This was a basic human mental power training manual she had adapted from the Giant Sound Whale calf’s mental power cultivation method.
The Giant Sound Whales had given her tremendous help during the adaptation process.
To thank them, Lin Xiaohe let them have the naming rights.
“This is the Candy Bean Manual. It’s a mental power cultivation method.”
Pop rocks + gummy candy + beans. Put together, they were simply called “candy beans.”
The name reflected the Giant Sound Whales’ deep affection for Fanfan and the others, as well as their high hopes for Lin Xiaohe.
In the words of the Giant Sound Whales, the Candy Bean Manual was a top-tier cultivation method. Even the secret techniques that the high-ranking families of the Federation and the Empire treasured as heirlooms weren’t worthy enough to be its little brother.
Lin Xiaohe trusted the Giant Sound Whales’ loyalty to good food, so she decided to let her family practice the Candy Bean Manual together.
She wasn’t doing it for any other reason—just for their health.
Mental power relied on physical conditioning, but in turn, it could also nourish and strengthen the body.
Lin Xiaohe wanted her family to live long, healthy lives, accompanying her for years and years to come.
The Lin family smiled warmly at Xiaohe. When they noticed a hint of fatigue on her face, her second sister, Lin Jingqiu, gently guided her to her room to rest.
After the two sisters left, Lin Grandma stared at the Candy Bean Manual on the table. Her eyes held both hope and a little anxiety as she asked, “Son, will this mental power cultivation method work for you?”
Lin Dad’s fingers resting on his knees twitched slightly. A flicker of dimness passed through his eyes, but he quickly pulled himself together. “My mental sea has already collapsed, so it probably won’t do anything for me. Mom, Dad, and Chiyang—you should practice it more.”
He looked at the gentle and obedient Lin Chiyang, his eyes full of tenderness. “He hasn’t shown up for a long time since we came here, has he? If you raise your mental power, maybe you can fully recover.”
A flicker of conflict passed through Lin Chiyang’s eyes, but he spoke in a soft, gentle voice. “But I don’t want to be separated from him. He’s always been protecting me, protecting all of us. He’s part of our family too.”
Lin Dad placed his warm, dry hand on his son’s head and smiled. “Alright, you won’t be separated. But if you cultivate your mental power, both of you can become stronger. Don’t you want to be a good big brother? Don’t you want to protect your little sisters?”
Lin Chiyang nodded firmly and said loudly, “Don’t worry, Dad. I’ll work hard. I won’t slack off.”
Lin Jingqiu, who had just come out of Lin Xiaohe’s room, heard her big brother’s bold declaration and gave him a thumbs-up.
Lin Dad looked at his second daughter, who was growing more graceful by the day, and his voice became so soft and gentle it seemed like it could drip with affection. “Jingqiu, once your little sister’s farm is up and running, we’ll take you to get treated. My daughter is so beautiful—her voice must be absolutely lovely.”
Lin Jingqiu gestured with her hands, trying to say that her condition wasn’t serious and that they should treat their mom and brother first.
“In my heart, every single one of you is important. Just because you’re good and understanding doesn’t mean I should neglect you,” Lin Dad said firmly. He was determined to cure his second daughter’s muteness.
That night, except for Lin Xiaohe, the entire Lin family stayed up all night, obediently practicing the Candy Bean Manual.
Even Lin Dad, who had no hope it would work for him, practiced it too. After all, this was a gift that Xiaohe had specially brought back. If he didn’t practice it, he knew she would feel disappointed.
When morning came, the Lin family shuffled into the living room, yawning.
“Oh? You’re all here. Did you practice the manual? How were the results? Pretty good, right?” Lin Xiaohe had changed into a long-sleeved shirt and long pants. Her sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, and her hair was tied up neatly.
The Lin family, who hadn’t actually felt any effects yet, nodded repeatedly. “Yes, we did! After practicing, we all felt full of energy!”
“Thank you so much, Xiaohe, for preparing that manual for us. What would we ever do without you?”
After the usual round of compliments, the family headed to the fields, each carrying some of the nutrient solution that Lin Jingqiu had prepared.
