《Her Cultivation Diary》 Chapter 1 - Chapter 1: Ive returned from the Cultivation World!_1 Chapter 1: I¡¯ve returned from the Cultivation World!_1 ¡°` On Yinmoon Peak behind the mountain. Thunderclouds gathered, thundering menacingly. Song Tan, a dual wood-water spirit root cultivator from the Cangxuan Realm¡¯s Ask Heaven Sect, had cultivated spirit plants in the back mountain for a hundred years, and had finally reached the opportunity for a breakthrough! But she hadn¡¯t expected the thunder tribulation during her core-formation to be so fierce. Her body got shattered by the lightning, and even her soul was torn apart. In a daze, just before perishing, Song Tan saw countless scenes, both familiar and unfamiliar¡ª More than a dozen vehicles were flipped and crumpled together in a heap. Collisions, pain, crying out. A car was overturned, and oil slowly began to snake across the bridge. Around her were people frantically pounding on the car windows; her vision was clouded with a layer of blood, and she couldn¡¯t move or speak. ¡°Hello, is this 120? A multi-car pileup on Ninghai Bridge¡­¡± ¡°Bang!¡± ¡°First, get the driver out, there¡¯s still a breath¡ª¡± ¡°The girl¡¯s leg is trapped¡­ someone help¡ª¡± ¡°Move, move! It¡¯s leaking fuel, careful, it might blow¡ª¡± Song Tan watched all this blankly, completely failing to react at first. Was this¡­a heart demon? But strangely, there was a girl in the car who deeply tugged at her heartstrings. However, the other girl¡¯s head was bleeding, and her eyes were slowly closing, her breath growing weak. Song Tan could see the spiritual light fading from her body¡ªher soul was dispersing. In the next moment, Song Tan felt something pulling at her, and then her fragmented soul suddenly plummeted. In her hazy consciousness, a girl with fair skin and bright black pupils looked at her, her eyes filled with joy and comfort: ¡°You¡¯ve come back.¡± What did she mean? Just as Song Tan was about to ask, she saw the other¡¯s spirit light suddenly rush towards her fragmented soul, and then, they tightly merged together. Past life, present life¡­ She remembered! This wasn¡¯t a heart demon! It was herself coming back! From the Cultivation World back to the moment she was about to die in the modern world! This was her past life! She had originally been Song Tan, died in a car accident, and then lost her memory and arrived in the Cangxuan Realm, where she began from a village girl, practicing desperately, and finally joined the Ask Heaven Sect. And after more than a hundred years of non-stop cultivation, just to be able to break through, to protect herself amidst the perilous Cultivation World¡­ She, was Song Tan! ¡­ However, the collision up ahead was too violent, and unbearable pain shot through her body. In her previous life, she had died in that car accident¡­ No, this won¡¯t do! With difficulty, Song Tan mobilized the scant spiritual energy around her, striving to repair her body. The thin spiritual energy struggled to flow through her body, arduously repairing the damaged organs and body. When she put all her effort into opening her blood-blurred eyes, she saw a distinctly masculine face before her, handsome yet with prominent veins. He was so close that Song Tan could see his dark brown irises and the unusually dense eyelashes. Especially the small mole on his forehead, perfectly placed. The man gritted his teeth but still managed to speak: ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid! I will pull you out now¡ª¡± Behind her, someone was shouting desperately: ¡°Move, move, it¡¯s on fire, it¡¯s on fire¡ª¡± ¡°Hold on!¡± The man hugging her let out a low shout, sweat dripping from his forehead and cheeks, sliding down his jaw and dropping onto Song Tan¡¯s face. Her body was pulled forward with more and more force, pain shooting through her limbs and torso, as if her very soul was also being tightly clung to, merging firmly with this body. The next moment! ¡°It¡¯s exploded¡ª¡± The screams surrounding her grew more and more fearful! ¡°Bang!¡± Her heavy body was violently thrown out, and she trembled all over, consciousness already gone. ¡­ When she woke up again, three heads popped up beside the bed. The one in the lead was a middle-aged doctor, with thinning hair but clear eyes: ¡°How do you feel now?¡± Song Tan¡¯s gaze slid down to his name tag on his chest¡ª ¡°` An exceptionally lifelike close-up photo First People¡¯s Hospital of Ning Province Attending Physician: Zhang Yuan She stared at this nameplate, dumbfounded, as familiar memories continuously flowed through her mind. At this moment, she was both the cultivator Song Tan and the ordinary person Song Tan. With the fusion of her soul, the past and present life came together, and after over a hundred years, she had finally returned. The smell of hospital disinfectant filled the air from all directions. Spiritual energy was so scarce it was like a thin thread. With a thought, she silently recited the Cultivation Heart Method, and it took half a day for two strands of spiritual energy to sluggishly make their way over. Song Tan breathed a sigh of relief¡ªit was good that she could still cultivate. If she could cultivate, she could protect herself. Not to mention, having planted spirit plants for over a hundred years, she wouldn¡¯t have a problem supporting herself. Looking at the doctor waiting for her response, Song Tan opened her mouth to speak, a bit awkwardly, ¡°Pretty¡­ pretty good.¡± The obedient intern on the left presented the medical record. The newly appointed attending physician, scribbling away with arm movements as flamboyant as dragons and phoenixes, was imitating their seniors in writing illegible notes, all while smiling in an especially friendly manner: ¡°Our examination results are also very good, young lady. You are fortunate indeed! In a multiple car accident, only your head was injured, which might result in a mild concussion, but everything else is fine.¡± ¡°After observing for a day or two, you can be discharged.¡± ¡°However, the scene was too chaotic, and your phone in your clothes couldn¡¯t be turned on, and since your injuries weren¡¯t severe, we haven¡¯t notified your family so far.¡± Family¡­ Images of three identical, simple-looking faces flashed through Song Tan¡¯s mind. She subconsciously touched her head and, in a daze, remembered the car accident scene, quickly asking: ¡°I remember at that time, a gentleman saved me. How is he¡­ how is he doing now?¡± In her previous life, she had lost consciousness the moment the accident occurred and didn¡¯t know if anyone had ever tried to save her so desperately. But now¡­ The attending physician hesitated for a moment, ¡°Eighteen patients were transferred to our hospital half an hour ago. According to the firefighters, you were pulled out of the car by a young man, weren¡¯t you?¡± Song Tan nodded. The doctor hesitated for a moment, ¡°He¡­ is not in life-threatening danger, an out-of-towner, and his family took him to a superior hospital just now.¡± Song Tan¡¯s heart lightened. ¡°Could I ask for his or his family¡¯s contact information? I would like to thank them in person.¡± Such a life-saving grace saved not only the 23-year-old Song Tan but also the Song Tan who had cultivated through countless years. Even in the Cangxuan Realm, this was a tremendous favor that required one¡¯s utmost effort to repay. The doctor shook his head, ¡°That gentleman had saved several at the time, and his family, upon their arrival, stated there was no need for thanks and thus were unwilling to disclose any contact information.¡± ¡°Which hospital did they go to?¡± ¡°They went to the Imperial City Ren¡¯ai Hospital.¡± Song Tan nodded but didn¡¯t inquire further. She thought¡ªcurrently, she hadn¡¯t fully adapted to this place yet. Once she could gather spiritual energy for cultivation again, she would directly consult the divination and calculate the whereabouts of her savior. ¡­ The doctors left with a bustle. Song Tan found the murky air difficult to accept; the lack of spiritual energy around indicated it was obviously not a good place for cultivation. Subconsciously, she reached under her pillow, which was empty. Of course, her bag, including her identification, had all burned in the car accident. She then tentatively pulled open the drawer by her bed and, indeed, found a mobile phone with a shattered screen inside. The screen was most broken, and after sitting in the drawer for a night, it was unclear if it had recovered or what, but anyway, Song Tan managed to turn it on by feel. She unlocked the screen and noticed a green app in the upper right corner with a glaring red 99+ notification. There was also a blue one emitting a terrifying ding-ding sound. It immediately gave her an aversion. A cultivator¡¯s sixth sense could help them avoid many bad things, Song Tan thought: This message must not be good! Best not to look! The pressing matter at hand was to play with the phone again. She¡¯d missed it for over a hundred years and couldn¡¯t wait any longer. So she swiped her finger down and accidentally opened an app that seemed to have a music note icon. ¡°Tremolo, start a wonderful life!¡± Song Tan: ¡­ It¡¯s already open, I¡¯ll just take a glance¡­ [This book was first published on the QiDian Girls¡¯ Network. Most of the wild vegetables, fruits, and some rural tools mentioned in this book are accompanied by pictures in this chapter. Most of them come from Baidu and TaoTaoBao.] You can see the pictures by clicking the corresponding sections. We also welcome you to upload more pictures. The sources of information will be written in the author¡¯s notes; feel free to search them up if interested.] Chapter 2 - Chapter 2: 2. Hello, takeout! _1 Chapter 2: 2. Hello, takeout! _1 Glance after glance, another glance! Scrolling through short videos is really so joyful! Who knew my own life could be this interesting! Song Tan also wants to play! This world is so interesting, if I could always be this happy, there¡¯s no need to cultivate¡­no, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to start cultivating later. Anyway, there¡¯s no spiritual energy around these days, and cultivation is twice the effort for half the result, not worth it. The cultivator Song Tan pondered her decision, feeling that it wasn¡¯t the so-called ¡°procrastination¡± she often heard about, but rather the mysterious sixth sense of cultivation. In any case, she calculated it with a pinch of her fingers, now was the perfect time to play with her phone! It¡¯s just that the screen is pretty badly cracked¡­ The next moment, a call suddenly popped up on her phone¡ª ¡°Song Tan! Where¡¯s the PPT you were supposed to do! Why haven¡¯t you sent it to me yet?!¡± Song Tan: ¡­ What is a PPT? Who is this? She reviewed her memories and discovered that in her past life, it was because her boss suddenly demanded a PPT, which caused her to hurry to the company in a taxi. Luck would have it that just as her car reached Ninghai Bridge, she got into a chain collision. ¡°Also, why didn¡¯t you come to work today! Skipping work for a day will cost you 500! Do it again, and you¡¯re fired outright!¡± Song Tan: ¡­Although she couldn¡¯t remember just yet, it didn¡¯t stop her from getting angry. Just by looking at this outfit, she knew, how much does a month¡¯s salary even amount to?! Song Tan rubbed her temples, took a deep breath, and tried hard to recall the endless overtime tasks at the company, as the wish brewing deep in her heart grew more and more restless¡ª [I want to go back to my hometown] [I want to be with my parents and younger brother] [I don¡¯t want to go to work] This thought was so strong that Song Tan made her decision in an instant¡ª ¡°¡­¡± Shoot, I¡¯ve been away from work for too long, what am I supposed to say now? Ahem¡­ ¡°Is that the boss? Just hold on a second.¡± ¡­ Ning City is just an ordinary provincial capital, forever under construction, covered in dust and dirt. And Ninghai Bridge is a newly built overpass, connecting the north and south, saving on tolls, costing 55 yuan by taxi from where Song Tan rented a place. Normally, she wouldn¡¯t take a taxi, but her boss said the PPT was urgent, and she also thought about the other work she had in hand, so she indulged in the luxury of taking a taxi. Who knew she¡¯d get into an accident¡­ This time leaving the house, her shabby phone was clearly still useable, Song Tan tried scanning the code somewhat unfamiliarly, and without another word, called a taxi and went back onto Ninghai Bridge. More than half an hour later, she arrived at the company downstairs¡ªdon¡¯t think too much, it¡¯s not some big corporation. Song Tan, an ordinary graduate from a second-tier college and hailing from a rural background, couldn¡¯t even get into big companies. This company she worked for was renting the third floor of this building, doing various kinds of outsourced work. Her major was the all-purpose finance, and at the time she had no choice but to enroll wherever she could get into. After graduation, she attended a campus recruitment, cluelessly listened to an HR (later found out to be an ordinary employee) promise the moon, and then was recruited by this company. Now, after being whipped by society, she was a jack-of-all-trades 007 agent¡ªplanning, operations, post-production, editing, promotion, and a filler of all gaps rolled into one. Seven days a week, 24 hours a day, as long as there was an assignment, even if on her period she¡¯d take the medicine and still crawl to work. ¡°Internship salary 5000, regular monthly salary 7500, sounds not bad, right?¡± ¡°But despite the capital¡¯s lackluster development, housing prices have shot up, averaging fifteen thousand. The room Song Tan rented, even being an outdated residential space barely legal at twenty square meters, was nearly a thousand bucks a month.¡± ¡°Transportation, food, daily necessities¡­ she saved everything else.¡± ¡°After paying, Song Tan couldn¡¯t help sighing, ¡®Only over sixty thousand left in savings, that¡¯s quite a lot.¡¯ Who would have thought her past self was such a frugal girl!¡± ¡­ In the middle of the day, a mix of food smells wafted through the small company¡¯s office area, where a young female colleague beckoned her over: ¡°Tantan, why didn¡¯t you come this morning? Have you eaten?¡± Unable to remember her name, Song Tan silently walked over and spotted her name tag¡ª Huo Xueying Looking at the claypot rice in the foil container in front of her, the aroma of the food mingled with something else, making her feel quite uncomfortable. ¡°I had a car accident this morning, just got out of the hospital.¡± Huo Xueying fished out a fried egg from her box: ¡°Ah¡ªopen up, I¡¯ll treat you to this!¡± ¡°If the hospital let you out, then you must be okay¡ªWang the Skinflint definitely won¡¯t give you a subsidy now!¡ªcompensation is tough to get anyway, you should have lied in the hospital for a couple of days! Eat the egg to recover your strength!¡± Song Tan¡¯s stomach growled in agreement. Although the gesture was a bit too familiar, Huo Xueying seemed like a good friend, so after a brief hesitation, she opened her mouth and gently bit into the egg. As her teeth met, a bizarre taste rolled in her mouth¡ªa mix of the egg¡¯s smokiness, impurities in the food, the richness of oil, and an indescribably nauseating sensation that caused a sudden twist in her gut and her stomach began churning. This food? Forget about increasing her cultivation base; continuing to eat food filled with such impurities could mean she might not achieve Foundation Establishment in this lifetime, let alone reach Golden Core. Song Tan held back and managed to swallow that small bite of egg. Huo Xueying was ready to feed her another piece, her heart aching for the young girl who saved money by eating sparsely; she was both well-behaved and pitiful, and Huo Xueying felt sorry as a friend. But Song Tan shook her head, ¡°I won¡¯t have more, it tastes weird.¡± Weirdly unappetizing. Huo Xueying didn¡¯t hesitate to take the egg back and bit off a large piece: ¡°What¡¯s weird about it! It¡¯s 25 yuan a portion!¡± ¡°But indeed, it¡¯s not as good as the food at home. According to my mom, takeaways don¡¯t taste like vegetables; they¡¯re all just thick oil and sauces.¡± Song Tan touched her stomach, she was actually hungry too. She hadn¡¯t eaten anything from last night until this morning, only now realizing she was an ordinary human with a fleshly body that needed food. She hesitated for a moment: ¡°Is it the quality of the ingredients? Then I¡­ I¡¯ll order something better.¡± The deficiency of Spiritual Energy meant the ingredients were too impure. Thinking of the strange taste of the food she just encountered, this time, she focused on the more expensive dishes. Surely, that would mean the quality of the ingredients was better, right? While waiting for her takeaway, Song Tan asked, ¡°The boss wants a PPT¡­ that¡¯s¡­?¡± It had been too long, she truly didn¡¯t know anymore. Huo Xueying was unconcerned, casually saying, ¡°Which PPT? You mentioned you¡¯d started it yesterday, why don¡¯t you check your computer again?¡± Song Tan moved to her cramped cubicle, sluggishly turned on her computer, and opened up the half-finished PPT on the desktop¡ªpictures, text, format¡ª She looked through everything carefully and thoroughly. But¡­what about the rest? How was she supposed to finish it? Opening other folders¡ªsure enough, she didn¡¯t know how to do any of it! Song¡¤Cultivator¡¤Tan steadied herself, immovable as a mountain. If she didn¡¯t know, then she didn¡¯t know¡ªshe¡¯d had enough of hard work in two lifetimes; this time, she was not going to be a wage worker. Just then, there was a loud call from the entrance of the company: ¡°Hello, your takeaway is here!¡± Chapter 3 - Chapter 3: 3. Go back to your hometown and farm_1 Chapter 3: 3. Go back to your hometown and farm_1 Song Tan snapped back to reality and accepted her takeout¡ªthis was a top-notch meal worth 188 from the most reputable private kitchen in town. However, as soon as she opened the box, the fragrance of the food mixed with a muddled scent, much like the air she found herself increasingly uncomfortable with. Song Tan felt her stomach churn, and no matter what, she couldn¡¯t eat. Just then, the boss known as ¡°King Skinner¡± among the staff walked in and immediately said, angrily, ¡°Song Tan! You still have the appetite to eat? Where¡¯s the PPT I asked for? I¡¯m telling you, if you don¡¯t hand it in by 2 o¡¯clock, don¡¯t bother keeping your job!¡± Song Tan abruptly stood up: That¡¯s right, she remembered she had something to forget! She was here to get fired! ¡°Fine, make sure to pay the wages on time; I¡¯m resigning now to go back to my hometown!¡± The entire office was stunned. Seeing Song Tan begin to pack her things, King Skinner stood there, at this moment looking bewildered and pitiful: ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean that¡­ ¡± Finding another employee who was obedient, hardworking, capable, and cheap was not easy for him. Huo Xueying also stopped eating and came over, intending to persuade Song Tan not to act impulsively. With the current tough job market, it wasn¡¯t easy to switch jobs. But when she suddenly noticed the part of Song Tan¡¯s head that had been shorn bare and the gauze stuck to it, she now felt a sense of grievance: ¡°If you¡¯re going to go, go! Tantan, I¡¯ll help you pack! First take care of yourself, and after work, I¡¯ll come to you!¡± The words Song Tan had just spoken were desires hidden deep within her for many years. After saying them, images of her home¡¯s green mountains, the fat mother hen clucking, and the hefty pig snorting quickly filled her mind¡­ She didn¡¯t know if the pigs at home were free of impurities, but surely they were better than those in the city, right? At this moment, she could hardly wait to go home. ¡°No need, I¡¯m serious. I¡¯ll pack up the rental later, then head straight back home!¡± Now, Huo Xueying was also dumbfounded. ¡­ Song Tan packed at an unusually fast pace. Two lifetimes of hard work were all for the sake of a better life, weren¡¯t they? With her capabilities in cultivation (though she hadn¡¯t yet started practicing), wouldn¡¯t living self-sufficiently at home be comfortable? Having obtained a temporary ID from the police station, she took a taxi back to the rental apartment with her suitcase. In the 20 square meter room, a few clothes hung near the window, and a stack of books related to work lay on the desk. On the small 1.2-meter bed with its cotton bedding set lay yesterday¡¯s hasty departure wrinkles. Looking at it, Song Tan involuntarily remembered how thrifty she used to be. She sighed silently. She dug out a cardboard box she couldn¡¯t bear to throw away, packed some simple toiletries, disassembled the bed linen set, one box of clothes, three pairs of shoes. That was it. After cleaning up a bit, she called the landlord¡ªshe was leaving early, the deposit wouldn¡¯t be returned, but she got a refund for the excess rent. She calculated she still had sixty-three thousand, five hundred yuan! She was going back to her hometown! ¡­ High-speed train, taxi. Four hours back-to-back, the now generous Song Tan didn¡¯t take the slower long-haul trains and buses as she used to. At this moment, she also stood at the roadside five or six hours earlier than usual. Looking at the babbling stream on the other side of the road, breathing in air that was different from the city¡¯s (though still somewhat muddled), she finally pulled herself out of a swaying state of mind. Coming up the slope in the distance, a motorcycle roared towards her, descending and passing through fields planted with tea trees on both sides, before eventually stopping in front of her. A short and dark-skinned man looked at her, a simple smile spreading across his honest face: ¡°Tantan, why are you on holiday?¡± The middle-aged man stepped off the bike and placed the huge suitcase on the metal rack behind the motorcycle, tucking it in tightly with rubber straps and giving it a shake before speaking: ¡°Get on, Dad will take you home. Your mom has baked some sweet potatoes, and I caught a few crucian carp yesterday to stew for you¡ªwhat happened to your forehead?¡± This was her father, Song Sancheng. Song Tan¡¯s eyes brimmed with tears as she looked at this ordinary man filled with concern, managing a smile before casually touching her head, ¡°Nothing, I bumped it when I got off work, but the company keeps asking for overtime, so I decided to come home and rest for a few days.¡± ¡°You should rest, or how will you cope if you get sick at such a young age?¡± The motorcycle¡¯s ignition was forcefully kicked a few times, then it roared to life, and Song Tan instinctively grasped the rear rack, feeling the increasingly fresh sensation of the wind on her face. Up the mountain, through bends, and amidst ever-denser trees, even in the cold winter, one could see the lush green Tea Mountain and the pine forests¡­ This was her home, Yun City, Qingxi Town, Yunqiao Village. A hometown with clear mountains and waters, distinct in all four seasons. This was her new life. ¡­ The motorcycle climbed and descended for about ten minutes and finally neared the village after a long downhill stretch. Yunqiao Village was nestled in the mountains. Although the village-to-village road connections and the once-a-day bus service made leaving no longer an issue, the winding mountain roads still posed an inconvenience. Over the recent years, fewer and fewer young people remained in the village. The elderly were gradually passing away, the young were moving away, and the population left behind in the village was becoming increasingly sparse. All told, there were now barely 30 families in the surrounding area. But what did that matter to a Cultivator? What deep forest or remote mountain hadn¡¯t they lived in? Spending months in retreat, sometimes even decades, it didn¡¯t matter whether there were people around or not. ¡­ Song Tan got off the motorcycle, feeling an intriguing sensation stirring inside her¡ªa vibration from her Spirit Plant, a sign that the deep forests were indeed more suited for cultivation. Thinking of the abilities she would regain after restoring her cultivation, Song Tan became more confident about her future. In the Cultivation World, she was a dual-elemental cultivator of wood and water, practicing techniques teeming with vitality. Yet the path of cultivation was arduous, and forming a Golden Core was difficult. Without a Golden Core, in the dog-eat-dog Cultivation World, she couldn¡¯t control her own fate. In search of an opportunity for a breakthrough, Song Tan had spent a century cultivating Spirit Plants in the back mountain, carefully understanding life and death, growth and decline, weathering storms and sunshine, dew and frost. Nurturing plants with Spiritual Energy had almost become a second nature to her. Now blessed with an extra lifetime, returning to the countryside, she didn¡¯t seek much, just to plant something she could stomach to eat. The food of the mundane world was too impure for her tastes; she really struggled to swallow it! With this thought, her empty stomach growled louder, and she was greeted by a wafting fragrance. A short and stout woman emerged from the kitchen on the other side of the courtyard: ¡°Tantan, what do you want to eat tonight? I¡¯ve made crucian carp soup and grilled a few as well. How about I stir-fry some eggs for you? Don¡¯t you love eggs? It¡¯s too late for slaughtering a chicken now, but I¡¯ll stew one for you tomorrow¡ªOld Song, go pluck a bunch of cilantro, we¡¯ll add it to the fish soup later.¡± Cilantro is another name for coriander, and everyone in the Song Tan family loved its flavor. Seeing her mother, Wu Lan, Song Tan also smiled, ¡°Add a couple more handfuls of da fei; they never use it in Ning City when making fish, and I¡¯ve missed it for so long.¡± The people from Yun City loved to add this herb when cooking fish for its unique aroma. It was only after she started working in Ning City that Song Tan learned that ¡°da fei,¡± scientifically known as ageratum, was not consumed by people from other regions, including Ning City. Wu Lan laughed, ¡°How could those restaurants outside make delicious meals? But in this deep winter, where could we find ageratum? Let¡¯s just use cilantro.¡± Chapter 4 - Chapter 4: I grow corn to raise you_1 Chapter 4: I grow corn to raise you_1 The old family yard was quite spacious, the cement floor had already cracked. Despite the deep winter, a tiny purple pimpernel managed to poke through the fissure, tremblingly blooming a small purple flower in the cold wind. Song Tan gazed at the flower, feeling that even this little wildflower seemed graceful and beautiful in a different environment. Song Sancheng placed the luggage in the main room and hurriedly called out to his daughter: ¡°Tantan, it¡¯s cold outside, come in quickly and warm up by the fire.¡± As he spoke, he also rubbed his hands and feet: ¡°Riding a motorcycle is really cold!¡± Song Tan was slow to react, then realized¡ªyes, riding in the winter was indeed very cold. But she didn¡¯t feel it much. She spread her hands and saw that her palms were as white and lustrous as jade; the desperate rush to repair her body in the car accident, to dodge the inevitable fate, had also tempered her body to some extent. However, it was quite limited. For example, at this moment, a gust of cold wind blew over, and Song Tan shivered uncontrollably. She was momentarily stunned, then quickly plunged into the house. This was a small room for keeping warm. It wasn¡¯t large, and in one corner by the window stood an iron stove with a flat iron plate on top. The chimney was long and bent at the ceiling, then extended towards a hole in another wall. This way, the fierce flame in the stove raged, but the scorching smoke was drawn out of the house through the chimney. As soon as the fire was started, the entire room became warm and toasty, comparable to a heated room in the vast Northeast. Song Sancheng had not seen his daughter for a long time¡ªin big cities, the downside was few holidays and difficulty buying tickets during peak periods. The last time he saw her was during the New Year. But it was only a three-day holiday, and she went back to work overtime on the fourth day, working very hard. His first child was such a daughter, and he always went along with whatever she said. Even after his son was born, the habit stayed the same. At this moment, pondering what to say, he then reached out with his callous hands and took a baked sweet potato from the stove: ¡°Hungry or not? Have a sweet potato to fill you up!¡± He didn¡¯t mind the heat, and now Song Tan didn¡¯t either. She reached out to take it: ¡°Dad, you eat too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not eating!¡± Song Sancheng immediately waved his hand: ¡°When I was little, your grandma would make sweet potatoes for us every day. You can get heartburn if you eat too many, and it¡¯s no good.¡± Song Tan fell silent for a moment. And Song Sancheng eventually found a topic: ¡°How long are you staying at home this time?¡± Song Tan opened her mouth. She was always direct and unyielding in the Cultivation World, but now, the words that came out weighed a ton. ¡°Dad, I resigned. I want to come back home and farm.¡± Song Sancheng fell silent immediately, and after a long while, he sighed: ¡°Tantan, you don¡¯t know how hard farming is.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a college graduate coming back to farm. I¡¯m not afraid of being laughed at, but you really can¡¯t stand the hardship.¡± Implicitly, he was disapproving. Song Tan was not in a hurry: ¡°Dad, when I was young, I used to help with farming jobs like picking peanuts, breaking corn, harvesting tea leaves, watering the vegetable garden.¡± ¡°That was just a few tasks!¡± Song Sancheng pointed at the pesticide barrel stored in the opposite junk room: ¡°You can¡¯t even carry that barrel!¡± It was an old-fashioned blue plastic pesticide barrel, weighing about thirty pounds when filled with water, and it had to be carried on one¡¯s back while moving about to spray the fields. But compared to digging in Tea Mountain, reaping rice, and planting seedlings, this was already a very light job. Don¡¯t think that rural areas don¡¯t use pesticides; nowadays, pests have strong resistance to chemicals. If everyone else is spraying and you don¡¯t, then just wait for your grains and tea leaves to be devoured! During the conversation, Wu Lan brought in a bowl of milky-white fish soup, its fragrance filling the air. Even though it had a slight taste of impurities, it was already much better than what she had tasted during the day. ¡°Tantan, drink more soup tonight. The crucian carp was caught by your dad from that wild pond; it¡¯s very nutritious. You should replenish yourself.¡± Turning her head to see the small bandage on her daughter¡¯s head, and after hearing that it was from a small accident, she was even more determined to serve her daughter an extra couple of bowls of soup that evening! Wu Lan placed the basin on the iron surface of the stove to heat, and in a blink saw the sweet potato in Song Tan¡¯s hands: ¡°Tantan, don¡¯t eat the sweet potato now. This is our local white-heart sweet potato, starchy and choking. Save it for tonight, or you won¡¯t have an appetite for dinner later.¡± Without waiting for a response, she hurried back to the kitchen. While Song Tan set the sweet potato aside and looked at Song Sancheng with a complex expression, she went over to the clutter and picked up the heavy blue medicine bucket, opened the faucet beside her, and filled it with water directly. ¡°Tantan!¡± Song Sancheng followed her out¡ªwatching his daughter¡¯s effortless actions, he felt an inexplicable twinge of heartache. His daughter had always been obedient and sensible, economizing on food and expenses. She was reluctant to spend money even when working outside, all for the sake of their home. Now the child had come back with an injury on her head and said she had resigned; she must have been mistreated in Ning City¡­ No wonder, every phone call she was working overtime, living in such a tiny room, how could she not suffer? At this moment, Song Sancheng was wavering. If the child wanted to come back and farm, let her farm. If it¡¯s really too hard, they could always find her a job in their city district later; at least it would be close to home. Just as Song Sancheng was about to speak, he saw that the medicine bucket was full, and his ¡°fragile¡± daughter was carrying it as easily as if it were a toy teddy bear. In that moment, the fifty-eight-year-old authentic farmer Song Sancheng looked at his own rough hands, feeling a sense of bewilderment: Why do I find that bucket so heavy? Am I getting old? ¡­ Just then, a cheerful shout suddenly came from afar: ¡°Sister! Sister!¡± Song Tan instinctively turned her head and saw a young boy in a black cotton vest running towards them from the road. He was quite tall, around one meter eighty, and slender. But his skin was fair, and there was a small dimple on his cheek. Now, smiling as he ran over, his entire being radiated joy: ¡°Sister!¡± This was her younger brother, Song Qiao, eighteen years old in body, but¡­ six in mind. Wu Lan had given birth to him at forty, and as prenatal check-ups weren¡¯t customary in the countryside, he was born this way, forever with the mind of a six- or seven-year-old. But he was well-behaved and sensible, and it was Song Tan who had raised him from a young age. Until she left home for school and then stayed in Ning City¡­ Song Qiao stood in front of Song Tan, his eyes sparkling, looking up at her obediently like a little dog. Song Tan stretched out her hand, and the boy obediently lowered his head for her to touch his cold face: ¡°Qiaoqiao.¡± ¡°Hmm!¡± ¡°I¡¯m back to keep you company, okay?¡± ¡°Good!¡± he exclaimed loudly. Then he hesitated as he looked at Song Sancheng: ¡°But dad said, you have to earn money, it¡¯s tiring, and I can¡¯t cling to you.¡± Song Tan laughed and checked his hands to see if his fingernails were clean¡ªthey were well-kept, no digging in the mud during the cold winter. ¡°Earning money is too tiring; your sister doesn¡¯t want to earn it anymore. I came back to be with Qiaoqiao, to be with mom and dad, and all of us together. Is that okay?¡± Song Qiao, not understanding the significance of one of the few college graduates in the village returning to farm, simply cheered: ¡°Yay!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sister! I can plant corn, I¡¯ll take care of you!¡± This time, even Song Sancheng, who had always looked troubled, laughed: ¡°All you do is put corn kernels in the ground and then break them off the stalks. What do you know about farming corn!¡± Chapter 5 - Chapter 5: 5. Sectioned Field_1 Chapter 5: 5. Sectioned Field_1 Song Sancheng reluctantly agreed to let her return to farming, and Song Tan truly let out a sigh of relief. Next was her mother, Wu Lan. Just at this moment, Wu Lan spoke up, ¡°Dinnertime¡ªQiaoqiao, go wash your hands and serve the dishes!¡± Song Qiao obediently ran over. In the dead of winter, she turned on the outdoor tap and let the water run, then diligently started to serve the dishes. A milk-white carp soup topped with a handful of coriander was so fragrant one sniff was enough to tell how fresh the fish was! Then came eight braised carps, not large, each weighing only about two to three hundred grams. Now paired with coriander, chillies, and minced green onion, they were braised until the rich aroma aggressively filled the entire room! If it had been just a bit warmer, the fish bellies would surely have contained even tastier roe! Next was radish stewed with pot-steamed pork. Pot-steamed pork is a local cooking method, salting pork with a good ratio of fat to lean, cutting it into small pieces, and stir-frying it in some peanut oil until the pork turned golden and released some delicious lard, which was then combined with the meat in a pot. Once cooled, a thick layer of white lard would tightly seal the meat. Covered and stored in a cool place, it was ready to scoop and eat at any time¡­ Now that it was stewed, even the fatty parts were fragrantly sizzling, not the least bit greasy! Next was a plate of stir-fried wild garlic with eggs. The finely chopped wild garlic was a vibrant green, and the homegrown eggs fried to a golden hue made a perfect pairing, with a mouthwatering aroma! Finally, there was the signature dish, ¡°Red-beaked Green Parrot¡±! The crisp and tender spinach tasted sweet upon entry, mixed with hotly stir-fried garlic¡­. Fairy Song Tan plumped herself down on the stool, and flatly refused to budge an inch! Her little brother Song Qiao was a sweetheart. By now he had already brought over the rice bowls, ¡°Sister, I helped catch the fish! Eat more!¡± Song Sancheng didn¡¯t care about much, but his fishing dignity was inviolable, ¡°You just baited the hook with an earthworm, what do you mean you caught it¡­¡± Only to be suppressed by Wu Lan with a single sentence, ¡°Qiaoqiao baited the worm well, that¡¯s why he could catch fish! Otherwise, why did you catch so many this time, right Qiaoqiao?¡± Song Qiao also looked at his dad, huffing through his nose, ¡°Exactly!¡± The family hierarchy was quite clear. Song Tan sipped the fish soup her brother had ladled for her, tasting its freshness. The only drawback was that behind the fresh taste, there was a sense of murkiness that only she could sense. However, even though there was no Spiritual Energy and impurities still existed, she was now ravenous enough to eat. After all, it was much better than the takeout she had during the day. ¡­ Wu Lan looked at her daughter serving herself another bowl, then looked at her pale and frail appearance, feeling both proud and heartbroken: ¡°Eat more, there¡¯s still plenty in the pot. Tomorrow I¡¯ll cook on the clay stove, then I¡¯ll make you a pot crust soaked in chicken soup!¡± Their family¡¯s kitchen was large and the old clay stove hadn¡¯t been dismantled. Every time Song Tan came home, she would definitely enjoy some pot crust rice. Song Tan¡¯s heart stirred, displaying a pitiful look, ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t want to go to work anymore, it¡¯s so tiring.¡± She intended to appear weak, but forgot she had spent a hundred years cultivating and had lost touch with her mother¡¯s temperament. For instance, right now, she heard Wu Lan also sigh, ¡°What can we do then? Maybe you should change jobs. If the money¡¯s less, it doesn¡¯t matter, your dad and I have saved up quite a bit, enough for your brother and you when we are old.¡± With Song Qiao in his condition and the hospital declaring there was nothing they could do, the elderly couple was heartbroken and had already decided to spend their old age with their son. Things like marriage, finding a woman to take care of him¡­ That was impossible. Qiaoqiao might be simple-minded, but he was a good kid too. In this day and age, even one¡¯s own children might show aversion; let alone finding someone else. Better not to wrong others, nor let them aggrieve Qiaoqiao. For years, they had scrimped and saved, all to ensure they had sufficient funds for retirement, aiming to not burden their daughter. With her good looks and university education, Tantan couldn¡¯t afford to waste time in the rural countryside¡­ Their village didn¡¯t have anyone under thirty anymore! All they hoped for was that she¡¯d find a good job, marry into a good family, and not endure hardships¡­ Song Tan had no idea that in just this short moment, her mother had a whirlwind of thoughts. Seeing that showing weakness was futile, she decided to just be direct, ¡°Mom, I want to go home and farm.¡± As the words left her mouth and she saw Wu Lan reaching for a branch, Song Tan instinctively tensed her back, but then quickly added¡ª ¡°And also to recuperate, Mom, I¡¯m too weak!¡± It was then that Wu Lan finally steadied her breathing, pondering for a while, ¡°That¡¯s true, you¡¯re still so young, your job is too draining, you need to rest.¡± ¡°Alright, stay at home for a few months. It¡¯s just after the Spring Festival and not too busy, you can use the time to exercise a bit.¡± Song Tan and Song Sancheng exchanged glances, both falling silent. However, there was one thing Song Tan hadn¡¯t lied about¡ªher body was indeed weak on the inside. Despite her strength and resistance to cold, it was only because she had been tempered by Spiritual Energy during a car accident. But the city itself had thin Spiritual Energy, and at that time her internal organs had been gravely damaged, her life hanging by a thread. It was only by desperately gathering Spiritual Energy that she managed to stay alive¡­ Now, though hospital checks showed everything was fine, she alone knew that her body was not fully recovered and her spirit was severely depleted. Staying in the countryside to recuperate was, in no part, a lie. ¡­ The meal was finished without any mishaps. After eating her fill, Song Tan was visibly more spirited. Song Qiao busied herself with washing the dishes, keen to show off in front of her sister. Meanwhile, sitting with her family by the stove, Song Tan contemplated her next business move. With the Spiritual Energy here, Song Tan was still very hopeful about the future¡ªgiven the current wellness trend, everyone loved products from the mountains and wilderness. The things she grew with Spiritual Energy would surely be in demand. But before that, there was the obstacle of her mother to overcome! Even if she were to lease a field and Bags Mountain to make a big move, Song Tan, even with a hundred years of cultivating immortals, knew well that her sixty thousand yuan would be insufficient; she couldn¡¯t avoid tapping into her parents¡¯ savings. Just by talking, a university student suddenly claiming that farming could be lucrative¡­ Song Tan believed that Wu Lan would definitely take up a tree branch and whip her while scolding, ¡°Just what are you capable of!¡± ¡°Since when can you farm!¡± ¡°If farming was so lucrative, why is everyone moving to the city!¡± ¡°If farming was so profitable, why are your parents still living in the village!¡± Well then, one step at a time, she thought, starting with cleaning up her own fields. It was the end of February by the solar calendar, just after the Lantern Festival, a perfect time when all things began to revival. Returning home at this time, she could begin by recuperating and activating the Spiritual Energy. Once the spring rains started, she planned to first produce results with her own fields and then gradually expand from there. What she had in abundance now were patience and time. But before that¡ª ¡°Mom, about our fields and land at home, carve out a section for me to try out on my own, no need for your help.¡± Wu Lan shoved another log into the stove, saying nonchalantly, ¡°So, do you want to farm or dig into the mountain? You can mess with the field in the corner of the bamboo grove; it¡¯s been abandoned for several years. Have your dad tidy it up for you.¡± ¡°As for the mountain¡­ what¡¯s there to divide? The mountain behind the house has always been ours, along with our old Tea Mountain, and there¡¯s one further away¡­ if you can manage to dig, you¡¯re free to do as you like.¡± Song Tan: !!! Chapter 6 - Chapter 6: 6. Do not imitate the pigs call_1 Chapter 6: 6. Do not imitate the pig¡¯s call_1 Song Tan was genuinely shocked. ¡°Our family is that rich?¡± Mountains and lands everywhere. ¡°What money?¡± Wu Lan didn¡¯t even lift her head, ¡°All were passed down from your grandfather. Just barren hills and fields, unsellable and unleased. They¡¯re just lying fallow!¡± Song Tan fell silent. Now, the entire village had less than thirty households, with an average age of forty to fifty. Nowadays, grains weren¡¯t worth much; it was just about scraping by with enough to eat. So, not just their family, but others had large swathes of land lying fallow too. There wasn¡¯t any other reason; it was just a lack of labor. Their area had a lot of mountainous terrain, making large agricultural machinery unusable. Small machinery was expensive as it was self-funded, and you couldn¡¯t even save up the cost with a year¡¯s earnings from an acre of land. Plus, with the twisty roads, there wasn¡¯t much to sell outside. Growing rice and wheat was just for their own consumption. Toiling all year with irrigation, fertilizing, pest control, and weeding cost quite a bit of money. And the harvest? In the face of labor shortages, they could only harvest enough for their own consumption. Looking back, in the town¡¯s supermarket, it was just over two yuan per pound. Though the taste wasn¡¯t great, it saved the trouble, and the cost was even less! Better to let the land lie fallow. To really make money, they had to go out and find work after the busy first half of the year! Like Wu Lan, who last year went to a shoe factory to thread shoelaces, earning six thousand a month, and only reluctantly returned home for the New Year. The year before that was Song Sancheng, who went to Imperial City to work on a construction site, earning four hundred a day for three months, making over thirty thousand, losing over ten pounds, and resting for more than half a month upon returning. After all, they were getting on in years! Song Tan felt a surge of sorrow in her heart and promised, ¡°Mom, rest assured, I¡¯ll definitely make sure we live a good life!