IV
At 8:30 AM, Su Tang appeared at Lu Shiyan's door on time.
She was carrying a straw hat, a pair of gloves, and a small shovel.
When Lu Shiyan opened the door and saw this gear, his brow furrowed.
"What's this?"
"Your treatment equipment." Su Tang was beaming. "Phase one starts today."
"What kind of treatment?"
"'Immersive Agricultural Therapy.'"
Lu Shiyan looked at her like she was crazy.
"Are you confused? I came here for insomnia, not to be a farmer."
"Exactly." Su Tang nodded. "Agricultural therapy is one of the most effective treatments for stress-induced insomnia. Studies show that contact with soil and plants reduces cortisol levels and alleviates anxiety. Plus, physical labor creates natural fatigue in the body, which helps improve sleep quality."
She spoke seriously, with logical reasoning, leaving Lu Shiyan momentarily unable to argue.
"I've never farmed," he said finally.
"That's okay. I'll teach you." Su Tang held out the straw hat. "Come on, Uncle Wang has already tilled the soil. He's just waiting for you to plant."
Lu Shiyan didn't take the hat.
Su Tang wasn't in a rush. She just stood there holding it, smiling at him.
They faced off for about ten seconds.
Finally, Lu Shiyan took a deep breath, took the hat, and put it on his head.
"Let's go."
Su Tang mentally cheered "Yes!" but outwardly just turned and led the way.
V
Behind the hospital was an empty plot of land, about three hundred square meters.
Uncle Wang had already brought some patients to till it, neatly dividing it into rows. The soil was freshly turned, the moist earthy scent filling the air.
"These are the seedlings we're planting today." Su Tang pointed to a row of small plants nearby. "Tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, peppers. Pick one."
Lu Shiyan looked at the green seedlings. "Anything."
"Tomatoes it is." Su Tang picked up a tomato seedling and handed it to him. "Tomatoes are the easiest to grow, and they give the most sense of accomplishment."
"I don't need a sense of accomplishment."
"Then treat it as exercise."
Lu Shiyan took the seedling, squatted down, and looked at the soil before him, completely clueless about where to start.
"First, dig a hole." Su Tang squatted beside him and picked up the small shovel to demonstrate. "Not too deep. About ten centimeters. Then put the seedling in, cover it with soil, pat it down, and water it."
She moved efficiently and finished planting one in no time.
Then she stood up, brushed the dirt off her hands. "The rest is up to you."
Lu Shiyan looked at the row of seedlings, then at the shovel in his hand, and felt like he must have lost his mind.
The head of Lu Corporation, a business genius worth tens of billions, squatting behind a mental hospital planting tomatoes.
Who would believe it?
He took a deep breath, picked up the shovel, and started digging.
First hole: too deep. At least twenty centimeters.
Su Tang said from beside him, "Too deep. The seedling will suffocate."
Lu Shiyan expressionlessly filled half the hole and dug again.
Second hole: too shallow. Only five centimeters.
"Too shallow. The seedling won't stand steady."
Lu Shiyan dug a little deeper.
Third hole: finally about right.
He put the seedling in, covered it with soil, patted it down. His movements were clumsy but serious, like he was executing an important contract.
"Water it." Su Tang handed him a watering can.
Lu Shiyan took the can and carefully watered around the base.
"That's enough, that's enough. Don't water too much, or the roots will rot."
Lu Shiyan's hand stopped mid-air. He looked at Su Tang.
"How do you know all this?" he asked.
Su Tang smiled. "My family is a medical dynasty. I've been learning this stuff since I was young. Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes harmony between man and nature. Farming is like healing—both need to follow nature."
Lu Shiyan didn't reply and continued planting the next seedling.
His movements were still clumsy, but better than before. At least the holes were about the right depth now, and the seedlings stood straight.
Su Tang squatted beside him, occasionally correcting: "Pat the soil down a bit more, or the wind will knock it over." "Water at the base, not on the leaves."
Lu Shiyan followed her instructions without complaint.
By the fifth seedling, his hand started trembling.
Not from tiredness, but from… he wasn't used to using a shovel. His right hand, accustomed to signing with pens and clicking mice, wasn't adapted to the rough handle of a shovel.
Su Tang noticed but didn't say anything.
She just silently picked up another shovel, squatted down beside him, and helped.
They squatted side by side in the vegetable patch, one planting on the left, one on the right.
Neither spoke, but the atmosphere was unexpectedly harmonious.
After Lu Shiyan planted the eighth seedling, he finally asked, "Do you farm often?"
"Sometimes." Su Tang didn't look up. "Uncle Wang taught me. He said farming cultivates the character. I think he's right."
"You think farming can cure insomnia?"
"Not all insomnia, but at least yours." Su Tang looked up at him. "Do you know why you have insomnia?"
"Stress."
"No. Because you lack a sense of security." Su Tang's tone was calm. "You grew up without parents, made it on your own. You're used to controlling everything because you're afraid that if you let go, you'll lose everything. But your body can't take it, so it reminds you with insomnia—you're too tired. You need rest."
Lu Shiyan's hand stopped.
He lowered his head, looking at the tomato seedling in his hand, silent for a long time.
"You know me well?" His voice was a little hoarse.
"I don't know you." Su Tang shook her head. "But I know patients. You're not the first person who's driven themselves to the breaking point, and you won't be the last."
"How many have you cured?"
"Several." Su Tang smiled. "There was a corporate executive, even more anxious than you. He needed three sleeping pills every night to fall asleep. I had him come and farm for half a month. Now he's sleepy by nine every night, sleeps straight through."
"Farming?"
"Farming." Su Tang stood up and brushed the dirt off her hands. "Nature is the best doctor. Look at these seedlings. They don't grow faster because you're rich, or slower because you're ordinary. They grow at their own pace, unhurried. They flower when it's time to flower, fruit when it's time to fruit."
She looked at him seriously. "It's the same for you. You don't need to push yourself so hard every day. You don't need to make everything perfect. It's okay to slow down."
Lu Shiyan squatted in the vegetable patch, looking up at her.
The sun was behind her, outlining her figure in gold. Her smile was warm and sincere, without any calculation or agenda.
Something in his chest was touched, lightly.
"Keep planting." He lowered his head and picked up the next seedling.
Su Tang smiled and squatted down to continue planting with him.