"Keep it... safe."
Ding Yibai, holding a melon, was completely out of it. After a few people laughed, he replied.
Then he lowered his head and stared at the melon in his hand again.
Shen Yan, on the other hand, was a bit competitive. She felt she was "professional."
So, while the melon was still there, she leaned in and began to impart her melon-picking experience to everyone.
"I learned this from a melon-growing elder for a long time, just so I could pick good, sweet melons when I'm out and about."
"Let me tell you, with this watermelon, the first step is to look. Look at the stem, the stripes, the circle at the bottom... and then we need to listen..."
Shen Yan spoke at length, leaving Qiu Xi and the others mesmerized.
They didn't expect Yan Yan to be such an expert...
Meanwhile, Ding Yibai had been watching Shen Yan since she started speaking. Although he had seen and studied some of what she said, there were a few things he had truly overlooked.
This was a major oversight for him and he needed to remember it for future research.
"My dear girl, how do you know so much?"
Ge Jiaojie and Ding Yujing were also quite surprised. This young lady spoke with such conviction.
Seeing that their grandson didn't object and looked thoughtful, the elderly couple guessed that this young lady was likely telling the truth.
"Grandma Ge, you wouldn't know this, but Yan Yan's family deals exclusively with land, she's a little landowner."
Ge Jiaojie sighed, "Is that so? No wonder."
"Is what she's saying true?"
Ding Yibai's attention was entirely focused on the phrase "dealing with land."
Shen Yan looked at the person before her, who was asking with wide eyes, and was a bit confused, "What's true?"
Song Daiyao, guessing wildly, translated, "Is he asking about your land?"
Ding Yibai nodded quickly upon hearing this, "Yes."
"Then what they said isn't wrong, my family does grow crops."
Shen Yan said it casually, turning the description of a large landowner into merely growing crops.
Qiu Xi and the other two exchanged glances, but Ding Yibai was delighted.
This was his specialty!
"Then do you know about the soil composition..."
Then Ding Yibai launched into a series of questions about soil composition, pH levels, humus...
Shen Yan didn't understand what the others were talking about, but at this moment, she felt like an illiterate person.
She understood every word, but what was he asking?!!
She didn't understand...
"Alright, neither your grandfather nor I know much about what you're saying, why are you asking so carelessly?"
"Quickly, finish the melons on the table, then take your precious melon and hurry back to work!"
"Don't come complaining to us old folks again about something being wrong."
Although their professions were vastly different, this young fellow of hers, when he talked about problems, he disregarded professional boundaries.
He didn't care what you studied; he just had to say it.
And sometimes, he wouldn't even expect an answer from you. After rambling, he would immediately slip away.
You wouldn't even know where to direct your frustration!
"Then I won't eat this. Grandma, can you pack another one for me to take away?"
Reminded by his grandmother, Ding Yibai remembered that he should indeed return to the laboratory earlier.
"Alright, then this one it is. I'll pick another one for Xiao Xi and the others later."
Ge Jiaojie didn't want to cause any more trouble, so she immediately put a bag over the already prepared melon and handed it to Ding Yibai.
"Then I'll be going now..."
Before Qiu Xi and the others could react, he had already vanished.
They couldn't help but sigh, his speed must be the result of countless battles.
"Why did you girls come over?"
After his grandson left, Ding Yujing finally remembered that no one had been at home when he left earlier.
"We came to seek your guidance, teacher!"
Qiu Xi finished her melon, wiped her mouth, and then began to answer Ding Yujing's question.
"I see. I thought you came to discuss cooking with my wife again."
Ding Yujing hadn't forgotten that the last time he wanted to chat with this girl, she had been deeply engrossed in conversation with his wife.
"In that case, after we finish eating, tidy this up, and then we'll talk about your studies."
"Yes, no problem."
Meanwhile, Ding Yibai, who had returned to the laboratory with his melon, happened to bump into his teacher.
Qin Tangsha saw his student standing there like an idiot, holding a watermelon.
Finally unable to stand it, he went up and tapped him on the head, "Why are you standing there foolishly?"
"Teacher Qin! When can you change this habit? It's only because I'm your student that I haven't complained about you yet."
"Hey! You want to complain about me! It's precisely because you're my student that I... tap you like this!"
As he spoke, Qin Tangsha casually tapped him again.
"..."
Ding Yibai just stared... then finally lowered his head.
Seeing that his student had no more to say, Qin Tangsha focused on the melon beside him.
"Where did you buy this watermelon? It looks pretty good. Come on, let's take it out, cut it, and we'll eat it before coming back."
"No!"
Upon hearing this, Ding Yibai was startled and immediately hugged his melon tighter.
This melon was not easily obtained; it had been through twists and turns, and it was already a stroke of luck that it was still in his arms.
"Teacher, this is full of data. If you want to eat, eat this one."
To protect his melon, Ding Yibai chose to offer the other melon he had obtained.
"Alright, then I won't be polite. We'll eat it together in the office later."
"..."
When have you ever been polite...
It had been almost a year since he started his graduate studies. Just as he had been accepted last year, before he could enjoy the remaining limited holiday, he was pulled in to work.
Then followed a continuous grind of 365 days a year, with even short holidays dedicated to countless literature and data.
Not to mention his undergraduate days. After so long, he truly hadn't seen his mentor be polite.
"But this melon you're holding, is it ripe?"
"..."
Hearing the familiar question, Ding Yibai blurted out without thinking, "It's ripe!"
"Good, I'm counting on you!"
This time, Qin Tangsha remembered his student's words and patted his shoulder.
Ding Yibai nodded, "Mm."
"However... quickly, after you're done, you still need to come to the fields with me."
Ding Yibai: "..."
He knew it. His teacher had never intended to let him relax.
"Got it..."
"Alright, keep up the good work, young man!"
"I'll be waiting for you in the office to eat the melon~"
Qin Tangsha waved his hand and then swaggered out of the laboratory.
"..."
This teacher... better to have no teacher at all!