¡± Wu Lan didn¡¯t discourage her but retorted, ¡°If you can handle it, I¡¯ll let you take care of the family¡¯s fields and mountains. Just don¡¯t waste the vegetable plot.¡± ¡°She¡¯ll let you see what real hardship is.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re talking about taking on both mountains and fields, and it¡¯s nearly the end of February. What are you planning to plant come spring?¡± Song Tan: ¡­ She really hadn¡¯t thought this through! She had only traveled back to this time for half a day and hadn¡¯t cultivated any ¡°Spiritual Energy¡± to speak of. What was the point of planting anything at all? But under Wu Lan¡¯s intimidating gaze, Song Tan decisively changed her answer, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. When have I ever undertaken anything without assurance, from childhood till now?¡± That was true, the daughter was always both obedient and sensible¡ªexcept for this time. Wu Lan ¡°hmmed¡± and waited for what would come next. Song Tan then said, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, let Dad rent a few machines tomorrow to till the fallow lands.¡± ¡°The plots where we have crops I won¡¯t touch.¡± ¡°I have plans for a few hilltops as well, but we¡¯ll need people to dig into them, the machines can¡¯t get up there¡ªjust hire the people, Mom, I¡¯ll pay.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll pay?¡± Wu Lan looked at her meaningfully, ¡°Girl, digging into a hill costs two hundred yuan per person per day, you only have those sixty thousand yuan, so use it sparingly, otherwise our family doesn¡¯t have that much capital for you to squander.¡± Song Tan¡¯s expression cracked¡ªwhy was she so obedient before! Reporting her savings like a mama¡¯s girl! After tidying up the kitchen, Song Qiao ran in, her hands bright red, which again upset Wu Lan, ¡°How many times have I told you, use warm water in the winter! Why don¡¯t you listen?¡± The two were trying to train Song Qiao, teaching him household tasks bit by bit, fearful of what might come someday¡­ but Song Qiao didn¡¯t know how to take care of himself, and this practical process was filled with frustration. For example, right now, Song Qiao didn¡¯t care about her, hugging close to Song Tan: ¡°Big sis, I want to watch Peppa! Mom won¡¯t let me watch!¡± Ay yo wei! Who could reject such a precious child! So Song Tan immediately pulled out her phone, ¡°Here we¡ª¡± She stumbled. The phone she pulled out was criss-crossed with cracks, clearly dancing on the edge of being scrapped¡ª Wu Lan glanced at her own thousand yuan phone, suddenly feeling a pang of sourness. ¡°I know it¡¯s tough for you out there, but we don¡¯t need your money at home, don¡¯t be too thrifty.¡± Then, softening her voice, ¡°If you want to farm, just farm well. The family has nothing else but plenty of land; you can do whatever you want with it.¡± Turning around, she even took out her phone and transferred two thousand yuan to her, ¡°Go to town tomorrow, buy a new one.¡± Song Tan blinked in bewilderment, then looked at her phone again¡ªthe unexpected joy haha! However, the next moment, she heard Song Qiao next to her making ¡°hmm hmm hmm¡± sounds, humming while watching the two of them. At this point, Wu Lan couldn¡¯t keep up her soft heartedness, and roared: ¡°Song Qiaoqiao! I told you if you mimic that pig noise again, no more TV!¡± ¡­ In the quiet of the night, Song Tan finally had the chance to try to attract Spiritual Energy. The Spiritual Energy twinkled like stars, slowly surging with the wind in the quiet winter night village. As she practiced her heart method, the Spiritual Energy, invisible to the common eye like fireflies, slowly converged bit by bit. Like rain nourishing her battered body that had escaped death, refining her vessel¡­ At last, as the dawn began to break, the Spiritual Energy, which had become richer during the process, was finally absorbed into her Dantian by Song Tan. At this moment, her body was full of sticky black impurities, and the room¡¯s scent became increasingly intoxicating. Song Tan had to stealthily head to the shower room like a thief¡ªthankful for the new rural development; even though she wasn¡¯t as afraid of the cold now, she still had to say: water heaters are amazing! But the trouble was, the filth on her body was so difficult to scrub off that after bathing, not only was the hot water gone, but Wu Lan had also woken up. Bathing on a cold winter¡¯s morning, and using up all the water heater¡¯s hot water for cold water?! She must be out of her mind! Therefore, in an instant, the whole family got up¡ªQiaoqiao brewed ginger soup, Song Sancheng fired up the stove, and Wu Lan hurried to stew water on the stove again; she must not catch a cold! Finally, when it was time to head to the street, Fairy Song Tan, wrapped in an old military coat, and wearing a grandmother-level wool hat, was allowed to sit on the back of the motorcycle. Motorcycles are hard to start in winter; Song Sancheng in front kept pumping the kickstarter, booming as she calculated what she would do today¡ª First of all, go to the town¡¯s police station to get an ID card. Thank heavens, because nowadays everyone uses mobile payment, she didn¡¯t have any cards on her when she had the accident, which spared her a lot of trouble. Then buy a new phone. Once these two important tasks were done, next was to buy some farming tools, fertilizer, and most importantly¡ªseeds. As for what seeds to buy, Song Tan already had ideas in her mind. At this moment, sitting on the motorcycle, looking at the rolling mountains they had just passed, then looking at the just-risen red sun in the sky, she felt a surge of pride: ¡°Dad! It won¡¯t take long, and I will make our village more beautiful! Our days will be better!¡± Song Sancheng, riding ahead, also shouted, ¡°Tantan, about that sixty thousand yuan, spend it carefully!¡± Chapter 7 - Chapter 7: Im a big shot!_1 Chapter 7: I¡¯m a big shot!_1 The small town¡¯s police station didn¡¯t require queuing, and Song Tan was able to get a replacement for her ID card in just ten minutes. Now, having efficiently picked out a domestically made phone for three thousand yuan, she pondered over the modest sum in her pocket with deep regret. Just sixty thousand yuan (to be precise, over sixty-two thousand, adding the two thousand yuan subsidy from Wu Lan, making it sixty-four thousand), Song Tan had also planned a budget last night. How to budget? Buying a cell phone, farming tools, seeds, and fertilizers¡­ Could she save the rest? No, she had to hire people to dig up mountains, lands, and all the places she wanted to plant¡­ That amount of money wouldn¡¯t last long for labor costs. ¡°Dad, mom said that I can do whatever I want with the fields and hills, just not to touch the vegetable garden¡ªso, are there any machines that can till the soil?¡± If she couldn¡¯t afford it, she could rent! Song Sancheng was still reluctant, ¡°Tantan, do you really want to farm? It¡¯s okay to try a little for experience, but why are you spreading everything so big? When the villagers find out, wouldn¡¯t they say you¡¯re being reckless?¡± Song Tan herself didn¡¯t mind at all, but Song Sancheng and Wu Lan had lived here their whole lives, and it was impossible for them to completely disregard gossip and rumors. Therefore, she advised, ¡°Dad, even if I just farm a small plot, people will talk. Since that¡¯s the case, I might as well do it with a splash.¡± Song Sancheng, not articulate, didn¡¯t know what to say and could only sigh again, ¡°Your mom and I discussed it last night, we can¡¯t touch the two hundred thousand we saved for our retirement, so we can only give you sixty thousand.¡± ¡°Tantan, it¡¯s not easy to make money, don¡¯t waste it.¡± Song Tan suddenly felt her eyes grow warm. She knew her father wasn¡¯t lying. Rural families, raising a college student, along with a feeble-minded son, and even with both parents taking turns to work, how much could they save? This was truly all they had. Song Sancheng had no idea what his daughter was thinking, and at the moment, he was still worried, ¡°Since you¡¯re going to do it, you have to consider, why would you make money? Otherwise, there are so many in the village who farm, who wouldn¡¯t be better than you?¡± ¡°If you aren¡¯t confident, think it over again.¡± Song Tan fell silent, too. In the Cultivation World, no one cared about what you did or didn¡¯t do as long as your realm was high enough. Just like her Water Wood Spiritual Method, she sought breakthroughs by planting Spirit Plants at Yinmoon Peak for a century. There were many cases like this. But now, in the ordinary world, she could squander sixty thousand yuan, but how could she dare let her parents worry about their hard-earned money? But how could she explain the matters of cultivation? Song Tan pondered for a moment, ¡°Dad, to be honest, I¡¯ve been thinking about coming back for a long time. Our village is close to a water source, and there are winding mountain roads. The area hasn¡¯t been polluted over the years, making it a particularly good place.¡± That was true, but with desolate mountains and wilderness, neither the mountains majestic nor precipitous, the forest lands and fields were mostly planted casually, and then most were left fallow¡­ Even if one wanted to develop the area, it really was difficult to know where to start. For so many years, there really hadn¡¯t been any pollution. Otherwise, Song Tan wouldn¡¯t have been able to succeed with qi induction so easily last night. ¡°What¡¯s so good about it?¡± Song Sancheng was indifferent, ¡°Villages like ours are everywhere.¡± But Song Tan spoke softly, ¡°Dad, the reason I dare to come back and farm is that an expert came here to test and said that the quality of the soil and water is very high. If we grow crops here, they will taste better than those from other places.¡± ¡°He is a professional, and what good does lying do him? So, feeling I couldn¡¯t keep up with my job, I wanted to come back and give it a try.¡± ¡°Dad, if I succeed, I could stay in the village with you and mom forever.¡± The last sentence moved Song Sancheng. Raising sons and daughters, didn¡¯t he wish for the family to be together? But ever since the children went to a boarding school in town for junior high, and then high school, college, work¡­counting it all up, the time they as parents spent with their children was minimal. Now with his daughter saying this, Song Sancheng couldn¡¯t help but believe¡ªyes, someone came to test it specifically, what if it were true? So he criticized himself a bit and chimed in, ¡°Yes, the vegetables we grow here have a real veggie taste compared to those sold in your supermarkets!¡± The father and daughter duo marched off to look at farming tools, full of energy and pride. ¡°By the way, Dad, how much is the tillage machinery we use to plough the land?¡± Song Sancheng thought for a moment, ¡°It seems you can get one for about five thousand yuan¡­¡± Song Tan immediately decided, ¡°I¡¯ll buy one!¡± ¡°Buy what!¡± Song Sancheng glared at her, ¡°You¡¯ll need to fix it after using it a couple of times. Besides, from the bamboo forest to the pond, we have seven or eight big fields. Can you handle all that, and do it all in one go?¡± The fields here were all terraced, suitable only for small machinery. While cheaper, the smaller machines were prone to problems. In this regard, Song Sancheng, unlike Song Tan who only knew how to use spells, had more experience. Following Song Sancheng, Song Tan saw him enter a machinery shop. With just a few words, he settled on a price of 500 yuan per day for tilling the land. ¡°That¡¯s really expensive¡­¡± Song Sancheng kept muttering to himself even after leaving the shop. Nowadays, not many people farmed, but there were still some, and it was the time to prepare for spring plowing, a minor peak season. Moreover, they weren¡¯t just renting the machinery but also hiring labor. The fields had been neglected for years and were semi-fallow, which made the price jaw-dropping for Song Sancheng. However, he was clearly an optimist and soon cheered up again, ¡°Machinery makes the work easier. Theirs is more expensive, but they plow deeper than others, which is good.¡± In fact, this was the only shop in town that sold and rented out agricultural machinery. To go further, they would have to go to the neighboring town. Song Tan looked at her dad and found him adorable in every way. ¡°By the way, Tantan, what do you plan to plant first? If you want to sow rice, you need to clean up the uppermost pond. It has been left untended for so many years, it¡¯s full of water chestnuts now.¡± People here liked to eat, so they used to grow both rice and wheat. But generally, rice was more commonly grown. Of course, no one grows it now! Song Tan looked at her dad, feeling like a low-profile tycoon¡¯s child, ¡°Is that pond ours too?¡± The pond¡¯s edge was lined with weeping willows and wild herbs, and the water was clear and clean. In Song Tan¡¯s memory, although the water chestnuts were small, only the size of chestnuts, their sweet and fresh flavor after peeling was incomparably different from what was sold in outside markets. She hadn¡¯t tasted anything like it in years! ¡°What else!¡± exclaimed Song Sancheng as if it were obvious, ¡°We used to grow rice at home. If we used someone else¡¯s pond, they wouldn¡¯t let us have the water, would they? How would we grow rice then?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that. The bamboo forest area, including the pond in front of the gate, it¡¯s all ours.¡± ¡°I was the youngest, so when the property was divided, your elder uncle got another mountain, and we were the ones nearby.¡± ¡°Only the pond on the distant hillside was dug by the commune back in the day.¡± Song Sancheng sighed with chagrin, clearly beginning to worry about money. Song Tan was too shocked to speak. She had even considered coming back to lease the mountain fields, but after seeing this, what was there to lease? She was the landowner to the core! Filled with vigor, Song Tan then pointed to a seed store in front of them, ¡°Dad, let¡¯s start with buying a few dozen kilograms of milk vetch!¡± ¡­ ¡­ [Milk vetch can be grown in spring and autumn. The rhizobia in it can enrich the soil, making it an excellent fertilizer. Plus, it¡¯s quite nutritious, tastes good, and blooms with light purple flowers¡­ Moreover, it has a short growth cycle; it can sprout within a month or two. Both humans and livestock like pigs, cows, and sheep can eat it!] [Supplement: I¡¯ve seen many friends in the comment section asking, so let me explain. Some small agricultural machines are not expensive on their own, but they require skilled labor to operate and consume fuel, and frequent repairs are indeed a reality. What Tantan¡¯s dad was discussing is spending 500 yuan for a full day¡¯s package, including labor, fuel, and repairs. Renting can save labor and money when initial funds are tight.] Chapter 8 - Chapter 8: 8.Milk Vetch_1 Chapter 8: 8.Milk Vetch_1 Song Sancheng frowned, ¡°Are you planning to plant rice on dozens of acres of land?¡± Otherwise, there wouldn¡¯t be a need for so much milk vetch to fertilize the soil, dozens of pounds? Milk vetch only requires five or six pounds of seeds per acre. Now at the end of February, people are still wearing down jackets and heavy coats. Once March passes and the temperature quickly rises, as long as there¡¯s no spring cold snap and the day-night temperature difference isn¡¯t so great, most crops can be planted. If milk vetch is planted, at the very least it wouldn¡¯t be until the end of April or May that the soil could be turned over to plant something else¡­ but that would work too, it wouldn¡¯t delay the planting of other crops. According to Song Sancheng¡¯s farming experience, May is the most suitable month for planting. Every year, March and April pose risks of spring cold snaps, with large day-night temperature differences that could frostbite the sprouting seeds, making it unsuitable. It¡¯s just that he wasn¡¯t comfortable starting with spending so much money and time. Last night, Song Tan thought long and hard, and now was calm and unhurried, ¡°The two fields at the bottom will be planted with rice for our own family¡¯s consumption.¡± Together, those two fields add up to three or four acres. Nowadays, the yield of rice is also high, enough to feed the family and even give some to friends and relatives. Song Tan didn¡¯t consider planting more, as rice farming is laborious, and he didn¡¯t want to plant too much of it. Raising fish in the rice paddies is also something to consider trying. ¡°The other fields will first be planted with milk vetch to fertilize, and when it gets warmer I¡¯ll plant vegetables.¡± This time, Song Sancheng didn¡¯t oppose, ¡°Planting vegetables is good, they sell well. Later, we can take them to the market on a tricycle.¡± Low cost, quick harvest, and easier than planting rice. Song Tan smiled, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I was planning too.¡± As if. How many people are there in the town? If going, it would be to the city. In fact, last night, reflecting on her own work, Song Tan had a different idea¡ªnowadays, people like watching pastoral videos for stress relief and tranquility. But with so many rural areas around, how could she quickly catch people¡¯s attention? Either be beautiful or unique. Her hometown Yunqiao Village is pretty ordinary. Therefore, she must focus on the ¡°beautiful¡± aspect. Milk vetch has a short growing cycle, it¡¯s hardy and easy to plant, and its blooming is beautiful enough. When the time comes, she¡¯ll make a video, and she¡¯ll rely on the continuous milk vetch flowers to attract viewers for her first shot. Otherwise, with so much farming and vegetable planting, when could she create a premium product? ¡­ At the end of February, the agricultural supply store wasn¡¯t very busy. When Song Tan asked for 70 pounds of milk vetch seeds, the owner was quite surprised, ¡°How much land are you planting? The original seeds are enough with five pounds per acre, while the medicinal seeds require ten pounds. The prices are the same, ten yuan per pound.¡± Original seeds are natural seeds that haven¡¯t been treated. Medicinal seeds are the ones with pesticide coatings to prevent insects and diseases, offering better resistance. Song Tan thought to herself that she couldn¡¯t have cultivated Spirit Plants for a hundred and ten years without having some pest control methods, so she made a resolute choice: ¡°I want the original seeds!¡± Besides milk vetch, she needed to buy all the other seeds as well, such as vegetable seeds, starting from the short-cycle bok choy to seedlings that need to be raised like peppers, eggplants, cucumbers¡­ everything had to be prepared. The local seeds might not be as comprehensive as those online, but for a novice, they have the best adaptability. So, by the end of her purchases, Song Tan had spent over a thousand yuan, which made Song Sancheng¡¯s heart twinge. Song Tan was still asking! ¡°Do you have rice seeds? I want ones with good taste.¡± The owner looked up, ¡°We do, this Long Grain Fragrant variety has an amazing taste, and you can¡¯t buy it for ten yuan a pound. It just has low yield, with an output of only around eight hundred to a thousand pounds per acre.¡± Song Tan couldn¡¯t help but sigh¡ªtechnology truly is productive force! In the Cultivation World, those Spirit Grains without hybrid optimization, despite her efforts and Spiritual Energy, would yield only about five or six hundred pounds per acre at most. ¡°How much are they selling for?¡± The owner didn¡¯t beat around the bush, ¡°These seeds are expensive, eighty yuan per pound. You need two pounds per acre.¡± Eight pounds of seeds for four acres of land, how expensive could that get? Thinking of the fragrant pure rice, Song Tan¡¯s mouth was already watering, ¡°I¡¯ll take it!¡± ¡­ After spending two thousand yuan on seeds, Song Sancheng took a drag from his cigarette, speaking earnestly: ¡°Tantan, there¡¯s no rush to buy things, take your time. Plowing the field later will also be costly, you need to prepare quite a bit of money,¡± That plow machine needs to be fitted with different depth harrows, and if you buy it, those have to be matched separately. Since they were renting, there wasn¡¯t this trouble. But their fields hadn¡¯t been plowed for many years, so they¡¯d have to hire people to clear the weeds and miscellaneous trees, costing no less than 150 per person per day. For the seven plots, finishing in one day would require around a dozen people, and there goes another 2000 yuan. If they didn¡¯t hire people, it would delay things, affecting their farming. Then, they¡¯d have to set a fire in the fields before they could begin plowing. After turning and airing the soil for two days, they could start planting. Even with machinery, their fields could at most manage deep plowing of five mu a day. For fifteen mu, that would take three days, and 1500 yuan. And then there would be the subsequent expenses for fertilizers and pesticides¡­ When Song Sancheng thought about the money spent, he felt his daughter was spending way too much! ¡°With all those vegetables you¡¯re planting, won¡¯t you need to set up greenhouses for the seedlings? Didn¡¯t you say you needed to hire people to dig into the mountain? What are your plans for the mountain?¡± Calculating all this, Song Tan felt a bit overwhelmed too. Work hadn¡¯t even started, and tens of thousands of yuan were already planned to be spent. Song Tan made a decisive decision, ¡°Dad, we won¡¯t dig into the mountain for now. I plan to grow black fungus and white fungus on the mountain, using the oak trees there to culture the spores, so there¡¯s no need to clear them out.¡± There were many oak trees, also known as cork trees, locally. The wood was solid, and it burned well, which was what Song Tan¡¯s family used for heating. Of course, it was also excellent material for cultivating black fungus and white fungus. However, nowadays everyone directly used spore culture bags, and this old method hadn¡¯t been seen for many years. Consequently, the price of tree-cultured fungi has gone up. Song Tan vaguely remembered that when she was young, her family used to cultivate black fungus and white fungus this way. In the end, every household grew them, but the promised buyer didn¡¯t show up, so they had to dry them and keep them at home, consuming them for years. Song Sancheng was completely numb. ¡ªGrow black fungus and white fungus? Wouldn¡¯t that mean cutting trees and processing the trunks? Suitable tree trunks had to be chopped down, holes drilled in them one by one, then stuffed with the spores¡­ Because it took up space and the yield was low, it has been slowly phased out by spore culture bags. But Tantan made sense; people now prioritize natural and pollution-free products. Regardless of whether there¡¯s pollution or not, spore culture bags just seem to lack some flavor compared to tree-cultured ones. Song Sancheng sighed deeply. But then he thought¡ªnever mind, they had plenty of oak trees crowding several mountaintops, chopping down some would be fine. It was still better than spending money elsewhere. Spend it, spend it, once the money is gone, out of sight, out of mind! He muttered grimly, ¡°I¡¯ll go ask about the spore suppliers.¡± Seeing her father like this, Song Tan also felt uneasy¡ªbecause she had ordered a computer and several accessories online last night, spending 8000 yuan to ensure efficient editing later on. But what¡¯s spent is spent. So Song Tan struck while the iron was hot, ¡°Dad, let¡¯s clean up the pigpen by the door, and raise three or four pigs this year.¡± If the vegetables are delicious, the meat has to keep up! Song Sancheng was about to jump up, ¡°With all this work, do you want to work your mom and me to death?¡± Thinking about how expensive pork was at the moment, he was actually quite tempted, so he softened his expression: ¡°We can¡¯t build a pigsty by the door now, the village says it ruins the aesthetic, even the firewood shed has to be tidied up.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ [About cutting trees, since there are plenty of them on rural mountaintops and each household has some, the unspoken rule is that if you cut them down, you must plant new ones, so there¡¯s no need to worry about deforestation.] [About cultivating fungi in the forest, there¡¯s scientific guidance behind it, and it¡¯s stable. The basswood white fungus we eat now is cultivated in this way, just that it¡¯s assumed there are no basswoods here, but local trees work just as well.] [About plant pictures, fearing you might find it troublesome, we haven¡¯t included any easter eggs. If anyone has pictures, feel free to share them in the comments on this chapter. Those who are interested can click to see; those who aren¡¯t, can just skip it, it won¡¯t affect the reading.] [If you have any other questions, just ask in the comments, and I¡¯ll explain as much as I can. Free chapters will be included during the free period, while I¡¯ll try to put notices in the author¡¯s comments later on not to take up word count.] Chapter 9 - Chapter 9: 9. Do you raise pigs?_1 Chapter 9: 9. Do you raise pigs?_1 When she got home, Wu Lan indeed asked about every detail of the money, and with each item that Song Tan reported, a vein in Wu Lan¡¯s forehead throbbed. That made Song Tan¡¯s heart flutter with anxiety: she didn¡¯t want to be a mama¡¯s girl, but she truly had no other choice! At this point, it was time to use the tactic of ¡°besieging Wei to rescue Zhao¡±: ¡°Mom, I¡¯m thinking of raising a few pigs, what do you think?¡± The price of pork was up and down, but no matter the price, there was always a market for home-raised pigs; it seemed sensible to raise them. ¡°How many?¡± Wu Lan snorted coldly, thinking that her daughter was truly a princess who had never been troubled with household chores: ¡°Now the price of pork is high, and so is the price of piglets, hundreds of yuan each. Bringing them home means setting up a separate stove to cook pig food, and in this cold weather, you still need to buy wheat bran, rice bran, and corn kernels¡­¡± Not to mention other things, a hungry pig grunts, and a few of them oinking away meant setting up a pigpen¡­ as if there wasn¡¯t enough work in the fields already! To Wu Lan, Song Tan seemed like she wanted to fly before she¡¯d learned to walk, which was quite unreliable in her eyes. ¡°Besides, wealth in minted coins counts but wealth in livestock does not; if they get sick¡­¡± But Song Tan was longing for it! She was now able to cultivate, and without saying anything else, surely she could improve the quality of their food ¨C the pork would taste so good! She said, ¡°Mom, raising our pigs is safe and delicious. The pork from outside doesn¡¯t taste as good as what we had in childhood. And with pork being so expensive, if we raise it ourselves we can sell some too¡­¡± ¡°Once we slaughter a pig, we can stew pork dishes, fry a dish of pork scratchings, and later stew cabbage and make buns ¨C how delicious that would be!¡± Indeed, fresh pork would be so tasty! As a qualified farmer who had raised pigs for many years and only stopped in recent years, Song Sancheng too was clearly tempted, now completely forgetting his earlier refusal, and he chimed in: ¡°Yes, yes, how about we raise one¡­¡± By the side, Song Qiao, who was looking at Peppa Pig on her phone, suddenly looked up: ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re my Pig Mommy!¡± ¡°Sister, can I live with Peppa?¡± Wu Lan quickly took a deep breath ¡ª oh my, this silly son, always causing worry! And thinking about the future and the significant expenses for their silly son¡¯s care, considering the current high price of pork, she gritted her teeth: ¡°Let¡¯s raise them!¡± ¡°The village doesn¡¯t allow pigs to be raised at the front of the house, but we could just secretly build a pigpen behind ours. Our house is only visible after turning into a side road anyway, so it won¡¯t affect the appearance. But the pigpen has to be small, big enough for at most two pigs.¡± How could that be acceptable?! A rural pigpen is a square courtyard enclosed by walls, with a shelter in the corner and a pit for the manure, followed by a small space where the pigs can move around¡­ Their house was a bungalow, with the bedroom window facing the back hill ¨C if they built a pigpen there, the smell would be¡­ indescribable! Song Tan quickly interjected, ¡°Let¡¯s use some wire fencing or something to enclose part of the back hillside. We could raise a few more pigs and let them roam freely in the woods.¡± Domestic pigs weren¡¯t that destructive; a simple enclosure should be enough, and the hillside provided plenty of room for them to roam. ¡°Besides, the back hill is close by, so if there¡¯s any noise we¡¯ll be able to hear it.¡± Now even Song Sancheng looked at Song Tan with disbelief: Who raises pigs like this? Those pink pigs running all over the hillsides ¨C never mind the risk of them breaking a limb or encountering snakes, insects, and pests ¨C how would those pigs running around the mountains gain any weight?! ¡°No white pigs, let¡¯s raise black pigs! They might be more energetic and not gain much weight, but they are pricier and tastier!¡± Just as he thought to object, he saw Song Tan grab Wu Lan¡¯s hand: ¡°Mom, please let me try! I really have a plan!¡± And looking at Song Sancheng, ¡°Dad, I¡¯ve always been obedient, just this once, listen to me, okay?¡± Silence spread throughout the room. After a long while, Song Qiao suddenly said softly, ¡°Listen to me, okay?¡± Song Tan almost laughed out loud! Wu Lan also laughed out of exasperation, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ve raised two debt collectors! I¡¯ll listen to you; I¡¯ll listen to everything you say!¡± Turning her head huffily, she said, ¡°I¡¯m going to make a call to check the current price! Old Song, you go clean up the back hill!¡± After she left, Song Sancheng then added, ¡°Tantan, if you¡¯re raising pigs on the mountain, you have to get a couple of big dogs to watch them, otherwise you can¡¯t keep them safe.¡± It¡¯s not just to guard against weasels and wild dogs or the like, but mainly to guard against people. Don¡¯t think the village is all peace and harmony. Years ago, someone would even steal cabbages from the fields despite everyone having them! And once, a few years back, there was an incident in the neighboring village where a dispute over a pumpkin led to someone poisoning a few of the neighbor¡¯s pigs! Having dogs is mainly to ensure that if anything stirs, they can hear it at home, which is reassuring! Song Tan fell silent for a long while before suddenly asking, ¡°Dad, since we¡¯ll have dogs and also raise pigs on the mountain, why don¡¯t we raise some chickens and ducks too?¡± Set the ducks in their own space, let them wander to the pond in front every day, and it shouldn¡¯t be too much trouble¡­ right. Song Tan thought to herself that she had finally convinced her parents, and if she didn¡¯t get it all done in one go, it would be troublesome to do it bit by bit later! Song Sancheng: !!! How come there are pigs and dogs already when nothing is settled yet? Song Sancheng, remembering how his daughter spent money today, even felt that the ten-yuan pack of Emgrand Cigarettes in his hand was expensive. Huffs puffing and sighing, he finally said: ¡°You¡¯re grown up now, do whatever you want. While we can still move, even if you lose money, we can still support you.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s one thing, the money you have, plus the sixty thousand yuan we can give, you¡¯re not allowed to borrow money! Not even a penny.¡± After speaking, he sighed again, ¡°Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid if you lose money, I won¡¯t even be able to afford my cigarettes.¡± Song Tan then sighed, ¡°It¡¯s not easy for me either, why don¡¯t you quit smoking, Dad? You could save a hundred or two hundred a month, which could add up to two thousand yuan for me in a year!¡± She had long wanted Song Sancheng to quit smoking, but such things had been unsuccessful despite her efforts for many years¡ªnot to mention anything else, her grandfather had smoked his entire life, and when his lungs were found to be unhealthy, did he quit? No! He valued cigarettes over life! Her dad was the same. Song Sancheng loved his daughter dearly, but¡­ but those cigarettes¡­ He whispered, ¡°I only smoke half a pack a day, and sometimes when I¡¯m really tired from working, smoking one does relax me¡­¡± Having said that, Song Tan had no more arguments. But quitting smoking was definitely necessary! Song Tan pondered from every aspect, ¡°Then Dad, try to cut back a little more, how about one pack every three days? That way, a hundred yuan a month sounds fair!¡± Anything else is negotiable, just not this. Song Sancheng glared, ¡°Fair? Do I need you to support me now? Look at your granddad, now he smoke pipe tobacco to save money! Why don¡¯t you say that¡¯s even more harmful?¡± Song Tan thought to herself, both are six of one and half a dozen of the other, whether it¡¯s pipe or rolled tobacco, could any of it be good? She kept this issue in mind and then started to look through the snacks and treats she had bought in town: ¡°I¡¯m going to check on my grandparents.¡± ¡°Qiaoqiao, come with me!¡± Song Sancheng nodded, ¡°Go ahead, their spirits have not been too good lately¡­ they¡¯re getting on in years.¡± Then he reminded her: ¡°If your grandparents offer snacks to Qiaoqiao, keep an eye on it. Taking them is fine, but she can¡¯t eat them!¡± Qiaoqiao heard the word ¡°snacks¡± and looked up, ¡°I want to eat¡­¡± ¡°No way!¡± Song Sancheng flatly refused, ¡°Your grandma hoards things, every year there¡¯s something new, and we¡¯re still eating the old¡ªlast time she gave us snacks that were expired by over half a year, you can¡¯t eat those!¡± Chapter 10 - Chapter 10: 10. Big White Goose_1 Chapter 10: 10. Big White Goose_1 Song Tan¡¯s grandfather, Song Youde, was a true old farmer, and this year he was 79. He had lung issues and was prone to panting, so he hadn¡¯t done much work these past few years. Apart from tending the vegetable garden, he spent his days playing cards with a group of old men from the village. Holding an old, aged smoking pipe in his hand, a rarity within ten miles and eight villages, there were always people coming each year to ask for the old tobacco oil inside the pipe to treat sores. Grandma Wang Lifan, on the other hand, was strong-legged and very healthy, a terrific cook too. Even now, the family¡¯s vegetable garden remained neatly kept, and villagers would come annually to exchange seedlings with her. She was truly the pillar of Lao Song¡¯s family. Song Tan exited the courtyard, walked past a vegetable garden, and saw an old red-brick house standing at the foot of the mountain. The courtyard at the entrance was paved with cement, except for a corner where a sweet osmanthus tree stood, under which a few chickens were sunbathing and scratching in the sand. And at the gate, there was a fiercely aggressive goose. It had been squatting in a corner, but upon seeing someone approach, its goose-yellow crest shook vibrantly, very noticeable. It stared with its small round eyes and ¡°honk honk honk¡± started squawking, flapping its wings and wobbling over! Song Qiao, who was behind her, also hurriedly spread his arms and ran forward, shouting, ¡°Honk honk honk! Big White, here I come!¡± Then he skillfully squatted down. And embraced the goose with brotherly affection. Your arms around my long neck, and my wings around your back, such deep affection! Song Tan: ¡­ She momentarily couldn¡¯t evaluate such a ¡°man and nature¡± scene. Grandma Wang Lifan had just come out of the kitchen, very happy to see Song Tan, ¡°Tantan, when did you come back?¡± She looked at Song Qiao, ¡°Qiaoqiao, don¡¯t let Big White get your sweater dirty.¡± Qiaoqiao looked up at her, ¡°Honk!¡± Big White, the goose, also lifted its clever little head and responded, ¡°Honk!¡± Wang Lifan laughed heartily, ¡°This child¡­ Tantan, have you eaten? Grandma will get you some biscuits.¡± Song Tan quickly went over, ¡°I came back last night and went downtown this morning, haven¡¯t eaten yet.¡± Hearing this, Wang Lifan hurried even more, ¡°Then I¡¯ll bring you more to eat!¡± That was exactly the effect Song Tan wanted¡ªsince the goods were expired, of course they should be dealt with quickly! She looked around the courtyard; her grandparents were diligent people, the house was tidy, and aside from a few chickens in the corner of the courtyard, it was spotless. At that moment, she knelt down, gathered a handful of rice-sized Spiritual Energy at her fingertips, just a flick, and immediately Qiaoqiao¡¯s good buddy dropped him and spread his wings, speeding over with a ¡°clack clack!¡± The flat feet stomping on the cement, the little yellow-capped head stretched out far ahead, you could tell how eager it was! Not just Big White the goose, but the five chickens that had been sunbathing in a dirt pit also went crazy, stretching their legs and running towards Song Tan, the lead rooster¡¯s shiny neck feathers puffed up, its red comb trembling, turning feeding into a battle of energies! For a moment, Qiaoqiao was so surprised that he opened his mouth wide. Song Tan thought to herself this was bad¡ªshe knew Spiritual Energy was great for farming and raising animals, but she didn¡¯t expect it to be so attractive here! If they rushed over, her clothes would be ruined! She quickly withdrew her hand, but the charging bunch couldn¡¯t stop! Just then, she felt a cool breeze sweeping past the back of her head, a broom unhesitatingly sweeping across from above, she could even sense the dust falling from the broom. That heroic broom had thrown the charging chickens and goose into a chaotic flap, scattering around the courtyard, finally calming down. Wang Lifan gasped, ¡°I just chopped up some cabbage to feed them, why are they so crazy!¡± and then felt sorry, ¡°They must have been scared; I hope they will still lay eggs in the next few days.¡± Song Tan felt a bit guilty. But Wang Lifan just nagged for a bit and at the moment, looking at her increasingly beautiful granddaughter and then at Qiaoqiao, her eyes and heart were filled with joy, ¡°Come come come, these are the cookies your aunt bought for me, eat more of them!¡± Probably worried that the children wouldn¡¯t have enough to eat, she directly used a plastic bag and filled up half of it. Song Tan figured that with this, about 80% of Grandma¡¯s stock must be cleared, if not half, at least! Qiaoqiao excitedly started to open the bag. Song Tan didn¡¯t stop him, but held the plastic bag in her hand and gave Song Qiao a small cookie, ¡°Qiaoqiao, give this to your big goose brother to try.¡± The expiration date in prominent black print clearly showed it had expired last September. Qiaoqiao happily agreed, ¡°Okay!¡± The siblings, one intentionally and the other unintentionally, both ignored the sadness on Wang Lifan¡¯s face. Seeing her own grandson so naively, Wang Lifan felt sorry for the cookies, but could do nothing about it and just looked at Song Tan, ¡°You¡¯ve lost some weight, is it good working in the province? How many days are you staying this time?¡± Song Tan didn¡¯t hide it from her, but had to use a bit of the Spring and Autumn Annals style, ¡°Grandma, I came back this time to recuperate my body, probably rest for a bit longer. When it¡¯s time to plant vegetables, come help me, will you!¡± Understanding this, Wang Lifan realized, it¡¯s just the granddaughter wanting to stay at home and play for a while, planting vegetables and such things, what can young people do nowadays? They just look for something new. She then laughed loudly, ¡°Oh my, my granddaughter planting vegetables, I will definitely come to help you!¡± Of course, a few days later, she couldn¡¯t speak anymore. Song Tan looked around, ¡°Where¡¯s Grandpa?¡± Wang Lifan thought for a moment, ¡°Probably playing cards with people at the village square, that leaf card game of his, hardly anyone plays it nowadays, it¡¯s hard to gather enough players¡­¡± A group of shaky old men, playing for one yuan each day, nearly falling asleep with every card they play¡­ Wang Lifan was happy he found something to do outside. ¡°To spare us his picking and choosing at home.¡± She said with a distasteful look about the old man. Actually, the old couple had been together for decades; Youde had known her since he was seven or eight when he herded cattle for the landlord, their relationship was deeply affectionate. Song Tan strolled around and saw Qiaoqiao squatting there with Big White, getting along like brothers, ¡°Big White, you eat a big piece¡­ How is it? Sweet, right? It¡¯s a milk cookie.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll eat a small piece¡­¡± Song Tan wasn¡¯t paying attention and she too ate a bite. Song Tan: ¡­ Oh well, he had probably eaten it before, considering his expertise. She bent down and rummaged through the plastic bag again, what a find, a bag full of various cookies and candies, without exception, all were expired since last year. Among them was a package of oatmeal cookies, a rare one that had expired the year before last. Song Tan took it out, fell silent for a long time, and then didn¡¯t even dare to feed it to the goose. However, she really did take a liking to that big white goose. So noisy and bold, yet very sharp¡ªwhen she channeled Spiritual Energy, this goose stayed the farthest yet reacted the fastest! It could be a good guardian for the home. Once the pigpen in the back hill was simply fixed up, she would ask Grandma to let her use it as a herding goose! Paired with a couple of Dahuang dogs, how does the poetry go? ¡°Leading Yellow, holding up Grey,¡± something like that! Chapter 11 - Chapter 11: Handling Seed_1 Chapter 11: Handling Seed_1 The next morning, as soon as Song Sancheng got up, he was taken aback. The air¡­ so fresh! In the distance, mists wreathed the mountain ranges, tinged with a thin layer of pale gold, as picturesque as a scenic spot. The pond by the door was blanketed with a layer of white mist, thick and dense, almost entirely covering the water¡¯s surface. The mist was pressed low, slowly drifting. And around the courtyard, a plum tree¡ªwhich Song Sancheng clearly remembered had withered last month¡ªhad inexplicably bloomed several flowers. The tiny, yellow buds, only half-open, were not only exceptionally charming but also gave off a delicate fragrance from afar. At that moment, the old farmer unexpectedly felt an appreciation for beauty, but also sensed something amiss, as if he too was being admired¡­ He turned his head to look! He saw seven or eight local grey squirrels clinging to the courtyard wall, watching into the yard like nosy pups. Then looking towards the back hill, which also shared the desolate view of the passing winter, there was somehow a sense of renewed brightness. As if¡­ as if it was polished and shining! Song Sancheng stared blankly for a long time, amusing himself with his own thoughts: ¡°Achoo!¡± The morning was too cold. He hurriedly cast aside his disordered thoughts and gathered a bundle of firewood to go light the stove. Ah, being an older man is tough, everyone is afraid of the cold, yet it¡¯s always he who must get up to start the fire. ¡­ In the room. Song Tan slowly withdrew her spiritual awareness, and the Spiritual Energy drawn to her vicinity was transformed by her Water Wood Spiritual Method, now dispersing secretly as a richer vitality. Inside and outside the house, the air was fresh. Feeling the abundant Spiritual Energy within her body, she also took a long breath¡ªher body was almost fully recovered. Song Tan stepped out of her room, and after a brief wash-up, she took two wild grass stems from the pile of firewood. Casually tying them into a cross, she then squatted in the open vegetable garden, holding the cross in her palms with the ends slightly touching the ground¡ª Then, with eyes half-closed, she whispered softly, ¡°Is my savior doing well now?¡± This was mystic arts divination. An ancient method capable of divination much like the I Ching hexagrams, it required little Spiritual Energy, and even ordinary people with a slight understanding of spiritual methods could do it. It was the only thing that Song Tan, still in the Qi cultivation phase, could manage. Of course, with a low entry barrier, the divination results were also¡­ rather crude. ¡­ The man who saved her from the car accident¡ªif not for him, even with her return and the restoration of her body through Spiritual Energy, she still would have had a hard time surviving the explosion. Her memories were too disordered, and the conflict between the Spiritual Energy and her physical injuries only left her with a recollection of his dark brown eyes and thick eyelashes¡­ She failed to find out who he was in the hospital, and now that her Spiritual Energy had slightly recovered, naturally, she wanted to investigate first thing. Cultivators value cause and effect, and she, Song Tan, valued gratitude. Not to mention others, at least sending some local specialty would be feasible. Dr. Zhang Yuan from the hospital was evasive, and she always felt something was off. The Spiritual Energy surged, and the makeshift divination instrument in her hand began to slide slowly through the dew-moistened earth. Song Tan opened her eyes and saw the scattered answer on the ground: ¡°Not dead¡± Song Tan: ¡­ She cracked up. What kind of answer was that? No wonder no one uses this method in the Cangxuan Realm anymore! Dissatisfied, she closed her eyes and focused once more, asking, ¡°Where is my savior now?¡± The Spiritual Energy surged again, and eventually scribbled out an even more scattered line of text: ¡°At home¡± Song Tan grew even more frustrated! She threw the cross of grass in her hand, feeling for the first time that mysticism wasn¡¯t very helpful. After thinking for a moment, she decided to send another message to the doctor from Ning Province People¡¯s Hospital: ¡°Dr. Zhang, could I trouble you to inquire how the gentleman who saved me is doing now? Did he transfer to another hospital due to his health? If possible, could you give me his contact information?¡± ¡°Saving a life is a grace one cannot ignore. Even if he does not require my gratitude, I must offer my thanks in person.¡± The reply took a long time to come: ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask for you again.¡± ¡­ On a winter morning, even washing vegetables in the kitchen could freeze your hands, so Wu Lan simply boiled a big pot of dumplings. And there was Qiaoqiao, spinning like a top, one moment serving his sister dumplings, the next moment bringing her dumpling soup¡­ The married couple, one tending to the fire and the other cooking, just served themselves and ate by their own efforts! And Song Tan? He just sat carelessly on a chair, using cajoling words, ¡°Qiaoqiao is so good!¡± ¡°Qiaoqiao is such a good boy!¡± ¡°Qiaoqiao, the dumpling soup you brought, your sister finished it in one gulp!¡± Wu Lan and Song Sancheng both fell silent. Their silly son, what to do with him? Out of sight, out of mind, Song Sancheng grunted and changed the subject: ¡°Right, the people for the land ploughing arrived this morning, make some extra food for lunch at home.¡± Song Tan asked out of curiosity, ¡°Did they bring it with a tractor?¡± Where is there a tractor now? ¡°It was brought on a three-wheeled cart.¡± Song Tan: !!! As small as the ploughing machine was, wasn¡¯t using a three-wheeler to transport it a bit of an understatement? And besides, could a three-wheeler even make it over the hills and mountains? But before she could ponder this question, she heard the sound of a vehicle out on the road, and, going out to look, holy moly! It was indeed an old, date-red three-wheeler, just like those private little three-wheelers you see on the side of the road in Ning City, helping people move or deliver goods. In its seemingly small yet seemingly huge carrier, a similarly aging date-red land ploughing machine was clearly ready to get to work. ¡°Hey, bro, where¡¯s the field? I¡¯ll head right there!¡± ¡°You¡¯re here so early? Have you eaten yet?¡± The two men made small talk as they walked toward the fields amidst the roar of the three-wheeler. On this end, Wu Lan was considering what to cook for lunch and didn¡¯t forget to instruct her daughter: ¡°We¡¯ve also found quite a few people to cut trees on the back hill, just right to saw down those overly dense trees the size of a bowl¡¯s mouth, on one hand, to clear up space for a pigsty. On the other hand, weren¡¯t you planning to grow black and white fungus? These tree trunks will come in handy.¡± Having spent the money already, Wu Lan could only acquiesce to these plans, and she spoke of them in a calm manner: ¡°I¡¯ll ask around to have someone clear up the weeds in the Chestnut Woods on the hillside beside the pond. Otherwise, it¡¯ll affect the growth of the white fungus.¡± Meanwhile muttering, ¡°Getting someone to clear weeds costs even more than spraying pesticides¡­¡± Song Tan pretended to be a quail; in any case, using pesticides was out of the question. But pretending to be a quail didn¡¯t help her escape, as Wu Lan turned her attention back to her, ¡°If you¡¯re going to farm yourself, then you can¡¯t sit idle. Go and prepare the seeds.¡± Song Tan quickly nodded her head. Qiaoqiao, holding his bowl, had just secured a big dumpling with his chopsticks and, not quite understanding everything but eager to participate, quickly added, ¡°Sister! I¡¯ll help you!¡± ¡ªWu Lan looked even more annoyed. ¡­ Preparing Milk Vetch seeds was quite simple. Song Tan took Qiaoqiao outside to shovel a couple of scoops of sand to mix with the Milk Vetch seeds, vigorously rubbing them together¡ªthe friction helped thin out the thick husks, allowing for quicker germination. This type of rubbing through a bag, aside from requiring some effort, was also particularly fun; Qiaoqiao giggled as she rubbed, clearly showing a natural talent for farm work. After enough rubbing, it was time to sun the seeds. A few hours of sunbathing, then play with water¡ªah no, it meant soaking the seeds for half a day. By lunchtime, after a few stirs and tossing out the lower-quality seeds that floated to the surface. The seeds were considered ready. After all, it was green manure; for so many years, everyone had been using this rough method of sowing. The only difference was, while soaking, Song Tan infused some Spiritual Energy into the water. Qiaoqiao looked at the half-yard full of seeds, now extremely proud, ¡°Sister, farming is really fun!¡± Even if his arms were a bit sore. Chapter 12 - Chapter 12: 12. Chatting in the Village_1 Chapter 12: 12. Chatting in the Village_1 At the end of February and beginning of March, it was a rare leisure time for farmers throughout the year. The New Year had just ended, and the children had again taken their families and flown away, the swallows under the roof beams had not returned yet, and more and more land was going fallow, with dull yellow and grayish-brown tones taking over vast expanses. Apart from the distant green mountains, the entire village was a picture of desolation and silence. But today, in the fields by the bamboo grove of Lao Song¡¯s family, it was bustling again. ¡°Song Sancheng, what¡¯s with your family this year? Have you made a fortune and are preparing for a big endeavor? Are you going to tidy up all these fields?¡± ¡°Indeed, Old Song, what do you plan to plant? There used to be a couple of patches of tea trees in the field, are you not keeping them?¡± Everyone had been asked by Song Sancheng to come and tidy up the field. In the corner, the tiller was rumbling away, and before they could till the soil, they first had to clear the weeds and miscellaneous trees that had accumulated. Otherwise, that little machine might get jammed up. Luckily, there were many hands, and everyone working together made the task not only fun but also efficient. Once one patch was cleared in front, the tiller would turn over the soil twice behind, working together just perfectly. Those who came were about the same age as Song Sancheng. At their age, if they tried to work outside the village, most factories didn¡¯t want them. They could relax the age requirements for manual labor jobs, but employers were also afraid of accidents. Besides, people in their forties and fifties had endured hardship when they were younger and quite a few had lingering aches and pains¡­ Now staying in the village meant working sporadically, doing their best not to become a burden to their children. So when Song Sancheng talked about hiring help, despite the hard and poorly paid work of bending over all day for 150 yuan, everyone was willing to come. Getting older, they also longed for some excitement. Song Sancheng also sighed, ¡°Tea leaves aren¡¯t worth much anymore, and I still have so much of it on the hillside. I haven¡¯t taken care of these here for years¡­ Why keep them?¡± This was true. Their place wasn¡¯t known for any famous teas, just ordinary leaves from the valley. Even if they were good for a fresh and sweet drink at home, selling them for fifty yuan a kilo, there were hardly any buyers out there. The tea shrubs in these fields were purely because they didn¡¯t like to see the land lay bare¡­ But they were getting old! They really couldn¡¯t handle the heavy-duty farm work anymore and had slowly come to accept it. ¡°So what do you plan to do, tidying up both the fields and the hillside?¡± Asking the question was the neighbor Li Baoni. Speaking of this, Song Sancheng didn¡¯t know how to begin. How to explain? His daughter had decided not to work and to come back to farm? These days, how many young folks knew how to farm? If he said it aloud, wouldn¡¯t the villagers laugh themselves to death? So he said nonchalantly, ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. My Tantan has been working too hard and can¡¯t take it anymore. I told her our farming at home could use a hand, let her rest up at home for a year or so before going back to work.¡± This was true. Didn¡¯t every family¡¯s young ones go out to forge their paths? Li Baoni, the neighbor, sighed as well, ¡°Indeed, my daughter came back for the New Year, and her face was so pale. When I asked, it was because she had been working overtime until one or two o¡¯clock in the morning¡ªthe salary isn¡¯t much, and she has nothing left by the end of the year.¡± Li Baoni¡¯s daughter worked in a clothing store chain. With a sweet mouth and a gift for gab, she was now a supervisor, sometimes counting stock late at night and going on business trips to expand stores. It was all tough work. And with the economy being poor the last two years, her salary hadn¡¯t increased, leaving her to worry about potential layoffs¡­ When it came to their children, every household had its difficulties. Zhou Shunshui, who lived a bit further away, also sighed, ¡°My son last time said he wanted us old folks to move to the city and live with them, to help take care of the grandchildren¡ªthe chilies at the supermarket near their door cost more than ten yuan per kilo! How can one afford to eat that?¡± ¡°Taking care of grandkids, in the morning sending them to kindergarten, in the evening picking them up and off to various classes, all in different places¡ªriding the bus got me all dizzy and disoriented. Their apartment¡¯s always air-conditioned; it¡¯s not as warm as our stoves at home.¡± ¡°` ¡°I stayed for a week, just couldn¡¯t stand it, so I came back on my own.¡± As for the old lady back home, of course, she couldn¡¯t bear to part with her grandson and stayed there to take care of him with all her heart and effort. It doesn¡¯t matter whether farming is reliable or not, but anyway, the reason Song Sancheng found was quite plausible: ¡°Tantan also said that the food these past few years isn¡¯t as tasty as before. So I figured, since people are already here, why not grow some vegetables and rice for the kids, it¡¯ll taste better when we eat our own.¡± Upon hearing this, the villagers burst into laughter. ¡°Song Sancheng, you have the most farmland in the village now, you¡¯ve become a landlord¡ªyou wait until the rice is ripe, and I won¡¯t buy rice anymore, I¡¯ll buy yours.¡± ¡°Right, right, right, I¡¯ll buy too, the rice outside looks white, but that¡¯s all polished and has no nutrition, it costs several yuan per jin, and it¡¯s not as fragrant as the rice we used to grow ourselves.¡± Song Sancheng didn¡¯t dare to agree: ¡°We only have two plots of land in our family, not enough to even divide among ourselves, not selling, not selling.¡± Who here hasn¡¯t farmed before? The crowd became displeased when they heard this: ¡°You add up two plots to several acres, come on, does your family eat thousands of jin of rice a year?¡± Song Sancheng also smiled: ¡°Then what should I do? This good rice variety I have tastes great but is expensive. At best, it produces one thousand jin per acre. One thousand jin yields seven hundred jin of rice, which is just enough for two or three people to eat for a year.¡± ¡°Besides, my family¡¯s old man, old lady, the kid¡¯s grandma, uncle, aunt, eldest uncle¡­ every household has to share a bit, right?¡± ¡°With just this amount, it¡¯s barely enough for our own consumption.¡± In the village, this is how relationships work, with neighbors and relatives always sharing a bit¡ªnot much, but it¡¯s about expressing the sentiment. Everyone calculated, and there surely isn¡¯t much extra: ¡°No way, I must eat your family¡¯s rice this year, otherwise, when it¡¯s time to plant seedlings, I won¡¯t come!¡± Everyone echoed in agreement. The meaning of this conversation was clear: they would help with the seedling planting without talking about payment. Song Sancheng certainly didn¡¯t dare to agree: ¡°With just these two plots, it would take us no more than two days to plant the seedlings ourselves¡­ eating, eating, when it¡¯s really time to harvest, come help out, and there will be plenty of rice meals!¡± The group laughed and teased each other, and when a plot of land was finally cleared and ready for a change of crop, someone suddenly remembered: ¡°You¡¯re preparing this twenty acres of land, only planting a few acres of rice, what are you planning to do with the rest?¡± Song Sancheng didn¡¯t hide it: ¡°Planting vegetables.¡± ¡°I figure that we won¡¯t use pesticides, and by taking the shuttle bus to the city to sell them, we surely won¡¯t be losing money.¡± But one can¡¯t earn that much that way. Without pesticides, the weeds and insects will pile up in layers, and the couple alone can¡¯t manage it in time, not to mention the extra worry. Moreover, their road isn¡¯t easy to travel, with only one bus trip per day to and from the village, costing 40 yuan round trip¡­ Those vegetables still need fertilizer and physical labor, and there are so many vendors in the market who are from rural areas closer to the city than they are, the competition is fierce¡­ In the end, it¡¯s all hard-earned money. Everyone internally did the math, and it really didn¡¯t seem worth it! But then they thought: ¡°That¡¯s doable, Old Song, you have Qiaoqiao taking care of the house, and we¡¯re getting on in years, nobody wants us for labor work, growing our own vegetables is pretty good.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll come to the field when it¡¯s time and pick what I want to buy on the spot!¡± ¡­ ¡­ The crops planted in the village are mostly of a single variety, with the households¡¯ harvest seasons often overlapping, so many times, vegetables still need to be purchased. Moreover, now in the countryside selling pigs is okay, butchering pigs for personal consumption is okay, but butchering to sell is illegal and not allowed. Tantan¡¯s next step is to plant rice, watermelons, various vegetables, chestnuts from the mountain¡­ she will also keep bees because the Milk Vetch Flower honey truly cannot be missed! There¡¯s also plenty of wild vegetables. Keeping pigs, dogs, chickens, ducks, geese, as well as fish, shrimp, water chestnuts. If there are any other crops that everyone likes, feel free to leave comments! ¡°` Chapter 13 - Chapter 13: 13. All poor fates_1 Chapter 13: 13. All poor fates_1 Now was the slack season in farming, and men and women from the village, aged thirty to fifty, those who could put in solid work, were all summoned by Song Sancheng ¡ª the season waits for no one, it was imperative to get things in order now to sow seeds in the fields come spring. Song Tan¡¯s plans were crystal clear ¡ª The grass in the Chestnut Woods needed to be cleared, and those old chestnut trees should be fertilized and pruned as necessary. Eventually, a framework for cultivating wood ear mushrooms would be set up beneath the trees. A fence also had to be erected around the perimeter to prevent animals or people from causing trouble. With the trees recently cut down from the back mountain, the trunks were segmented for inoculating mushroom spores, while the branches were used to build a shelter to protect pigs from wind and rain, complete with feeding troughs and separated with wire mesh enclosures. As for the fields, Milk Vetch was to be planted in the next month or two, and after it had flowered, it would be time once again to plow and finely till the soil in preparation for planting rice and vegetables. Some seeds could even start to be germinated after a while. There was also the need to find local chickens and ducks and to arrange a time with others for getting piglets. With so many people, managing daily meals was an additional task¡­ Song Sancheng and Wu Lan were busy as bees every day, but what about their daughter? She wasn¡¯t idle either. The young lady had quite a bit of strength, and she¡¯d been following the group up the mountain to carry back tree trunks. Who in the village wouldn¡¯t praise her upon seeing this! But hearing such compliments made Wu Lan¡¯s heart sour! Carrying tree trunks, what was this silly child doing! At the flower of her age, instead of sitting in an office, she was back in the countryside farming ¡ª how could one explain this? And when it came to discussing marriage in the future, where would they find a suitable young man! The daughter wasn¡¯t idle, but whenever she had free time, she would be researching something or other on the computer¡­ Wu Lan once went in and saw ¡ª Goodness me! Seeking knowledge at the last minute, looking up scientific farming tutorials?! This this this! She gasped; if the money hadn¡¯t already been spent, there was no way they could afford to keep this up. The couple would calculate the expenses at night: labor, machinery, spores, chickens, ducks, piglets, fertilizer¡­ Sixty thousand yuan had been spent, and that was just the beginning. After further calculations, they realized this amount would only last until the end of April, when they might just harvest a crop of Milk Vetch. There was also the sixty thousand yuan saved by Wu Lan for emergencies, but given their daughter¡¯s unreliability, Wu Lan now felt heartache at the thought of having to dip into those savings! Sixty thousand yuan ¡ª without any major issues, it would take the couple two years to save that much! Song Sancheng and Wu Lan were so worried they felt like their hair was turning white. They felt that raising sons and daughters was like owing a debt; their daughter had been obedient and sensible for twenty years, and now she was getting involved in a major way, causing worry! But strangely enough, the more they worried, the better they slept at night. Song Sancheng, who usually snored loudly, was now silent. Wu Lan, at her age, would be considered fortunate to get five hours of interrupted sleep a night; yet ever since their daughter had returned home, she would go to bed at seven or eight in the evening and not wake up until six in the morning. This was really¡­ Wu Lan complained to Song Sancheng, ¡°It¡¯s like we¡¯re fated to be poor, the more we spend and tire ourselves, the more comfortable we feel!¡± Song Sancheng agreed, ¡°Indeed, look at me, working with my back bent every day, and yet my back pain has actually disappeared!¡± In the room, Song Tan harnessed Spiritual Energy, keeping her skills hidden. Not far away, the Lao Song¡¯s family¡¯s elderly couple, Song Youde and his wife, hadn¡¯t been idle these past few days either. Now, as Song Youde contentedly puffed on his tobacco pipe, he couldn¡¯t help but feel proud. ¡°It¡¯s because our Tantan went to university; she¡¯s capable and knows to come back to farm.¡± ¡°We farmers always have a way out as long as there is food in the fields.¡± Song Youde, a typical tenant farmer from a landlord¡¯s family, knew hardship well. In his view, nothing was more important than the land. Wang Lifan shared the same sentiment, but from a different angle, ¡°Farming is good. We are still able to work and help the children. Isn¡¯t that better than sitting idle?¡± ¡°Besides, when raising sons and daughters, you hardly see them all year round. With Tantan back to farm, if we hired help, there would be fewer migrant workers in the fall, which adds some life to the village.¡± Isn¡¯t that the truth? At their age, when they were younger, they always worried because their youngest son only had Qiaoqiao, a single male in the family, which seemed insufficient. If the son is able to work, it¡¯s fine, but what if he gets old and can¡¯t move around, yet still has to look after Qiaoqiao? What then? Now with Tantan back, they have a family to rely on, and the siblings can spend more time together. If Qiaoqiao gets old, at least she can watch over him. Otherwise, if one stays away from home for too long, the ties of blood and affection fade quickly. But as someone who had weathered many years of ups and downs, Song Youde had an insight that was even clearer than Song Sancheng¡¯s: ¡°I think Tantan has truly learned something valuable. She is busy with the fields, but she works so much every day and still smiles. She must have a plan. Who knows, she might actually make a name for herself with it.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Wang Lifan agreed, ¡°She has been smart and sensible since she was little. She wouldn¡¯t do anything unless she was confident about it.¡± In recent years, they hadn¡¯t been well, and the children did not let them farm too much, only allowing them to maintain a small vegetable garden by the door¡ª They were at leisure, but the old couple just couldn¡¯t muster any energy. Dozing off in the daytime, unable to sleep at night. Every day they looked for petty chores to do. Now seeing the large pieces of land they had divided off bustling with activity, they felt more at peace without saying a word. They paced themselves during the day; Song Youde would help clear the weeds in the fields, Wang Lifan would assist her daughter-in-law with cooking. They enjoyed meals together, discussing and laughing, feeling even closer to their son¡¯s family! Song Youde felt content and couldn¡¯t help but make more plans: ¡°It¡¯s cold now, and the hens are laying fewer eggs. Isn¡¯t Tantan planning to raise chickens? Tomorrow, let¡¯s have our old hens sit on their eggs, hatch more chicks, and save some money for the children.¡± ¡°Nowadays, local chickens are expensive and hard to come by.¡± Wang Lifan nodded too: ¡°We¡¯re eating more meat this winter, and I¡¯ve been saving up all the eggs. Let¡¯s pick through them under the light later tonight.¡± ¡°And about those ducks, there¡¯s a family selling ducklings. Their ducks don¡¯t get sick, they grow up strong and taste good too. I¡¯ll go and ask about them tomorrow.¡± Song Youde frowned again: ¡°Don¡¯t get too many, these past few years, it¡¯s either a closure here or there due to bird flu or swine fever. We need to proceed with caution.¡± Did Wang Lifan not know this? ¡°Worrying over nothing. Our place is remote, but it¡¯s got good feng shui. When have our chickens, ducks, and geese ever fallen ill? Moreover, raising chicks doesn¡¯t cost much. As long as they don¡¯t get sick, even if we can¡¯t sell them, we can eat them, right? It saves us from buying from outside.¡± There were only four old hens at home. Even if all of them sat on eggs, they would only hatch a hundred or so chicks. When the time came, just let them roam the mountains and fields¡ªno need for concern at all. So simple! Song Youde thought about it and agreed, but then he sighed, ¡°It would be great if our eldest son and grandson were willing to come back and live in the old house on the mountain. It would be perfect to divide it up for them.¡± Wang Lifan rolled her eyes, ¡°Whoever stays in the village gets it. That old house, nobody would buy it even for five thousand yuan. Does your grandson, with his three to five houses in the city, care for it?¡± Song Youde felt embarrassed, ¡°After all, he is the eldest son and grandson of the Lao Song family¡­¡± Chapter 14 - Chapter 14: 14. Sowing Milk Vetch_1 Chapter 14: 14. Sowing Milk Vetch_1 In the fields, machines roared as the villagers worked and chatted; heaps of wild grass and trees piled up on the ridges, and the long-uncultivated brown earth, carrying a moist breath, was exposed under the dazzling morning sun. The mountain village was alive with activity that had been absent for a long time. Wang Lifan opened the storage room in the corner of the yard, which had been locked for a long time. It was a mud house built decades ago. That year, she had just given birth to the daughter when Song Youde, along with his brothers, kneaded the yellow clay, chopped the straw, and moulded the bricks to slowly build the house. At first, it was their main house. As the children grew up and they built a house of bricks and tiles, this room became the storeroom for grain and straw stacks¡­ Then, when they stopped farming, it completely turned into a storage room. Qiaoqiao ran over, ¡°Grandma! Grandma!¡± Wang Lifan had just rummaged out some carrying poles from inside and upon hearing him, she responded, ¡°Qiaoqiao!¡± Soon after, Qiaoqiao¡¯s neatly trimmed round head peeked in, ¡°Grandma, sister said she will take me to farm later and told me to borrow a small basket.¡± He was quickly distracted by the stacked carrying poles on the ground, ¡°Grandma, what are these?¡± Wang Lifan handed him a small basket with a chuckle and, after thinking for a bit, took a piece of plastic rope, folded it several times, and tied it around his waist, ¡°Our Qiaoqiao can farm now!¡± Song Qiao proudly puffed up his chest. But he still persisted, asking, ¡°Grandma, one, two, three¡­ seven, eight, eight of them¡­ what are these for?¡± ¡°Oh, these are for the mother hen to hatch chicks with.¡± Qiaoqiao¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°I want to hatch them too!¡± Wang Lifan: ¡­That was the reason she didn¡¯t want to answer immediately. This child¡¯s questions were endless, too many of them. Fortunately, little kids like to play with the older ones. Song Qiao was three when Song Tan was eight, and now at eighteen, he still thought he was three years old. He should indeed play with older kids. Wang Lifan, understanding his thoughts, now asked, ¡°So, are you going to farm with your sister, or are you coming back to hatch chicks with grandma?¡± For Song Qiao, such a question was indeed quite challenging. He hesitated for a long time, eventually looking in the direction of home, ¡°I¡¯ll go farm with sister.¡± As he was leaving, he lingered, ¡°Grandma, tell the mother hen not to hatch them too quickly. Wait for me to come back and do it together¡­¡± Once the pestering child finally left, Wang Lifan took out four bamboo baskets and placed them in the storeroom, first laying a thick layer of dry grass at the bottom, then counting and placing twenty to thirty eggs in each, one after the other. Following that, she went to the chicken coop and caught all four mother hens¡ª The local country chickens were skinny with long legs and would peck painfully, not easy to catch usually. Unlike the fatty broiler chickens nowadays which were lethargic; chase them a couple of steps, and they were too lazy to run, simply sitting down, but whether for laying eggs or for eating, they couldn¡¯t compare with the country chickens, only more efficient. To catch them, Wang Lifan had specifically not opened the door to the chicken coop early in the morning, and it had been clucking away all morning. She put each mother hen into a basket with large holes, covered it with another basket, and secured it. If they were kept like this for a few days, the hens would start preparing to hatch the chicks. Just wait twenty to thirty days, and the chicks would be ready to break out of their shells. Just in time for late March, when the weather would also be warmer, everything growing, making it a good time for the chicks to grow. ¡­ After two days of cleaning, enough oak trees in the back mountain had been cleared, and of the seven fields, only the outer two remained today. Song Tan saw the weather was about right, so she decided to sow the milk vetch seeds with Song Qiao. Wu Lan was still a bit hesitant, ¡°It¡¯s still very cold early in the morning and at night¡­¡± The temperature difference was too great, it could easily freeze the tender buds to death, at the very least, one should wait another half a month. Song Tan thought to herself, I know that. But the day before yesterday, when I activated Spiritual Energy for the first time without paying attention, the seeds almost sprouted on the spot. Alas, it was also due to her lack of experience in planting in this world, she simply did not realize how precious Spiritual Energy was for the plants here. If she delayed another two days, either the vitality of the seeds would be completely used up, or she would have to watch them sprout right there where they lay. So, she could only appear stubborn, ¡°Mom, Milk Vetch is not rice, it¡¯s not that delicate. It will surely survive.¡± Then she extended her hand to call out, ¡°Qiaoqiao, are the seeds packed? If they are ready, let¡¯s go to the field.¡± Song Qiao didn¡¯t care what the season was or about sprouting; her waist basket was filled with Milk Vetch seeds mixed with sand, weighing almost ten jin. The Milk Vetch seeds were flat and small, and even mixed with sand, there wasn¡¯t much, nearly enough for two mu of land, it was more like playing for Song Qiao. He looked beaming with joy, full of anticipation: ¡°Sister, let me plant today!¡± ¡°Good Qiaoqiao, sister knew you would plant!¡± The siblings then left the house like two cheerful fools. Wu Lan: ¡­ ¡­ Standing at the edge of the field, the earthy smell hit her face; the overturned chunks of soil revealed wild grasses that had already sprouted white roots. Song Tan had eaten her hometown¡¯s food for several days and although it was much better than what was available in the city, and Wu Lan¡¯s cooking was unquestionably good, as her Qi Refinement progressed, her tolerance for impurities became increasingly difficult¡­ What she ate each day, after a night of cultivation, she still had to go to the smelly toilet the next day¡­ Sigh. Anyway, it was completely unrelated to the Cultivators¡¯ way of living on nothing but wind and dew and maintaining a crystal clear body without a trace of impurity. Thinking of this, Song Tan became more impatient. The two large bags of seeds she was carrying were also eager to germinate, she could feel their pulsing life through the bags. Song Tan hesitated no longer, grabbing a handful of seeds and flinging them. The moist seeds fell silently onto the soil after soaking, quickly merging with the brown earth, indistinguishable to the naked eye. Below the undetected surface of the ground, that vigorous life force burst forth, and the overlooked seeds began to split open from inside out. Just waiting for a nourishing dew at dawn and the right amount of sunlight, they could grow exuberantly and vigorously without even needing to be covered with soil. This vibrant vitality brought immense tranquility, and Song Tan looked down at them, deciding to wait until all were sown, then, taking advantage of the warmth during the day, she would stealthily draw more moisture to press them into the earth. In a month, this place would blossom with vast patches of purple flowers. Her first step to recouping the investment would start with these Milk Vetch. Holding onto that belief, Song Tan quickly finished sowing this plot of land and was ready to move on to the next when she saw Qiaoqiao still squatting on the ridge, scrutinizing the seeds. ¡°Qiaoqiao, what are you doing?¡± But Qiaoqiao said solemnly, ¡°Sister, your way of planting won¡¯t work, you need to dig a hole, put two seeds in, and then cover them with soil.¡± Song Tan was taken aback, then it dawned on her¡ªwasn¡¯t that the method for planting corn? It turns out Qiaoqiao only knew how to plant corn! Chapter 15 - Chapter 15: Peppas Great Grace_1 Chapter 15: Peppa¡¯s Great Grace_1 The siblings left the house in high spirits. In the end, it was only one of them who returned in high spirits. ¡°Where¡¯s Qiaoqiao?¡± Wu Lan asked. Song Tan burst into laughter, ¡°He¡¯s right behind!¡± No sooner had she spoken than a tall, thin boy with a shiny, round buzz-cut came around the bend in the path behind, his sleeves wiping away tears, looking so wronged and sobbing¡­ ¡°Pfft!¡± Wu Lan couldn¡¯t hold back her laughter either as she went over to take the basket from his hand, ¡°What happened? Why are you crying? Oh dear, look at our Qiaoqiao¡¯s ¡®calico cat face,¡¯ you¡¯ve cried yourself ugly!¡± Feeling someone¡¯s sympathy, Song Qiao cried even louder. ¡°Mom¡­ waaaaah, mom¡­ my sister, waaaah¡­ my sister isn¡¯t farming properly!¡± Song Tan wouldn¡¯t take the blame for that: ¡°Nonsense, I¡¯ve scattered all the seeds, how can you say I didn¡¯t farm properly? Didn¡¯t I leave you a handful to plant slowly?¡± She then quietly explained to Wu Lan that Milk Vetch seeds just needed to be scattered directly onto the soil, but Qiaoqiao only knew how to plant corn, so he insisted on planting the seeds one by one. In the end, Song Tan scattered all the seeds, leaving him only a palm-sized patch of land and at most fifty seeds, letting Qiaoqiao plant them one pit at a time¡­ Song Qiao was crying miserably, ¡°But you¡­ but you! You scattered the seeds all over, and now we won¡¯t have any corn growing! I¡­¡± He rubbed his sleeves frantically across his face, growing more heartbroken as he spoke, ¡°Waaaaah mom, my sister, hic¡­ only gave me a little bit of seeds, I planted them so carefully¡­ and if there¡¯s too little corn when it¡¯s time to harvest, we won¡¯t have enough to eat, waaaaah¡­¡± With tears in his eyes, he gazed at Song Tan, ¡°In the future¡­ I won¡¯t be able to take care of my sister, waaaaah¡­¡± Oh dear, this sweet, foolish boy! Song Tan¡¯s heart softened completely¡ªno wonder Qiaoqiao was crying so hard, he must remember what she had said at the beginning about farming to feed themselves! He probably thought that the haphazard scattering of the seeds meant there wouldn¡¯t be enough corn to eat, which was why he felt so sad and wronged. As expected, Wu Lan also gave her a sharp stare in reprimand, and quickly comforted him, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Qiaoqiao, mom can farm, mom will take care of you!¡± Song Qiao stopped crying, hesitated for a while, and then started sniffling again, ¡°Then, you¡¯ll also take care of sister.¡± As soon as he spoke, Song Tan had already hugged his shoulders, ¡°Good brother! Sweet Qiaoqiao! Sister is so touched¡ªcome on, no more crying, wipe your face and let¡¯s watch Peppa!¡± ¡°We can watch two episodes today!¡± Ultimately, it was the pink pig that ended the tears. ¡­ The beginning of March. It was the third day of the second lunar month, the Awakening of Insects. Everything begins anew, and the hibernating creatures wake up. Song Tan had been back for half a month now. In that half-month, Song Sancheng, along with the villagers, had almost finished cleaning up the hillside, and the fields had taken on a layer of fluffy green¡ª It was the newly sprouted Milk Vetch, its tender green pushing through the brown soil, fragile as if it would break with a mere gust of wind. The villagers marveled upon seeing it, ¡°These modern seeds sure aren¡¯t afraid of the cold! Look at this, in previous years we only dared to plant seeds in March, but now they¡¯re already sprouting in early March.¡± An expanse of twenty mu was covered in this fuzzy green, with the fields unevenly distributed, and a mere glance filled one with involuntary joy. All the villagers passing by couldn¡¯t resist pausing to take a longer look. The saying ¡°The grass looks greener from afar, yet up close, there¡¯s none¡± was truly apt. An elderly villager leading an old ox passed by and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Tan Tan, when this Milk Vetch grows tall, can I bring the ox to graze in your fields?¡± Milk Vetch was nutritious and tender, a favorite among cattle and sheep. Previously, when the ox was needed for plowing the rice paddies, it was always allowed to feast on the fields, but since the farming had ceased, the ox too had aged. And Milk Vetch was no longer being planted. Song Tan promptly agreed, ¡°Of course, Grandpa Li! When the time comes, you can bring the ox down to those two lower fields, just let it in and it can eat as much as it wants!¡± Milk Vetch grows quickly; starting from the green leaves, it could be grazed for a couple of months! Old Li thought for a moment, ¡°Are you just planting these two patches of land this year? How about I bring my ox to plow your fields?¡± Indeed, an ox-plowed field couldn¡¯t compare to a tiller machine, it could only cover five or six mu per day. But Song Tan only had a little more than three mu, not even four! Otherwise, Old Li wouldn¡¯t be willing: ¡°But my ox is old, so I need to plow slowly, you can¡¯t rush me.¡± ¡°Two days to finish plowing for you, okay?¡± Song Tan smiled, ¡°Okay! That¡¯s great! Grandpa Li, then I won¡¯t mention money. When the rice is harvested, I¡¯ll bring you fifty jin!¡± The old man didn¡¯t eat much, fifty jin would last him half a year. Old Li was extremely happy in his heart! The young people coming back nowadays always talk about money, it¡¯s not that it¡¯s wrong to pay for work, but sometimes helping out neighbors can feel quite impersonal. The young people are not unwilling to help the villagers, but they simply don¡¯t know how. It made these old folks, accustomed to village favors, always feel uncomfortable. Tantan was just good like that. And besides, his own home-grown rice! How fragrant that must be! He thought about it, he hadn¡¯t tasted it in one or two decades¡­ Who would have thought that he¡¯d get to eat it again before the end. The old ox also seemed to sense his joy and let out a long ¡°moo¡± as well. Old Li patted its head, ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go home! Soon there will be good food!¡± ¡­ Song Tan was also pondering: Milk Vetch, with green leaves and purple flowers, Old Ox¡­ What beautiful materials! Song Tan had planned this long ago, and now with the ox, it would appear more lively. As for whether she could sell products after becoming famous¡ªof course she could! If she couldn¡¯t sell products, what was the point of all her efforts? She was confident: after trying it once, no one could resist becoming a repeat customer. Song Tan had farmed on Yunmoon Peak for a hundred and ten years, removing pests and weeds to enhance the flavor; her skills were solidly honed! She refused to believe that vegetables grown with Spiritual Energy would not have a market! Furthermore, many of the vegetables she planned to grow were storage-resistant; wood ear and silver ear mushrooms were especially suitable for online sales. Nowadays, logistics were so developed that most cities could receive next day delivery, as long as you were willing to pay, which was sufficient to meet e-commerce demands. The perishable items, once they made a name for themselves, could be consumed locally. She farmed first to satisfy her cravings and second to make money. As for how much she earned¡ªas long as she could break even, she didn¡¯t have many demands. Calculating all this, there was still so much to prepare. In the next few days, she had to hurry and get her filming equipment ready and pick her editing skills back up. Whether she could be successful or not would depend on this wave! Thinking it over, Song Tan stood by the field, her fingers moved subtly, as she quietly drew forth strands of Spiritual Energy¡­ That invisible white mist, hardly seen by the naked eye, slowly merged into the field, making the greenness of the Milk Vetch seem even more vibrant. With a gentle breeze, the hazy shade of green at this moment grew ever richer. The roots of the Milk Vetch rapidly absorbed nutrients from the ground, while the light yellow rhizobia clinging to the roots reciprocated by nourishing the soil. Such is the life of nature. Repeating in cycles, in a rhythmic loop. Chapter 16 - Chapter 16: 16. Digging Wild Vegetables_1 Chapter 16: 16. Digging Wild Vegetables_1 After the Awakening of Insects, came the spring rain. A misty drizzle fell silently, shrouding the entire countryside and hilltops in a layer of faint green mist, fluffy and damp. Song Sancheng had just finished settling the wages for the villagers, and at this moment, smelling the scent of rain and soil outside, a slight smile finally appeared on his face. ¡°This rain couldn¡¯t have come at a better time.¡± For more than half a month, they had been bustling about every day. Wu Lan had to cook for a large group of people and take care of domestic chores both inside and outside the house. Song Sancheng had to lead people to weed the fields, clear the hillside, cut trees, trim tree trunks, and also find time to set up the pigsty, chicken coop, and duck shed¡­ The supply of mushroom spores had just arrived this afternoon, and the plan for tomorrow was to stay home and inoculate the spores without venturing out, which is why he had just settled tens of thousands in wages. And when he looked again, heavens were looking out for them¡ªIt was raining! Wu Lan sighed with the account book in hand, ¡°Tantan, your sixty thousand yuan is gone now.¡± ¡°From now on, any expenses will be supported by your dad and me, and you¡¯ll have to follow our arrangement.¡± Otherwise, she was really afraid that her daughter would relax her grip and arrange for the money to be spent again. Tantan did some calculations in her mind¡ª The piglets hadn¡¯t been brought back yet, but the pigsty was already built, so her mom had to spend that money whether she wanted to or not. They needed to buy ducklings, which would also cost money. They wouldn¡¯t buy chicken chicks this year, since grandma¡¯s house was incubating them already! The hillside forest had been cleared, and seeds had been bought. Next, they needed some labor cost for inoculating the mushroom spores, but there shouldn¡¯t be any other major expenses! She nodded and asked the essential question, ¡°Mom, what are we going to eat?¡± Wu Lan felt frustrated inside, ¡°No more money, so what to eat?¡± Go on, take Qiaoqiao with you, and dig up some wild vegetables on the slope!¡± ¡°All right!¡± The countryside had plenty of slopes with wild vegetables everywhere. Not to mention anything else, just the hollows on the slope behind their house were layered with them. However, the best season for foraging wild vegetables had not arrived yet, and the quantity might be small at the moment, probably enough for just one or two meals. Tantan went back to her room to get ready, thought for a moment, and decided to bring her mobile phone stand, ¡°Qiaoqiao, let¡¯s go dig up some wild vegetables!¡± Song Qiaoqiao had already dashed out of the yard impatiently, ¡°Oh oh! It¡¯s raining! I¡¯m going to step in puddles with Pig Mommy!¡± However, with the rain misting down, the ground only had a slightly damp feel. Where was the rain? Qiaoqiao fell silent. The siblings darted into the woods like monkeys, with Wu Lan shouting from behind, ¡°Pick some wild onions, and when you come back, I¡¯ll cook you scrambled eggs with them!¡± ¡­ Having grown up in the mountains since children, the brother and sister moved swiftly. In the midst of this, Tantan went to take another look at the rudimentary pigsty behind their hill¡ª A large shed constructed of wood, covered securely at the top with branches and tarpaulins. Inside, the ground was elevated with stones and, though the straw hadn¡¯t been laid yet, it was already looking quite clean and fresh. Pigs reared this way, with plenty of exercise, would definitely produce delicious meat. But there was a problem: pigs would inevitably defecate indiscriminately every day. With such a large range of movement in the mountains and no way to confine them to a manure pit, Sancheng pondered this issue for a long time. In the end, he came up with a solution. While the piglets were still young, they wouldn¡¯t be allowed to roam about. The slopes had grass, tree roots, and rocks, which could easily lead to injuries. At that time, they would make their enclosure a bit smaller, digging a shallow pit into which they would gradually throw the pig manure. Over time, the pigs would learn where to relieve themselves. Once they adapted to the habit, the area could be expanded step by step¡­ Whether it would work or not, Sancheng was raising pigs in the mountains for the first time and was willing to try. If nothing else, it just meant a bit more effort spent shoveling manure daily. Eventually, it could be fermented and used as fertilizer all the same. They passed through the stretch of woods to a gentle slope on the middle of the back hill where sprouts of lush little greens were beginning to emerge. Qiaoqiao was already pointing at a large bunch of lush wild onions: ¡°Sis! Fry them with eggs!¡± Wild onions, also known as sand onions or mountain garlic, are much finer than common onions and garlic, even more delicate than leeks. Every time their family ate this, Qiaoqiao¡¯s task was to select and wash them, hence the strong impression. Song Tan looked at them and also hesitated: ¡°These wild onions are growing so well, do we fry them with eggs at noon, or do we stew them with carp?¡± But no matter what, the first thing was to pluck them. It wasn¡¯t just the wild onions, there was also a cluster of newly grown shepherd¡¯s purse by the side of the forest, still small but definitely enough for a dish. Next was the shepherd¡¯s needles, there were plenty of those, both large and small, and Qiaoqiao already took off happily with the shovel. However¡­ in the end, there was too little to show, the mobile device was useless, there wasn¡¯t anything worth capturing. She sighed, then suddenly thought of something¡ª What was the going rate for wild vegetables these days? ¡­ The siblings went out and after one or two hours of hustle, Wu Lan took the basket of vegetables and puzzledly said, ¡°Did you guys also go to the pond¡¯s edge?¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Qiaoqiao¡¯s sleeves were half wet, which clearly showed that he had had a good time playing in the water. Wu Lan flipped through the wild vegetables brought back: ¡°This watercress is tender indeed, hope you didn¡¯t pick them just as they sprouted¡ªhow are we going to eat them?¡± Song Tan thought for a moment, decisively choosing between mixing with shredded chicken and stewing in fish soup: ¡°Cold mixed with shredded chicken!¡± Shredded chicken required chicken breast, and where could one buy just the chicken breast in the village? Wu Lan ignored her: ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll go fry some Sichuan pepper oil, we¡¯ll have it cold mixed at noon. These past few days we¡¯ve been treating guests to rich dishes, it¡¯ll be good to eat something lighter.¡± ¡°How come there¡¯s purslane? Only this handful? Then let¡¯s mix it together later.¡± There was a good amount of wild onions, and seeing how neatly they were arranged, it must have been Qiaoqiao who cleaned them up while playing in the water by the pond. Wu Lan looked quite satisfied: ¡°Just right, the carp we caught last time has thawed, let¡¯s make some soup, and the rest we can stir-fry for a pork dish. Otherwise, eating only cold dishes in this weather is too chilly.¡± Finally, there was the thick layer of shepherd¡¯s needles at the bottom, Wu Lan decisively made arrangements: ¡°Perfect for making dumplings tonight!¡± Song Tan, who wasn¡¯t cooking, had no say in the matter, and she was quite looking forward to it anyway. She then brought up another matter: ¡°Mom, the weather is warming up, and after this rain, wild vegetables will surely grow like crazy. What if I dig up more tomorrow and sell them in the city on the bus?¡± This time, Wu Lan really saw her in a new light: ¡°Are you planning to set up a street stall? Have you ever been to the vegetable market?¡± Song Tan understood what she meant¡ªher past self would certainly have been too shy and reserved to go through with it. But now¡­ After mucking about for half a month since her return, all the money had been spent. If she didn¡¯t produce some results soon, who knows how much talking she¡¯d need to do for the next grant application? Besides, she had channeled quite a bit of Spiritual Energy to the hillside pond taking advantage of the spring rain; she should be able to harvest dozens of pounds tomorrow at least! Isn¡¯t this a chance to test the waters of the market? So she patted her chest: ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll definitely manage it tomorrow!¡± Song Sancheng had been silent throughout, but at this, he finally chimed in: ¡°The bus leaves at six o¡¯clock in the morning, and it¡¯ll take a big round through the town before reaching the city, almost nine o¡¯clock. Who would be buying vegetables at that time?¡± ¡°How about this, Tantan, you pack the vegetables tomorrow afternoon, leave early in the morning, and I¡¯ll take you to the road junction on my motorbike. From the junction, you can catch the van right to the market, just in time for the morning rush.¡± Chapter 17 - Chapter 17: 17. Shepherds purse dumplings_1 Chapter 17: 17. Shepherd¡¯s purse dumplings_1 ¡°` The spring rain intensified throughout the night. Droplets pattered unceasingly in the quiet depth of the night, quickly moistening the soil, as the chilly water vapor spread wisps of white mist over mountains, ponds, and fields, deepening the green hues and making the tender leaves unfurl even more¡­ By dawn, the rain had stopped, but the skies remained gloomy. Song Sancheng brought in some firewood from outside and stoked the stove to make it blaze even hotter, while clapping his hands, ¡°What are we eating this morning?¡± After being busy for several days, Wu Lan had finally found some leisure last night and today. She had rested well recently, everything about the air felt crisp and refreshing, and her mood was exceedingly pleasant. ¡°Let¡¯s have dumplings, those shepherd¡¯s purse from last night were so fresh.¡± The vibrant shepherd¡¯s purse, finely chopped and mixed with the granular minced meat, encased in soft dough wrappers, then dipped in a vinegar sauce¡­ Fresh. So fresh that one¡¯s tongue could almost swallow itself. Song Sancheng single-handedly devoured two big bowls. Qiaoqiao did even better, polishing off nearly three small bowls, then slurped up half a bowl of dumpling soup: ¡°Mom, it¡¯s so delicious!¡± ¡°Eating your old man out of house and home¡± wasn¡¯t just an empty saying; Wu Lan had made the dumplings last night thinking they wouldn¡¯t finish them and planned to freeze the leftovers for breakfast. But she hadn¡¯t anticipated everyone¡¯s appetite increasing so much recently that they gobbled up everything in one go. Except for Song Tan. Freshness was there, but so were the impurities. Eating one bowl felt to Song Tan like eating a bowl of perfumed rice mixed with sand. With every meal, she vowed to grow her own food. Wu Lan looked at her still slender figure, puzzled: ¡°Have you ruined your stomach with all that work outside? You¡¯ve been working hard every day, how come your appetite is still so small?¡± In her heart, Song Tan thought: It wasn¡¯t that her stomach had gone bad, she had simply become fastidious. But if she got picky about eating wild vegetables, her mother would probably roll her eyes and scold her, ¡°You¡¯ve just been spoiled by too much good food.¡± So, she changed the subject: ¡°Were yesterday¡¯s wild vegetables tasty? After this rain, they must be even more delicious!¡± Wild vegetables tasty? How could they not be! The vibrant green and red-stemmed Indian aster was blanched and chopped, then minced with some meat. Next, crack a duck egg and beat it, add some cooking wine, salt, and MSG, and fry it into strands with a strainer in the pan. Afterwards, saut¨¦ some chopped green onions and shredded ginger, then pour in the minced meat, Indian aster, and duck egg¡­ Crunchy, crispy, and refreshing ¨C how could it not be appetizing? The leftover water spinach was blanched, seasoned with salt and MSG, and mixed well. Then Sichuan pepper was slowly fried in oil to bring out its fragrance, and combined with sauce, ginger garlic juice, sugar, MSG, Sichuan pepper oil, crushed chili, and chopped green onion¡ªall added to the blanched tender segments of the water spinach¡­ Slurp! Crisp, tender, spicy, and savory. Accompanied by wild green onion and crucian carp soup and fried eggs, the family of four devoured the basket of wild vegetables from the day before completely. Then, bloated, they chopped up the shepherd¡¯s purse for dumplings. Thinking about it now made them crave even more. Yesterday¡¯s wild vegetables were so tasty; with the boost from Spiritual Energy, today¡¯s should be even more delicious, right? Thinking about her very first business venture, Song Tan asked, ¡°Mom, how much do you think I should sell them for per pound tomorrow morning?¡± Even though it was early March and the insects had just begun to stir, in reality, the spring greens hadn¡¯t yet sprung up. It was a time when the old crops were dying and the new ones hadn¡¯t yet appeared. Lettuce tasted bitter, bok choy was already old, heart cabbage was no longer sweet; a trip to the supermarket meant that even a simple greenhouse vegetable starts at ten to eight yuan per pound. Wu Lan adeptly managed the household but had zero experience selling wild vegetables. Thinking it over, she suggested, ¡°How about you sell them all for ten yuan per pound?¡± ¡°` There¡¯s not much reason to it, just to make the accounting easier. This price is indeed not expensive for today¡¯s green vegetable market, but after all, it is wild vegetables. Wu Lan knew that everyone in the city loved to eat them, but her childhood experiences still made her subconsciously undervalue them. So she mentioned the ten yuan with particularly little confidence. Song Tan thought about it and felt that ten yuan was actually fine. Wild vegetables don¡¯t yield much after cooking. You might have a large handful, but once boiled, they shrink to a small clump. She believed that the quality nurtured by Spiritual Energy was definitely good, but since it was their first business deal, they had to let everyone taste it before they could talk about future dealings. ¡°Alright then, ten yuan it is!¡± Song Sancheng discussed, ¡°This year¡¯s shepherd¡¯s purse is really good. Why not make some more dumplings to freeze? Otherwise, in a couple of days when we start the mushroom spores, we¡¯ll be too busy and end up eating hastily.¡± In a few days, once the preparations were made, it was time to start with the mushroom spores. Song Sancheng consulted with Song Tan, saying there was no need to rush this task and it would be better to hire some elderly men and women to do it. ¡°They are older now, but that doesn¡¯t necessarily mean they¡¯re slow. Even if they are slow, Tantan, you mustn¡¯t fuss over it¡­ Our village is down to so few households. When they grow old, they just sit there all day, staring into space or dozing off. It¡¯s a sad sight.¡± ¡°We might as well ask them to come over. We don¡¯t talk about money¡ªit¡¯s just taking their time. After the work is done, we can buy some meat to help them take home. If they need anything, we lend a hand. Your grandparents can help keep an eye on things while we¡¯re busy¡­ What do you think?¡± Sure. Why not? Song Tan agreed without hesitation. Firstly, the mushrooms and wood ear fungus were not in a rush to sprout just yet¡­ Her outer fence was not even set up! Secondly, everyone was from the village. Who else would they hire if not them? Her grandparents had been growing increasingly despondent over the past few years, and having something to do was certainly better than sitting idle. But¡­ Song Tan looked at her family¡¯s yard, complete with a motorcycle and flower beds: ¡°Our yard is a bit small, isn¡¯t it?¡± Starting the mushroom spores required pressing the spores into pre-drilled small holes in the chestnut tree trunks. The logs were somewhat long and heavy. The yard could accommodate them, but it was inconvenient to pass by. Song Sancheng thought for a moment: ¡°I¡¯ll go and talk to your grandpa later. We¡¯ll put them in his yard, which is more spacious. Your grandma can take care of the cooking, your mom can help¡­ There are only about eight or nine elderly people in the village. They don¡¯t eat much, we can just bring over rice, flour, and vegetables from our place.¡± The family of four straightened out the details (with Qiaoqiao providing the humming soundtrack) and felt everything was arranged. Seeing that it was almost nine o¡¯clock, Song Tan quickly called out to Qiaoqiao: ¡°Let¡¯s go! Bring a large basket to dig up shepherd¡¯s purse!¡± And to check on how many wild vegetables the Spiritual Energy had stimulated overnight. Climbing up the familiar hillside once again, Qiaoqiao was astounded. His mouth fell open: ¡°(¡Ño¡Ñ) Wow!¡± ¡°Sis, it¡¯s so green!¡± Isn¡¯t it just very green? Wild chives grew in bunches, as thick as layers of hair, covering the entire edge of the mountain forest slope. The Indian kalimeris that could barely fill a plate yesterday were now vying to poke out their green heads, with green and red stems crowded together as though afraid people couldn¡¯t grab a whole plateful. The shepherd¡¯s purse¡­ well, there wasn¡¯t any need to say more about it. It grew densely in the crevices, their leaves so tender they seemed to weep with moisture. Even before harvesting them, one could smell the strong fragrance of the fresh greenery. The contrast and difference between the newly sprouted green buds of the neighboring woods were strikingly visible. Song Tan had actually been mentally prepared and very confident. But at that moment, she still felt somewhat dazed and only managed to dig up a basket of fresh shepherd¡¯s purse with Qiaoqiao¡¯s help. On their way back, they also made a detour to check the pond. Very good. The watercress and purslane had spread dense patches, growing wildly as if on steroids, covering the ground and water surface around the pond! She suppressed the joy inside her¡ª These vegetables were now giving too much credit to the Spiritual Energy! Chapter 18 - Chapter 18: 18. Clean up wild vegetables_1 Chapter 18: 18. Clean up wild vegetables_1 After lunch, Song Tan grabbed a basket, planning to go dig for wild vegetables. The sky was still gloomy, and with temperatures around ten degrees and no sun, it really couldn¡¯t be considered warm. On such a day, every household would be warming themselves by the fire, and few people would venture out. Wu Lan glanced at the large basket her daughter was carrying and felt sorry for her hard work these days, ¡°There¡¯s no need to go digging for wild vegetables so early; you can go in the evening. That way they¡¯ll stay fresher for tomorrow. Besides, there isn¡¯t much to gather in this weather, and it¡¯s quick work.¡± Song Tan thought of the densely packed greenery by the pond on the hill, figuring if there wasn¡¯t ¡®Spiritual Energy,¡¯ she really wouldn¡¯t need to be so proactive. But at the moment, she took Qiaoqiao with her, ¡°It¡¯s fine, Mom, you start making the dumplings. I feel like today¡¯s shepherd¡¯s purse is especially fresh.¡± Seeing her daughter¡¯s insistence, Wu Lan didn¡¯t try to stop her, but she muttered, ¡°Shepherd¡¯s purse is the same whether it¡¯s yesterday or today¡­ what could be different¡­¡± She sat by the stove, planning to sort through the shepherd¡¯s purse she had dug up in the morning, but as soon as she picked it up, something felt off¡ª ¡°How come this looks so good?¡± ¡­ Qiaoqiao was indeed a great helper; an episode of Peppa for a basket of vegetables, and in no time, he returned with a full basket of shepherd¡¯s purse. Lush green, tender and juicy, it looked delicious no matter how you looked at it, almost exaggeratedly so. Song Sancheng was helping to sort the vegetables, and when he took the basket, he paused, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say there wasn¡¯t much yesterday? With a single rain, it¡¯s grown this much?¡± This was a large basket, small bundles of shepherd¡¯s purse densely packed, heaping up high in the basket, wobbling as if a few stems might tumble out at any moment. Qiaoqiao didn¡¯t understand these things and instead felt very proud, ¡°There¡¯s still so much more¡ª¡± He thought to himself: Although sister isn¡¯t very good at farming, that¡¯s okay, Qiaoqiao now knows how to dig vegetables! Qiaoqiao will support her! Suddenly feeling ambitious, he didn¡¯t care about Peppa Pig anymore and went out again with two empty baskets. Meanwhile, back at home, Song Sancheng dumped out the vegetables to weigh them, ¡°Wow, that must be over ten pounds!¡± Wu Lan was also surprised, but said, ¡°It just rained, and the vegetables are wet, and they have a bit of mud on them. It¡¯s probably only ten pounds.¡± That¡¯s still quite a lot. A basket of ten pounds, a zero-cost business, and at the price of ten yuan per pound, that¡¯s a hundred yuan already. ¡­ Digging wild vegetables this trip took a full three hours, and by the time Song Tan returned, it was already past four in the afternoon. As fate would have it, just as she returned, another rain came pouring down. The family of four didn¡¯t bother with making dumplings but hurried to deal with the wild vegetables! Looking at the ¡®Spiritual Energy¡¯ infused wild vegetables, so crisp and appealing, sparking one¡¯s appetite, Song Tan didn¡¯t believe no one would pay ten yuan per pound, and her entrepreneurial spirit emerged: ¡°Mom, just pick them a little, give the mud a wash, but don¡¯t remove all the roots, and tie them up with some grass. One bunch, one pound and two ounces, so we don¡¯t lose any weight tomorrow.¡± Wu Lan was just about to pick each one clean and was thinking it would take quite some time. Yet when Song Tan suggested this, Wu Lan couldn¡¯t help wondering, ¡°With one pound, you¡¯ll only have about seven or eight ounces of edible part. Can you still sell it for ten yuan?¡± Why not? Song Tan opened her mobile app, and even the local delivery of vegetables in the city, lettuce cost 14.8 yuan per pound! ¡°Wild vegetables! Fresh ones, with a bit of dirt and moisture, ten yuan is cheap, okay?¡± ¡°You forgot about last year¡¯s toon, it was fifty or sixty a pound! And they sold them by twos.¡± That¡¯s true. Wu Lan thought for a moment, ¡°Alright, since there are no costs involved, you go ahead and sell them. Don¡¯t panic if we can¡¯t sell everything; we can take them back, blanch them, dry them, and freeze them in the fridge. We can still eat them during the New Year.¡± The family of four thus each had their own tasks. Song Sancheng was responsible for cleaning the mud, Wu Lan for sorting the vegetables, Song Tan for weighing them, and Qiaoqiao for tying each bunch neatly with long grass. By the time the sky was completely dark, they finally finished tidying up the wild vegetables. After weighing them¡ª Wow! Malan heads, purslane, shepherd¡¯s purse, watercress, and wild chives¡ªa total of 80 small bundles, weighing over a hundred pounds! Song Sancheng immediately changed his mind, ¡°Maybe we should rent a vehicle tomorrow, even though 200 yuan for a round trip is expensive, they will come to pick us up at our doorstep. Otherwise, how are we going to take so many vegetables on public transport?¡± It would raise the cost all at once. Song Tan made a decisive call, ¡°Rent!¡± ¡°Right dad, I¡¯ll bring Qiaoqiao with me tomorrow.¡± Song Sancheng subconsciously opposed, ¡°Why bring Qiaoqiao? You¡¯re going to do business, and if he starts fussing¡­¡± However, before he could finish, Qiaoqiao loudly protested, ¡°Qiaoqiao wants to sell vegetables!¡± ¡°Qiaoqiao won¡¯t make a fuss!¡± ¡°Qiaoqiao wants to go out!¡± Wu Lan thought for a moment, sighed, and acquiesced, ¡°Alright, bring him along. He should be exposed to unfamiliar environments. Otherwise, spending every day in the village, he doesn¡¯t even have anyone to play with.¡± Going to the city with him occasionally, she still had to endure the scrutinizing looks of others¡­ Wu Lan¡¯s heart ached. Song Tan pretended not to notice the bitterness in those words. She had tried on the night she obtained the Spiritual Energy, and Qiaoqiao¡­ he wasn¡¯t fully developed in the womb, even if her cultivation was successful, there wasn¡¯t much she could do about it. All she could ensure was that he stayed strong and healthy, and fell ill less often. Perhaps add more exercises on top¡ªwhat¡¯s wrong with a six-year-old¡¯s IQ? Aren¡¯t there many sensible six-year-olds? So at this moment, she happily patted Qiaoqiao, ¡°Good Qiaoqiao! I knew you were the smartest! You must help out a lot tomorrow.¡± Qiaoqiao proudly accepted, in a very loud voice. The family had been busy for most of the day and only now began to feel ravenously hungry, but sorting the vegetables had left them with sore waists and backs, causing the cook Wu Lan to let out a perfunctory sigh, ¡°Alright, we just so happened not to have put away the dumplings we made this afternoon, so let¡¯s eat those.¡± Just right, Song Tan also wanted to taste today¡¯s shepherd¡¯s purse, ¡°Mom, cook more.¡± Wu Lan had initially planned to cook about the same amount as in the morning, but with Song Tan¡¯s request, she grumbled about how much the family could eat while still cooking an extra bowlful. However, when the dumplings were served, everyone¡¯s eyes widened at the first bite. Qiaoqiao began kicking his legs excitedly, ¡°Yummy! So delicious, mommy!¡± As he spoke, he grimaced from the heat but still didn¡¯t let go of the dumpling in his mouth, holding onto his bowl firmly, ¡°The yummiest in the world!¡± Song Sancheng devoured half a bowl in one breath before letting out a satisfied sigh, ¡°Indeed, why are these dumplings so delicious today?¡± Song Tan was even moved to tears: After so many days back home, they finally got to eat a meal that tasted normal and pure, oh heavens, she could show off with three bowls! Only Wu Lan ate thoughtfully¡ª The dumpling filling she made this afternoon was the same as usual! Could it be that after the spring rain, the shepherd¡¯s purse had become so much tastier? She quickly finished her portion in a few bites, put down her bowl, picked a bunch from each of the neatly tied vegetables, and went back into the kitchen to hustle about. By the time she returned with another plate, the dumplings were already polished off. Only Song Sancheng still gazed at her sycophantically, ¡°I¡¯m not quite full¡­ how about we both eat a bit more?¡± Chapter 19 - Chapter 19: 19. Vegetable Sale_1 Chapter 19: 19. Vegetable Sale_1 Wu Lan had eaten only one bowl and was full, but not completely satisfied. However, considering the appetites of her family members, they were definitely all overstuffed tonight, so she flat-out refused, ¡°Let¡¯s eat the dumplings tomorrow morning. Come on, try this wild vegetable we picked today!¡± What she picked was malan head, purslane, and watercress. To keep things simple and purely to test the taste, she boiled them briefly and then mixed them all together with the same seasoning. At this moment, the red chili, white sesame, dark brown soy vinegar, and the green tender leaves and stems were intertwined, and a fresh, sour and spicy fragrance wafted towards them. Song Sancheng no longer hesitated and quickly grabbed some with his chopsticks and brought it to his mouth¡ª ¡°Mmm!¡± Delicious, spicy, refreshing, and crunchy¡­ A mix of flavors and textures all in one, making Song Sancheng unable to stop eating, with each grasp of his chopsticks taking almost half a plate of the vegetables. It¡¯s just that¡­ ¡°This is so appetizing; I should have cooked a pot of rice,¡± he lamented. But Wu Lan glanced at his belly and said, ¡°Stop eating, will you? Aren¡¯t you afraid of bursting¡ªyou¡¯re going to make yourself sick. Let me have a taste!¡± Once she tasted it, the whole family fell silent. After a while, Wu Lan hesitantly asked, ¡°Did we sell this too cheaply for ten yuan?¡± Song Tan made a swift decision, ¡°It was practically a giveaway¡ªtrust me, 20 yuan a bunch!¡± Selling early in the morning, there was no fear if they didn¡¯t sell out because the returning customers who¡¯ve already eaten at noon would definitely come back! Now, making money was crucial! Wu Lan instantly regretted, ¡°If I had known, I would have sampled just a few stalks of each!¡± ¡­ Early the next morning. It was indeed early. Song Tan was woken up at 5:30 a.m., and while Song Sancheng also planned to help carry the vegetables, he found that his daughter could carry a basket in each hand, and Qiaoqiao could hold another, so they quickly loaded seventy or eighty bundles of wild vegetables onto the vehicle. ¡°Do you really not need me to come along?¡± ¡°No need for that, Qiaoqiao is here, and Qiaoqiao can help, right?¡± Song Tan waved him off. Qiaoqiao next to her agreed enthusiastically, ¡°Yes! Qiaoqiao is enough!¡± Song Sancheng stood there aimlessly, his hand outstretched, suddenly feeling the bittersweetness of ¡°getting old.¡± He was brought back from his thoughts by Wu Lan¡¯s voice, ¡°There are a few dumplings left in the pot, you want them?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± He immediately discarded the fleeting sentimentality. ¡­ Uncle Wang, who drove the van, was a local acquaintance. While keeping an eye on the road, he asked curiously, ¡°Tantan, are you off to the city to sell these vegetables?¡± Song Tan nodded, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s cold now, so it¡¯s nice to eat something fresh. If we can¡¯t sell it all, we¡¯ll eat it ourselves, no trouble at all.¡± That made sense. Uncle Wang nodded, ¡°That¡¯s good, young people these days are hesitant to take on such hardships. Your parents are lucky!¡± After a bit of mutual business flattery, the van stopped by the well-known market in the old district. It wasn¡¯t even seven o¡¯clock yet. The market wasn¡¯t formally planned; it was just next to the river, with easy access from all sides, so everyone tacitly set up shop there, shouldering baskets and pushing carts to sell their goods. Song Tan didn¡¯t even have to pay any kind of stall fee. She laid out her baskets in front of her, set up two folding stools, and took out a stack of plastic bags. Everything was ready to go. ¡°I¡¯ll handle the selling, Sister!¡± Qiaoqiao couldn¡¯t wait. Song Tan quickly gave up the prime spot to him, ¡°Alright, Qiaoqiao will sell¡ªbut you know the price, right?¡± ¡°I do!¡± Qiaoqiao geared up, ¡°Twenty yuan a bunch, no haggling!¡± That was all he needed to know. Song Tan thought for a moment and put up the two QR codes she had printed out at the Village Department yesterday¡ªone was a payment code. The other: a QR code for a group called ¡°Fresh Wild Vegetables Update Notification,¡± inviting scanning to join, with advance notifications of fresh wild vegetables. She would bet her cultivation life that anyone who tasted her wild vegetables today would definitely come back for more. ¡­ The weather was good that day. Although the sun had not yet risen by seven o¡¯clock, there was a faint hint of dawn in the sky. The market bustled with housewives in fluffy fleece pajamas or old down jackets hurrying back and forth. The siblings sat neatly on their small stools, looking similar with bright black pupils and fair skin, both pretty and charming, presenting the friendliest of visages. And she¡¯s so young, too. Just look at this market, let alone the stall owners, there are hardly any young people selling vegetables. Customers buying groceries couldn¡¯t help but turn their gaze towards her. They took the opportunity to check out the baskets in front of them¡ªwow, what kind of weather is this? To have such fresh and tender wild vegetables already, and they¡¯re so neatly arranged! ¡°Miss, how much are you selling this shepherd¡¯s purse for?¡± During the New Year, vegetables are so expensive, and with the constant coming and going of guests, everyone¡¯s first thought upon seeing shepherd¡¯s purse is fresh and tender dumplings. As soon as this aunty asked, it was as if she started a trend, and slowly more people gathered around. ¡°I know, I know! Shepherd¡¯s purse, 20 yuan a bunch, one pound!¡± Qiaoqiao couldn¡¯t wait to answer. Sitting on a small stool, slightly tilting his head up to look at the aunty in front of him, he was both well-behaved and adorable, with his round, fuzzy little head, no older aunty could resist. Moreover¡­ When adults speak, their tone is different from that of a child¡¯s. The aunty who asked the question looked at him in surprise, as if she realized something. However, she saw Qiaoqiao still persistently staring at her, so she tentatively furrowed her brows: ¡°That¡¯s way too expensive, could you sell it for 10 yuan?¡± ¡°No can do,¡± Qiaoqiao shook his head as if it were a rattle, emphasizing again: ¡°Shepherd¡¯s purse dumplings, I had three bowls this morning!¡± He held up his hand, forming the shape of the number three with his fingers. Song Tan also laughed along: ¡°Right, aunty, I dug these up myself yesterday. They really are especially fresh and tender, and 20 yuan is honestly not expensive.¡± ¡°Moreover, each bunch weighs a pound, always more rather than less, you know how expensive greenhouse vegetables are now! Spring has arrived, why not enjoy some fresh wild vegetables to freshen up?¡± She pointed at the QR code next to her: ¡°If you aren¡¯t sure, scan the code to join the group. If it¡¯s not delicious, just message me on WeChat, and I¡¯ll refund you.¡± She spoke with extraordinary confidence, and the aunty in front of her made up her mind in an instant. But in the basket in front of her, there were so many choices! Which one should she buy? She was torn. However, as soon as the aunty hesitated, Qiaoqiao drooped his eyebrows and looked up at her with pitiful eyes: ¡°Aunty, don¡¯t you want to buy? Qiaoqiao dug them up!¡± The aunty¡¯s heart melted, and everyone present also realized the situation, promptly agreeing: ¡°I¡¯ll buy it!¡± ¡°But aunty doesn¡¯t know which one to choose, what should I do?¡± Qiaoqiao blinked innocently: ¡°Then just try a bit of each!¡± He also feels this kind of pain sometimes when buying snacks. ¡°Oh my!¡± The crowd around the stall laughed joyfully: ¡°You little one, still quite greedy, aren¡¯t you? These are 20 yuan each, that would be a hundred yuan for one go.¡± But Qiaoqiao was not convinced: ¡°Qiaoqiao has been eating them for two days straight.¡± ¡°Shepherd¡¯s purse for dumplings.¡± ¡°Wild chives to stew with crucian carp or stir-fry with eggs!¡± ¡°Ma¡­ Ma¡­¡± He forgot the name. Song Tan quickly patted his head: ¡°Qiaoqiao is so brilliant!¡± Then she swiftly showed everyone the vegetables: ¡°Malantou can be fried with meat or served cold, watercress is also tender, and purslane is great for cooling heat and detoxification¡­¡± ¡°Our wild vegetables, guaranteed you¡¯ll want them a second time after one taste.¡± As she flipped the vegetables for everyone to see, each piece was verdant and tender, without a hint of damage. And considering the expert buyers all around, who could tell with one touch that this girl hadn¡¯t shortchanged them¡ªafter all, 20 yuan a pound for freshly dug wild vegetables from the village wasn¡¯t really expensive. The more everyone looked, the more tempted they became, compared to the greenhouse vegetables they were holding¡ª ¡°Come on, give me two pounds of shepherd¡¯s purse, my son loves dumplings!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take two pounds as well¡ªplus a bunch of those wild chives, oh my, the real wild ones, so pungent! I haven¡¯t eaten them in over a decade!¡± ¡°I want some too! A bundle of the purslane for me, it¡¯s anti-inflammatory and diuretic¡­¡± ¡°Malantou is best for cooling down, I¡¯ll take that, two bunches¡ªand shepherd¡¯s purse for me too!¡± ¡°Watercress! Watercress is so tender, I want three bunches, to take one home for my daughter!¡± Chapter 20 - Chapter 20: Market Old Classmate_1 Chapter 20: Market Old Classmate_1 People have a herd mentality. When a group of experienced shoppers at the marketplace gather around a small stall to compete for goods, the crowd around it can only grow larger. Song Tan could only feel the QR code payment ringing nonstop, her hands constantly packaging vegetables. This one wanted wild onions, that one wanted shepherd¡¯s purse, and another wanted kalimeris¡­ Luckily, she possessed spiritual energy and had quick reflexes. Otherwise, her first time selling vegetables and facing such a scene would have certainly been chaotic. Qiaoqiao was happily pulling out plastic bags one by one, flapping them open, and handing them to her sister, thoroughly enjoying himself. He didn¡¯t understand the nuances of good or bad business, but he found tearing the bags open really fun! ¡°Qiaoqiao, shout one time, say that the shepherd¡¯s purse is sold out.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± He obediently put down the bags, stood up straight, cupped his hands around his mouth: ¡°Shepherd¡¯s purse¡ª¡ªis all sold out!¡± With that shout, those at the back who hadn¡¯t managed to buy it became even more reluctant: ¡°How can it be gone? I was waiting to make dumplings!¡± They still lined up at the front, hopeful¡ªno fish, then shrimp would do! And further back, customers who heard the news¡ª¡ªWhat? Someone was selling shepherd¡¯s purse? Where? It¡¯s already sold out? Wow, that shepherd¡¯s purse must be good! I must go have a look, memorize the stall for an early visit tomorrow! So, with the sun rising, more and more people gathered in front of the small stall, and at that moment, Qiaoqiao said dejectedly: ¡°Sister, there are no more bags.¡± The customers by now were hardly concerned about whether or not there were bags. ¡°No problem! I have bags, give me that bundle¡ª¡ªthe one next to it! I¡¯ve scanned the code already!¡± ¡°I have change¡ª¡ªhere, two bundles, forty yuan.¡± Qiaoqiao happily took the money, exclaiming loudly: ¡°I¡¯ve got it!¡± Ah, this silly boy, unintentionally endearing, making the aunties handle their vegetables even more tenderly. At this moment, Qiaoqiao shouted again: ¡°Wild onions¡ª¡ªalso all sold out!¡± Next came the kalimeris. Purslane¡­ By the end, when only three bunches of watercress were left, the space in front of the stall finally quieted down. Song Tan also took a sigh of relief, and turning to look at Qiaoqiao, she saw him staring at the children blowing bubbles up ahead, then turning an expectant gaze towards her. Song Tan smiled: ¡°Good boy, Qiaoqiao, you helped a lot today! Let¡¯s see, how much have we made?¡± Qiaoqiao hurriedly took out all the money from his pocket, a mix of notes and coins, totaling up to over eight hundred yuan. It seems there were still plenty of people at the marketplace carrying cash. ¡°Not bad at all!¡± Song Tan generously divided out twenty yuan for him: ¡°Take this, you can¡¯t wander off far, but you can buy anything you like around here.¡± She was more at ease with the spiritual energy watching over him. Otherwise, for a naive child like him wandering around, it would indeed be very dangerous. Being handed such a large sum of money, Qiaoqiao felt his heart pounding. He used to run errands for his family, but this was the first time he had been given so much money solely to buy snacks! In truth, he was not very good at arithmetic, and there weren¡¯t any children of his age in his village, so he lacked social interactions. But since Song Tan brought him out, she intended to let him practice, and now with the twenty yuan, he could spend it as he pleased. Back in his hometown, the village store had a pitiful selection of snacks, let alone toys. ¡°But if you run out of money, that¡¯s too bad, and you¡¯re not allowed to go far.¡± This riverside had vendors selling vegetables in the morning and people enjoying cool breezes in the evening, and naturally, there were also things being sold for children. Qiaoqiao¡¯s gaze shifted from the colorful pinwheels to the bubble machines, to the spicy strips the other children were eating¡­ He suddenly found himself unable to move. ¡­ And Song Tan checked her mobile payment¡ª76 bunches of vegetables, with just three bunches of watercress left. Cash $860, mobile payment $600 even. It looked like she hadn¡¯t been taken advantage of today, satisfied! Then she checked the QR code group from earlier¡ªregrettably, the aunties were good at picking vegetables but seemed unfamiliar and resistant to scanning the code to join the group, which now only had 15 members. But it was a good start, anyway! Song Tan adjusted the group settings and at the same time posted an announcement: ¡°Thank you for supporting the wild vegetables this morning, guaranteed refund if not tasty! Please rest assured. Also, there will be a notice in the group before selling each time, hope everyone doesn¡¯t miss out¡­¡± Before she posted it, she heard an incredulous voice beside her, ¡°Song Tan?¡± Song Tan lifted her head and saw a young woman holding a man¡¯s arm, looking at her in surprise. It took Song Tan a while to recall this person from her memory: ¡°Wa Qianqian?¡± Her high school classmate. ¡°Exactly!¡± Wa Qianqian looked over her outfit¡ªa worn down coat, sneakers, and long hair simply tied with a black elastic band, with a bare face. Although her skin was delicate and flawless, and her features became even more pleasing to the eye and prettier as one looked¡­ But what was the use of that? Look at what was in front of her: an empty basket with only some leftover vegetable leaves and dirt, plus three bunches of some green vegetable. Clearly leftovers from selling vegetables! A deep sense of disbelief and sympathy appeared in Wa Qianqian¡¯s eyes, ¡°I heard you were working in Ning City, how come you are now selling vegetables at the market?¡± Back in the day, Song Tan was delicate, pretty, and kind, and many boys in the class were nice to her. Wa Qianqian, on the other hand, had a fiery temper back then and looked down on girls like Song Tan. Latter on, she went to a vocational college, met her current boyfriend there¡ªthis man beside her. Now, he was visiting her home, and Wa Qianqian wanted to show off, which led her to bring him to take a tour of the vegetable market. She hadn¡¯t expected this ¡°surprise,¡± running into an old classmate. Song Tan smiled slightly, ¡°Yes, the pressure in the capital was too much, so I simply came back home to accompany my parents. Would you like to buy some wild vegetables? I just picked these watercress yesterday; they¡¯re very tasty when mixed up.¡± Her straightforwardness somewhat stumped Wa Qianqian, but her boyfriend seriously looked at the vegetables in the basket, ¡°Are these wild vegetables? How do you eat them? Are they good?¡± Before Song Tan could answer, Qiaoqiao happily returned with a multicolored pinwheel, and seeing someone interested in buying vegetables, he got even more excited: ¡°They¡¯re tasty! Super tasty! Qiaoqiao can eat three big bowls by himself!¡± Anyway, anything in his eyes was as delicious as shepherd¡¯s purse dumplings. His eyes were pure, and he smiled like a child, which made Wa Qianqian¡¯s look of pity even more evident: ¡°Oh right, you mentioned in school you have a younger brother who is a bit¡ª¡± Before she could finish, her boyfriend beside her coughed, prompting Wa Qianqian to quickly shut up and gave an embarrassed smile. Then she carefully picked up one of the watercress bundles tied with straw, examining it: ¡°It¡¯s not easy for you, I¡¯ve heard that there¡¯s often gender discrimination in the countryside¡­ ah, what I mean is, I¡¯ll take all of these vegetables.¡± However, Song Tan didn¡¯t mind. There are people with a condescending sense of pity everywhere, and they may just be looking for a sense of superiority, not necessarily having bad intentions. Plus, having cultivated for over a hundred years, she had long since become indifferent. So she treated Wa Qianqian¡¯s boyfriend just like any other customer: ¡°There¡¯s no need to buy three bunches, watercress is after all a wild vegetable, and if you haven¡¯t tried it before, you might not prepare it well.¡± ¡°If you want to try something new, one bunch is enough. When you get home, fry some Sichuan pepper in oil, and use chili sauce, soy sauce, salt, vinegar, and such, blanch it and mix it up¡­¡± Wa Qianqian¡¯s boyfriend listened intently, and even seemed a bit eager: ¡°Alright then, we¡¯ll take one bunch to try¡ªhow much is it?¡± Chapter 21 - Chapter 21: 21. Old customer_1 Chapter 21: 21. Old customer_1 ¡°Twenty.¡± Though indifferent, there was no particular fondness either. Song Tan had no intention of giving a discount. ¡°What?!¡± Wa Qianqian was unhappy ¡ª where had she ever seriously bought groceries before? Now that she heard the price, she felt like Song Tan was taking advantage of her knowing they were old classmates. ¡°It¡¯s just wild vegetables, there¡¯s no cost to it. Why should it be so expensive? Song Tan, we are old classmates, you can¡¯t rip people off like this.¡± No sooner had she said this than an auntie suddenly squeezed in from behind: ¡°Aiyo, are there any vegetables left ¡ª only three bundles? Then I¡¯ll take them all!¡± The auntie, with practiced ease, bagged all three bundles while awkwardly squinting to scan the QR code for the group, mumbling on and on: ¡°I was the first to buy, just wanted to try something fresh. I didn¡¯t expect that after making noodles at home, my granddaughter ate such a big bowl! You don¡¯t know how picky she is¡­ Now that I¡¯m in the group, young lady if you come tomorrow, just let me know in advance, okay?¡± After finishing her words, she dug out sixty yuan from her pocket and swiftly handed it to Qiaoqiao, her eyes brimming with affection: ¡°Dear child, auntie will come to you for vegetables next time!¡± The auntie, satisfied with her haul, strode off triumphantly. Wa Qianqian and her boyfriend stood awkwardly in place ¡ª they had not expected that, after being so picky and accusing a classmate of overcharging, someone else would not even haggle and just buy everything up. Are these wild vegetables really so rare and tasty? With this thought lingering in their minds, the more they thought about it, the more convinced they became that they must be delicious! After hesitating for a while, Wa Qianqian¡¯s boyfriend pulled out his phone and quietly scanned the group¡¯s QR code. ¡­ Song Tan checked her phone, feeling quite satisfied: Ah! Seventeen group members, and she had already secured a return customer in just one morning. Not bad! She took Qiaoqiao¡¯s pinwheel, gave it a ¡°whoosh¡± of breath, and the colorful pinwheel started spinning rapidly, with Qiaoqiao happily watching her: ¡°Sister, have you sold everything?¡± ¡°All sold out!¡± Song Tan also pointed at the basket, ¡°Qiaoqiao, pack up, sister will call a car to pick us up.¡± After a pause, she asked, ¡°Do we have any money left?¡± Qiaoqiao patted her pocket and flipped the rest of the change to her ¡ª with the sixty from the auntie, there was a total of seventy-five left. The pinwheel cost five, so it seemed that no extra money was charged. Song Tan simply handed back fifteen: ¡°Go on, buy whatever else you like. Qiaoqiao, you¡¯ve worked so hard these past days!¡± The siblings acted as if no one else was there, and by the time they looked back around, Wa Qianqian and her boyfriend had already disappeared. ¡­ The wild vegetables sold unexpectedly fast, and Uncle Wang was still surprised when he came to pick them up: ¡°Doing so well? Tantan, you must have sold them cheap, right?¡± Otherwise, with fresh and tender greenhouse vegetables available all over the market ¡ª clean and neatly arranged ¡ª there would be no way wild vegetables could sell so well if not for a good price. Those three baskets this morning were packed solid; that was no small amount! Song Tan smiled, ¡°Not bad, wild vegetables are still scarce now, everyone wants to try something fresh.¡± That was true. Not until the season for wild vegetables really started, around Qingming Festival, would they hit the market. The siblings returned home, and it wasn¡¯t even ten o¡¯clock in the morning. Song Tan settled that day¡¯s car hire fee and watched the car drive away. As soon as she got home, she suggested to her dad: ¡°Dad, why don¡¯t you find time to get a driving license?¡± She showed the money to Wu Lan: ¡°We can still sell wild vegetables for a while, but hiring a car for one day costs two hundred. When we really start growing vegetables in our fields, can we afford a car hire every day?¡± That would be six thousand yuan a month, but buying a Wuling van would only cost a few tens of thousands of yuan. It would be even cheaper with installments. ¡°` After all the calculations, it is really cost-effective! However, Song Sancheng felt he was getting on in years, ¡°I won¡¯t learn, I won¡¯t learn. When Uncle Zhou went to learn the year before last, he couldn¡¯t remember Subject One¡¯s questions to save his life. I¡¯m already over fifty, why should I bother learning that!¡± ¡°Besides, don¡¯t you have a driver¡¯s license? You can just drive.¡± He was frightened before the battle had even begun. Song Tan didn¡¯t pressure him, ¡°Then Mom, you go learn. I think you are more dependable than Dad, and more suited to driving.¡± Wu Lan hesitated only for a moment before agreeing immediately, ¡°That¡¯s just the way your dad is. If I am to learn, then I will learn. I picked up riding a motorcycle very quickly back then! Tantan, you¡¯re so smart now because you take after me!¡± Song Sancheng: ¡­ He¡­ he wasn¡¯t completely against learning¡­ Why not persuade him a little more? But Song Tan encouraged Wu Lan, ¡°Mom, you can definitely do it¡ªwe sell vegetables every day, they are so tasty and expensive, if Uncle Wang asks for the price, it¡¯s awkward whether I tell him or not. It¡¯s more convenient to have our own car.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Wu Lan was also thinking: If everyone knew that wild vegetables could make money and they all swarmed there, it would be hard to get a good price later on. And strangely enough, when she strolled around the village that morning, everywhere was barren. Only behind their house and by the pond was there a lush green. Aiyo! This is an opportunity given by the heavens! Moreover, the wild vegetables on their land this year were indeed delicious. If the villagers wanted to pick and sell them secretly, being neighbors, how would it be determined clearly in the fields who could eat the wild vegetables and who couldn¡¯t? But twenty yuan a jin, if you eat it yourself, how extravagant! Looking at the 1,500 yuan her daughter brought home today, the main cost was just the two hundred yuan for transportation¡­ She steeled her heart, ¡°Go check the wild vegetables tomorrow, and if they¡¯re still tasty, sell them the day after tomorrow. After selling, don¡¯t rush back, go buy a car.¡± ¡°I heard that vans aren¡¯t expensive now, right?¡± Spiritual Energy isn¡¯t depleted in just one eating, more of it is hidden in the roots! The taste of the wild vegetables is beyond doubt in the short term. As for buying a car¡­ Song Tan stretched out her hand, ¡°Give me the card, and bring the documents. I¡¯ll go to the city with my dad this afternoon to have a look. And by the way, I just got a message that my ID is ready; I¡¯ll pick it up from the town hall this afternoon.¡± Then looking at Song Sancheng, ¡°Dad, don¡¯t you know a lot of people? I remember one uncle who specializes in second-hand cars, let¡¯s go buy a Wuling.¡± In the countryside, besides other vehicles, Little Pika and small vans are the most practical. Delivering vegetables, after all, is there any need for off-roading? You can pick one for just thirty thousand! Now, Wu Lan, as decisive as she was, shuddered inwardly, ¡°You just earned one thousand five, and now you want to spend thirty thousand?¡± ¡°Waiting another day is a cost of two hundred yuan, Mom!¡± Song Tan was also earnest. In the end, the two hundred yuan won over Wu Lan by a slim margin. She went back to her room and resolutely stuffed the card into Song Tan¡¯s hand: ¡°Take it, take it all!¡± ¡°There¡¯s sixty thousand in there, spend it however you like. I don¡¯t want your earnings, and don¡¯t come to me if you run out.¡± Previously she had refused because she thought it was unreliable. Now, well, it may still be unreliable, but it seemed like they were really considering how to make money. Looking at Qiaoqiao, holding a pinwheel in one hand and a bubble machine in the other, twirling around in the yard, having completely forgotten about Peppa. What else were she and her husband working hard for half their lives for, if not their two children? Thinking this way, Wu Lan felt less worried. Song Tan: ¡­ Could such good things happen?! She eagerly took the card and said in a hurry, ¡°Dad, hurry up, make a call and ask around!¡± ¡°` Chapter 22 - Chapter 22: 22. Buy a little more tomorrow. Chapter 22: 22. Buy a little more tomorrow. Men¡¯s attachment to cars is truly indescribable. After finishing the phone call, Song Sancheng was still rambling on about how driving by himself was not safe, the mountain roads were treacherous, and how one could easily be scammed when buying a second-hand car¡­ But, once he arrived at the location, his friend took him to see the rows of vehicles in the factory, and he instantly tossed his own words to the back of his mind. Now he was caught in a dilemma between choosing a van or a pickup truck. ¡°Tantan, a van isn¡¯t afraid of wind and rain, it¡¯s just that the capacity is a bit small. Maybe¡­¡± ¡°Pickup trucks can carry a lot.¡± ¡°But what if the weather is bad, it¡¯s inconvenient to put things in the back!¡± ¡°Pickup trucks can carry a lot.¡± ¡°The van can seat several people; you can¡¯t buy a car just for selling vegetables¡­¡± ¡°Pickup trucks can carry a lot.¡± Her dad was really¡­ easily persuaded and thrown into confusion by a few words. If she wasn¡¯t buying the car for selling vegetables, what was she buying it for? Was the air in the city not polluted enough for her? Plus, she planned to plant quite a variety in the several pieces of farmland she had. Without finding something that could carry a lot, how much effort would that cost her? 23,500 yuan for a second-hand pickup truck, complete with license plates and all ¨C one-stop service. Although Song Tan didn¡¯t know much about cars, she took a good look at the person selling the vehicle, who didn¡¯t seem dishonest. Song Sancheng rambled on all the way, and suddenly exclaimed from the passenger seat, ¡°Ah, this is a manual transmission, isn¡¯t it? Can your mom manage it alone? I¡¯ll have to be the one to drive¡ªI¡¯ll go inquire about a driving license in town later.¡± Song Tan suppressed her laughter: ¡°Mhm, the two of you together, it¡¯ll be good company.¡± Song Sancheng didn¡¯t notice her tone, and was already eyeing the dashboard. ¡­ They returned to town to get an ID card and bought a few plastic vegetable baskets ¨C wicker baskets were not very regular and took up lots of space as they couldn¡¯t be stacked when filled with vegetables. The car just happened to be parked outside the courtyard. Their location was a bit remote, with distant neighbors, so for the moment there was no one to come over and have a look. However, Wu Lan, though feeling the pinch of the money spent, couldn¡¯t help feeling a sense of pride well up inside when seeing the thoroughly cleaned car (even if it was just a second-hand Little Pika). If it wasn¡¯t for the need to keep a low profile with the wild vegetable selling, she¡¯d probably have been out visiting neighbors by now. ¡°This vehicle is not bad, it can carry a lot. It¡¯s convenient for hauling large items too¡ªTantan, I checked on the wild vegetables, and I don¡¯t know why, but they¡¯re growing really well this year. We can continue selling them tomorrow.¡± ¡°How about we go pick some more this afternoon?¡± Clearly, she was already hooked by the money. Song Tan shook her head: ¡°Mom, there¡¯s no hurry. Most of the people who bought vegetables yesterday joined the group. We should give them some time to miss and crave for it, shouldn¡¯t we?¡± Without showing how tasty the wild vegetables were, how could she build a reputation? Right now, selling wild vegetables for twenty was not considered a high price, but after a while, when other spring vegetables and wild greens hit the market, this price would no longer be appropriate. If price was lowered, Song Tan herself would be the first to be displeased. So¡­ Let everyone crave for it first! Moreover, ¡°Mom, let¡¯s have wild vegetables again tonight.¡± Right now, the only vegetables without impurities were the wild ones. She would like to promote the growth of other vegetables, but explaining that would take too long! Wu Lan immediately refused: ¡°That won¡¯t do, they¡¯re twenty yuan a pound. If we eat several pounds in one meal, over a hundred yuan will be gone just like that.¡± Song Tan: ¡­I knew it. Without hesitation, she grabbed the basket: ¡°Qiaoqiao, time to pick vegetables.¡± Why would she bother exerting so much Spiritual Energy if not to ensure she could enjoy a good bite herself? She hadn¡¯t refined her own abilities enough yet. Wu Lan: ¡­ Spendthrift child! ¡­ In the end, they still ate those wild vegetables for dinner. Once Wu Lan tasted the vegetables, she stopped talking about wasting money and instead murmured, ¡°I should send some to your grandma and your uncle for them to try.¡± Song Tan hadn¡¯t forgotten about that, it¡¯s just¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s wait a while, Mom. There aren¡¯t many wild vegetables sprouting up right now; it would be too conspicuous if we sent some over.¡± The spiritual energy accelerated their growth, but she couldn¡¯t overdo it. Currently, the yield every two days was only around a hundred or so pounds, which was already quite plentiful for wild vegetables. Sending them now, with their delicious taste, wouldn¡¯t they have to be sent every day? What if they thought it was just some wild plants and decided to come and dig for themselves¡­ That would be inconvenient. When cultivating spiritual energy, one must understand human emotions and desires, something Song Tan was clear about. ¡°Let¡¯s wait another half month. The weather will be warmer then, and there will be more wild vegetables. At that time, we¡¯ll stop selling them and just eat them ourselves. We¡¯ll also give plenty to Grandpa and Grandma.¡± Half a month later, the milk vetch would have grown enough and tender enough to sell. Not bad for me! Song Tan felt that her business acumen was indeed very astute. ¡­ Meanwhile. In the city, Waterfront Residential Area. Zhao Yang came home from work with his pregnant wife. His mother had already prepared dinner, and seeing her daughter-in-law return to the bedroom, she looked worried, ¡°Qinqin still can¡¯t eat?¡± His wife had been pregnant for three months and was vomiting everything she ate. Just the smell of cooking oil would make her nauseous, and recently she had been very weak. It was worrying the whole family to death. Mother Zhao thought for a moment: ¡°Why don¡¯t you try giving Qinqin a taste first? I bought these wild vegetables early this morning. There was a young girl with her silly brother, who said they just dug them up from their village.¡± She rambled on, and actually felt a bit of regret: ¡°They were quite expensive though. A pound of lettuce is only fifteen yuan. At the time, so many people were scrambling for it, and I got excited too¡ªactually, twenty yuan for a bunch, and I didn¡¯t even manage to get any shepherd¡¯s purse! You know, shepherd¡¯s purse is so delicious in dumplings!¡± ¡°Look, all I got was this bunch of dandelion leaves, which are gone after blanching a bit.¡± ¡°But these dandelion leaves are quite good too, cooling and detoxifying.¡± She switched topics so fast that it was hard to tell if she was complaining about the expensive price or the fact that she didn¡¯t manage to get shepherd¡¯s purse. Zhao Yang also couldn¡¯t help but swallow¡ªshepherd¡¯s purse dumplings? Maybe he should order takeout at work tomorrow, the dumpling restaurant should have them. But then again, since these were freshly dug wild vegetables, they might taste better than greenhouse vegetables, right? Still, considering his wife¡¯s recent eating problems, he decided to be cautious. He only took a bowl and picked up a bit with chopsticks to bring to the bedroom: ¡°Qinqin, try a bit of this wild vegetable. My mom said it¡¯s called dandelion leaves, mixed with some small green chili¡­ cold and spicy.¡± Just hearing about eating made Qinqin¡¯s stomach churn again. She was about to refuse, but her husband had already brought the vegetable to her mouth. The chopsticks held only two green leaves. After considering, she opened her mouth, chewed slowly and carefully, fearing what would come afterward. However, once the wild vegetable entered her mouth¡ªit was fresh, crisp, spicy, and refreshing¡­ a mix of flavors so wonderful that it couldn¡¯t be described! Her stomach growled loudly, feeling starved crazy! Zhao Yang was watching her nervously, ¡°How is it?¡± Qinqin slowly swallowed the two leaves in her mouth, feeling her stomach as a bottomless pit, frantically clamoring for more. She suddenly stood up: ¡°Get me a bowl of rice, I want to eat this vegetable!¡± She was already impatiently out of the bedroom and at the dining table before the rice was served, gobbling down half the vegetables. Mother Zhao was overjoyed: ¡°Oh my! Oh my! If I had known, I would have bought more varieties!¡± As she spoke, she regretted again¡ªthat twenty yuan wasn¡¯t expensive! Early spring, vegetables are just this price, isn¡¯t this way more flavorsome than those greenhouse vegetables? Chapter 23 - Chapter 23: 23. The shepherds purse is a bit old_1 Chapter 23: 23. The shepherd¡¯s purse is a bit old_1 By the time Zhao Yang brought the rice to the table, the dish was almost empty. Qinqin finally caught her breath after which, feeling slightly embarrassed that she and her son hadn¡¯t started eating yet, picked up two chopsticks-full of vegetables: ¡°Mom, Zhao Yang, try this, the vegetables are really good!¡± The mother and son both laughed and took a bite¡ª Wow!!! Zhao Yang looked at the almost empty plate and then at his wife who clearly wanted more, at that moment she looked at him with anticipation, ¡°Buy more tomorrow, okay?¡± ¡­ The same scene unfolded in another neighborhood. Li Xiufen, with her fashionably dyed red curly hair, ladled a big bowl of dumplings for her granddaughter, ¡°Yuanyuan, eat up! These shepherd¡¯s purse dumplings are really fresh! Just as delicious as the ones from this morning.¡± The daughter-in-law couldn¡¯t help but laugh and cry at the sight: ¡°Mom, I told you, Yuanyuan is picky, she can¡¯t finish so many.¡± While speaking, she pushed her own bowl forward, ¡°Come on, Yuanyuan, give some to Mom if you can¡¯t finish.¡± Unexpectedly, the little girl turned her head with the bowl, and ¡°Ahwu¡± down went a whole dumpling, as she mumbled, ¡°Yummy! I can eat it all!¡± Yuanyuan¡¯s mom was stunned. ¡°Is it that delicious?¡± This picky eater had always had a weak stomach, refusing this, wanting to throw up that; even in kindergarten, she looked less robust than the nursery kids, which was really worrying. Now her special small bowl had over a dozen dumplings in it! Looking at her child gobble down dumpling after dumpling without even lifting her head, you couldn¡¯t say it wasn¡¯t fragrant! As a grandmother, she finally felt a sense of accomplishment. At that moment, she began to instruct imperiously, ¡°You see, you pamper her too much usually. This imported, that organic¡­ all this fuss, and look how thin the child is?¡± ¡°Take another look. This morning at the market, wild vegetables were twenty yuan a pound. I made shepherd¡¯s purse soup for Yuanyuan¡¯s noodles this morning, and she ate a big bowl of it in one go, didn¡¯t even want to leave for kindergarten.¡± She even told me at the kindergarten door, ¡°Grandma, make more delicious food like this tonight, okay?¡± Aiyo wei! At that moment, Li Xiufen¡¯s heart melted. So off she rushed to the market, and thank heavens, she managed to grab the last three bunches of watercress. The three bunches of vegetables were now in the fridge for later, while the shepherd¡¯s purse snatched that morning was quickly turned into dumplings. Talking about her victory, Li Xiufen was quite proud: ¡°You don¡¯t know, I was just in time. A young couple was picking vegetables ahead of me, complaining about twenty yuan a pound being expensive¡ª¡± Li Xiufen let out a disdainful snort, ¡°Not to brag, but do you young people even know what vegetables to buy? These fresh and tender wild vegetables were clearly grown in the wild!¡± ¡°Besides, this time of year, the supermarket has everything, cucumbers are sixteen yuan a pound, but do they taste any good?¡± ¡°I was lucky to get some.¡± But as she spoke, no one chimed in. She looked down to see her son and daughter-in-law already holding their bowls, with the dumplings nearly all eaten. Her son was even blushing slightly, ¡°Mom, are there any left?¡± Li Xiufen recalled the silly and endearing grandchild that morning and became even more irritated: how come all the boys in her family grew up so well! She replied grumpily, ¡°It was just a pound of shepherd¡¯s purse, how many dumplings can that make?¡± ¡°Then, then buy a few more pounds tomorrow!¡± her son begged, his craving apparent. A small bowl of dumplings was far from filling his stomach. Weren¡¯t there other vegetables in the fridge¡­ Li Xiufen grew even more annoyed! ¡°Eat, eat, eat; that¡¯s all you know! You say buy more as if it¡¯s so easy? Just buying a few pounds would cost over a hundred, how are you not heartbroken over the money?¡± Her son looked wronged. Weren¡¯t you the one who just said twenty yuan a pound wasn¡¯t expensive, Mom? Just then, Yuanyuan put down her bowl, ¡°Grandma, I want to eat this again tomorrow!¡± Li Xiufen¡¯s face instantly changed to one of joy and openness, ¡°Tomorrow morning let¡¯s cook noodles, we¡¯re out of dumplings¡ª¡ªbut Grandma joined the group today, and I¡¯ll ask her in a while if they¡¯re still selling tomorrow, next time we¡¯ll buy ten pounds, make dumplings and freeze them up!¡± The son and daughter-in-law exchanged glances, feeling as if they no longer had any status within the family. ¡­ Song Tan¡¯s customer group of 17 people was unusually lively tonight. [Girl, when are you selling wild vegetables again?] [Boss, can I make a reservation? I want ten pounds of shepherd¡¯s purse.] [Young lady, I have to go dancing in the park in the morning recently, can I give you the money now and have you save the vegetables for me?] Song Tan, in high spirits, simply replied: [The weather is cold now, and the wild vegetables haven¡¯t grown yet. What we have is a part that grows in the hollows of the mountain, without pesticides or fertilizers, so there isn¡¯t much wild vegetation. Therefore, there won¡¯t be any for sale tomorrow, nor will we accept reservations to hold vegetables. We tentatively plan to be at the market at seven o¡¯clock the day after tomorrow. It¡¯ll still be just the two of us siblings selling. The next sale will be three days later; we have to give the wild vegetables a chance to grow.] She then posted a little video taken while picking wild vegetables that day: The greenery on the mountain was sparse, spring had not yet arrived, but there was a patch of lush wild greens on the hillside, growing unrestrained and exuberant. Unexpected clumps of green appeared around field ridges, cracks, and pond edges, enough to prove that these were indeed naturally grown wild vegetables. Just then, someone in the group spoke up: ¡°Young lady, the wild vegetables from that plot have no cost, why do you sell them so expensively? They should be cheaper. And it¡¯s not enough, it¡¯s only eight ounces to a bunch, and the taste is just so-so.¡± Song Tan¡¯s eyebrows raised¡ªnot enough weight? When binding, they were two ounces per pound per bunch, and with the weather like this, there was no evaporation of water content. The vegetable leaves were crisp and briskly fresh, not to mention how tender they were. This morning she randomly picked and weighed a few bunches, and the weight hardly changed. As for a mediocre taste? Didn¡¯t she know the taste of her own harvest? This was underestimating her century-old experience in farming. And in a group of just over a dozen people, someone was picking faults? Song Tan wasn¡¯t going to pamper them. So she replied politely, ¡°Hello, the weight was off and it didn¡¯t taste good, right? The morning after next, please come over and I will give you a refund.¡± The boss is so easy to talk to? After a while, someone in the group tentatively said, ¡°Actually, that shepherd¡¯s purse I got is a bit old¡­¡± What month was it? The shepherd¡¯s purse hadn¡¯t even grown big, how could it be old? But if there was a deal to be had, why not take it? Song Tan also replied uniformly, ¡°That¡¯s fine, as long as you think the taste is not good, I will give everyone a refund the morning after next.¡± If the taste is not good, then maybe it¡¯s better not to eat it in the future. She was selling vegetables, she was selling Spiritual Energy, she cared about making money but also about being happy, there¡¯s no need to deal with these kinds of people. With a century of experience, Song Tan rarely got angry¡ªbecause she usually resolved matters before she had the chance to get upset. However, while some were trying to take advantage, others were speaking frankly: [Do you find it amusing to say such things? You can tell whether the vegetables are old or not, can¡¯t you?] [Exactly, boss, don¡¯t indulge them. If it¡¯s that hard to eat, let¡¯s see them take the vegetables back for a refund!] [Girl, your wild vegetables are very good! They¡¯re also clean. I went through them yesterday and hardly found a few old leaves; they¡¯re not those fake ones¡­] [That¡¯s right, if they don¡¯t want them, leave them for me!] Although Song Tan wanted to make money, she preferred a comfortable life. So she edited the group announcement: [1. Pure ecological, pollution-free wild vegetables, not sorted by variety, uniformly 20 yuan per pound. Each bundle is sorted at two ounces per pound, and customers are welcome to weigh them at home, with excess refunded and shortages supplemented. 2. If the wild vegetables are not fresh, or are old, please bring the uneaten (cooked or raw both are fine) vegetables from our farm to the market, I will provide a full refund. 3. Farm¡¯s own product, limited production, each sale will be notified in advance through the group, thank you for your support.] Chapter 24 - Chapter 24: 24. Refund_1 Chapter 24: 24. Refund_1 With the car bought and the wild vegetables growing like crazy, almost as they were trying to sprout inside Wu Lan¡¯s heart, she was dying to go to the market to sell them every single day. But Song Tan wouldn¡¯t have it. She was the only one in the family with a driver¡¯s license, so that by the third day, Wu Lan had no choice but to cram a whopping 170 pounds of vegetables in the back of the car! Even Song Tan fell silent at the sight. ¡°Mom, after we sell this batch, let¡¯s give the wild veggies a couple of days off, okay?¡± The vegetables were being coaxed to grow non-stop, not even allowed a chance to rest. Thinking about the soil that was nearly scraped clean, Wu Lan coughed dryly, ¡°Gas is expensive, you know¡­ each trip has to at least break even.¡± After a pause, she added another reminder, ¡°I¡¯m taking someone to your grandpa¡¯s today at noon to check on the mushroom spawn. Your dad is getting someone to go up the mountain to cast nets. If you guys come back for lunch, go straight to your granddad¡¯s house to eat.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Song Tan started the car. ¡°Qiaoqiao, let¡¯s go!¡± Qiaoqiao, thrilled, settled into the passenger seat. Following Song Tan¡¯s instructions, he buckled up his seatbelt and looked around, ¡°Sis, is this our car?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Song Tan coaxed him as she drove, ¡°Pretty impressive, huh? Qiaoqiao¡¯s been good and sensible these past few days, so your sister specially took you for a ride!¡± Maybe it was the instinct from her days as a working stiff, but now speaking off the cuff, she actually dangled a big promise in front of her six-year-old-at-heart brother: ¡°Hang in there, Qiaoqiao, and once your sister makes some money, she¡¯ll buy you a learning machine so you can watch Peppa wherever you go.¡± After she finished, listening to Qiaoqiao¡¯s cheers in the car, Song Tan fell silent first. Hmm, turns out she was the capitalist after all. ¡­ Song Tan arrived at the vegetable market again. Fearing a parking ticket, she parked the car a bit farther away. Seriously, Cultivators have no sense of prestige¡­ And then, without moving from the spot, she set up her stall right under the car to start selling. At this moment, the aunties who had been wandering around the market for the past half-hour were too eager to wait any longer. No one expected these wild veggies to taste so good! Last time, on Song Tan¡¯s first visit, and with the price set at 20, the most anyone bought was about four to five pounds per person. Those who bought less only took a handful each. But who knew they¡¯d be so delicious. A plate of wild greens would be gone in just a few bites, and any other veggies left over¡­ Everyone shared a saying from a rather anachronistic poem: ¡°The vast ocean doesn¡¯t make for good water anymore, once you¡¯ve seen the clouds over Wushan mountain.¡± That¡¯s just what it felt like! Having tasted these fresh and tender wild vegetables, eating anything else felt like chewing on grass. It was not just hard to swallow but made them long for more. Song Tan hadn¡¯t come the entire day yesterday, leaving everyone heartbroken with anticipation. This morning, even the most calculating auntie had three to five hundred yuan in her pocket. So in a secluded corner of the vegetable market, a group of aunties didn¡¯t even wait for Song Tan to notify them on the group chat before they accurately spotted them! And sure enough, you wouldn¡¯t find a more eye-catching sister and brother duo in the entire market! How noticeable! The crowd surged forward. This time, nobody even bothered to pick and choose. ¡°Shepherd¡¯s purse! Give me five pounds of shepherd¡¯s purse!¡± ¡°Wild chives, I want three bunches of wild chives, I¡¯m going to make wild chive and pork buns when I go back!¡± ¡°Water spinach! Oh my, it makes a soup so rich and smooth!¡± ¡°Chickweed¡ª¡± ¡°Give me two handfuls of purslane! Add two more for the buns I¡¯ll make!¡± It was like some major clearance sale frenzy, with everyone agitated and shoving money forward as fast as they could. Qiaoqiao was so busy he almost cried out, ¡°Slow down! Slow! Qiaoqiao can¡¯t calculate anymore!¡± He couldn¡¯t do math to begin with, but Song Tan would tell him how much to collect, and he could recognize that, just a bit slowly. Now, with his voice quivering with the threat of tears, something funny happened¡ªthe buying army instantly calmed down. The stylish red-haired auntie at the head of the line looked at him fondly, ¡°Alright, sweetie, no rush, let¡¯s line up!¡± Having said that, he quickly took the opportunity to stand first in line. Soon, a small queue had formed. Since there was no need to weigh the produce, the process was highly efficient, and each auntie packed her bag to the brim, fearing they wouldn¡¯t get another chance. Song Tan looked at the two remaining baskets of vegetables in the back of the cart and thought that today¡¯s selling speed might even surpass that of the day before! Buying vegetables at the market and seeing people queue up to grab them? People nearby slowly gathered around, and seeing the aunties jovially parting with hundreds of yuan without a second thought, they couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°Are they using shills to sell vegetables now?¡± The auntie ahead of her turned back to see a youngster and immediately snorted arrogantly, looking down her nose and sideways at the eyes: ¡°Oh my, young people can¡¯t cook these days, that¡¯s for sure, but now they can¡¯t even pick out vegetables.¡± When it was her turn, she said in a loud voice, ¡°Give me the remaining four catties of shepherd¡¯s purse! I¡¯ll take three catties of purslane¡­ and three catties of watercress too!¡± Then she smiled and asked, ¡°Miss, when will you come again next time?¡± Song Tan was helpless¡ªcouldn¡¯t the spiritual energy cultivation be a little less exaggerated? ¡°In three days, I¡¯ll notify the group.¡± The youngster behind was even more astonished¡ªselling vegetables in the market with group notifications now? The auntie in front left with her bags full. Song Tan turned to the young new customer and asked with a friendly smile, ¡°What would you like?¡± The young man craned his neck to look¡ªnot recognizing a single one. After thinking it over, he said, ¡°Just¡­ that one that looks like a leek.¡± Qiaoqiao burst into laughter, ¡°Brother, this is called wild leek, you can make buns, stew fish, or fry it with eggs, it¡¯s delicious!¡± The young man felt a bit embarrassed, but then he looked into Qiaoqiao¡¯s bright, innocent eyes and his heart softened instantly¡ª [Although it¡¯s embarrassing to be laughed at¡­ he called me brother!] So he immediately stopped being annoyed and instead asked, ¡°Then how do you make buns with it?¡± This time, it was Qiaoqiao who was stuck for an answer. He said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Qiaoqiao doesn¡¯t know how, Qiaoqiao only knows how to eat.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you join the group then? My sister said you¡¯d find out if you joined the group, there are many who know how to cook.¡± Since the brother said it! The young man decisively scanned the QR code, and on seeing the group members¡ª [Boundless Skies] [Orchid Heart, Gentle Virtue] [Cha Yun] [Happiness is All]¡­ Yeah, the age range was pretty clear. Just at that moment, a slightly shrill voice came from behind: ¡°Miss, the wild greens I bought from you the day before yesterday were old and bitter, not tasty at all. Didn¡¯t you say you would refund me?¡± ¡°But you said I had to bring the vegetables back, so what can I do? By the time you mentioned it in the group, my family had already eaten them all, we can¡¯t waste food right?¡± ¡°You see, either give me two more bunches of greens or a refund.¡± The young man was taken aback and looked at the wild leek in his hand¡ªfresh and dewy, with a strong flavor, it didn¡¯t look old at all. The girl selling the greens had a clear and fair face, pure and flawless, with a smile that was both amiable and sweet: ¡°Is that so? Auntie, what¡¯s your group nickname? I remember you bought a bunch of Malan head, right? Twenty yuan.¡± The auntie¡¯s eyebrows immediately lifted with smugness, ¡°You have a good memory, girl¡­ what¡¯s a group nickname? I am this¡ªhey hey hey! Why did you move me out of the group?!¡± ¡°I was going to buy a few more catties of shepherd¡¯s purse!¡± The young man beside couldn¡¯t help but let out a snicker¡ªwhat do you mean moved away? Clearly, she was kicked out. Besides, if it really tasted bad, would you come back for more? Chapter 25 - Chapter 25: 25. Old Classmate Comes Again_1 Chapter 25: 25. Old Classmate Comes Again_1 Song Tan, however, smiled serenely: ¡°Auntie, here¡¯s twenty yuan, please take it¡ª I¡¯m well aware of the quality of my vegetables. Since you don¡¯t like them, why waste more money, right? There are so many people waiting to buy; let¡¯s leave the shepherd¡¯s purse for them.¡± The auntie was momentarily stuck for words and then didn¡¯t accept the money: ¡°You¡¯re really hotheaded, young lady. Can¡¯t people discuss the flaws when doing business? It¡¯s just twenty yuan, no big deal. I don¡¯t want it; you sell me that shepherd¡¯s purse.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do.¡± Song Tan smiled as pleasantly as her refusal was firm: ¡°As you¡¯ve seen, we don¡¯t even have enough vegetables to sell. If you¡¯re going to return home and dislike it, why bother?¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± The auntie behind immediately chimed in: ¡°I¡¯ll take the shepherd¡¯s purse!¡± Pinching pennies only to count major losses, that shepherd¡¯s purse was just laying in the basket, with barely five pounds left. Here you are nitpicking and still asking to buy veggies, and later you come back trying to get a refund by playing dumb¡­ An idiot wouldn¡¯t make that deal! With the taste of these wild vegetables, who would worry about selling them? Taking advantage of the other¡¯s wide-eyed silence, Song Tan had deftly stuffed the twenty yuan into her hand: ¡°Auntie, there are other vegetables in the market. Please go pick some more, I¡¯m busy here.¡± That tone, as if she were brushing something off. The woman hadn¡¯t had a chance to retort when she was pushed aside by the eager customers squeezing up from behind. Meanwhile, a couple was stealthily looking over from not far away. The girl was scowling: ¡°What do you mean? You think my classmate is pretty, don¡¯t you? Going on about buying vegetables¡ªyou¡¯re just making excuses!¡± The speaker was Song Tan¡¯s classmate, Wa Qianqian. Her boyfriend had quietly joined the group the other day and discovered that this small group of only a dozen people was extremely lively! Everyone was praising the amazing taste of the wild vegetables, making it sound just like a heavenly feast. Thinking back to the Swiss chard that brushed past him that day, the more the young man craved it, the more he dreamed of that wild vegetable¡¯s taste! And here he was, having rushed over with his girlfriend early in the morning after seeing the group¡¯s messages. But he hadn¡¯t expected there to be such a long line. And seeing Wa Qianqian looking like that, he became hesitant and didn¡¯t dare to queue up. He could only coax her with sweet words: ¡°Qianqian, look at how many people are in line, the vegetables must be good! I¡¯ve been coming here for several days, and today I wanted to make a dish for our parents to showcase it¡ªafter all, she¡¯s your classmate. And what we said yesterday was also not very proper. How about I wait here for you, and you go buy them?¡± At these words, Wa Qianqian¡¯s anger turned into joy; nothing was more delightful than having her boyfriend value her own. She thought about it and then demurely nodded: ¡°Okay! Then I¡¯ll go and queue up to have a look.¡± Putting on airs, she glanced at this stall and then at the green vegetables over there before leisurely joining the line. However, by the time it was her turn, the basket was empty except for a small bunch of heartleaf that Song Tan was packing into a plastic bag. She grew anxious: ¡°Hey, hey, hey! Why is there none left? Song Tan, where are your vegetables?¡± Before Song Tan could speak, Qiaoqiao piped up: ¡°Sister, you¡¯re late, there are no veggies left!¡± Then, as if she had done it many times before, she pushed forward the QR code scanner: ¡°Join the group, sister? I¡¯ll let you know the next time we sell.¡± Wa Qianqian was so annoyed! She ignored Qiaoqiao, instead focusing on the bunch of vegetables in Song Tan¡¯s hand: ¡°Song Tan, don¡¯t you still have a bunch there? Old classmate comes to support your business, how can you not sell?¡± Song Tan didn¡¯t even look up: ¡°This is to be given away.¡± With her boyfriend still looking over from the distance, Wa Qianqian felt even more embarrassed: ¡°Aren¡¯t wild vegetables everywhere? You can always give them away. To be honest, I wouldn¡¯t have come here today if it weren¡¯t for my boyfriend wanting to try the wild vegetables¡¯ taste.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t haggle with you; just sell me that bunch of vegetables.¡± Song Tan wasn¡¯t particularly concerned with someone¡¯s ulterior motives, but she wasn¡¯t about to compromise herself either: ¡°That won¡¯t do; if wild vegetables are everywhere, go forage for them yourself¡ªyou¡¯ll even save twenty yuan.¡± Turning, she firmly reached for the basket: ¡°Qiaoqiao, let¡¯s go.¡± Leaving Wa Qianqian standing there in a daze, watching as Song Tan¡¯s foolish younger brother loaded the basket into Little Pika, which then started up and drove away. It wasn¡¯t until then that her boyfriend anxiously walked up to her: ¡°Oh no! Couldn¡¯t get it again! I saw in the group chat that the next batch won¡¯t be until three days later¡­¡± Wa Qianqian already felt humiliated, and upon hearing this, she exploded: ¡°Buy, buy, buy! Buy my ass! What¡¯s wrong with the vegetables at the market that we have to go for wild vegetables? Country bumpkin!¡± Her boyfriend¡¯s face changed instantly. ¡­ Meanwhile, Song Tan drove the Little Pika to the Wind Speed Express Station. ¡°Please pack this up, send it as chilled express delivery, First People¡¯s Hospital of Ning Province, Zhang Yuan¡ªhere¡¯s the phone number.¡± The courier took the bunch of milk vetch out of the plastic bag: ¡°Chilled delivery, huh? That¡¯s gonna cost more! Just for this bunch of greens, it doesn¡¯t seem worth it.¡± Song Tan also felt the pinch of the delivery fee, but at least the wild vegetables were free. She nodded: ¡°It¡¯s fine, just send it¡ªshould arrive by tomorrow since it¡¯s within the province, right?¡± The clerk nodded: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it will definitely arrive tomorrow morning. I guarantee the greens will still be fresh.¡± Song Tan then made the payment. This Dr. Zhang Yuan hadn¡¯t replied to the message about the lifesaver for days¡ªSong Tan worried that something might have happened to him, so she decided to send some wild vegetables as a roundabout way to urge a response. After all, it was just wild vegetables, surely it wouldn¡¯t involve anything like having to give a red envelope or bribery. After finishing up and returning home, the family sat down and crunched the numbers¡ª Wow, that¡¯s three thousand bucks! Wu Lan couldn¡¯t help but feel regretful: ¡°If only we could sell these wild vegetables all year round¡­¡± Song Sancheng was immediately speechless at his wife¡¯s financial fantasies. ¡°It¡¯s only because of nature¡¯s favor that this year¡¯s wild vegetables are especially good. In half a month, what vegetables won¡¯t be available? Are you still planning to sell them for twenty then? I don¡¯t even know how long you could sell them for ten.¡± Song Tan mulled it over and said, as if it was the most natural thing in the world: ¡°I plan to keep selling them for twenty.¡± ¡°All the way until the end of the month.¡± With such a flavor profile, there were plenty willing to pay, and she had never underestimated everyone¡¯s spending power. It was perfect to set the stage for the vegetables she was about to plant¡ªshe, Song Tan, sold vegetables that were good, pricey, and worth every penny. To miss a meal was to feel an itch you couldn¡¯t scratch! As for why she would stop selling at the end of the month? By then, the milk vetch would be ready, and she¡¯d sell the tender young milk vetch shoots. Forget about wild vegetables, for daily plucking wears even the spiritual energy thin, so she might as well let them live. ¡­ While Wu Lan just dreamed, Song Tan dared to act! Just look at how brashly she spoke, as if people couldn¡¯t live without her vegetables. Song Sancheng, the father, let out a sigh, wondering if money was really that easy to make in the city these days? He decisively changed the subject: ¡°While it¡¯s not too busy these days, your mother can look after things at home in the morning while you take me to learn driving. I¡¯ll take her there in the afternoon.¡± ¡°We have a car at home, and it shouldn¡¯t just sit around wasting away. Once I get my license, I can do the driving.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t look good for a girl to drive a pickup.¡± He spoke as if the license was already within his reach. Song Tan glanced at him: ¡°Dad, have you even learned the questions for the first subject yet?¡± Chapter 26 - Chapter 26: Hospital News_1 Chapter 26: Hospital News_1 Ning Province First People¡¯s Hospital. Doctor Zhang Yuan had just stepped down from the operating table when a nurse told him on the way, ¡°Dr. Zhang, you¡¯ve got a package.¡± Zhang Yuan was startled, unable to recall purchasing anything. When he saw what it was in the office, he exclaimed, ¡°Hey! Why is it still fresh and chilled?¡± He looked at the sender¡ªSong Tan. He fell silent. The junior nurses crowded around, ¡°Dr. Zhang, what did you buy?¡± Zhang Yuan couldn¡¯t help but laugh and cry, ¡°This wasn¡¯t something I bought. There was a car accident on the bridge before, and a girl I took care of is sending this to me.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, you all remember¡ªthe young girl got trapped in the car, and she couldn¡¯t be pulled out. A Good Samaritan came along and dragged her out. By the time she got to the hospital, she didn¡¯t have a single issue!¡± What luck! It was certainly something that amazed everyone for a long time. He, a doctor, was just doing his duty by saving people; having the girl suddenly send him something, Zhang Yuan recalled their conversation from a few days before and somewhat understood. But dealing with this was really problematic! The nurses sighed, ¡°Now they¡¯re so strict with these things¡­ Dr. Zhang, you might as well see what it is. Perishables can¡¯t be returned, so in a while we should check the price and give the money back to her. Otherwise, it¡¯s not worth getting a report over this.¡± That was what Doctor Zhang Yuan was thinking as well. But these days, being a doctor also meant having a tight budget¡ªwhat if she sent something expensive? How much money would he have to pay then? With that on his mind and a feeling of apprehension, he opened the package. A foam box, dry ice bags, air column bags¡ªinside was wrapped a bunch of green, tender, crisp wild vegetables. Attached was a note: Dr. Zhang, these are wild vegetables, Malantou, from my hometown for you to try. Everyone: ¡­ So, it cost 30 Yuan to ship with ice from within the province, just to send a bunch of wild vegetables? Zhang Yuan let out a sigh of relief and couldn¡¯t help but laugh and cry at the same time. Everyone fell silent and could only awkwardly complement, ¡°The handwriting is pretty nice.¡± ¡­ There are no secrets in the office. By noon, everyone knew that Zhang Yuan, a doctor from the trauma department, had received a bunch of wild vegetables sent from far away by a patient¡ªa gift light in value but heavy in sentiment! The hospital leadership also found it amusing, ¡°That young lady couldn¡¯t possibly think our Dr. Zhang, with his old-fashioned looks, would cook, right?¡± ¡°The man is a bachelor, eating every day in the canteen. What¡¯s the use of sending wild vegetables? Come on, tell Xiaozhang to just donate the vegetables to the canteen; let everyone have a taste!¡± At that, everyone had a good laugh. Dr. Zhang was also quite happy about it. A bunch of wild vegetables wasn¡¯t considered bribery; they were sent from a long distance with heartfelt sincerity. Even though it wasn¡¯t worth much, because of this he might get a mention in front of the hospital leadership¡­ Wow! He happily rushed to deliver the wild vegetables to the canteen immediately. The chef was delighted upon seeing them, ¡°Dr. Zhang, the sender was really thoughtful. Look at these Malantou, so crisp and fresh, just perfect! Now that it¡¯s cold, wild vegetables aren¡¯t abundant. It takes care to gather such a nice bunch.¡± ¡°Wait for lunch¡ªI¡¯ll blanch them and serve them up. Let¡¯s all enjoy a taste of spring!¡± Zhang Yuan pictured it: a rural countryside, the chilly wind biting, a simple girl in homespun clothing, searching laboriously in the fields¡­ He was surprisingly moved for a moment. He quickly scrolled through his contacts, sent out a message, and also included a photo of the wild vegetables. ¡°Ms. Lun, how is Lun Chuan recovering recently?¡± ¡°This is the situation¡ªyou requested strict confidentiality, so I never said anything. But that young lady who was rescued by Lun Chuan from the car has been asking around. Now, she has even sent wild vegetables from a great distance.¡± ¡°The rural child, too, had her own way of showing kindness.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, if you really don¡¯t want to give the address, at least provide a contact number. After the young girl expresses her thanks, she will also be at peace.¡± The life-saving grace, not a word from the other side before they transferred hospitals, not even a message left behind. How could the young girl feel at ease in her heart? ¡­ Imperial City Ren¡¯ai Hospital. A haggard-looking woman sat on a bench in the hospital corridor, staring blankly at the wall. Suddenly, her cellphone chimed several times with notifications. She was startled and opened the chat: the first picture was of vibrant, appealing green vegetables. As she looked at the following messages, the woman fell silent. After a moment, she typed a difficult reply: ¡°Thank you, Dr. Zhang Yuan. Lun Chuan¡¯s condition is still manageable. It¡¯s just that the doctor mentioned extensive deep second-degree blast and burn injuries or something¡­ I don¡¯t really understand, I only know that if it¡¯s delayed, it¡¯s very likely he won¡¯t recover properly later on.¡± ¡°But even with skin grafting, it¡¯s very likely there will still be scars¡­¡± ¡°Lun Chuan said that he isn¡¯t fond of going out anyway. Now that his face is disfigured, he might as well stay at home to avoid people bothering him. Only, at home, the wounds weren¡¯t healing well, so he had to come back to the hospital.¡± After thinking, she deleted this part. She simply replied: ¡°Thank you, Dr. Zhang Yuan. Lun Chuan¡¯s physical condition is still good, it¡¯s just that he refuses skin grafting and is still recovering.¡± ¡°The young girl is sentimental, which proves my child did not save the wrong person. Go ahead and give her Lun Chuan¡¯s contact details; the WeChat and phone number are the same.