Early Spring Preparations (3)
The tires of the car crunched against the gravel at the farm entrance, emitting a dull, heavy sound. The vehicle came to a stop right beside the massive man who had been walking ahead.
Screech!
"Why are you walking?"
Jacob turned his head, squinting against the dust, and spoke toward the open window. "My dad had to use the car for something urgent, so he just dropped me off at the entrance."
"Get in!"
Jacob climbed into the car, but his head hit the ceiling, forcing him to shift his hips forward. "So, what's going on? Chloe just told me to come over immediately."
"Actually, I was the one who called you."
"You called me, Brian?"
"Yeah. I had a feeling we might need some muscle."
"...Well, I'm definitely confident in that."
Jacob, who used to act like the ringleader of racial discrimination, had become as gentle as a lamb after once admitting his mistakes. Of course, his build was more like a bear than a lamb.
At that moment, a playful voice drifted from the backseat.
"But what's the reason for getting so actively involved in Chloe's business?"
Armando poked his head forward. I pushed his face back and said, "She asked for help. There's no reason not to, is there?"
"Is that really the reason?"
"That's what I said."
"Hmm... suspicious. Well, I guess there isn't a single male student who doesn't like Chloe. I'll give you that. But Christina is off-limits."
"You can't even say a proper word to her yet..."
"I said hello yesterday, didn't I?"
"Yeah, you did. 'Hi, Christina~' and that was it."
"Christina looked extremely busy."
"I'm sure she was. She's the busiest person in school."
Bickering like that, we soon arrived at the warehouse where Chloe was waiting.
"Brian!"
Even from a distance, Chloe’s face didn't look good. Usually, her blonde hair would shine brilliantly under the sunlight, and she would be wearing a smile, but today, her face was filled with dark shadows. I parked the car haphazardly and got out. Chloe brushed her hair back and said, "Small bugs are swarming all over the trees and leaves."
"When did you find out?"
"Today. I was about to call you, but then your message came through."
Armando’s head popped forward again. "You messaged her first?"
I pushed Armando’s head back and said, "Lead the way."
"Follow me."
Chloe didn't go far; she led us to the nearest tree. As we walked, she bit her nails, clearly anxious. "What if it's already too late?"
"Let's take a look first."
The state of the cherry trees where Chloe led us was shocking. Instead of being covered in white and light pink flower buds under the warm early spring sun, the trees were withered and yellow. Even from a distance, strange, dark stains were spreading everywhere.
I approached a tree and observed the leaves closely. Sticky, honey-like sap was oozing out, and on every delicate leaf, thousands, no, tens of thousands of tiny aphids were wriggling, looking like piles of black dust.
"They're Cherry Aphids," I said, identifying them immediately. Chloe furrowed her brows. "Cherry Aphids?"
"How far has it spread?"
"I'm not sure. It seems to have exploded suddenly... and unfortunately, it's mostly in the areas I manage. It seems the manager didn't report it immediately while I was away from the farm for a few days."
I plucked a leaf and carefully pressed the aphids with my fingertip. They burst, leaving behind a thick, sticky honeydew. Since they had already multiplied in such massive numbers, if left alone, the entire tree could wither and die.
I quickly examined the farm floor and the trees. I immediately guessed what had happened over the winter. The young leaves and branches fallen under the trees were abnormally weak and soft.
"Do you happen to know how much fertilizer the manager applied toward the end of winter?"
Chloe shook her head with a puzzled expression. "I'm not sure. I don't manage the fertilizer myself..."
I knelt down and dug into the soil with my hands. The soil felt sticky and murky due to an excessive amount of nitrogen fertilizer. Residue from the fertilizer slipped slickly between my fingers.
"Just as I thought. The manager applied way too much nitrogen fertilizer. When there's too much nitrogen, plants increase protein and amino acid synthesis, and the concentration of amino acids and sugars in the Phloem sap..."
"Huh?"
My three friends stared at me with question marks floating over their heads. Realizing this was knowledge way beyond their level, I quickly simplified my answer.
"...When there's too much nitrogen, young leaves grow explosively. That’s exactly what aphids love to eat. It’s like setting up a buffet for them. In short, the fertilizer was used incorrectly."
Normally, the nutrient concentration of sap must be managed with extreme care. Because aphids reproduce by sucking this sap, nutrient-rich sap significantly boosts their reproductive rate. Furthermore, excess nitrogen induces rapid leaf and shoot growth, but the cell walls don't thicken properly, creating weak tissues. This creates a vicious cycle where aphids can penetrate the soft tissue more easily to suck the sap, making the leaves and shoots even more vulnerable.
Chloe’s face turned even paler. I patted her shoulder gently so she wouldn't blame herself. "Don't worry. There's still a solution. The problem will be the manager's response..."
Just then, the farm manager came running in a panic, accompanied by a few other people. Chloe’s expression hardened as she recognized one of the faces.
The manager approached and said, "I've identified the culprit. It's..."
"Cherry Aphids, right?"
When Chloe spoke first, the manager’s eyes widened. "You knew?"
"My friend told me."
Chloe pointed at me. The manager glanced at my face, then looked back at Chloe. "We need to spray immediately. If we don't do it right now, this year's harvest is gone!"