Lin Xiaohe had already planned everything out.
“Of the school’s 50 acres, I’ll set aside 10 acres for Xinbao, Fanfan, and the others. The other 40 acres will be used for comparison experiments.”
Fanfan, Doudou, Tiantian, and Little Red had all reached maturity.
Lin Xiaohe decided to keep a batch of their seeds and divide them into four portions. Two portions would be planted on the school’s 50 acres, and the other two on her own 150 acres.
The Ministry of Security had talked about cooperating with her, but who knew if they would tamper with those 150 acres?
And Chu Huaizhi wasn’t exactly reliable. His 50 acres of land probably weren’t safe either.
So Lin Xiaohe wasn’t about to put all her eggs in one basket. Spreading the risk around was the best strategy.
She named the school’s 50 acres “Zone 5,” and her 150 acres “Zone 15.”
The group using the traditional Blue Star Chinese farming methods would be called Group A.
The group using customized fertilizer nutrient solutions based on soil composition would be Group B.
That made four control groups: A-5, A-15, B-5, and B-15.
Each control group took up 10 acres, and within each, the land was further divided into: pea group, pepper group, tomato group, and corn group.
This was the simplest kind of comparison experiment.
“Second sister, I need your help.”
Thank goodness for interstellar technology. Lin Xiaohe was holding a white handheld detector. With just one soil sample, it could analyze the soil composition in less than ten minutes. Extremely efficient.
The 50 acres of natural soil provided by the school, although free of stardust contamination, had very low fertility. Without applying base fertilizer, getting a high yield would be tough.
Lin Jingqiu’s face was serious. She crouched next to her little sister, her clear eyes focused intently on Lin Xiaohe.
Lin Xiaohe shared the soil analysis report for B-5 with Lin Jingqiu. “Second sister, I need a custom-made fertilizer nutrient solution.”
Farming wasn’t as simple as just digging a hole, dropping in some seeds, and watering them.
Back on Blue Star, there were the 24 solar terms and all kinds of farming tips and tricks.
But she couldn’t just copy Blue Star’s farming methods exactly. Lin Xiaohe needed to take the basic principles and adapt them to the actual conditions on Satellite No. 3, figuring out a farming approach that would work there.
Take growing corn, for example. On Blue Star, people usually sowed spring corn in late April or early May and harvested it in late August.
The basic principle behind this was that corn needed a stable temperature above 15°C to germinate.
But here in the interstellar age, they had temperature regulators. Lin Xiaohe could plant whenever she wanted.
Besides that, before planting corn, you had to prepare the land—deep plowing, breaking up the soil, removing weeds and leftover plant stubble.
The natural soil on Satellite No. 3 was already very fine, and they could even use gravity regulators to adjust how loose or compact the soil was.
Lin Xiaohe’s mind was working at high speed, combining her previous knowledge and practical experience with interstellar technology.
Lin Xiaohe said, “This area needs additional nitrogen fertilizer, phosphorus, and potassium.”
Lin Jingqiu nodded, carefully memorizing her little sister’s requirements, and gestured that it was no problem.
Just analyzing the soil and planning the fertilization strategy took the entire Lin family a full day.
Lin Xiaohe stood up, stretched her back, and frowned as she looked at her 150 acres of land.
The fertility of the land the Ministry of Security gave her was about the same as the school’s, but the topsoil layer was a bit thinner. If she planted corn there, she would need to use chemical control measures to prevent the stalks from falling over.
Lin Xiaohe described to Lin Jingqiu the effect she was looking for in a chemical agent.
Lin Jingqiu lowered her head and thought for a moment, then nodded firmly. Whatever her little sister wanted, she would make it happen! If she didn’t know how, she would go ask her mentor, Morrie!
Throughout the entire process, Lin Dad, Lin Grandma, and Lin Chiyang stayed quiet, not daring to say a word.
Is farming really supposed to be this complicated?
Lin Xiaohe had no idea that her family was in awe of her. Staring at the remaining 150 acres of empty land, her brows knitted together like a lock.
A true Chinese person just can’t stand to see empty land! Wouldn’t it be such a waste?