¡± They¡¯re both young people. Lun Chuan didn¡¯t have any close friends to begin with. What if she could persuade him? In the hospital room just beyond the wall, Lun Chuan was awakened by the pain in his body, and now he opened his eyes with difficulty. His hair had been shaved off, and his entire cheek from the left cheekbone to the forehead was covered with medical dressings. The left side of his neck was also tightly wrapped, the dressings extending to the shoulder, back, and even slightly to the front chest. Finally, they were firmly hidden by the patient gown. He reached for his phone; his Weibo private messages were at 99+. And in the writer¡¯s backend, beneath his last message announcing a break from updates, there were 20,000+ comments, all from readers clamoring for the next installment. Lun Chuan fell silent for a moment before finally exiting out. And when he opened WeChat, new messages popped up. ¡°Lun Chuan, you are the only male in the Zhou family. I can forgive you for secretly changing your surname when you came of age, as long as you change it back. But you should never have been so reckless with your own body.¡± ¡°I heard from your mom that you don¡¯t want to undergo skin grafting?¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible! You must get better! You¡¯re good-looking, and your Uncle Zhang¡¯s daughter likes you a lot. They only have one daughter and assets worth millions. You can¡¯t miss out on this chance!¡± ¡°Moreover, if my assets worth several millions have no male heir, do you want everyone to laugh at me?¡± ¡°I am your biological father! Even if I divorced your mom, that still stands!¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, you must undergo surgery! Your Uncle Zhang¡¯s daughter is deeply loyal to you, so far without a boyfriend ¨C it¡¯s clear she¡¯s waiting for your recovery! Don¡¯t disappoint her, and don¡¯t fail me!¡± ¡°After the surgery, come back to Ning Province as soon as possible.¡± Lun Chuan snorted derisively, the skin wrapped around his face pulled taut, a stinging pain akin to his current predicament. He scrolled through his contacts and sent a message: ¡°Hello, is this Mr. Zhao from Harmony Agency in Imperial City? The house my mom was interested in, I¡¯ve decided to buy it, in my mom¡¯s name.¡± ¡°Please come to Ren¡¯ai Hospital to collect the deposit and take my mom to see the house again. Just say it was arranged by me.¡± Chapter 27 - Chapter 27: 27. It still has to be you_1 No content Chapter 28 - Chapter 28: 28. Find some straw_1 No content Chapter 29 - Chapter 29: Family Issue_1 No content Chapter 30 - Chapter 30: Dr. Xiaozhang, who gets things done_1 No content Chapter 31 - Chapter 31: 31. Big Friend_1 No content Chapter 32 - Chapter 32: 32. Extract key points_1 No content Chapter 33 - Chapter 33: 33. Making dumplings_1 No content Chapter 34 - Chapter 34: 34. Qiaoqiaos Pig Mom_1 No content Chapter 35 - Chapter 35: 35. Feeding Milk Vetch to piglets_1 No content Chapter 36 - Chapter 36: 36. Selling Vegetables Now Has Fans_1 No content Chapter 37 - Chapter 37: 37.Tea Garden Fertilization_1 No content Chapter 38 - Chapter 38: 38. Buy beehive_1 No content Chapter 39 - Chapter 39: 39. Being stung once_1 No content Chapter 40 - Chapter 40: 40. Installing Beehive_1 No content Chapter 41 - Chapter 41: 41. Secretary Wang_1 No content Chapter 42 - Chapter 42: Patient No. 42 asks_1 No content Chapter 43 - Chapter 43: 43. Whats so good about this dish?_1 No content Chapter 44 - Chapter 44: 44. Dafang Hardware Store_1 No content Chapter 45 - Chapter 45: 45. Sister-in-law of the Great Hall_1 Chapter 45: 45. Sister-in-law of the Great Hall_1 ¡°Uncle!¡± Song Tan, with Qiaoqiao in tow, spotted the grey-haired Song Dafang from a distance, sitting at the store entrance, his eyes glued to his cell phone: ¡°Pair of sevens!¡± ¡°Pair of queens!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t beat that!¡± ¡°You play your cards too well¡­¡± Caught in the midst of busyness, Song Dafang looked up and was instantly surprised, ¡°Tantan? How come you¡¯re back?¡± Then, glancing at Qiaoqiao, ¡°Qiaoqiao¡¯s here too? Have you eaten¡ª¡± ¡°Hurry up, I¡¯ve been waiting so long I¡¯m withering away!¡± The loud voice from the cell phone blurted out without hesitation. Song Dafang was immediately embarrassed and fumbled to exit the game, but Song Tan stopped him, ¡°It¡¯s okay, uncle, we¡¯re all family here; we¡¯re not in a hurry, you finish your game first!¡± The uncle hesitated for a moment before carefully playing a card, then he quickly slapped his thigh happily, ¡°Nice one! I lured out your joker!¡± Curious, Qiaoqiao leaned in, and then their heads were together, both engrossed in the world of playing landlord. Song Tan also took this opportunity to take a closer look at this hardware store¡ª Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í¨À?.§ã¦Ï This shop, acquired many years ago, was quite outdated in decor, and its current clientele were all regulars, hence everything was arranged in a rather carefree manner. Just looking at the hardware materials piled haphazardly on the shelves, she believed that no one except her uncle could find anything accurately! Luckily, perhaps the opponent in this game of landlord was too weak, and in less than two minutes, the round ended, with the landlord shedding tears of sorrow. Song Dafang then remembered to ask, ¡°Wasn¡¯t Tantan in Ning City? How come you¡¯re back?¡± Song Tan smiled, ¡°Uncle, I quit my job, and this year I¡¯m farming at home¡ªthis is the milk vetch my mom told me to bring. We¡¯ve been selling it at the riverside veggie market. I saved some especially for today!¡± Reluctantly pulling her gaze away from the cell phone, Qiaoqiao puffed up her chest and displayed her QR code once more: ¡°Twenty yuan a pound!¡± Song Dafang: ¡­ He looked at the small basket of vegetables in his hand, estimating about three to five bunches¡­ Twenty yuan a pound? The poor kid, could it be worth twenty? This milk vetch, who hadn¡¯t eaten it as a child? All added up, twenty would be considered too expensive! He picked up his cell phone, pretending to scan the code, ¡°Oh, you silly child, still can¡¯t count? How about two yuan a pound, haha! Come on, uncle will give you money for the vegetables!¡± Song Tan was immediately embarrassed. She was embarrassed to take the money, but if her uncle really paid two yuan a pound, it would probably be the two of them who¡¯d be embarrassed in the future. At that moment, she quickly pulled Qiaoqiao over with a dry laugh, ¡°Sweetie, we¡¯re not taking money now.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Qiaoqiao blinked and then said, ¡°I also want the flowers to wither away!¡± Song Tan: ¡­ It took her a moment to realize that he wanted to play the game of landlord they were just watching, so she deftly pulled out her phone and set up a single-player game. Watching Qiaoqiao sit on a small stool and blindly tap at the phone, a hint of regret appeared in Song Dafang¡¯s eyes: ¡°Look at how good the child is, and so handsome.¡± ¡°Your parents have taken good care of him, it hasn¡¯t been easy these past few years.¡± ¡°` Then he looked at the Milk Vetch in the small basket and couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of nostalgia, ¡°Haven¡¯t had it in so many years¡­ I used to pick this stuff when there was nothing to eat.¡± After saying that, he remembered, ¡°What did you just say? You¡¯re back to farm the land?¡± Before Song Tan could answer, a voice came from beside them, ¡°Who¡¯s coming back to farm?¡± The newcomer was Song Dafang¡¯s daughter-in-law, Sun Yanyan. Song Tan greeted her with a smile, ¡°Sister-in-law.¡± Sun Yanyan¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Ah, Tantan¡¯s back? Look how well Ning City nourishes people, made you so stylish and beautiful! Just like a star¡ªWho did you say is coming back to farm? Isn¡¯t it you, haha¡­¡± Song Tan nodded with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Sun Yanyan¡¯s laughter came to an abrupt halt at that moment. Song Tan was used to this reaction and casually explained, ¡°The work pressure in Ning City was too high, it was wearing me down. My parents are getting older too, so I decided to come back and rest for a couple of years and spend time with them.¡± As for whether the other person accepted this reason, that was beyond her control. Sun Yanyan laughed awkwardly, ¡°That works, you¡¯re a young lady after all, none of the family property concerns you, and with Qiaoqiao in this condition, there¡¯s no way to manage the family¡¯s land. It just so happens that when the time comes, we¡¯ll divide the land to him, and you can help look after it, won¡¯t be a loss.¡± No sooner had she finished speaking than Qiaoqiao suddenly lifted his head and glared at her, countering, ¡°Qiaoqiao can farm by himself! Qiaoqiao doesn¡¯t need anyone to take care of him! Qiaoqiao will plant corn and support sister! Humph!¡± He was truly angry. But Sun Yanyan¡¯s face showed even more amusement, ¡°Oh my, listen to him talk, sounds quite serious! Tantan, when you¡¯re looking for a partner, you must tell them they can¡¯t mistreat Qiaoqiao.¡± Although the words seemed well-intentioned, saying them out loud made people unhappy, and Song Tan didn¡¯t remember her sister-in-law being this kind of person from her memories. Song Tan couldn¡¯t be bothered with her anymore. At that moment, she nodded towards Song Dafang, who was awkwardly silent on the side, ¡°Uncle, we still have to deliver some vegetables to Aunt¡¯s house, we¡¯ll be going now.¡± Then she patted Qiaoqiao on the arm, ¡°Let¡¯s go, my treasure.¡± Qiaoqiao had already forgotten his anger, and now he was handing back the phone, ¡°Why didn¡¯t he say: ¡®I waited until the flowers wilted away¡¯?¡± Song Tan thought to herself, you play your cards so quickly, even the computer can¡¯t keep up, when would he have the chance to say that? But before she could say it out loud, she saw Qiaoqiao remember something else, turn back and take two steps, then puff out his chest with exceptional proficiency: ¡°Scan here! Twenty yuan per catty!¡± Song Tan almost laughed out loud! If they really let him scan that, her uncle would lose all face, but that wouldn¡¯t happen. After all, she remembered her kindly Uncle Dafang, even if Sun Yanyan was just Sun Yanyan! So she quickly explained, ¡°Uncle, Qiaoqiao is just playing. But you should eat the Milk Vetch soon before it¡¯s no longer fresh. I¡¯m selling at the riverside market, indeed for twenty yuan per catty.¡± ¡­ Once the hardware store returned to quiet, Sun Yanyan finally withdrew her probing body and remarked as if having a major revelation: ¡°Dad, did you see? Tantan and her folks came by car today. That can¡¯t be a car that Little Uncle bought himself, right? Doesn¡¯t look new, hope it¡¯s not a secondhand one!¡± Song Dafang¡¯s face darkened, ¡°You¡¯ve said just about everything there is to say.¡± As a father-in-law, he didn¡¯t think it proper to criticize his daughter-in-law. But today was an occasion for Tantan¡¯s vegetable delivery, she could have said anything nice, why pick those words? Of course, being an old-fashioned patriarch, Song Dafang indeed felt that country land had nothing to do with daughters, but he had never voiced such thoughts! Besides, with his nephew in such a condition, wasn¡¯t his daughter-in-law¡¯s comment like a stab to both their hearts? Sun Yanyan pursed her lips, ¡°Qiaoqiao¡¯s been simple for twenty years now, still afraid of people talking? Wasn¡¯t I just well-intentioned in giving them a warning? Tantan is pretty, if she finds someone from a good family background it¡¯s better to say it upfront, to save them from having to choose!¡± ¡°` Chapter 46 - Chapter 46: 46. Own Relative_1 Chapter 46: 46. Own Relative_1 After mumbling to herself, Sun Yanyan remembered the important matter at hand, ¡°Dad, mom wants you to bring back a jug of oil; I¡¯ll watch the store for you first, and you can pick up the child as well.¡± Her daughter, Song Ziyi, was currently at the senior class level in kindergarten, but today was Saturday, and she had gone to a nearby hobby class to learn chess. Song Dafang was beside himself with anger¡ªraising sons and daughters was nothing but debt! Although he¡¯d raised his children, now in their old age, he and his wife had yet to enjoy any comfort from them. Not only did they have to support their son¡¯s family of three, but they also had to pay for their granddaughter¡¯s tuition, provide transportation, and take care of cooking, washing dishes, and doing laundry¡­ Here, his shrewd daughter-in-law wouldn¡¯t spend a penny of her own money; even a jug of oil had to wait for him to purchase. It was truly a life of endless servitude! While he harbored deep resentment, once he lifted the jug of oil and waited outside the hobby class for his granddaughter, the little girl ran over with a big bow on her head, cheerfully shouting in a bright and sweet voice: ¡°Grandpa!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± In an instant, Song Dafang forgot the displeasure he¡¯d been feeling, feeling nothing but sweet contentment. After the family returned to their apartment behind the store and opened the door, Mao Li, who had been cooking in the kitchen, came hurrying out, still complaining: ¡°You old man, I asked you to buy a jug of oil, and it took you until now to get back; we¡¯re waiting to start cooking!¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã0 At the same time, she peered at the small basket of vegetables in his hand, fresh and dewy. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder, ¡°What did you buy this time?¡± After a closer look: ¡°Oh my, Milk Vetch! It¡¯s been decades since we¡¯ve had it; we can stir-fry it for lunch.¡± Quick to respond, Song Dafang said, ¡°Tantan brought it over with Qiaoqiao this morning. She said they¡¯ve been selling vegetables at Riverside Market these days.¡± ¡°What?¡± Mao Li was startled out of the blue. ¡°Selling vegetables? Wasn¡¯t Tantan working in Ning Province? How come she¡¯s back selling vegetables?¡± Sun Yanyan, having changed her shoes, squeezed over, giving the vegetables a glance: ¡°This stuff isn¡¯t worth much; once it¡¯s not fresh, it won¡¯t taste good. Bringing so much¡­you can¡¯t even give it away to the neighbors.¡± Seeing that Song Dafang¡¯s face grew even darker, Mao Li knew he disapproved of what his daughter-in-law had said and quickly added, ¡°What¡¯s brought is the thought; we¡¯ll stir-fry for lunch to have something fresh.¡± Song Dafang snorted coldly and went to watch TV with his granddaughter. Meanwhile, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law picked vegetables together, chatting away warmly: ¡°Mom, today Tantan came over in a small, rundown pickup truck. She said she¡¯s going to stay at her hometown to farm, and these vegetables are leftovers they brought from selling.¡± ¡°Goodness me!¡± Mao Li really hadn¡¯t expected that: ¡°She¡¯s staying in her hometown to farm? As a girl, she had a good job in Ning City, which was comfortable and respectable. Now that she¡¯s back home, what about her prospects in marriage?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Sun Yanyan sighed with a sense of gravity: ¡°You say Tantan has a foolish younger brother; her marriage prospects were uncertain to start with, and now she¡¯s gone back to her hometown. Who would want to marry a girl who farms?¡± ¡°Sigh, I was just saying, I recently met a young man who has both a house and a car, and his family is all capable. I was planning to introduce him to her!¡± ¡°After all, Tantan is truly beautiful, and she looks even better now! Her skin is snow-white and glowing; youth is so wonderful, I think she¡¯s even prettier than the stars on TV.¡± Mao Li joined in the wistfulness: ¡°Yes, both kids in your uncle¡¯s family are good-looking.¡± ¡°If you come across the right person, you should still make the introduction; they are family after all.¡± ¡°What I say is, their family has it tough too. Look at your dad; in his youth, he was ambitious and capable, and he managed to earn a little family fortune in our city. Now, at least we don¡¯t have to worry about food and drink.¡± ¡°Your uncle and his family, though, insisted on sticking to their old home when they were young. They didn¡¯t plan well when having children; look at Qiaoqiao, such a fine young man, yet he¡¯s a fool.¡± ¡°They¡¯ve not stopped working hard their whole lives but they just lack foresight, with too narrow a perspective. Now, still stuck in their old home, I bet the little money they have wouldn¡¯t even cover a down payment.¡± As they talked, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law found more and more to discuss. Sun Yanyan thought for a moment: ¡°How old is Qiaoqiao this year?¡± ¡°Eighteen, I think?¡± Mao Li was also not quite sure. Sun Yanyan pondered for a moment, ¡°If you ask me, with Qiaoqiao in this state, we need to find him a wife right away. With a wife to keep an eye on him, my uncle and the rest could go out and work to earn more money, and then they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about getting by in their old age.¡± ¡°After all, we can¡¯t count on Qiaoqiao to take care of them when they¡¯re old.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Mao Li felt that this daughter-in-law was speaking right to her heart: ¡°I¡¯ve said this before too, we need to carry on the family line, right? Qiaoqiao is such a fine young man, if he gets married and has a son, who knows? Maybe the boy won¡¯t have any problems?¡± ¡°While your third uncle and his wife are still young, they could raise the grandson, and then their family would have someone to rely on later.¡± Song Dafang was just about to take something out of the fridge when he heard the conversation and glared at them: ¡°What are you talking about? Sancheng staying at home to care for our parents has saved us so much trouble, and here you are scheming behind our backs!¡± Sun Yanyan pursed her lips and didn¡¯t argue. But Mother-in-law Mao Li was displeased: ¡°Scheming? We are thinking of his best interests. In Qiaoqiao¡¯s condition, if they don¡¯t have a grandson, what will they do when they¡¯re old? Don¡¯t you end up having to take care of your parents and your brother too!¡± Song Dafang glared at her as well: ¡°With Qiaoqiao like this, how are we supposed to find him a wife? Besides, what if the child ends up having the same problems? How do you expect them to live?¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Mao Li was at a loss for words. It was Sun Yanyan who quickly chimed in, ¡°It¡¯s not always like that. First find him a wife to take care of him, don¡¯t look for those clever girls, but one who¡¯s a bit silly, honest, someone who can manage daily life.¡± ¡°And about having children, medical science is so advanced these days. You can detect problems during pregnancy, and if the child has problems, you just don¡¯t keep it.¡± ¡°Dad, don¡¯t be angry, Mom cares about you.¡± ¡°Grandpa and grandma are back in our hometown, we¡¯re bound to spend money and efforts for them eventually. If the youngest uncle has a good life, it¡¯ll be easier for us too.¡± ¡°If he becomes a burden in their old age, Dad, you certainly won¡¯t just stand by and watch.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this because we¡¯re worried about the burden on you later?¡± Song Dafang paused for a moment, then said nothing. He closed the fridge door and walked back to the living room with a thump. ¡­ By the time lunch hour arrived, the working son, Song Xuehai, came home, and the family hurriedly got busy serving up the meal. There was a dish of green vegetables on the table that seemed unfamiliar, and Song Xuehai couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°I know, I know!¡± Song Ziyi, the granddaughter, said, ¡°Grandpa said, this is what Qiaoqiao brother brought over.¡± Song Xuehai laughed at her, ¡°I told you, don¡¯t call him brother, call him uncle.¡± But the daughter ignored him and clumsily stretched out her chopsticks, ¡°I want to eat the vegetables Qiaoqiao brother brought.¡± The fresh green vegetables stir-fried with minced garlic were now giving off an enticing aroma on the dining table. Song Ziyi took a bite with an ¡°ah-woof¡± and then eagerly reached out for more: ¡°Qiaoqiao brother¡¯s vegetables are so delicious, the tastiest in the world!¡± ¡°You little one, what have you eaten to compare?¡± Song Dafang glanced at her and then also took a bite with his chopsticks. The taste was indeed exceptional. By the time the family had snapped back to reality, the dish was already empty. Song Ziyi was staring blankly at the plate, suddenly burst into tears: ¡°I want more, I¡¯m not full!¡± Mao Li hurriedly cleaned up the dishes, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, grandma will make more right away, there¡¯s plenty left.¡± Sun Yanyan also chimed in, still relishing the taste, ¡°Mom, why don¡¯t we just cook up the rest? It really does taste quite good.¡± After thinking for a moment, she added, ¡°Or else, Mom, when you go shopping tomorrow, why not also check out the Riverside Market? It¡¯s family business, it doesn¡¯t seem right not to support them.¡± Chapter 47 - Chapter 47: 47. Aunt Song Hongmei_1 Chapter 47: 47. Aunt Song Hongmei_1 ¡°A hardware store, how annoying!¡± Qiaoqiao huffed as she got into the car. Song Tan smiled and ruffled his head, ¡°Good boy, sister also thinks they aren¡¯t nice, we¡¯ll try to come here as little as possible.¡± Qiaoqiao, feeling aggrieved, touched the QR code on his chest and complained, ¡°He didn¡¯t pay.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, look at how delicious our vegetables are, once she tastes them she¡¯ll definitely want more¡ªnext time Qiaoqiao sells vegetables, try a little harder, speed up, and we won¡¯t sell to her!¡± This wasn¡¯t just to appease the child, it¡¯s purely because Song Tan thought that with people like that sister-in-law, even if she specifically saved some vegetables for her, she¡¯d probably make it known to the whole world¡ª ¡°Twenty yuan a pound, ah! If it weren¡¯t for taking care of relatives, I wouldn¡¯t want to spend that money!¡± Moreover, seeing how Uncle and the others acted today, they clearly didn¡¯t believe the vegetables were twenty a pound. If they came back to buy vegetables, it would be embarrassing in front of everyone¡­ Hey, why does thinking about it make me feel a little smug? Song Tan scolded herself for not being steadfast, but Qiaoqiao was already beaming with joy, ¡°Right! Don¡¯t sell! Don¡¯t let her eat!¡± Then he looked at her with bright eyes, ¡°Going home?¡± Song Tan came back to her senses, ¡°We¡¯re going to deliver vegetables to Uncle and we should also give some to Aunt Song Hongmei, right? We have to be fair.¡± Qiaoqiao¡¯s brow furrowed even more, ¡°Aunt, she isn¡¯t very nice.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.?? He turned his head to look at the small basket of vegetables on the back seat, then became conflicted, ¡°If we give to Aunt, she is better than the hardware store.¡± ¡­ Song Tan¡¯s Aunt married a city worker in the eighties as a village girl. He was attracted not just by her beauty but also her domestic prowess. Domestic she truly was, and managing household affairs, she excelled at that too. Just the fact that with her and her husband¡¯s early morning food stall and job, they could afford a large flat in the city center for their only child showed how capable they were! However, despite all that, the old couple still lived in the outdated family quarters of their unit. Little Pika precisely parked in a small space in the family quarters, avoiding the possibility of getting a parking ticket. As soon as Song Tan and Qiaoqiao got out of the car, they heard someone hesitantly ask from beside them, ¡°You¡­ are Hongmei¡¯s relatives, aren¡¯t you?¡± Song Tan was taken aback, then saw the aunties who had asked¡ªevidently, they were also back from buying vegetables, holding plastic bags in which there were glimpses of onions, garlic, green vegetables, and the like. She nodded, ¡°Yes, my aunt is Song Hongmei, our family grows some vegetables, and I¡¯m bringing my brother to deliver some to her to enjoy the freshness.¡± At her words, the aunties across from her smiled, ¡°I remembered you from the New Year¡ªI was wondering which family¡¯s kids were so good-looking. Then I asked and found out you¡¯re Hongmei¡¯s relatives!¡± It¡¯s mainly because there are no secrets in the family quarters; everyone knows about Hongmei¡¯s handsome but simple nephew. Although Qiaoqiao looks like an adult, there¡¯s something different in his eyes¡ªmost importantly, he had a pink Peppa Pig sticker on his face! Spotting the vegetables in the basket, ¡°Oh wow, what vegetable is this? It¡¯s really fresh¡­ Hongmei is so lucky to have such pretty niece and nephew. Girl, do you have a sweetheart?¡± Song Tan: ¡­ After exchanging a few rounds of polite conversation, she finally managed to extricate herself from these overly enthusiastic aunties. Approaching the entrance of the apartment block, Song Tan could still hear the aunties¡¯ murmuring, ¡°Hongmei¡¯s niece and nephew, they really are good-looking.¡± ¡°I bet they¡¯re good at living life too, you see when she comes to visit her aunt, she brings a basket full of vegetables¡­¡± ¡°What kind of talk is that? You can never be poor from eating or dressing well, being stingy won¡¯t make you poor forever. Hongmei may be a bit tight-fisted, but she¡¯s a good person, truly a good couple¡­¡± Walking through the corridor, Song Tan couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. It seems her aunt¡¯s reputation for being thrifty is well known to everyone! ¡­ Aunt Song Hongmei had indeed just returned from the market. She owned a small pancake cart near the family housing complex, and had been selling pancakes there for twenty years. She wasn¡¯t exactly famous far and wide, but people had certainly grown accustomed to eating her pancakes. Every time her cart closed at ten o¡¯clock, she would tidy up and head to the market at eleven o¡¯clock, her time management was a model of precision! Most importantly, by eleven o¡¯clock the market was also nearly closed, and the remaining vegetables were either sold off cheaply or not very fresh. Aunt could sweep through at this time, battling in and out seven times, all to get the prices slashed to the lowest! If she couldn¡¯t get the price down, she simply wouldn¡¯t buy. Not having to pick through spoiled leaves each day was Aunt¡¯s last bit of luxury and dignity. Now at half-past eleven, some families might already be cooking, but Aunt¡¯s definitely wouldn¡¯t be. Song Tan knocked on the door. Aunt¡¯s husband was still two years from retirement, and their son was also at work. Aunt was quite surprised when she opened the door: ¡°Tantan? What brings you here? Aren¡¯t you at work? Oh no, you didn¡¯t take leave, did you? Losing salary is a big loss!¡± She turned to greet Qiaoqiao, ¡°My nephew has grown even more handsome! Come on in, Auntie will get you some biscuits.¡± And Aunt did bring biscuits¡ªtwo packs of Want Want snow biscuits, one for each sibling. Song Tan couldn¡¯t help but laugh and cry at the same time, this was truly Aunt¡¯s greatest sincerity! Qiaoqiao had already skillfully started opening the bag, while also saying, ¡°Aunt, we brought you some vegetables.¡± Aunt looked and saw that there were indeed five bunches of Milk Vetch in the basket. She wasn¡¯t the least put off. In fact, she was overjoyed: ¡°Oh my! These vegetables are so fresh. I¡¯ve got veggies for lunch today, won¡¯t cook these now! One meal tonight, two meals for tomorrow¡¯s lunch and dinner, and the day after tomorrow can have another two meals¡ªthat¡¯s three days¡¯ worth of veggie money saved. I just need to cook some meat to go with it!¡± Aunt was ecstatic and quickly made plans. Only after arranging everything did she remember to ask, ¡°Tantan, are you staying for lunch? If you are, I¡¯ll cook these greens.¡± Song Tan quickly reassured her, ¡°No need, Aunt, my mom is waiting at home. I just wanted to ask if you knew where to buy ducklings? We¡¯re planning to raise some ducks back home.¡± Song Hongmei thought for a moment, ¡°Actually, I do know. Wait for me, it¡¯s not far. I¡¯ll take you there!¡± ¡°But Aunt, don¡¯t you have to cook¡­¡± ¡°No problem, it really isn¡¯t far. I¡¯ll take you! You young people don¡¯t bargain when buying things. I¡¯ll go and negotiate the price for you!¡± Saying this, she changed her shoes, grabbed her keys spiritedly, and prepared to leave. Song Tan: ¡­ This was truly the speed of lightning; Qiaoqiao hadn¡¯t even finished his snow biscuit yet. But Aunt wasn¡¯t lying; it really wasn¡¯t far. They left the family housing complex, turned into an alley inward, passed through an iron gate that seemed locked but wasn¡¯t, then darted into a small alley, and finally arrived at a run-down, low-rise courtyard. Aunt knocked on the door of one of the houses: ¡°Old Zhang, do you have any ducklings left?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t sell at school gates for wholesale, these aren¡¯t pet ducks!¡± the man inside called out. Aunt was already growing impatient: ¡°When have I ever brought people to buy pet ducks? Hurry up, I¡¯m bringing a relative to buy. Give me a firm price, don¡¯t throw out random numbers and waste my time. After buying, I need to get back to cooking¡­¡± The man inside opened the door, a face full of grievance, ¡°Sister, sometimes I really wish you wouldn¡¯t buy.¡± Chapter 48 - Chapter 48: 48. Buy duck_1 Chapter 48: 48. Buy duck_1 Song Hongmei was very dissatisfied, ¡°You, a businessman, don¡¯t want customers anymore?¡± Old Zhang wasn¡¯t happy either, ¡°My dear older sister, you bring people here to bargain every time. How am I supposed to make a profit?¡± That¡¯s what all businessmen say. Song Hongmei herself didn¡¯t make a profit selling eggs and pancakes! She didn¡¯t believe it. So she turned to Song Tan and said, ¡°Don¡¯t judge by its cover; this whole area belongs to him. Otherwise, how could such a shabby old house in the old town not be demolished and still sell chickens and ducks? People would have been at his door a long time ago.¡± It was lucky that this place was wedged between several large family courtyards, not affecting the city¡¯s appearance, or else this sneaky business wouldn¡¯t last. Having lived in the family courtyards for over twenty years, Song Hongmei knew them well, ¡°Tantan, don¡¯t listen to his nonsense. These ducks were all hatched at his home; the cost is next to nothing¡ªI¡¯m telling you, last year they were four yuan each. Don¡¯t let yourself be taken advantage of!¡± Old Zhang¡¯s face changed, ¡°Sis! Are you trying to ruin my business on purpose? Last year¡¯s price was for last year. Everything goes up this year, right? I won¡¯t sell them for four yuan!¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã? But Song Hongmei just turned around and walked away, ¡°You guys talk it over, I need to rush back home to cook.¡± And then she took off. The three left behind looked at each other before Qiaoqiao repeated, ¡°Four yuan each?¡± Old Zhang refused to budge, ¡°No! The lowest is four and a half yuan, take it or leave it!¡± Song Tan almost laughed out loud. She had inquired about the prices beforehand; not one place sold them for less than five yuan. It seemed that four yuan really was the bare minimum. ¡°Okay, four and a half it is, but let us have a look first.¡± Have a look then. Old Zhang was very confident in his ducks. He led the two through the front room, turning into the backyard, then into another room, and then back into the yard¡ª That¡¯s where his secret base was located. Half the area was covered with a shade cloth, and from afar you could smell the stench of duck droppings. However, once they entered, a flock of fluffy yellow ducklings waddled their little butts from side to side, excitedly rushing over! The scene was incredibly heartwarming! Qiaoqiao couldn¡¯t even move her legs; she squatted down right away, then looked at Song Tan with longing eyes. Old Zhang explained on the side, ¡°Have you raised them before? How many do you want? These are mottled ducks, with good meat quality and they grow quickly. Just look at how strong and healthy each one is, I guarantee they will survive when you take them home!¡± Song Tan believed that. They had arrived unexpectedly, and the owner didn¡¯t prepare anything in advance; however, at first glance, the ducklings were all lively and robust. Four and a half yuan a piece was indeed a bargain. She thought it over. Back home, there was a pond at the top of the bamboo forest, and the ducks could later be let into the rice paddies to eat grass, not to mention, they had the hillside to roam around¡ªthe space was definitely big enough. ¡°Let¡¯s start with a hundred,¡± she said. One hundred? Now it was Old Zhang¡¯s turn to be surprised. ¡°I thought you were just some household farmer wanting to raise a few for yourselves¡­ that many, huh!¡± Then he saw Song Tan¡¯s expression, remembered she was a guest brought by Song Hongmei, and became cautious, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, even if you buy a thousand, the price is the same, four and a half yuan each, not a cent less!¡± Song Hongmei, that woman, was persistent, too persistent! If she couldn¡¯t bargain down to her satisfaction, she would come to haggle every day! Selling ducks wasn¡¯t like selling vegetables; it takes a long time for a batch of ducks to hatch and grow. Yet, she could be unyieldingly persistent. Old Zhang really couldn¡¯t stand it, and that¡¯s why he blurted out his bottom line. Song Tan couldn¡¯t help but smile and cry. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s not few, your ducks are quite good. I¡¯ll come back to buy again next year.¡± Since she agreed so readily, Old Zhang felt a bit embarrassed, ¡°Ah, it¡¯s all because of Sister Song; she always wants to bargain with me, so much that I¡¯m afraid of her.¡± But then, he counted his yard¡¯s ducks¡ªhatching came in batches, and there were only a total of one hundred and twenty to thirty. After pondering for a while, Old Zhang said, ¡°How about this: you take one hundred and twenty, and I¡¯ll throw in the rest for free.¡± Though most were strong, inevitably, some were weaker, which would reduce their value. Rather than keeping them and struggling to sell them off selectively, it was better to package them all together in one deal. He was also worried that Song Tan wouldn¡¯t know the goods: ¡°I¡¯m telling you, almost half of this batch are drakes, which are more nourishing than the females, and normally, they would even cost a bit more, but I¡¯ll give them all to you for one uniform price.¡± Chickens and ducks are different. Hens are more economically valuable than ducks, but drakes are more nourishing when eaten. Moreover, apart from salted duck eggs, there aren¡¯t any tastier ways to eat duck eggs. So, the economic value is somewhat less. Old Zhang did speak some earnest truths. Song Tan thought it over and decided that buying a hundred was enough, and a couple more wouldn¡¯t make much of a difference, so she promptly nodded: ¡°Okay.¡± Over a hundred ducks were loaded into the truck bed, and as the time had reached twelve o¡¯clock, they couldn¡¯t make it back for lunch. Fortunately, Song Tan was well-prepared. At this moment, she took Qiaoqiao: ¡°Come on, what do you want to eat? Sister will take you.¡± Qiaoqiao pondered hard: ¡°What does Peppa eat?¡± What does Peppa eat? Song Tan didn¡¯t know either, probably pig feed¡­ She thought for a moment: ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you for some fried chicken, fries, red bean pie, and hamburgers!¡± Not because they were particularly delicious, but for the toys that came with them, and to give Qiaoqiao, who had never tried them before, a new taste experience. Since there were still ducklings in the car, they packed the food to eat in the vehicle. Just as Qiaoqiao opened the toy box in his hands, he was surprised to find a yellow, fluffy little duckling inside! Its wings were flapping up and down, very amusing. ¡°A little duckling!¡± He exclaimed with joy and then, ¡°Ah woo,¡± took a bite of the roasted chicken leg. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± he chewed, with an odd expression on his face. Song Tan glanced at him: ¡°Is it good?¡± Qiaoqiao thought for a moment, his expression conflicted: ¡°Not as tasty as vegetables, but, but¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. ¡°But it¡¯s also quite a novelty, right?¡± Song Tan added. ¡°Yeah!¡± Qiaoqiao nodded vigorously, then took another bite. Poor kid¡­ Song Tan thought to herself: She should take him to a children¡¯s amusement park when she had some free time. Qiaoqiao, unaware of the many delicious and fun things in his future, just nodded contentedly, holding a chicken wing in one hand and the little duckling in the other: ¡°Sister, can we eat this again next time?¡± Song Tan felt sorry for him: ¡°How about we do this once every two weeks?¡± How long are two weeks? Qiaoqiao blinked, eventually nodding in confusion. He thought for a moment, then pulled out half a package of snow cakes from his bag: ¡°I can¡¯t finish this. Can I take it back for Big White?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± She had another pack in her pocket: ¡°We¡¯ll have to ask Big White to look after the little ducks later, so you should feed him some good snacks.¡± Big White looking after little ducks? Qiaoqiao instinctively turned to look at the rear of the truck, and after a long time, he frowned and said: ¡°If Big White looks after the ducks, won¡¯t he be too rough?¡± ¡°No!¡± Song Tan reassured him: ¡°The ducks will grow as big as Big White, too big for one pot to hold!¡± Ah, the thought of winter melon duck soup, sour bamboo shoot duck soup, roast duck¡­ made the saliva flow irresistibly. However, Qiaoqiao¡¯s face turned grim: ¡°Not Big White, Big White can¡¯t be stewed.¡± That¡¯s the downside of getting attached to animals after caring for them for so long; once emotions are invested, it¡¯s hard to let go. Song Tan sighed: ¡°We won¡¯t stew Big White; we¡¯ll eat the ducks¡ªjust make sure you don¡¯t play with the ducks when the time comes.¡± Chapter 49 - Chapter 49: 49. Moving Bag_1 Chapter 49: 49. Moving Bag_1 The car cruised along the smooth road, and the journey from the downtown area to the old home took just over an hour. Qiaoqiao had long since polished off the snacks he ordered at noon, especially loving the egg tarts, red bean pies, and fried chicken wings. Now, he was engrossed in playing with his little duck toy that went quack quack as its wings flapped, beaming with joy. As he grew older, his family began to treat him more and more like an adult, unconsciously. But his heart had always remained at the age of five or six. Even though his family still spoke to him using the tone one would use for children, toys, as those in the village aged and drifted away, hadn¡¯t been in Qiaoqiao¡¯s possession for many years. His only happiness was watching cartoons. If Song Tan hadn¡¯t experienced this change, he probably would have been rooted in the mountain village for his whole life, naively watching his cartoons until his parents grew old. Perhaps he would have gradually learned to cook simple meals, but looking at him, Song Tan couldn¡¯t help but want to bring him even more happiness. ¡°Qiaoqiao, once the vegetables are sold out, I¡¯ll take you to an amusement park in Ning City,¡± she said. Their city was too small; at most, children could play with a few simple pieces of equipment in the park. But those pieces of equipment were really old, and Song Tan was still worried about them. As a provincial capital, Ning City had well-developed infrastructure and a large amusement park with water and aerial rides, enough to keep him happy all day. Turning his head, Qiaoqiao asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s an amusement park?¡± After giving it some thought, Song Tan replied, ¡°It¡¯s a place with lots of fun and people, where you can play for a whole day!¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã? Qiaoqiao grew excited, ¡°Really? When can we go?¡± Song Tan thought for a moment, ¡°Milk Vetch can be sold for about ten more days; once it¡¯s sold out, I¡¯ll take you!¡± The drive to Ning City would only take four hours, and now she didn¡¯t worry about the energy it required, it would just take a day off. Farming was so busy that there was something to do every day. But Qiaoqiao¡¯s happiness was precious, and Song Tan was unwilling to let it slip away. Now that Qiaoqiao often went outside, he knew much more, and at this moment, he asked, ¡°Can we eat this then?¡± He shook the little duck toy, ¡°The box had four different ones, and I only have one.¡± It was clear that captivating children involved more than just tasty treats, there were also these damned gimmicks. Song Tan murmured helplessly, ¡°You sure enjoyed it.¡± Boys have big appetites, and as he started to help with the farming, his energy expenditure increased. The snacks from noon were devoured without a trace. As for Song Tan¡­ Since she was driving, she only had the top and bottom slices of the burger that Qiaoqiao had picked out for her. It must be said that eating outside food was still quite uncomfortable. The deeper the Spiritual Energy, the pickier one becomes about flavors. Will she have to bring a lunchbox the next time they go out? As they were talking, Qiaoqiao suddenly pointed to the side of the road: ¡°It¡¯s moving.¡± What? Song Tan looked over and saw a large black bag in the bushes by the road, tied tightly at the top with a cord, something inside pushing against it nonstop. She strained her ears and vaguely heard sobbing sounds. So she pulled over, ¡°Let¡¯s go check it out.¡± Qiaoqiao hurriedly got out of the car, but after struggling with the bag for a while, he only managed to carry the whole bag back: ¡°Sister, I can¡¯t untie it.¡± The plastic rope was wrapped around several times and tied in a tight knot. It was not surprising that it couldn¡¯t be undone. Song Tan took out a pocket knife and made a cut, and even though she was mentally prepared, she couldn¡¯t help but curse, ¡°What the hell is this!¡± Inside were three small mongrel puppies. Two were yellow and one black; each was just a bit bigger than a palm, with fluff-covered bodies. Their eyes were black and shiny as they whimpered and crawled toward them. Clearly, they could barely even stand. Qiaoqiao was stunned for a moment before cheering unwittingly, ¡°Puppy!¡± But he glanced at the bag next to him and wondered, ¡°Tied up so tightly, how did the puppy get out?¡± Indeed, using a sturdy cloth bag, tied so tightly, clearly meant there was no way out for these dogs. This was a secluded main road, with few passing vehicles and no pedestrians stopping by. Song Tan knew that in the village, animals were not usually neutered, and sometimes when cats and dogs had litters, people would choose to dispose of them. To prevent the animals from finding their way back, they would be put in bags and thrown far away. But generally, people did not dispose of dogs in this manner. The three puppies in the cloth bag were still squirming, constantly nudging Qiaoqiao¡¯s hand with their noses, making whining and whimpering sounds, probably because they were hungry. She took a deep breath, and at that moment, her fingertips flicked, sending a stream of Spiritual Energy that invisibly scrubbed the puppies¡¯ skin, killing any lice and insect eggs that might have been there. After all, it looked like Qiaoqiao really didn¡¯t want to let go, and right now, there were no insect repellents. Then, she placed the cloth bag on Qiaoqiao¡¯s lap, ¡°Qiaoqiao can take these three puppies home to care for, but first you must hold them properly. Can you do that?¡± Qiaoqiao quickly hugged the bag and made a firm promise: ¡°Qiaoqiao definitely can!¡± But then he became dejected, ¡°But Mom won¡¯t let us keep them.¡± Song Tan knew. Wu Lan, like most people in the village, thought the same way: if you kept cats and dogs, they were needed to guard and protect the house; if they couldn¡¯t do that, it didn¡¯t matter much. However, once you started caring for these cats and dogs, over time, affection would grow. Not to mention cases of dog thievery, what if the animals got injured, sick, or pregnant¡­? Paying for their care was absolutely out of the question; they knew too well how hard money was to earn. But not spending money also weighed on their conscience. It¡¯s just that at their age, everything seemed easy to dismiss. But that dismissal did not imply a lack of affection. Wu Lan¡¯s method was: to avoid future heartache, it was simpler not to keep animals from the start. But now¡­ ¡°No problem!¡± Song Tan confidently assured, ¡°Aren¡¯t we raising pigs and also about to keep chickens and ducks? We just need the little dogs to watch over them. Just coax her well when you get home. Our Qiaoqiao is so well-behaved and so proactive with work, Mother will agree.