A Villain's Way of Taming Heroines

For he saw them, the shoots on the field, vast expanses of... sprouting shoots.

In just half a day and one night, with just... some water.

"..."

James' legs gave way, and he knelt tremblingly on the ground, reaching out to touch the sprouting shoots, so tender and green, as if they could drip water, the freshest of sprouts.

He had never seen sprouts so perfect.

Then, farmers began to arrive at the field one after another, their reactions the same as Laurel and James'.

Some even knelt on the ground, burying their faces in the soil that had become as fertile as if from a fairyland overnight, weeping uncontrollably.

And then, not until deep into the night did anyone reluctantly leave the field.

On the second day, the green wheat seedlings visibly grew taller, already showing signs of leafing. This time, all the farmers brought a day's worth of food, each still squatting by the field, not moving an inch. By nightfall, some even took out bedding from their packs, laying it right beside the field, and covered themselves with blankets as sleepiness deepened.

By the fourth day, the wheat, now as tall as James' chest and leaving every farmer in awe, began to form ears. The farmers, happy, hugged each other, regardless of whether they knew each other or the age differences. At this moment, the hope and joy they harbored were so unified, and the hard work and fatigue they had endured resonated so perfectly together.

On the sixth day, the wheat had flowered, and the green color had turned to the golden yellow of harvest. The incredibly full ears of wheat once again brought celebration among the farmers. They splashed water on each other, took off their shirts, letting their dark, lean skin become as hot and fervent under the sun as their hearts.

They sang simple and rustic songs, their coarse and hoarse voices carrying happiness and joy far and wide.

On the seventh day, from the gates of Pelican City, the city walls were crowded with people.

Because everyone saw that the farmland outside the city had turned into a golden sea.

James knelt in front of the field, continuously kissing the wheat ears in his hands, kissing the ground beneath his feet, tears in his eyes flowing uncontrollably.

He had never seen such full, such bright wheat ears. Moreover, the wheat, which should have grown from a single wheat seedling, had ears so densely packed that the yield was multiplied several times over!

James could not describe his emotions at the moment; he felt as if he were in a dream, even afraid that it was indeed just a dream.

But the fragrance of the wheat, the aroma of the soil, the warmth of his tears... everything was so real, real enough that he wanted to cry out loud.

His life was about to change, not just his, but also those around him, and even the entire Pelican City, the whole Watson domain, would undergo a transformation!

With such a field, how could anyone starve to death? Not only would no one starve, but every household would have an abundance of various kinds of food!

James was even willing to give away much of the wheat for free to those around him—because there was simply too much! So much that he, as an experienced farmer, could not begin to estimate the yield. It was no exaggeration to say that the grain he had grown in the last three or four years might not compare to the amount produced in these seven days!

"Harvest... Harvest!" James exclaimed excitedly as he stood up, "Quickly harvest this batch, then we can immediately plant the second one... What should we plant for the second batch? Maybe—"

"James."

The deep voice coming from behind interrupted James' soliloquy.

The young man turned around and saw his stocky fellow villager, who seemed to have a bit of a temper.

"...Laurel?"

James was initially stunned, then said cheerfully and heartily, "Your harvest must be good too! We are so lucky to have reaped so much grain... I wonder how much money we can make!"

"Hmph," Laurel scoffed, "Do you really think you can make a lot of money?"

He pulled James forcefully, pointing to the circle of farmers weeping with joy not far away, and then to their fields, which were even more bountiful than James', and said with a grim expression:

"With so much grain, to this extent, how much money do you think you can still make?"

James was stunned. He was simple and naive, but not dull-witted, and quickly understood what Laurel meant.

"Too much... so it's not needed?" the young man murmured to himself.

"You're not just a simple fool... Pelican City definitely can't consume this much grain, that's for sure."

Listening to Laurel's words, James thought for a while, then smiled and said, "That's okay, isn't it a good thing if everyone is well-fed?"

"Heh, don't you want to make money?" Laurel stared into James' eyes, "Or do you think this is enough, do you think, damn it, rolling around in the fields for a lifetime, feeling full is damn enough?"

"If it can be sold..."

The man's greed was not hidden in his words: "If it can be sold, that would be... how much money!"

"..." James looked at the golden wheat, opened his mouth, but couldn't speak.

If... all of this could be sold.

Pipes, coats, shoes... no, no, no... he could buy better things, for his father, for his elder brother, for the woman he had yet to confess his feelings to, better things.

And it only took seven days!

"I... Laurel."

James lowered his voice nervously: "I, I want to make money, what should I do?"

Laurel looked at the naive young man who had taken the bait, a slow smile spreading across his lips:

"Pelican City can't sell it, but who says... all this grain can only be sold in this tiny, tiny Pelican City?"

*