Fruit Farmer In A Cultivation World

It was a memory from a long time ago. A time before he had been thrust into the cruel capitalist world back on Earth.

His father was still in the family.

Maybe because it had been such a long time, he couldn't remember what the man looked like. For that matter, it was the same for his mother.

The faces of the parents who had brought him into the world were a blur.

But it wasn't a big deal for Sen Lin. He didn't have any good feelings for them anyways. The only person whom he remembered clearly from his previous life's childhood was his grandmother.

And in every single memory of his, she always had a radiant smile plastered to her face.

"Does it taste good?" She'd ask while patting his little head, "I've cooked a lot so eat more."

Thinking back to one of the few happy memories of his past life, he couldn't help but think of how dumb he'd been as a kid.

"You should eat too grandma. Aren't you hungry?" he would ask while offering her some food from his plate.

"Grandma isn't hungry. Watching you eat is enough to fill my stomach."

Her reply never really made sense to the kid him. Even after he'd become an adult, he couldn't understand what drove her to feel that way.

Having grown used to the cold world, he'd concluded that it was just something his grandmother had said casually to have her foolish grandson eat more.

However, as he felt his heart warm up while watching Yu Yao dig into the food, he was sure it wasn't a random statement from his grandmother.

Sen Lin couldn't get to the bottom of this feeling but strangely enough, he felt like he could understand what she had meant.

"Thank you for bringing Yao back. I was getting worried because she hadn't returned even after such a long time." Madam Yu thanked Sen Lin while caressing her daughter lovingly.

"It's nothing," Sen Lin replied.

He wanted to say that what he'd done was nothing compared to what uncle Yu had done for him back in the days. But looking at the worn-down house, he couldn't bring himself to utter those words.

What had once been a lively house filled with laughter had been reduced to its current pathetic state. And Sen Lin hadn't even been aware of it.

He never considered himself a good person and he knew how much asocial tendencies he had. Still, he couldn't forgive himself for not even checking up on the family of his benefactor even once.

He'd already walked into a crying Yu Yao when he visited just once. Who knew how many similar situations the family had faced in the past two years.

Sen Lin wanted to ask about the debt and why old man Lu was going so far as to hire thugs to bother them but held back.

He felt like he didn't have the right to ask such a question when he'd never been there to help them.

In the end, the world was cold because it was filled with people like him – those who complain about other's indifference but never really radiate warmth to those around them.

"Mom, little Sen, you guys should eat too. This is so tasty. I've never had anything this good."

Sen Lin was brought out of his personal mini purgatory by Yu Yao's words.

Madam Yu smiled brightly and began digging in. Every now and then, she'd grab the good parts of the dishes and feed it to her daughter.

Sen Lin also took a tiny bite before grabbing the flat bread Yu Yao had placed beside the dishes he'd come with.

He wanted to leave the good stuff for the little girl and madam Yu. It wasn't much but it eased the guilt in his heart by a teeny tiny bit.

It was selfish and hypocritical but he desperately wanted that peace of mind.

Noticing his actions, Yu Yao spoke up with a mouth full of food. "Little Sen, you should eat this too. It's much tastier than the bread and pickled vegetables."

"It's alright," Sen Lin spoke while feeling another needle made of guilt prick his conscience. "I already ate that stuff this morning. And it's been such a long time since I last had flat bread with pickled vegetables. I really miss it."

His words sounded completely normal to the seven-year-old Yu Yao. Flat bread with pickled vegetables was indeed a rare treat. She only got to eat it once every two to three weeks. Whats more, there was even a giant piece of smoked pork in the middle.

She nodded in understanding and redirected her attention back to the delicious food.

Sen Lin finished the pickled vegetables and pork wrap while making small talk with madam Yu. He then played with the little girl until she ran out of energy and fell asleep.

"I'll be taking my leave for today madam Yu. Please rest well. You should take better care of your health."

"It's fine. The sun will chase away my illness. It's just that I've never been good with cold," Madam Yu, who had lost much weight since he'd last seen her saw him off at the door. She hesitated for a moment before continuing.

"Jie often talked about you before he went to the martial arts school. He'll be returning for a visit in a few days. You should drop by then."

Sen Lin recalled the young boy who often followed him before and nodded his head.

Walking away from the Yu household, he quickened his steps and knocked on aunt Tong's door.

The door opened and he found himself face to face with the kind lady.

"What happened little Sen? You don't look so good."

"Why didn't you tell me about the Yu household? You'd often tell me about so much gossip and all the girls coming of age but you never once mentioned the hardship they were facing."

Aunt Tong sighed at his sudden question and answered after he calmed down a little. "It's not that I hid it from you in purpose. Madam Yu told me not to tell you and I agreed with her reasoning."

"What do you mean?" Sen Lin grew confused. He couldn't understand why but he felt his ears burning because of rage. "I might not be able to do much but I could help them, even if it was only a little. You know I am doing well now. I even sold a lot of plums during the Autumn festival. I even have hens in my coop."

"That's exactly why," aunt Tong cut him off promptly. "Both madam Yu and I agreed not to disturb you since you were finally getting on your feet. You should save your money so you can start a family soon. That way, you might finally be able to do something about the invisible wall you put around yourself and everyone else. Why do you think you didn't find out about the Yu household till now? Because I didn't tell you? No, it's because you still try to distance yourself from everyone. You could have visited them anytime but you never did. Even back when old Yu was alive, it was always him dragging you around."

It was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him. He wanted to refute what she'd said but logic failed him. He tried with all his might but couldn't come up with a single argument.

Sen Lin had to face it…

He couldn't come up with a retort because what aunt Tong had said was the truth.

"I understand."

In the end, he could only walk away with a heavy heart.