¡± Qiaoqiao blinked, not quite understanding how to coax, but then once again looked down at the whining, soft, warm, fluffy puppies on his lap, and he made up his mind¡ª It would definitely be possible! Song Tan smiled, ¡°These three puppies were found by Qiaoqiao; from now on, their care will be Qiaoqiao¡¯s responsibility!¡± Qiaoqiao was startled, ¡°I can feed them every day!¡± Song Tan shook her head, her expression serious: ¡°No, that won¡¯t do. The food you give them is the household¡¯s grain and money; you can¡¯t just use it carelessly.¡± Qiaoqiao was taken aback. After a while, he came up with another idea, ¡°Then Qiaoqiao will share his own meal with them.¡± Song Tan thought for a moment, ¡°It¡¯s not completely out of the question, but they don¡¯t eat much when they¡¯re young. However, once they get a bit bigger, together they¡¯ll eat as much as piglets, and Qiaoqiao only has a few bowls of rice to eat every day, right?¡± Qiaoqiao counted, and then he became despondent again. ¡°So, I can¡¯t afford to keep the puppies?¡± Song Tan shook her head, ¡°How about this: from now on, each time Qiaoqiao helps with work around the house, your sister will pay you a wage¡ªhelping with selling vegetables, carrying baskets, 50 yuan each time.¡± ¡°Working in the fields, 50 yuan for half a day.¡± ¡°This money will be kept in your sister¡¯s hands. I¡¯ll keep a record of it for Qiaoqiao, and if you want to buy something for yourself or for the puppies, you can come to me for the money.¡± ¡°But if the money runs out, and there¡¯s no more work needed at home, you¡¯ll have no income, and the puppies will have to go hungry.¡± Chapter 50 - Chapter 50: 50. Secretary Wangs Future_1 Chapter 50: 50. Secretary Wang¡¯s Future_1 Little Pika, with the little yellow duck, the little clay dog, and Qiaoqiao, drove steadily on the road. Just then, a van ahead suddenly hailed and pulled over to the side of the road. Song Tan was startled and recognized the guy from the local Wind Speed Express. He hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°You mentioned you wanted to send a package before, why didn¡¯t you come?¡± ¡°Did you go with another company?¡± After a moment¡¯s thought, he seemed overly eager and quickly added, ¡°You¡¯re shipping perishables, right? Our Wind Speed is definitely the fastest, and after discounts for bulk, it¡¯s not much more expensive¡­¡± That was a bit of an exaggeration, wasn¡¯t it? Wind Speed Express truly lived up to the saying ¡°time is money¡±! The speed definitely wasn¡¯t thrice as fast, but the price after the discount was indeed three times higher! Song Tan also smiled, quite liking this forthright young man. She had previously overestimated her video¡¯s potential, thinking it would go viral and she¡¯d get hundreds of orders daily. Alas, her cultivation couldn¡¯t attract the flow of technology¡­ She sighed. So she apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I have to go into the city every morning now, so I¡¯ve been taking some parcels with me.¡± The young man¡¯s expression immediately relaxed¡ª as long as the orders weren¡¯t going to someone else, he still had plenty of chances! Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.§ã¦Ï Thinking this, he felt a bit petty for stopping to ask on his way, and quickly waved his hands: ¡°No worries, I was just asking. I brought in a batch of dry ice bags and foam boxes from the city. Everything else is manageable, but those dry ice bags are tricky to handle¡­ I was just wondering¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, I need to head into the city to ship goods, or I won¡¯t make the delivery tonight¡ªsend me a WeChat message if you have any packages!¡± This businessman sure was proactive! Song Tan sighed again and continued driving home¡ª Internet traffic, oh internet traffic, grace me with just a bit of your presence! Spend all night editing a video, and not a single new comment¡ªhow disrespectful! ¡­ And it was on this very morning. Secretary Wang had just returned to the office with documents when he received a call: ¡°Mr. Wang, right? Wind Speed Express is at the front gate, if it¡¯s convenient for you. Here¡¯s a box of fresh food for you. I¡¯ll bring it in, please check the goods.¡± Secretary Wang thought for a moment, then replied, ¡°Please bring it to the gate of the compound next door, and I¡¯ll call the guard to let you through.¡± Shortly after hanging up the phone, he saw his leader standing in front of him, apparently having heard bits of his conversation, who casually asked, ¡°Check what goods?¡± Secretary Wang stood there dumbly as he watched the Wind Speed Express man bring in a large box. He couldn¡¯t help but recall his own difficult experience buying groceries: ¡°It¡¯s the meal you had at the People¡¯s Hospital before. I found out it was sold by a local farmer, and I thought you liked it, so I bought a bit more.¡± However, Secretary Wang, who didn¡¯t cook, now realized belatedly looking at the big box that he may have¡­ bought too much. Secretary Wang felt a bit embarrassed, wondering if the leader would think he was out of touch with people¡¯s livelihoods. However, just as he was feeling anxious, he saw his leader¡¯s spirits lift visibly, and a hint of a blush appeared on his face: ¡°Secretary Wang, you¡¯re always so thoughtful¡­ Ever since having that meal in the canteen, the vegetables I¡¯ve been eating felt like munching on grass! Well done!¡± He turned, looking interestedly at the large box, ¡°What vegetables are there? Do you have shepherd¡¯s purse? If you do, I¡¯ll have the canteen make some dumplings.¡± Secretary Wang felt even more dejected, ¡°Leader, they said the wild greens are old and no longer for sale. This time they sold only one type¡­¡± The leader looked puzzled, ¡°Why are you hemming and hawing?¡± Secretary Wang was close to tears because at that time, the aroma had filled his head, and he impulsively bought whatever it was, without a second thought. Now in retrospect, he found it difficult to even respond: ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Milk Vetch.¡± ¡°Milk Vetch?¡± To become a leader, one naturally needs to be in touch with the common world. After all, someone who was seriously practicing in the countryside would certainly have a strong impression of Milk Vetch. At this moment, they weren¡¯t despising it, but merely curious: ¡°One gets tired of eating meat and fish all the time; now even Milk Vetch has become popular.¡± The courier had already opened the box, the styrofoam, ice packs, air cushions¡­ The entire box maintained a marvelous temperature so that when the air cushions were removed, the ten neatly tied bundles of fresh Milk Vetch inside made even the professionally trained courier pause: ¡°¡­ This is like paying meat prices for tofu.¡± He muttered to himself. The leader and Secretary Wang were also stunned. Then they picked up a bundle of the vegetable to examine it and eventually, with a slight movement in their throats, said in a mix of seriousness and jest: ¡°This vegetable¡­ looks quite fresh indeed.¡± Secretary Wang completely relaxed now, reclaiming the poised and considerate demeanor of a top secretary: ¡°Then I¡¯ll bring this vegetable home for you after work.¡± The leader laughed, ¡°This has come from far away and must have been expensive; I can¡¯t take advantage of you¡ªas for Milk Vetch, I¡¯ve never tried it before; let¡¯s taste it¡ªsend it to the cafeteria.¡± He spoke half-jokingly, half-seriously: ¡°Although Ning Province is picturesque, its economic conditions are average, and over the years we have not succeeded in creating a national representative crop.¡± ¡°The wild vegetables we ate at the hospital had a truly unique taste. If we could ensure a stable and large supply of similar agricultural products later, even if they¡¯re expensive, it would be a new opportunity and path for our rural revitalization.¡± ¡°Building a new countryside isn¡¯t just about constructing houses and paving roads!¡± ¡°Food is the most important thing to people; there¡¯s huge potential in this area!¡± The courier had already made it to the door and overheard parts of the conversation, instinctively looking back. He couldn¡¯t help but think to himself: This leader seems pretty decent¡­ However, Secretary Wang still in the office gave a bitter smile: ¡°You¡¯re right about the price being high¡ªwhether it¡¯s the wild vegetables we had last time or the Milk Vetch bought today, it¡¯s twenty yuan per half kilogram, and that¡¯s not even including shipping!¡± As he spoke, he couldn¡¯t help feeling aggrieved¡ªhow could they charge so much and not even offer free shipping? The leader was also stunned. ¡°Twenty yuan per half kilogram?¡± he murmured, ¡°These are indeed high-priced crops.¡± But thinking about the taste he became more excited: ¡°If this technique could be scaled up, then even if the farmers themselves could grow and strengthen it, it would be possible to bring back labor from the surrounding areas and create jobs for thousands!¡± ¡°Not bad at all! Secretary Wang, keep an eye on this and see if there¡¯s potential to increase production!¡± Secretary Wang also felt a surge of passion¡ªthis could be a big success, the future¡­ Oh, he dared not think too much about it! He steadied his emotions and responded firmly before picking up the box of vegetables: ¡°I¡¯ll go and take these to the cafeteria now; we can try them at lunch.¡± At this moment, he could only pray inwardly: ¡°Great Mark, bless these vegetables with a delicious taste!¡± Otherwise, just as the leader started paying attention to this matter, if he found the vegetable¡¯s quality to be not as good as claimed, that would be really embarrassing¡­ ¡°Wait!¡± The leader called out to him again: ¡°Last time we didn¡¯t know the price of the vegetables, and we ate the doctor¡¯s share. When you have time, arrange to send some fruits and vegetables over as compensation.¡± Secretary Wang nodded in agreement and then couldn¡¯t help but sigh¡ª That Dr. Zhang seemed honest but was fortunate indeed! With this trip to deliver goods himself, in the future at the hospital, if the other party didn¡¯t get a promotion or a raise, at the very least, he¡¯d be spared from annoying issues. Chapter 51 - Chapter 51: 51. Large Courtyard Canteen_1 Chapter 51: 51. Large Courtyard Canteen_1 Secretary Wang personally carried the box of vegetables to the canteen, where the head chef eagerly greeted him: ¡°Secretary Wang, what is this? Why are you personally delivering it?¡± Secretary Wang smiled: ¡°The leader tried a farmhouse dish last time and liked it, so we specially bought some for everyone to try today. You know, we don¡¯t know the first thing about cooking, so we rely on you!¡± The head chef immediately perked up to full alert! Even though it was for everyone, he couldn¡¯t be thoughtless as the order had come from a big leader. Now he was already pondering over the recipes in his head¡ª If it were delicacies from land and sea, there wouldn¡¯t be enough time to prepare them by noon. If it were some other rustic local produce¡­ how could he cook it to bring out a unique flavor that everyone would collectively praise? It wasn¡¯t until after bidding farewell to Secretary Wang, that the young apprentice opened the box and stared at the pile of vegetables, raising his head in confusion: ¡°Master, what is this?¡± The head chef leaned over and was also taken aback. He took the vegetables out and inspected them thoroughly from every angle, even breaking off a piece to taste. Finally, he confirmed¡ª ¡°This is Milk Vetch, isn¡¯t it?¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.§ã¦Ï Back in the old home, wasn¡¯t this just used as fodder for enriching the fields? Both cows and sheep ate it. ¡°Heh, you say¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t help expressing his doubt: ¡°Now with everyone eating so much meat and fish, not only are wild greens expensive, but even Milk Vetch is worth packaging and sending over?¡± Smoke was still wafting from the dry ice bag inside! The apprentice was young and hadn¡¯t eaten this before. In the end, he patted his stomach and chuckled naively: ¡°I¡¯m different, I just love meat!¡± The head chef looked at him and laughed, then scolded, ¡°What are you standing there daydreaming for? Hurry up, take out the cured meat and pot-cooked meat, and this vegetable¡ª¡± He pointed to another person: ¡°Clean it up properly.¡± Even though it was already very clean, it had been brought by Secretary Wang, so they had to be even more diligent. Meanwhile, in the compound. It wasn¡¯t yet time for the workday to end, but someone from the administrative office began sniffing around: ¡°What¡¯s that smell? It¡¯s so fragrant!¡± Just as they were talking, someone from the neighboring rural affairs office also poked their head in to ask, ¡°Is the canteen serving new dishes today? Why does it smell so good?¡± People from the administrative office were responsible for security and ought to know what new dish was being served in the kitchen today. But when they thought about it, today¡¯s food trolley¡ªwasn¡¯t it just the usual fare? The canteen couldn¡¯t possibly be doing something special, could it! The leader did have a private kitchen, but the person in question was practical and not too particular about food, often eating together with everyone in the large canteen. That had its benefits, as now the canteen was far from negligent in cooking, and was quite meticulous indeed. Consequently, everyone became more enthusiastic about eating at the canteen. Now, as people from several departments mingled, they were more convinced that there was a grand dish being served today. Thus, as soon as it was time to leave work, anyone who wasn¡¯t caught up with tasks rushed straight into the canteen! Ironically, the person who provided the vegetables was still entertaining visitors from the city. Of course, Secretary Wang had to remain at his post, smelling the tempting aroma wafting in from outside the window and glancing through his friends¡¯ circle at everyone¡¯s praise for the canteen (primarily for the leader)¡­ And then, his stomach unfortunately betrayed him with an uncontrollable growl. Coincidentally, the leader had just walked the guests out of the office. Now that the room was quiet, the rumbling from his stomach was all the more conspicuous. Secretary Wang swore: never in his life had he felt so embarrassed! But fortunately, the leader truly was a considerate boss, who now broke into laughter, dispelling the awkwardness: ¡°Look at us, chatting away and forgetting all about mealtime¡­ Old Qian, would you do us the honor of trying the taste of our compound¡¯s canteen this noon?¡± The guest revealed a perfectly timed smile: ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to say, earlier I caught a whiff of something delicious, our canteen really keeps its light under a bushel!¡± Secretary Wang finally got smart at this moment and complained jokingly: ¡°Then you¡¯re really not aware. This canteen was just average before, but today at noon the leader brought over a box of farm-fresh vegetables. Who knows what kind of magic the chef worked, stir-frying them so fragrantly? Once work was over, everybody headed there!¡± That aroma was exactly the same captivating scent I smelled last time in the hospital canteen! Meanwhile, in the canteen, the chef was also in a dilemma. Everyone was holding their plates, crying out at the serving window¡¯s empty counter: ¡°Hurry up, isn¡¯t that a big portion there? Add some more for me¡­¡± ¡°Add to mine first, to mine first¡­¡± ¡°Brothers and sisters, you got here early and have already had seconds, I only got a taste before the dish was gone!¡± ¡°Did our chef hit the jackpot today? He¡¯s brought out all his hundred years of skill!¡± The chef couldn¡¯t stop smiling: ¡°I¡¯ve told you, it¡¯s not my skill, it¡¯s the leader¡¯s doing. I don¡¯t know where he bought these farm vegetables, how they turned out so delicious¡­¡± At the same time, he had to dissuade the crowd: ¡°You¡¯ve all had some, no more, no more, I have to save the rest just in case the leader wants to eat!¡± Still, someone drooled in discontent: ¡°It¡¯s already this late and he hasn¡¯t shown up; he might even go out to entertain guests at noon¡­¡± No sooner had the words fallen than three persons were seen slowly approaching the canteen entrance. After a moment of silence, everyone quickly changed the subject awkwardly and scattered like birds and beasts. Seeing the guest from afar, the chef felt joyful inside¡ª Today, he must make a good impression! So he hurriedly said: ¡°Oh, leader! The vegetables you brought this morning were so fresh and tender. Once stir-fried, everyone gobbled them up, and it was with great difficulty that I managed to save this bit¡­¡± He wasn¡¯t lying; as the insulated lid was lifted, a fragrant aroma wafted out. The crisp, slightly spicy scent of meat, the freshness of the greens, and the medley of flavors altogether couldn¡¯t stop the visitor¡¯s stomach from rumbling with a growl. At that moment, Secretary Wang managed to keep a straight face, but inside he felt a profound relief. The leader also seemed impatient: ¡°I thought this batch of Milk Vetch wouldn¡¯t be as tasty as the last, but it smells just fine.¡± Although it seemed a bit inappropriate to entertain a guest with such a simple wild vegetable, today¡¯s visitor was certainly no stranger. The three of them sat down cheerfully and soon each picked a refreshing dish to try. ¡°Hmm!¡± After the short exclamation of surprise, the dining table quickly quieted down. Then, there was the continuous sound of picking food, chewing, and swallowing. Lucky for the chef that after finding the dish good, he made the quick decision to save so much; otherwise, the three seated there might not have had enough to eat. The apprentice added rice while whispering, ¡°Our leader really cares about his health, this is the first time I¡¯ve seen him eat three bowls.¡± The chef glared at him: ¡°You talk too much.¡± And in a separate small dining hall within the canteen, Secretary Wang resisted the urge to loosen his belt and surveyed the empty, chaotic plates in front of him. He thanked himself a thousand times for not impulsively leaving the boss¡¯s random group chat. It¡¯s fine if shipping¡¯s not included, I¡¯ll buy it anyway later! Now, as one of us, the visitor was even more casual in his speech: ¡°Leader, which vendor sold these vegetables? You must give me a recommendation. After this meal, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll be craving it tonight.¡± Chapter 52 - Chapter 52: 52. Can I buy a bit more?_1 Chapter 52: 52. Can I buy a bit more?_1 And in the distant city of Jiangzhou. A young man cradled a bowl, slurping up the last of his vegetable soup. The elderly woman beside him asked, ¡°Son, did you really break up?¡± The young man paused, ¡°Yeah, we broke up.¡± The other party suddenly became anxious, ¡°Look at you! Why make a fuss over a trivial matter? Young people quarrel, but you can¡¯t take it seriously! Besides, we are just country folks!¡± ¡°But I feel uncomfortable inside.¡± ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve been meaning to say, when I followed Wa Qianqian home, her parents were neither warm nor welcoming. They saw me as a rural guy with no stable job, not good enough for her.¡± ¡°Being there for a few days felt quite unpleasant.¡± The speaker was indeed Wa Qianqian¡¯s ex-boyfriend, Xin Jun. Xin¡¯s mother felt a bit uncomfortable inside. Still, she advised, ¡°You¡¯re a man, what are you afraid of a little grievance? They raised their precious daughter and are willing to marry her to you, to have your children. Enduring some hardships proves you cherish her.¡± ¡°When your dad married me, he worked three years on your grandpa¡¯s farm before your grandpa gave his blessing.¡± ¡°Look at us now, did your dad lose out? I am capable! I can cook delicious meals. Our family-run farm makes how much money a year? Isn¡¯t it all thanks to me?¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï??0.§ã? Xin Jun fell silent. His father had injured his leg in a car accident before and it still pained him from time to time, truly unable to do much work. But these words his mother spoke only in private with him, facing his dad, she was still warm and caring every day¡­ It was the very atmosphere of his own family that he found so good, which is why he wanted to find a forthright girl who didn¡¯t hide her true feelings, and that¡¯s how he came to know Wa Qianqian slowly. Yet, once small disputes arose between young lovers, if they blew up, the relationship would shatter. ¡°Why don¡¯t you communicate with Qianqian properly? Some things are better once talked through. If she is wrong, you reason with her. Ask Qianqian when she is free to visit our place? Although our farm is in the countryside, it¡¯s quite big, and mom has saved up more than a million for you. You can keep that for Qianqian¡¯s work or for buying a house.¡± ¡°Your dad and I are still young; we don¡¯t need you accompanying us at home every day.¡± Some families raise sons and daughters and can¡¯t bear to let go, always needing to have them in sight to feel secure. But Xin¡¯s mom and dad were always open-minded, as long as their son was doing well, what did it matter where they were? Raising a son wasn¡¯t just for the sake of looking after them in old age, it was also for companionship and growth. Moreover, they were managing their family-run farm with passion and enjoyment¡ª they didn¡¯t want to be with young people all the time. Of course, Xin¡¯s mom couldn¡¯t put all these profound truths into words, but she thought her son was pretty good. A girl he had his eyes on couldn¡¯t be far off the mark. Who doesn¡¯t occasionally speak without thinking? If they change, that¡¯s good enough, right? Seeing that his mother was about to persuade him further, Xin Jun couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and finally told the truth: ¡°Mom, it¡¯s not just about that! Initially, when she insulted me as a country bumpkin, I was angry, and we had some conflicts. Qianqian did apologize later.¡± Xin¡¯s mom didn¡¯t understand, ¡°Then why be so petty? She apologized, can¡¯t you just forgive her?¡± Xin Jun gave a bitter smile, ¡°But just after we made up, I took her out to dinner one night, and she ran into an old classmate on the way.¡± The two of them started chatting casually. But as Xin Jun watched Wa Qianqian¡¯s demeanor, his heart felt increasingly bitter. It¡¯s nice to greet an old classmate, but Wa Qianqian had to talk to them in a hesitant tone: ¡°Do you still remember our high school classmate, Song Tan?¡± ¡°Let me tell you, she has grown up to be so pretty now. But, you know, sometimes family circumstances really hold you back.¡± ¡°She¡¯s from a rural family and even has a mentally challenged brother¡ªher parents must be really harsh. I heard Song Tan used to work in Ning City, but the other day I saw her at the market selling vegetables with her foolish brother!¡± ¡°And the prices were so high, it was obviously a ploy to win sympathy with her brother¡¯s condition.¡± ¡°If you ask me, it¡¯s definitely her parents forcing her to take care of her brother. Otherwise, with Song Tan¡¯s looks, landing a rich husband would be a piece of cake!¡± Gossip of this kind, especially when it treads on the pain of others, has always been well received by the public. So, the old classmates chatted excitedly and got along even better. By the time they were leaving, they even hypocritically suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we find time to organize a reunion? If there¡¯s really trouble, there¡¯s crowdfunding now, isn¡¯t there? We can donate some money.¡± Xin Jun felt really uncomfortable at that moment. He couldn¡¯t quite describe the feeling, but as he looked at his girlfriend, who was in a good mood and even humming a tune, he suddenly felt like she was a stranger. On the way home, he voiced his opinion: ¡°Qianqian, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s nice of you to talk about our classmate like that.¡± ¡°I noticed she seemed very positive despite being with her brother, not at all like someone who¡¯s oppressed or treated harshly at home.¡± ¡°Besides, she and her brother seem close, and the vegetables sold well. It¡¯s not about winning sympathy.¡± ¡°Talking about crowdfunding and donations with your old classmates tonight, wasn¡¯t that a bit hurtful?¡± He felt he was being very reasonable, but Wa Qianqian saw it as nothing short of infuriating¡ª In her mind she thought: [Why are you paying such close attention? Are you developing feelings for her? Do you have other ideas? I¡¯m your girlfriend; you should be supporting me unconditionally! Song Tan deliberately refusing to sell me vegetables and causing me to lose face, and you don¡¯t even stand up for me. Now you have the nerve to criticize me?!] Wa Qianqian¡¯s expression suddenly turned sharp. ¡°Fine, I should have known you¡¯d be swayed by her pretty face! Of all the sellers in the market, why did you insist on buying from her?¡± ¡°What, you think because she¡¯s a country girl with a mentally challenged brother, she¡¯d be easy to manipulate? Maybe she¡¯d even marry into your family without a dowry, ready to serve your parents in that backwater of yours!¡± ¡­ Xin Jun let these thoughts out and finally sighed: ¡°Mom, I know she wants me to love her without logic, but I can¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°Every time I think about Qianqian saying I want to trick someone into marrying into our poor valley, it hurts.¡± ¡°I know how she sees me: she thinks I don¡¯t understand brands, I don¡¯t have much for living expenses, saying my family has money is just me showing off in front of her. She¡¯s been condescendingly tolerant of me¡­¡± ¡°When I went to her house for dinner and talked to her uncle and aunt, asking them to bring Qianqian to visit my hometown, I wanted them to see for themselves. But her mother said right in front of all the relatives: Many college girls are tricked into going to the countryside¡­¡± Xin Jun said this helplessly. ¡°Mom, what can I do?¡± He liked Wa Qianqian, but not to the point of life or death. In the end, it could only end this way. Since things had come this far, Xin¡¯s mother also felt it truly wasn¡¯t suitable. Although she believed that showing sincerity when marrying a daughter-in-law meant enduring some hardships, these could involve physical work or money, but not personal dignity. After much thought, she carefully asked: ¡°Now that you¡¯ve broken up, can we still buy some more Milk Vetch?¡± She was planning to blanch them and freeze them, so that each table of guests could have a serving of Milk Vetch soup later on, a slow but sure way of earning quite a bit more¡­ Chapter 53 - Chapter 53: 53. Unscrupulous Capitalist_1 Chapter 53: 53. Unscrupulous Capitalist_1 Song Tan returned home to find that rice grain seeds were being sun-dried in the yard. ¡°Mom, are you getting ready to plant the seeds already?¡± Wu Lan glanced at her and said irritably, ¡°Of course, we are! You¡¯re the one whose lips flap about planting this and that; we¡¯re the old bones who end up getting tired!¡± Song Tan thought to herself that if it were the old days, she would definitely be worried. But now, with Spiritual Energy silently nourishing them daily, just look at the two of you; even young people can¡¯t compare! But what could she do with her own mother? All she could do was cajole her in a gentle tone: ¡°Isn¡¯t raising children just like this? Care for a child for a hundred years, worries for ninety-nine. By that calculation, mom, you still have over forty years of worries ahead of you!¡± While chuckling, she quickly pushed Qiaoqiao towards her: ¡°Mom, look, your precious son found treasures on the road too!¡± Wu Lan looked down: Wow! Three little puppies!!! Snorting and wiggling without a clue, they pushed towards her, clearly starving. Thus, she got even more irritated, rustling up a bag of milk powder that had been opened who knows how long ago (she was too stingy to use unopened ones), grumbling to herself: ¡°It¡¯s stressful enough taking care of you, and now I have to care for three more dogs!¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã¦Ï However, Qiaoqiao had already calculated his own salary within a hundred on his way home and confidently declared: ¡°Mommy, you don¡¯t have to care for them! I will, I have money!¡± Is this really a matter of money?! Silly boy! Seeing that his mother was really about to lose her temper, Song Tan hurriedly brought the box from behind for her to see: ¡°Mom, look, this is what my aunt specially got someone to find for me! These ducklings are four yuan and fifty cents each, a good deal, right?¡± Wu Lan took a closer look, even picking up two to examine carefully. Hearing the ducklings quacking so loudly, a satisfied smile appeared on her face: ¡°Not bad, for such good quality, around here they would sell for five yuan each! You must have over a hundred, so that¡¯s fifty or sixty yuan cheaper than others!¡± ¡°Very good, very good.¡± She was extremely pleased, as though she had picked up the ducklings for free. Looking at the flock of ducklings, her eyes were filled with affection. Qiaoqiao, still confused and holding the dogs, stood there, not understanding why his mother¡¯s love shifted so quickly¡­ But he quickly found himself something to do¡ª ¡°I¡¯ll make a nest for the little dogs!¡± Wu Lan immediately instructed, ¡°Take a basket and pad it with your old baby clothes¡ªstraw will do too!¡± Song Tan also hurried along, ¡°I¡¯ll fence off an area for the ducklings, they¡¯re too small to be let out just yet¡­¡± She was stopped by Wu Lan again: ¡°I¡¯ll do it, you go and turn the rice seeds over, let them dry in the sun more.¡± ¡­ The rice seeds from two fields weren¡¯t much, and after turning them a few times with a bamboo rake, Song Tan¡¯s phone rang. She stood there and chatted for a bit before breaking into laughter, ¡°Mom, tell dad not to rush to the beehives and wood ear mushrooms tomorrow, help out with picking the Milk Vetch instead.¡± ¡°Just got a customer from out of town asking if we could ship a hundred pounds.¡± A hundred pounds? That¡¯s two thousand yuan! Wu Lan gasped, ¡°How much will the postage cost?¡± For such an amount, they would definitely not be using express delivery but freight instead. Song Tan laughed, ¡°They said they will send the driver¡¯s contact information later and I just have to deliver the vegetables at the appointed time tomorrow.¡± Wu Lan made a quick decision: ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll talk to your dad about it tonight.¡± However, it wasn¡¯t long before the phone rang again. Song Tan looked down and saw that Secretary Wang had just placed an order for twenty pounds in the group chat. Checking the records, the previous ten pounds had only been shipped yesterday, so they should have just arrived today. Excellent, online regular customers may be elusive, but real-life ones were plentiful. She sent a reply and then realized that many people had added her as a friend in the contacts list, and almost all addresses were from Ning City¡­ Song Tan sighed, ¡°Well, this two thousand yuan will just pass through my hands; I need to find someone to develop this little shopping app.¡± It might not even be enough. But before developing the app, dealing with these fragmented orders was not an easy task. They were busy with all sorts of things, tea leaves, black fungus, and there were pigs, ducks, and bees¡­ They really didn¡¯t have a moment to spare. And to pack these vegetables, they needed air cushions and dry ice; it was all in several pounds, ten pounds, eight pounds, with different addresses to boot. Song Tan thought for a moment and messaged the courier guy she had met before: ¡°If I bring my vegetables to you, could you help with packing and shipping?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± The other party replied promptly: ¡°Courier packaging is part of our job, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t miss a single air cushion column or dry ice for your vegetables! I¡¯ll weigh each package and send you a photo.¡± ¡°You just need to give me the specific contact details and how many pounds you need, I guarantee there won¡¯t be any mistakes.¡± Finally, a customer! Running Wind Speed Express in a rural town was not easy! The young guy made big promises and then asked, ¡°How many packages are we talking about? I only have enough air cushions and dry ice bags for about two or three boxes at my place.¡± Song Tan glanced at her ever-increasing orders and hesitated for a while: ¡°Maybe you should prepare around a hundred and eighty for now, I¡¯ve got over thirty orders already.¡± The courier guy: ??? Could happiness come this unexpectedly? ¡­ With the confidence of a returning customer, Song Tan stopped caring about her video views. She decisively updated her profile, removing the words ¡°free shipping.¡± Anyway, she was breaking even. She would continue making videos, but whether people bought anything or not was up to them, no free shipping. This bold attitude left her feeling very happy, and when she was giving Spiritual Energy to the little ducks, she was much more generous. A buzzing sound came from the storage shed, and seeing that Qiaoqiao wasn¡¯t there, Song Tan cautiously opened the box to take a peek¡ª She saw Queen Bumblebee rocking back and forth with a wax can under her butt, hatching larvae. However, her round head was desperately trying to move closer to her, attempting to get some extra Spiritual Energy. She was really cute. Song Tan dipped her finger in some Spiritual Energy and gently rubbed the furry little body. Satisfied, both human and insect, she closed the box. Turning around, she saw Qiaoqiao standing by, looking at her accusingly: ¡°Big sister, didn¡¯t you say we shouldn¡¯t touch it?¡± Song Tan wasn¡¯t the least bit scared: ¡°But am I not about to pay you your salary? Those who pay salaries are the bosses, and bosses can do things you might not be able to.¡± Qiaoqiao stood there looking puzzled, then carefully peeked inside the shed¡ªunfortunately, it was too dark, and he could see nothing. And at this moment, capitalist Tantan started calling for her long-term worker Qiaoqiao again. ¡°Is the doghouse ready? If it¡¯s ready, come and start working.¡± Song Tan handed him a hoe. ¡°Dig over the garden at the entrance. If you do well, we¡¯ll start sowing the seeds for the seedlings the day after tomorrow.¡± She coaxed Qiaoqiao, who was reluctantly leaving the three puppies: ¡°Look, there¡¯s fifty yuan for digging until it gets dark. Then you can buy a bell for your dog, get it nice clothes, and also buy toys and snacks. Buy some meaty bones!¡± ¡°And get some biscuits for your Big White.¡± Fifty yuan was being painted by the ruthless capitalist to seem as significant as five hundred. Qiaoqiao was indeed fired up! He gripped the hoe tightly, ¡°I¡¯ll definitely do a good job!¡± Chapter 54 - Chapter 54: 54. A dish_1 Chapter 54: 54. A dish_1 Online, the pastoral life is poetic and romantic. In reality, the rural life spins like a top. 71-year-old Song Youde got up just after five o¡¯clock. As the sky was just beginning to brighten, he expertly slipped into his old-style army green shoes, grabbed a large basket, and headed straight for the distant fields. The milk vetch in the early morning grew exceptionally lush and vibrant, its verdant greenery also dappled with glistening dewdrops. A light fog hung over the low-lying fields, and even during the dimly lit morning, the scene was still romantic. However, as an old farmer, Song Youde had seen this sight all his life, and at this moment, he had no inclination to admire it, focusing instead on bending over and swiftly, accurately, and fiercely picking large handfuls of milk vetch. Handfuls of milk vetch were packed into the basket, and just when it was about to overflow, those aged hands pressed it down hard. Not until the basket was heavy did he straighten up, satisfied, and slowly make his way home with the basket slung over his shoulder. By now, it was just after six o¡¯clock. A wisp of smoke was already rising from his home. Wang Lifan had aged, her back now slightly hunched, but this did not affect her efficiency. At this moment, she was already seated in front of the large stove, having lit a fire and cooked a large pot of pig feed. Pumpkin, sweet potato, corn, rice bran, and wheat bran churned together inside, releasing a sweet fragrance into the air. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï???.§ã¦Ï This pig feed was intended for the five little pigs up on the mountain. Normally, it wouldn¡¯t be the old couple¡¯s job to do this, but their son and daughter-in-law were also incredibly busy every day, barely touching the ground with their feet. Considering they were old and slept less, finding themselves awake early, they thought cooking the pig feed wouldn¡¯t be too much effort. And so, they took over this task. Song Youde came over, picked up a large shovel, and stirred the feed, watching as it neared readiness, and then mixed in large handfuls of milk vetch directly into the pot. Just a quick blanching released an enticing aroma. The piglets were still young, and since it was cool in the morning, Song Youde didn¡¯t dare let them eat plants wet with dew. Wang Lifan put out the fire in the stove and couldn¡¯t help but give her nose a little wrinkle: ¡°Our Tantan should just come back home to farm, look at the good fortune from the heavens!¡± ¡°Everything grows better when she¡¯s back.¡± ¡°During New Year¡¯s I felt like nothing had flavor, I just couldn¡¯t get excited about anything I ate, but I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because I¡¯m working more or the food is just that delicious, I¡¯ve been having such a good appetite every day, always hungry on time!¡± The old lady sighed with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s the fate of the poor, not able to enjoy the comforts of life even when there¡¯s no work to do.¡± Song Youde nodded too, ¡°I feel it as well, I used to cough a lot when it got cold, but I¡¯ve been noticeably more comfortable lately.¡± Wang Lifan¡¯s smiling face faded away: ¡°Throw away that tobacco pipe around your waist, and I guarantee you¡¯ll feel even more comfortable in your lungs.¡± Song Youde: ¡­ What¡¯s the purpose of living a life, right? There are some habits he can¡¯t give up. The stubborn and irresponsible old man pretended not to hear her, holding onto such thoughts. He ladled the cooked pig feed into a bucket nearby using a gourd dipper, and while waiting for the feed to cool down, he took the remaining milk vetch from the basket and squatted in front of the chopping board in the courtyard, chopping it vigorously with a ¡°swish swish swish.¡± After the milk vetch was finely chopped and mixed with crushed corn and a bit of millet, Song Sancheng also came over. He shouldered a carrying pole, with a large bucket of pig feed on each end, and then added the finely cut wild vegetables on top. He also cautioned, ¡°Dad, could you find some time this morning to go around the back mountain and check if the chicken and duck coops need anything else?¡± ¡°Tantan bought over a hundred ducklings yesterday. They¡¯ll be cooped up at home for a few days before we let them out on the mountain.¡± Wang Lifan also remembered, ¡°We have ducklings now? That¡¯s great, my chicks have hatched too, and after raising them for a few days they seem pretty robust¡ªabout seventy or eighty of them. I¡¯ll have your dad bring them over later.¡± Song Sancheng wasn¡¯t the least bit shy. He picked up the carrying pole and even instructed the old lady, ¡°Mom, make some breakfast later, Tantan¡¯s party went into the fields early in the morning to gather Milk Vetch; they probably won¡¯t have time for breakfast.¡± One hundred pounds! Wang Lifan couldn¡¯t help but be astounded: ¡°These days, life is really different from before. There are more wealthy people, and they¡¯re willing to spend on good food.¡± But thinking about the taste of Milk Vetch¡ªjust looking at those pigs grunting hungrily in the mountains, fighting over food as if they hadn¡¯t eaten in eight hundred years, one would know it must be delicious! However, the old lady wasn¡¯t content to stay home tending to the stove; she put on some airs: ¡°Let¡¯s just eat something simple this morning. I¡¯ll boil some dumplings and make a vegetable pancake with this Milk Vetch, then I have to eat quickly; I need to go up the mountain to pick tea leaves!¡± The tea plants have grown so well, incomparably stronger than before! The four people they hired yesterday each picked over five pounds. But the old lady, being advanced in age, with failing eyesight and slower hands, had harvested less than four pounds, which left her privately chagrined. That¡¯s one hundred yuan a day! The old lady was seriously making a career out of this. Song Sancheng was helpless: ¡°Mom, look at you working so hard at our own family chores. Tantan has long said he¡¯d pay you both a salary, but neither of you will accept it¡­¡± Song Youde snorted: ¡°Just doing some farm work, why the need for a salary? What, can¡¯t I eat the crops I helped grow or what?¡± The older they get, the more childish they become. Sometimes, a single wrong word could lead to a quarrel between the old couple. Song Sancheng decided it was best to keep quiet. Right now, he picked up his carrying pole and off he went to the back mountain, swaying leisurely. Ah, how can one say these days haven¡¯t been fruitful! Because of his age, he used to find carrying a pole somewhat strenuous on the back. Now, it¡¯s a different story; he¡¯s spry and quick-footed like a young man! The path to the back mountain had been slightly smoothed out by their frequent use these past days; it¡¯s now steady underfoot. The piglets seemed to have heard him from a distance; their cries from within the pigpen grew even louder and more piercing, as though they were undergoing some unbearable torment. Song Sancheng could remember how, in the past, the pigs would also cry around feeding time, but their cries were nothing like the clamor of today. This is also why they cooled the pig feed at home to the right temperature before carrying it up the mountain. It¡¯s simply because the pigs eat as if they¡¯re starving, totally disregarding the feed¡¯s temperature. As he poured the thick feed into the trough and watched the five little pigs jostle and compete, snorting as they ate, a look of fascinated amusement spread across Song Sancheng¡¯s face. He watched for a while, then wandered around the already-well-built chicken and duck coops nearby, not noticing anything else that needed doing. He would wait for the old man to have a look later. The chickens and ducks just needed to grow a little bigger, and then they could be moved to the mountain at any time. But before that, it wasn¡¯t enough to just enclose the mountain with a net; they also needed a couple more dogs as guards. Reliance on Big White and the three new local pups they¡¯d recently taken in¡­ Ah, they wouldn¡¯t be enough for a decent meal! As he pondered, he suddenly heard someone shouting from the foot of the mountain: ¡°Sancheng! Are you home?¡± Chapter 55 - Chapter 55: 55. Tea Quality_1 Chapter 55: 55. Tea Quality_1 Song Sancheng hurriedly responded, ¡°I¡¯m here, waiting!¡± He quickly picked up the shoulder pole and descended the mountain. Standing at the door was Zhou Maozhu from the same village, who had been entrusted with the task of roasting their tea leaves this time. Roasting tea leaves also depended on the heat control; some were too fierce, others not heated enough, resulting in a product that wasn¡¯t always up to expectations. Only Zhou Maozhu had worked in those large tea factories in his youth and had now the most reliable skills. It was arranged for tea leaves to be gathered every evening and taken to him for processing overnight. This year the tea leaves were exceptionally lush, such that even with five people harvesting, the quantity was significant. Zhou Maozhu¡¯s house didn¡¯t have a tea roasting machine, which likely meant a long night ahead. But in the village, it was his craftsmanship that was the best, and his house still had a tea roasting stove. Other places were, firstly, too distant, and secondly, nowadays people used tea roasting machines for mass production, which didn¡¯t cater well to individual processing. Upon seeing Song Sancheng, Zhou Maozhu couldn¡¯t help but reveal a smile on his equally weathered face: ¡°Sancheng, your family is truly blessed by the God of Soil this year, just look at these tea leaves!¡± He opened the transparent plastic bag he was carrying, and instantly, a burst of fresh fragrance filled the air! ¡°Yesterday, in total, twenty-five jin and two liang of Maojian were sent over. You said there was no need to sift, so I didn¡¯t; I saw that all that was picked was quite pure, hardly any leaves.