A Peaceful Summer Vacation

The last day of June, a Monday.

Grandpa Bates was in the backyard, wearing the old vest he used to wear while herding sheep. Several tears had been patched up, and one trouser leg had a slit in it, with loose threads sticking out. Whether intentional or accidental, he somehow wore a rancher's clothes with a certain sense of fashion. This fashionable old man held a hose nozzle and watered his trees in the backyard.

Summer temperatures were high, and trees lost moisture quickly through transpiration, so they needed regular watering. Watering required some care. Some places needed a thorough soaking, while delicate trees could not be given too much water, or their roots would rot.

The old man was very patient, watering every inch with meticulous care.

Who knew how many dead trees had bought him that experience.

"Tsk..."

After watching for more than ten minutes, Loren smacked his lips. Staring at the water pouring from the nozzle had made him thirsty. He turned and went inside, opened the refrigerator, took out a bottle of cola, and was about to leave after closing the door when he caught sight of a sticky note attached to it.

It was the summer plan he had made at the start of the holiday. It listed Loren's daily schedule: study with Hermione in the morning and complete his summer assignments on time; spend the afternoon researching Spatial Teleportation and exploring magic different from Apparition; enter Fantasy Book before bed at night and discuss the properties of that strange Soul Stone with Flamel...

"Emmm..."

Two weeks of vacation had already passed. It seemed like he had accomplished nothing and still owed a pile of assignments that should have been finished long ago.

After thinking for a moment, Loren stood there in contemplation, then opened