But Chloe didn't answer; she turned her head to look at me. Seeing the look in her eyes asking for an answer, I crossed my arms and said, "If it were me, I wouldn't... If you've received eco-friendly certification, it will be revoked, and even if not, it will have a bad long-term effect on the trees... And you know, right? The trouble that happens when you use neonicotinoids incorrectly? You have to be very careful if you're going to use them."
At those words, the manager shouted, "What do you know to be spouting off like that! Do you even know anything about cherry farming?"
I didn't get excited; I just shrugged. "You asked for an opinion, so I gave you an answer. No need to get worked up. The decision is Chloe's to make."
Honestly, whatever decision Chloe makes, it doesn't bother me. It's just a shame that I won't be able to get cherries at cost if she loses, but it's not like it would be a massive blow to Redwood Vineyard either. I figured it was much better to stay quiet than to get involved in someone else's farm work and end up getting cursed at.
But Chloe seemed to trust her friend's words much more than I expected. I don't know why, though.
"I think Brian's agricultural knowledge is not to be ignored, so I'll need to think about this a bit more."
At Chloe's words, the manager turned around with an absurd expression. Then, a man with a very broad upper and lower body stepped forward.
"Who are you?"
He asked quite roughly. Just as I was about to answer, Chloe stepped in. "Brian. My friend. We're taking classes together in the Agriscience Club."
"So... you're going to listen to your high school friend and not the manager? Are you crazy?"
As the man criticized her with disbelief, Chloe turned her head toward me with her arms crossed. "Brandon Harris. My older brother."
"Ah..."
"He knows as little about farming as I do, so please understand."
Then Brandon let out a screech like a pig being slaughtered. "Shut up! You stupid girl! If you knew how much this was worth, you'd follow Mr. Raymond's advice!"
"Shut up! Don't insult me in front of my friend!"
"You deserve it! You managed it like this and expected to hear good things from me? If Dad finds out, he'll kick you out of the house immediately!"
"Don't make me laugh! You're the one who'd be kicked out!"
The two siblings fighting looked almost like a medieval succession struggle.
"This is intense," Armando whispered, his body trembling.
"Do as you're told!"
"I don't want to! It's my choice!"
"Are you planning to ruin the farm?"
"Dad entrusted it to me! I'll handle it myself!"
When the two of them were huffing and puffing without giving an inch, I asked quietly. It was out of pure curiosity.
"If your farm is ruined, isn't that actually good for Brandon?"
Chloe, suddenly realizing, shouted at the slightly flustered Brandon. "Did you pull some kind of trick? Why are you so desperate to spray pesticides? Like Brian said, if I lose, this all becomes yours, right?"
"You idiot! You can't win anyway! It was all mine to begin with!"
"Hmph! We'll see about that."
As she mocked her brother, Brandon suddenly turned his gaze to me and snapped, "Then do you even have a solution? Are you just talking because you have one?"
"It's not that I don't have one..."
"What is it? Tell me!"
I scratched my head and asked the manager, Mr. Raymond, "By the way... why did you increase the amount of nitrogen fertilizer?"
"What? What are you talking about?"
"The amount of nitrogen fertilizer was higher than usual. Was there a reason for that?"
At the sight of Raymond being momentarily flustered, Chloe seemed to sense something and immediately pressed him. "Sir! If there's a reason, speak up! Don't get yourself suspected for no reason."
"W-what are you talking about! Of course there's a reason. I did it because I wanted you to win... but I never dreamed it would turn out like this."
As Chloe was about to get angry and say something, I grabbed her arm. "If that's what he says... then even if Chloe loses this time, it's not her fault, right?"
Raymond and Brandon were both left speechless by the sudden conclusion. It was clear they were both racking their brains, trying to figure out what answer would be most advantageous. But soon, Brandon asked with a face as red as a cherry, "That's none of your business, just give us a solution!"
At his shouting, I furrowed my brows and said to Chloe, "Ugh, I don't want to say it. It makes me feel like I'm a servant."
Seeing my annoyance, Chloe shouted at Brandon, "Get lost now that you've said your piece! I'll handle it myself. I'll tell Dad everything too. And Mr. Raymond, honestly, I'm disappointed. If this could happen, you should have told me in advance."
"I, I..."
"That's enough. Just go."
Eventually, as Brandon and his group disappeared into the distance, looking like mere dots while cursing his sister, Chloe gave me a pitiful look. "Please, I beg you. You saw it, right? If I don't beat that fat pig, I'll probably die of frustration."
"......"
"If you just help me win, I'll give you as much as you want at cost, not just this year, but every year."
"That's fine, but..."
At this point, Armando interrupted again. "What! So there was something between you two!"
I pushed Armando’s face aside and looked at the cherry tree. "There is a way, but..."
Chloe, her hands clasped tightly, had sparkling eyes. "What is it?"
"You're going to have to suffer a bit."
"Suffer?"
"Yeah. We need to get natural predators of aphids, Ladybugs and Lacewings, and release them. Are you good at catching bugs by hand? We'll need to spread a lot of them."
"......."
Chloe’s expression turned ashen. She looked behind her in a hurry, but Jacob and Armando, who were as big as mountains, quickly stepped back a few paces and suddenly started a conversation while looking at the dying cherry trees.
"The cherries are pretty. We should have grown cherry trees instead of rice."
"Let's visit your farm sometime. What variety of rice do you grow?"
"......"