¡± In their locale, the most popular tea leaves were Maojian, which had only a single bud tip. Next came those with one leaf, and the value decreased as more leaves were included. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.§ã? Specialist tea farming households would strictly grade the tea and set different prices accordingly, but Song Sancheng¡¯s family only had that much land, so there was no need for such measures. Zhou Maozhu reached into the bag to show him a handful of dry, dark green tea leaves covered with a layer of white fuzz: ¡°Three and a half jin yielded one jin of finished tea, and after roasting, there¡¯s just over seven jin in total. But didn¡¯t you say you wanted to sell some? I dried it extra thoroughly for better preservation.¡± ¡°However, because of that, this time we got exactly five jin of dry tea. When you have time, you can pick out some of the leaves.¡± Both being seasoned workers, as soon as Zhou Maozhu mentioned the numbers, Song Sancheng knew whether they were accurate or not. Smelling the refreshing tea aroma, he felt an immediate thirst and nodded, quickly ushering the man inside: ¡°Come on in, let¡¯s steep a couple of cups and check the soup color!¡± Top-quality Maojian must never be brewed with boiling water; fortunately, the water in the household thermos was heated early in the morning. It was an old thermos with fairly poor insulation, so by now, the temperature was probably just right. Song Sancheng took out two glass cups, grabbed two pinches of tea leaves, gave them a quick rinse, and eagerly began to assess their quality. ¡ªThere was nothing professional about it, it was all based on experience. As the clear water cascaded over the leaves, the dark green dry tea instantly started to unfurl in the water before gradually expanding to reveal a delicate and vibrant green color. A subtle fragrance slowly spread throughout the room, and Song Sancheng couldn¡¯t resist taking a deep breath, truly feeling as if the God of Soil was looking after them, blessing their fields with his spirit! When had he ever smelled tea leaves as fragrant as these in his life? Zhou Maozhu gazed at the upstanding Maojian in the cup with pride and joy in his eyes: ¡°Sancheng, your family¡¯s tea leaves this year are truly remarkable!¡± ¡°They had just been put in the pan yesterday, and the aroma was instantly unleashed! While fixing the green, I felt refreshed and increasingly comfortable just smelling it.¡± ¡°The more I roasted, the more fragrant it got. The whole courtyard smelt crisp and clean. The refreshing effect was quite strong; I haven¡¯t had the chance to taste it yet¡ªI might have inhaled too much of the aroma. I stayed up all night, and I¡¯m still not the least bit sleepy.¡± When Zhou Maozhu talked about fixing the green, he wasn¡¯t referring to a movie wrap-up, but to the initial step in their local tea roasting process, mainly to bring out the tea¡¯s fragrance, evaporate moisture, and make the leaves soft enough for rolling. Generally, tea leaves emit a wet tea fragrance during this process, a flavor quite unique. But to be so invigorated just by smelling the aroma of tea being fried, and to have Zhou Maozhu, who had worked in a large tea factory, say that¡­ Song Sancheng sniffed the strong fragrance filling the room and couldn¡¯t help but beam with joy. It was at this moment that Zhou Maozhu couldn¡¯t help but ask sheepishly, ¡°Sancheng, how do you plan to sell this tea? Once the tea is fried, could you set aside a pound for me?¡± How to sell? Song Sancheng didn¡¯t know either! He only knew that his daughter was capable; she could turn wild vegetables from the field into twenty-one pounds. As for this tea¡­ Dare not think, dare not think. But at this moment, Zhou Maozhu¡¯s request wasn¡¯t excessive. He started to think that with the small yield, frying the tea wouldn¡¯t take many hours, and the wages they¡¯d negotiated with Zhou Maozhu were a hundred and twenty a day. With his skills, if he went out to work, despite the toil, he could easily earn three to four hundred yuan a day! No matter how expensive this tea was, in the past, the pork butcher would still have to bring something back home, so if it was due, it should be given! Song Sancheng made a decision: ¡°Old Zhou, judging by this year, our Tea Mountain should produce quite a bit, and I reckon you¡¯ll have some late-night work to do for a while. Giving you some tea, definitely possible.¡± ¡°But as for the weather and yield, one cannot be certain. Provided that they¡¯re all about the same as today, then I¡¯ll take the liberty¡ª¡± ¡°How about this, I¡¯ll give you a pound of the pre-Ming tea!¡± ¡°Two pounds of the Yuqian Tea.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s more to follow, then a total of five pounds for the summer and autumn teas, how does that sound?¡± Most Maojian teas are at their most expensive right before Qingming, followed by Grain Rain, and by the time summer tea comes around, the price drops significantly. Of course, there¡¯s tea for the summer heat and White Dew Tea for autumn, each with their own flavor. It all depends on whether this year¡¯s teas are worth such a long investment. The gift Song Sancheng offered was more than generous. It was all because he saw Zhou Maozhu as a conscientious and honest person. With someone else, the tea leaves could be sneakily taken during frying, and by taking one or two every day, a substantial amount would accumulate in a month. Song Sancheng then smiled awkwardly, ¡°You know that right now, this area is all managed by our Tantan. We, as her parents, are just lending a hand.¡± That implied that he couldn¡¯t give more or make decisions on his own. Zhou Maozhu was already content, even overwhelmed with joy. ¡°Great, great, great! I know your tea will definitely sell for a high price! Rest assured, I will fry your tea leaves to the best of my ability, wasting not a bit.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± he was already rubbing his hands, expressing his admiration: ¡°Such great tea, that Yuqian Tea I will save to enjoy slowly for myself.¡± ¡°If the quality of the summer tea remains like this, giving it to my son to take as a gift would be even better than those few thousand outside.¡± Song Sancheng laughed, ¡°You¡¯re choosing summer tea as a gift for your son? Why don¡¯t you choose the Yuqian Tea?¡± But Zhou Maozhu shook his head: ¡°You don¡¯t understand, I¡¯ve never drunk tea this good in my life. Why would I give such an exaggerated gift?¡± The most important thing was, with five pounds of summer tea, giving one pound at a time; if the recipients liked it and asked for more, it would be convenient to strike while the iron¡¯s hot! ¡°For our small family, it¡¯s just about doing what¡¯s within our ability; summer tea is fine.¡± Chapter 56 - Chapter 56: 56. Courier guy ecstatic_1 Chapter 56: 56. Courier guy ecstatic_1 After sending off Zhou Maozhu, just as Wang Lifan hurried over to make breakfast, she fed the chopped milk vetch to the ducklings that had just arrived home yesterday. The fluffy, chubby ducklings weren¡¯t a bit shy or annoyed by the change of environment; instead, they were lively and hasty. Seeing that food was available, they flapped their wings and wiggled their tails as they rushed over, bouncing on top of each other to compete for food. Their tender ¡°quack quack¡± sounds were particularly adorable. This sight made Wang Lifan¡¯s face crease into a blooming smile: ¡°Eat up, eat up! This is feed that costs twenty yuan per jin! If those two fields hadn¡¯t been used to feed the cows, it wouldn¡¯t have been your turn to eat this¡­¡± As she spoke, she scattered the leaves from the basin into their small enclosed space. Meanwhile, she peeked inside the house¡ªwhy was there no movement? Why hadn¡¯t her son come out to do chores? The old lady thought about how everyone had gone up the mountain to pick tea leaves. Being slow and falling behind made her anxious on the inside. By the time the dumplings were cooked and the green vegetable pancakes were ready, even Song Tan and the rest had returned, yet Song Sancheng still hadn¡¯t come out of his room, which annoyed Wang Lifan immensely: ¡°What are you doing at home? Everyone¡¯s been busy as tops since early this morning. Why are you still holed up inside?¡± Song Sancheng finally came out of his room, reluctant to part with the tea leaves¡ª they were too good, but there wasn¡¯t a big enough freezer at home. After moving things around, not only was there no space in the fridge, but he also couldn¡¯t fit back the items that were originally inside. At this moment, the house was still a mess. Now that his mother had called him out, and seeing the mud on his wife Wu Lan¡¯s feet and the dew on her pants, he guiltily held a cup of green, fragrant tea and offered it as if revealing a treasure: Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?0¦Í??.§ã¦Ï ¡°Look at this tea, how fragrant, how sweet!¡± Wu Lan declined the offer with thanks, as she didn¡¯t care for tea.. However, just as she was about to refuse, the unique aroma wafted through the air, making her change her tune, ¡°Let me try.¡± Then she took a big gulp, a sight that made Song Sancheng¡¯s forehead twitch, his pain and reluctance unable to be concealed. But Wu Lan didn¡¯t notice anything; instead, she pretended to be a connoisseur: ¡°Not bad, not bad at all. The tea is fragrant and refreshing, a little bitter at first, but then a sweet taste spreads from the throat. It¡¯s pretty good¡ª how much will we sell this for?¡± She tilted her head back and took another big gulp, finishing the cup of tea. After all, she had been to the field early in the morning and had to drink a lot when she returned. Wu Lan¡¯s brutish way of consuming the tea made Song Sancheng¡¯s eyelids twitch. Song Tan, however, checked the time, ¡°No rush¡ª Mom, you go ahead and eat with Qiaoqiao. I¡¯ll sort out all the orders first, and then take them straight to town later.¡± The tea leaves weren¡¯t going anywhere; there was no rush to taste them. Instead, with the sun being warm these past days, she needed to sell the vegetables quickly before it got hot. Otherwise, once the sun shone, their appearance wouldn¡¯t be as nice. Her phone had added quite a few new friends last night and received several new orders, and with the small team from the vegetable market, today Little Pika would be packed full. Luckily, the one hundred jin she was sending out of town didn¡¯t need to be bundled, saving her a lot of effort. For this, Song Tan even generously added five more jin to cover any losses. By that calculation, the morning was far too busy! ¡­ Bright and early, Wind Speed Express in Qingxi Town was already open and waiting. The owner, named Zhang Hua, was only twenty-five this year. He had invested all his money earned from working to open this Wind Speed Express franchise, thinking that being the only one in town, it couldn¡¯t possibly do too badly. He forgot that with the aging population in the village and towns, there are few young people living around here. With the courier fees starting at twenty yuan, people are even more reluctant to spend. After struggling for two years, he barely managed not to lose money. In the current challenging environment, he had even decided that if there was no improvement this year, he would simply go work in a factory next year. Screwing bolts would have more prospects than entrepreneurship! Who knew that his luck would turn now! Zhang Hua counted his packing boxes, dry ice bags, and bubble columns for the Nth time while praying in his heart, ¡°Dear God, please let that girl have a lot of orders! I haven¡¯t had such a good start in two years!¡± Just then, a car stopped at the door, and Zhang Hua¡¯s heart skipped a beat; he hurried out and, sure enough, saw the familiar pickup truck! And the person who was handing down baskets from the back. ¡°Sister, are these the two baskets?¡± Song Qiao picked up the heavy baskets and carefully handed them down. Song Tan was checking her phone; without even lifting her head, she stretched out an arm to catch the baskets and then set them down firmly. Zhang Hua watched in fear¡ªthose baskets of vegetables were not light! Song Tan confirmed the order again: ¡°There are a total of 52 orders, all in Ning Province; the weight of each order varies, adding up to a total of 156 jin¡ªhere, we¡¯ve weighed them out, each measure one jin and two liangs. The two liangs are for loss.¡± Then she moved her hands and sent all the address records over: ¡°Boss, you said last time you¡¯d give me a discount for picking up fifty orders. Now you don¡¯t have to pick them up, so the discount should be bigger, right?¡± Zhang Hua was already ecstatic. He nodded enthusiastically: ¡°Definitely a discount, definitely a discount!¡± But then he started to worry: ¡°If they were all small parcels, it would be no problem to give you a thirty percent discount, but many of these are overweight, so the specific shipping cost still needs to be calculated¡­¡± Indeed, the largest order was for ten jin at once. He would have to figure out if he needed to divide it into several packages¡­ Song Tan understood as well: ¡°There¡¯s no rush to settle accounts. In addition to what was left over last time, I¡¯ll transfer another thousand to you. These goods must be shipped out today, and there can be no loss during packaging. I¡¯ll come back at noon from the city center, and we can settle the account in detail. What do you think?¡± Although she was straightforward, she did not intend to be taken for a fool. To prevent the courier from getting carried away, Song Tan added another sentence: ¡°Of course, if the discount you offer isn¡¯t attractive enough, I go to the city center every day. It would be more efficient for me to find someone there to ship the goods.¡± Zhang Hua¡¯s heart jumped again: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, our company has certain subsidies for agricultural products shipped from rural towns. If you¡¯re not in a hurry, after the goods are dispatched this afternoon, I¡¯ll come directly to your house. This way, I can calculate the charges in detail and, if someday you need me to pick up the goods, I can also familiarize myself with the route¡­ How does that sound?¡± The young man has promise! Isn¡¯t that what business needs¡ªa smart person? Song Tan nodded: ¡°Okay! It¡¯s settled then!¡± She then looked outside at the weather: ¡°Qiaoqiao, cover the rest with the straw mat, it¡¯s time for us to head to the bus station.¡± Their arrangement with the freight driver was to meet near the bus station. It seems he was a relative of the customer, so he had specially instructed them that there was no need for packaging; they could just deliver it directly. Song Tan sighed¡ªindeed, wholesale was less hassle. Especially since her wholesale prices were not cheap. Chapter 57 - Chapter 57: 57. Great-aunt buys groceries_1 Chapter 57: 57. Great-aunt buys groceries_1 ¡°` Hurry as she might, Song Tan still arrived at the vegetable market a bit late. By the end of March, the weather was getting warmer, and the variety of vegetables at the market was increasingly splendid. No sooner had Song Tan arranged her baskets than she saw the vendor next to her staring eagerly at her. Ever since that neighboring vendor had awkwardly purchased a bunch of milk vetch, they had been eyeing her produce each day with that same conflicted look, which she had now grown accustomed to. Truth be told, it was a tough situation for the vegetable vendor. Having tasted Song Tan¡¯s produce once, they couldn¡¯t stop thinking about it. But as a fellow vendor, buying from a competitor was like feeding the enemy¡ªa sight their customers shouldn¡¯t witness, right? So, they grappled internally every day, beset by this dilemma. By the time they had finally made up their mind to buy¡­ Alas, she had already packed up for the day. Today, he was still caught in this vicious cycle of indecision, oblivious to the dewy, tender bok choy in front of him. When Song Tan caught sight of this, she felt a hint of craving herself. After all, to her, milk vetch charged with spiritual energy was still milk vetch, and after eating so much of it, she really started to grow tired. Bok choy, however, was different. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã0 Crunchy and fresh, free from any bitterness, with a short growing cycle¡ªthe fastest could be harvested in just a dozen or so days, not to mention leaf mustard, which grew in bushels¡­ If she spurred them with spiritual energy, perhaps they would be ready in about two weeks. Considering this, milk vetch would be finishing in about a week. After a brief interval to let customers cool off and save up some money, she would then¡ª Strike with real veggies! Song Tan made up her mind on the spot: She would supervise Qiaoqiao in the afternoon to diligently dig the garden and plant the seeds tonight! ¡­ The two hundred pounds of milk vetch she brought today were as popular as ever. As no weighing was needed and payments were made in whole numbers, customers were quickly completing transactions through mobile payments; Qiaoqiao had been handling less cash than before. His actions had become adept; unless he spoke, no one could tell there was anything amiss. Auntie Mao Li browsed the vegetable market for quite a while and, upon seeing a crowded group ahead, couldn¡¯t help but join in. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on there?¡± she asked a vendor in front of her while nonchalantly breaking off a leaf from the bok choy in her hand. The vendor was also watching the commotion and absentmindedly replied: ¡°That¡¯s the milk vetch seller, twenty bucks a pound¡­¡± The words came out tinged with both sourness and envy. However, turning his head to see the older woman¡¯s actions, he couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes: ¡°Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing breaking my bok choy? If you¡¯re going to buy, then buy.¡± Mao Li continued to break leaves off with a sense of entitlement: ¡°I am buying vegetables here, and I obviously can¡¯t take these old leaves. I¡¯ll break them off first¡ªI assure you, I¡¯ll buy what I¡¯ve handled.¡± The vendor caught her hand: ¡°Look here, big sister, this season¡¯s bok choy has hardly grown, there aren¡¯t any old leaves. You should buy it if you want it, but don¡¯t waste it otherwise.¡± Mao Li then got annoyed: ¡°Who says I¡¯m not buying¡ªI am right here, am I not? How much per pound?¡± ¡°Six yuan fifty.¡± ¡°Tsk,¡± Mao Li sighed, ¡°You vegetable sellers are getting more and more ruthless. Back in the countryside, this would be given away for free.¡± The marketplace had plenty of such folks¡ªbedecked in chunky gold chains and little bracelets, haggling over vegetables endlessly. ¡°` The vegetable vendor also raised his voice, ¡°Aren¡¯t we from the countryside as well? Besides, this is the price of vegetables this season, look around the entire market if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± Mao Li failed in her haggling and with a huff, she stuffed the six or seven small turnips she¡¯d broken off into her bag, ¡°Weigh these for me.¡± Then she grabbed another bag and put the leaves she had picked off into it, ¡°No one wants these old leaves anyway, I¡¯ll just take them all away together.¡± They had already been broken off, and it was too late to stop her. Now if she suddenly decides she doesn¡¯t want them, what can the vendor do in a society ruled by law ¨C beat her up? The vegetable vendor had no choice but to weigh them with a sullen face, ¡°Seven yuan and fifty cents.¡± Mao Li, knowing her way around, rummaged through the little purse around her waist and pulled out some change: ¡°What age is this, you still ask for fifty cents? Just seven yuan.¡± The vegetable vendor slapped the QR code in front of him, ¡°Scan the code.¡± His face dark with anger, Mao Li didn¡¯t dare to go too far; she reluctantly scanned the code with a mutter and mumbled that she would never come back again. The vendor was so irritated that when he turned his head, he saw others rushing to the stall that was about to close and selling Milk Vetch, squeezing their way through! ¡­ Mao Li only noticed her niece after the crowd had dispersed ¡ª that¡¯s right, that Milk Vetch wasn¡¯t anything special, probably the only stall in the whole market that sold it. But seeing everyone walking away with their bags full made her feel sour inside. ¡°Tantan dear, you¡¯re a college graduate. I thought you were just playing around. Never expected you to really start selling vegetables. My my, look at this crowd! You¡¯ve built a reputation for yourself!¡± Qiaoqiao¡¯s face crumpled instantly: ¡°Great-aunt, Qiaoqiao sells vegetables too!¡± Mao Li glanced at her and ignored her, continuing to praise Song Tan instead: ¡°You¡¯re beautiful and also so diligent. Wait for your great-aunt to find you a good match. Then you can stay in town and won¡¯t have to struggle.¡± She lowered her voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, with your beauty and education, when the time comes, I¡¯ll ask for a big dowry for your family, then Qiaoqiao won¡¯t have to worry about money when she gets married.¡± Song Tan raised an eyebrow: What does she mean by this? Looking for trouble here? She also mustered a fake smile, ¡°Great-aunt, came to buy vegetables? There are still three pounds left, sixty yuan in total.¡± At that price, Mao Li¡¯s actions of sifting through the three bundles of vegetables on the ground suddenly froze. ¡°Twenty yuan a pound?¡± Incredulously she said, ¡°My child, even if you want to make money, you shouldn¡¯t do it this way! Milk Vetch is so worthless even cows would disdain it, and you¡¯re charging your own relative twenty yuan a pound?¡± She stood up, her expression serious: ¡°Tantan dear, as your elder, I must say something about this.¡± ¡°Selling vegetables is fine; our family doesn¡¯t look down on you for losing face, we¡¯re all working people.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t planning to buy anything, the market is too far and things are expensive. It was your sister-in-law, kind-hearted as she is, who said we should support family business no matter what ¡ª and here I am, but you, kid, not only are you dishonest in selling vegetables, but you also don¡¯t respect family ties?¡± Song Tan¡¯s expression remained calm: ¡°Great-aunt, the vegetables at twenty yuan a pound, I last gave you five pounds for free, isn¡¯t that enough family affection?¡± ¡°My vegetables are known to be this price throughout the whole market. If you want to eat them, then buy them, but drop the talk about support; I don¡¯t lack customers.¡± ¡°As for whether it¡¯s dishonest or not¡­ if my goods are good, they¡¯re worth the price. If you¡¯re reluctant to spend, there¡¯s a lady waiting behind you.¡± Indeed, behind her stood a lady in a silk jacket with a delicate jade bracelet on her wrist, her hair done impeccably, looking far more respectable than the great-aunt. She was enjoying the spectacle ¡ª not just her, but all the surrounding vegetable vendors were watching the excitement. Caught off guard to be mentioned, she was polite enough to respond: ¡°Indeed, the girl¡¯s vegetables are good, we buy from her every day at home ¡ª she came a bit late this morning, my daughter couldn¡¯t wait and had to leave for work. She told me to come back especially.¡± As she spoke, she deftly scanned Qiaoqiao¡¯s code to pay, ¡°My dear, pack the remaining three bundles for auntie.¡± Chapter 58 - Chapter 58: 58. Do people actually buy this?_1 Chapter 58: 58. Do people actually buy this?_1 Someone actually bought them? Aunt Mao Li was dumbfounded. And¡­ and she had come to the market today with a mission! The five bunches of Milk Vetch from yesterday¡¯s lunch had started out as just one dish, but they couldn¡¯t resist and ended up cooking all four remaining bunches. Hardly anyone ate the meat that was stewed at noon; they just gobbled up the vegetables until they were completely full. They might have had their fill at noon, but by evening, nothing was left! Her granddaughter Song Ziyi came back from art class in the afternoon, and seeing none of Qiaoqiao¡¯s vegetables on the dinner table, she immediately burst into tears. Although Aunt Mao Li constantly nagged about ¡°needing roots¡± and ¡°needing grandsons,¡± these were words she dared not say to her daughter-in-law. And her granddaughter was the family¡¯s treasure. Now that she was crying, how could they bear it? The family did everything in their power to soothe her, and promised that she would have the dish tomorrow, which finally calmed her down. Later, her daughter-in-law added, ¡°Mom, why don¡¯t you also visit the market tomorrow? They¡¯re our relatives after all, and it¡¯s good that Ziyi likes their vegetables. Supporting their business wouldn¡¯t hurt.¡± She then turned to ask Uncle Song: ¡°Dad, how much did Tantan say the vegetables were per pound today?¡± Uncle Song surely remembered Qiaoqiao mentioning twenty, but in his eyes, how could something that grew in the ground be priced so high? Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ??¦Í?¦Ï.§ã¦Ï Thus, he still responded without hesitation, ¡°A few bucks, I guess? Two bucks maybe?¡± Mao Li clicked her tongue in disapproval, ¡°These young people have too many ideas. Back in our day, we would¡¯ve just fed this to the pigs, yet now they¡¯re making money off it.¡± But inwardly she felt relieved, ¡°All this work hardly makes any money; forget it, I¡¯ll buy five pounds tomorrow.¡± The family was busy working out their calculations, but the moment they got to Song Tan and her opening price of twenty yuan per pound, Aunt Mao Li¡¯s defenses were shattered. They were relatives after all. Song Tan didn¡¯t plan to fall out with them over such a trivial matter¡ªshe had to consider Comrade Old Song¡¯s dignity, right? So, she put on her standard smile again: ¡°Aunt, why don¡¯t you look somewhere else? I¡¯m about to close up shop here.¡± But I haven¡¯t bought anything yet¡ªMao Li stood there, recalling her granddaughter¡¯s wailing and the exorbitantly priced vegetables, and felt even more upset. After some thought, she nonetheless turned around and said: ¡°Fine, we¡¯re family after all. I understand it¡¯s not easy for you kids to do business. Let it be twenty then; give me one pound.¡± While peering into the basket, she warned, ¡°Tantan, you better not give me short weight, or I¡¯ll have to ask your parents what kind of education you received.¡± Song Tan thought to herself that she had been selling vegetables for a few months now, and this was the first time she had seen a relative trying to undermine her! Besides, she had just said she was sold out. Qiaoqiao had already picked up the baskets, shouting, ¡°All sold out!¡± ¡°How can they be sold out?¡± Aunt Mao Li pointed to the baskets, ¡°Aren¡¯t there a few bunches left? Aunt has brought you money; why don¡¯t you want it?¡± But Qiaoqiao shook his fluffy little head happily and with a cheerful tone, said, ¡°No way, those are for my auntie!¡± Mao Li felt a pang in her heart at that moment. ¡°Twenty yuan a pound, and you¡¯re giving away so much?¡± After hearing this, Song Tan began to wonder how she had managed all these years. She looked over with a smile that was not quite a smile, ¡°Great-aunt, I sent the same amount to your house, too. It can¡¯t be five pounds for my dad¡¯s brothers and four pounds for my mom¡¯s sisters, right?¡± Even Mao Li, who had a bellyful of words, found them stuck in her throat at this moment. But the taste of yesterday¡¯s vegetables¡­ She then displayed a friendly smile again, ¡°You child, what are you saying! Am I someone unreasonable?¡± ¡°It¡¯s mainly Ziyi, she insists on eating Qiaoqiao¡¯s vegetables, you know, children don¡¯t understand¡ªhow about this, you just even out a handful for me today?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t your aunt your own relative too? Just make it up to her tomorrow,¡± she said. Song Tan burst out laughing, without sparing any face, ¡°So I deliver four handfuls today and one more tomorrow? Are these ginseng or wild vegetables I¡¯m delivering?¡± ¡°Great-aunt, since Ziyi likes them so much, I¡¯ll give you this face. Either you buy all the remaining vegetables, or you don¡¯t worry about how much I send to my aunt,¡± Song Tan said. Could Mao Li really bear to spend a hundred dollars on these worthless wild vegetables? That would be utterly impossible. Besides, being confronted by a younger person in front of everyone at the market, where were her face and dignity? The great-aunt rolled her eyes with a sullen expression: ¡°Tantan, your great-uncle and I have been in the city for so many years, we have no lack of connections. We were even thinking about introducing you to a good match! Is this how you treat us?¡± ¡°Forget it, leftover slop for pigs. If it weren¡¯t for the sake of family, who would be willing to buy it with money?¡± she said as she turned and stormed off. Song Tan also had a darkened expression¡ªfortunately, the customers had all left by then. Otherwise, if she were to say such things in front of everyone, Song Tan might have slapped her on the spot. Therefore, she also raised her voice, ¡°Great-aunt, if you really despise them, just vomit out yesterday¡¯s vegetables.¡± The Great-aunt stopped in her tracks but then hurried away even faster, clacking her little boots. As soon as she left, the neighbouring vegetable vendor came over with a big smile and said coyly, ¡°That, um, bring more tomorrow morning, I want five pounds.¡± While talking, he quickly shoved a hundred dollars her way, as if he were a thief. Song Tan was well aware, ¡°How about it, the vegetables are delicious, aren¡¯t they?¡± The vendor nodded reluctantly, ¡°Is the soil and water from your old home really that good? Have you considered growing some other vegetables?¡± Song Tan¡¯s thoughts stirred: ¡°There are, but it¡¯s not the season yet, just too lazy to bother with the greenhouse now. We¡¯ll talk about it next month¡ªsince you sell vegetables here every day, which vegetables have better market prospects?¡± The vendor looked at her and sighed, ¡°You can make Milk Vetch taste this good, why worry about what variety to grow? Just grow whatever and sell it, you won¡¯t lack for buyers.¡± Song Tan never expected that of all her customers, the one who had the most confidence in her would be this competitor! She was quite touched, ¡°Alright, just for that comment, when the new vegetables are out, I¡¯ll give you the opportunity to jump the queue!¡± The vendor rolled his eyes, ¡°I set up my stall right beside you every day, do I even need to jump the queue?¡± He didn¡¯t take it seriously; after all, he had already bought the vegetables and had become quite thick-skinned, so he casually added a sales pitch: ¡°By the way, if you plan to sell vegetables here every day, you might as well try to rent a permanent spot¡ªsee that, the delineated area, inside the shed, those are all permanent stalls. It¡¯s yours whether you come or not, no worries about wind, sun, or rain.¡± ¡°Your vegetables are expensive, with a higher profit margin than ours; you won¡¯t lose out having a stall. If there weren¡¯t so few spots here, and if it weren¡¯t for needing to pull strings with someone, I would have gotten one a long time ago.¡± Song Tan did have her eye on the stalls inside, but since selling vegetables wasn¡¯t on a large scale yet, she figured on waiting a while. Hearing his advice now, she joked, ¡°Oh my, turns out you¡¯ve been selling vegetables illegally for seven or eight years, brother?¡± Chapter 59 - Chapter 59: 59. Consider renting a booth_1 Chapter 59: 59. Consider renting a booth_1 At this remark, the vegetable vendor was not pleased. ¡°What do you mean ¡®illegal vending¡¯?¡± ¡°All my veggies come from the suburban gardens, I don¡¯t make much even after flipping them a few times. If I had to rent a stall, I¡¯d make less money than a street sweeper in a month.¡± He didn¡¯t hold anything back. Aside from the occasional local farmers from the surrounding suburbs selling their produce, the market was mostly made up of such stalls. The vegetables weren¡¯t necessarily cheaper, but they won out in freshness, and there were often deals to be had, which was why they were so popular with the masses. However, fortune didn¡¯t favor the vendor. He missed out when the market stalls were being assigned by the city, and since he didn¡¯t sell in large volumes, it didn¡¯t make financial sense for him to get one. His advice to Song Tan was indeed well-meaning¡ª ¡°Occasionally setting up a stall here is perfectly fine, ¡®people don¡¯t report it, officials don¡¯t bother with it,¡¯ but girl, you¡¯re making no small amount of money from these vegetables. I¡¯m watching from the sidelines, green with envy.¡± He was half-joking, half-serious, and his words carried a tinge of sarcasm. At twenty bucks a pop, anyone who looked at the accounts even briefly could see they were clear. The Milk Vetch she grows practically costs her nothing, meaning she¡¯s netting a good two or three thousand a day. It¡¯s worth a month¡¯s earnings for those little stalls. Who wouldn¡¯t be jealous? The vegetable vendor dreamt of striking it rich every single day! Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï???.?¦Ï ¡°All it takes is for someone to make a report, and tomorrow law enforcement will come knocking.¡± When money¡¯s involved, there¡¯s never peace, and the vendor was well aware of that. Song Tan¡¯s expression grew serious too. Truth be told, the time she spent vending each session was only an hour or two at most, and half the market doesn¡¯t have fixed stalls and operates for the whole morning; technically, it shouldn¡¯t be troublesome. But like the vendor said, once someone reports you, they¡¯re definitely informed about the timing. They¡¯ll catch you without fail. The vendor, seeing her youth and fearing she didn¡¯t grasp the severity, looked over at the blissfully bubble-blowing Qiaoqiao before he continued: ¡°Even if there¡¯s no report, when it warms up, the city does inspections¡ªtwo or three times a year. Your Little Pika, parked here, would that be appropriate?¡± ¡°Miss, you should ask around for yourself.¡± No need to ask around, city inspections happen every year, including in Ning City. Song Tan was sincerely grateful: ¡°Thanks for the heads-up!¡± She then tried to give back the hundred yuan: ¡°We¡¯ve been neighbors for so long, what¡¯s the need for money? I¡¯ll definitely bring some for you tomorrow!¡± Glancing at the time, she called out to Qiaoqiao: ¡°Let¡¯s go, Qiaoqiao, we have to deliver vegetables to your aunt!¡± The sibling pair roared off in their Little Pika, leaving the vendor chuckling at the money in his hand: Selling vegetables for so long, and just today I learned we¡¯re neighbors! That girl has some cheek; she¡¯s cut out for business. The business-savvy Song Tan was still pondering over the stall situation as she drove. She had moved to Ning City for work right after graduating and switched from working in the labor system to the agricultural system, knowing absolutely no one. But no matter! When she pulled up to the famous Jinyue Bay Wholesale Market in downtown, Song Tan had already managed to post a message in the group chat¡ª [Dear customers, the store owner plans to rent a stall at Riverside Market. If anyone knows somebody, please refer them to me! A generous reward will be offered upon signing the contract!] She might have lacked connections, but with so many people buying vegetables every day, surely someone would have a tip. Meanwhile, Qiaoqiao, carrying a small basket, gazed wide-eyed at the wholesale market¡¯s rows upon rows of large trucks and the mountains of various fruits, exclaiming in awe¡ª ¡°It¡¯s so big here, so huge!¡± Song Tan smiled: ¡°Of course it¡¯s big, this is the largest wholesale market in our city!¡± Song Tan¡¯s maternal aunt, Wu Fang, and her husband Zhang Hong, ran a storefront here, specializing in fruit wholesale. Fruit wholesale was by no means an easy job. Starting early and finishing late to settle accounts, and all the lifting and carrying, it was indeed tough work. But the couple were honest workers. Although they didn¡¯t make as much money as others at the beginning, over the years they had built up a good reputation, and now their life was quite acceptable. Song Tan followed the address she¡¯d been given before and found her way there, with Qiaoqiao obediently trailing behind, her excitement apparent upon seeing the distinct style of the place compared to other buildings. ¡°Sis, there are so many fruits!¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°If you live here, can you eat them every day?¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°Then, can Qiaoqiao live here too?¡± ¡°Mhm¡­ no.¡± Song Tan looked at him: ¡°You have to pay to eat here. Do you have money?¡± Qiaoqiao was not so naive now, looking eagerly at her: ¡°I do¡­ I have a salary!¡± Song Tan counted on her fingers for him to see: ¡°You dug in the vegetable garden yesterday, fifty yuan. You accompanied your sister to sell vegetables today, fifty yuan.¡± ¡°That makes a hundred yuan in total. You have to feed your three puppies, buy your own toys, Peppa stickers. You also have to pay for your own snacks¡ªQiaoqiao, it¡¯s not enough!¡± Qiaoqiao wasn¡¯t worried though: ¡°I will dig in the garden again when I go back today! It will grow more and more!¡± This silly kid. Song Tan felt helpless¡ªwasn¡¯t this something she would have to coax him about? ¡°Okay, when we go back, we¡¯ll soak the seeds, and you can dig the garden well, then we can plant in the evening.¡± Bok choy, feather vegetable¡ªthose that can be densely planted were perfect to make good use of the garden first. As they were talking, they came upon a storefront with a sign that read £ÛDahong Fruit Wholesale£Ý. A couple was unloading fruit from a truck at the entrance! ¡°Auntie!¡± Song Tan called out, and without waiting for a response, she climbed up onto the truck: ¡°Which ones do we move? I¡¯ll help!¡± Qiaoqiao had already positioned himself skillfully below the truck. The auntie was not tall, and a bit thinner than Wu Lan, wearing old clothes with a face full of surprise: ¡°Tantan, when did you come back? Get down quickly, the fruit is heavy, you can¡¯t¡ª¡± Her words trailed off. That was because Song Tan nonchalantly picked up a basket of fruit and passed it down. Qiaoqiao quickly took it and stacked it to the side. The two of them coordinated especially well, anyone unaware would think they did this for a living! Auntie¡¯s husband, Zhang Hong, came out of the warehouse and was taken aback when he saw them: ¡°Oh, you two, no need to help, come down, I¡¯ll grab you a couple of oranges!¡± Seeing that they didn¡¯t move, the uncle became anxious, directly taking a pomelo from the side: ¡°Qiaoqiao, come, uncle will peel some fruit for you.¡± Qiaoqiao turned his head, he didn¡¯t like pomelo because the ones Wu Lan bought for the New Year in the village were very sour: ¡°No, I have to work.¡± His sister had said that earning money was hard, and he could make fifty yuan today, so he couldn¡¯t be lazy. Song Tan, however, took a moment to survey the truckload¡ªdue to the early spring, people¡¯s desire for consumption was low, so there weren¡¯t any particularly expensive fruits on the truck, the cherries that sold well at the year¡¯s end were nowhere to be seen, the only somewhat expensive ones were the domestic large cherries. She thought of the mountainous land back home, which they hadn¡¯t been able to care for this year, only utilizing Chestnut Woods. But if they were to develop it in the long run, it shouldn¡¯t go to waste either. What kind of fruit should they plant? Chapter 60 - Chapter 60: 60. Real Man Zhang Yanping_1 Chapter 60: 60. Real Man Zhang Yanping_1 With two more people helping, a truckload of goods was quickly moved out. Uncle felt quite embarrassed; his own son was still upstairs, and here he was, asking relatives, and a girl at that¡ªto help, even though this girl was stronger than him. Being an honest man, he didn¡¯t know what to say, so he simply brought out two boxes of fruit, ¡°Here, Tantan, Qiaoqiao, have some fruit.¡± Aunt was busy planning to buy groceries, intending to have lunch with the siblings. However, both Song Tan and Qiaoqiao shook their heads. Song Tan declined because she found the food outside barely palatable. Qiaoqiao was thinking: Could he possibly buy another toy set at noon? Their refusal was so firm that Aunt stood there hesitantly and finally picked up the fruit from the table, ¡°Then I¡¯ll wash some of these big cherries for you!¡± Song Tan quickly stopped her, ¡°Auntie, really, there¡¯s no need! These big cherries cost over a hundred yuan per jin, you keep them to sell!¡± This honest couple¡¯s way of showing kindness was to insist on offering the best they had. After the cherries were refused, they brought out another box of fruit: a box of shiny golden kiwis. ¡°You eat, you eat¡­¡± Aunt hastily peeled one for Qiaoqiao, ¡°Here, Qiaoqiao, taste this Jiapei Golden Kiwi. They sell for more than ten yuan each in the market! Tell me, what does it taste like?¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã? The implication was that they hadn¡¯t even indulged themselves with such expensive fruit. Song Tan couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°Auntie, if you who sell fruit don¡¯t taste them to check the flavor, what will you do if you buy some that don¡¯t taste right?¡± Auntie¡¯s laugh was honest and simple, ¡°Isn¡¯t your Brother Yanping at home? He¡¯s picky with his food¡ªif it¡¯s expensive in the market, he¡¯ll eat it. He can tell right away whether it¡¯s good or not.¡± Song Tan was curious, ¡°Brother Yanping is at home?¡± Brother Yanping, named Zhang Yanping, was Aunt¡¯s only son, two years older than Song Tan. Why was he still at home now of all times, when there was no special occasion? When it came to her son, Aunt sighed. ¡°Your brother lacks ambition. I told him to go out and work, but he said he¡¯d help with the family fruit shop.¡± ¡°But at home, he doesn¡¯t seem to do any work and has managed to spoil more than a dozen crates of imported fruits. We¡¯ve scolded and beaten him, but he says that we¡¯ll be old one day and he will have to take care of the fruit shop, and now he¡¯s starting his practice¡ª¡± ¡°By practicing eating during the day and playing video games till midnight! Your uncle and I are worried sick!¡± It really wasn¡¯t a case of Aunt and Uncle spoiling their child; they were simply at their wits¡¯ end! Zhang Yanping had been at home for two years since graduating. Aunt had long been urging him to go out and find a job, even going so far as to stop giving him living expenses. But Zhang Yanping was like a lump of trouble, a brass pea, loud and clear! When his living expenses were cut off, he just came back home when he got hungry and hovered around the kitchen at meal times. If that didn¡¯t work, he¡¯d rummage through the fruit in the storage, always going for the most expensive ones. The habit made Aunt and Uncle tremble with anxiety, They could lock up the doors to the house and the storeroom, but this unruly kid went as far as calling a locksmith. In the end, unable to pay the fee, the locksmith called his parents to come and settle the bill. They thought about giving up and not giving any money, letting the police handle it¡­but the couple still held onto the dream of being civil servants! How does the saying go? The end of the universe is the civil service exam. In the eyes of this honest couple, nothing was more stable and enviable than a civil servant¡¯s job. Even if the salary was low, they still had a fruit shop, which was enough. Now, fearing a police record might jeopardize their chances, they were extremely troubled. Qiaoqiao, listening by their side, didn¡¯t understand but looked expectantly at Aunt, ¡°Where¡¯s brother?¡± Aunt pointed towards the stairs, ¡°He¡¯s upstairs sleeping! Who knows what time he played games until last night. Qiaoqiao, go and play with him!¡± Though Zhang Yanping was a troublesome block, he was actually quite protective of his family and had played with Qiaoqiao before. Children always idolize the older kids, and he clearly held a special place in Qiaoqiao¡¯s heart. As expected, Qiaoqiao ran upstairs with the kiwifruit, clomping along: ¡°The fruit is so sweet, I¡¯m going to share it with brother!¡± She had obviously forgotten she also had an older sister. Song Tan didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. It was only then that her aunt finally found the time to ask, ¡°Tantan, how come you¡¯re here?¡± Song Tan repeated the same old line, ¡°Work was too exhausting, so I quit my job to rest at home for a while, and I¡¯ve been helping out with farming during this time.¡± