand. North and south—even by Airplane, it would take several hours.

After looking for a while, he put the map away. He had already crossed the ocean to the United States, so this short distance was nothing. No journey could stop him from seeing his daughter.

He went outside and drove the old, beat-up Pickup Truck around the Ranch.

The Forest and mountainous areas took up a large portion—more than a third. The main issue was that due to a lack of groundwater, some areas had started to turn sandy. Only near the newly formed Small Lake did the grass look somewhat better, probably because the groundwater was a bit more abundant there.

He drove around for over two hours, only getting a rough look. He was trying to adjust to his new identity—not an office worker, but a Farmer digging for a living in the dirt.

The somewhat sandy land in the north probably couldn’t be used this year. Even the grass seemed reluctant to grow there, and with his amateur farming skills, he doubted he could manage it.

Finally, he focused his attention on the newly formed Small Lake nearby.

It seemed connected to an underground water source, as the Lake was now full. If he farmed here, he wouldn’t have to worry about water. Even if he had to carry water with buckets, it was closer.

As for installing an irrigation system, he only allowed himself a brief fantasy about it. If he tried to set one up, he’d likely end up completely broke.

He couldn’t afford many cattle right now, and even if he had them, he wouldn’t know how to raise them. The only thing he could do at the moment was grow crops and vegetables. If he could grow his own vegetables, at least he’d save money on groceries. He had to tighten his belt and live frugally. If he didn’t fix up the house, how could he bring his daughter over?

He searched through the dilapidated Warehouse again and felt thoroughly frustrated. There was a small tiller there, but even with his limited mechanical knowledge, he could tell it wasn’t working. If it were usable, his work would be much easier.

There were some Shovels, picks, and rakes, likely used by the Ranch workers in the past, but now they were rusty. Some were so corroded they were useless, not even worth selling as scrap metal. Fortunately, a few were still somewhat usable, though their lifespan was uncertain, and he’d have to be careful while using them.

Clearing the land was hard work. The temperature was above freezing, and the ground had thawed, but the most troublesome part was the weeds. They looked dry and brittle, but their roots ran deep. Liu Heming used picks and Shovels to clear them once, then raked the soil again to remove the roots completely.

Weeds were the biggest problem in fields—they stole most of the nutrients and water from the soil, stunting crops and reducing yields.

Liu Heming worked hard all morning, but the area he cleared was less than fifty square meters, far from what he had expected. At the same time, he realized a very important problem—he had overexerted himself.

He hadn’t done this kind of work in years. With his hopes for a better life fueling him, he had worked nonstop. Now, as he rested, he felt pain all over his body. He didn’t even want to walk; he just wanted to lie down and rest.

People always said farmers worked hard for their food, and now he had the chance to experience it firsthand. This work was truly difficult. With his current physical condition, clearing a large area of land before planting season would be very challenging.

No wonder the System gave him three months. After three months, the planting season here would be over. If a Farmer missed the planting season, could he still be called a qualified Farmer? Definitely not. He guessed the System’s task for him as a Farmer was to clear a piece of land and sow seeds.

As for how much land to clear and what to plant, he had no idea. The System only gave the task objective—the rest was for him to figure out. And since the System was so mysterious, he suspected the task difficulty would be high. A small area definitely wouldn’t be enough.

The idea of hiring someone to help crossed his mind, but he dismissed it immediately. If it were that simple, it wouldn’t be a task from the System. He had to do it himself.

Dragging his exhausted body, he climbed into the truck and returned to the Log Cabin. He was too tired to even eat. After washing his face hastily, he collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep.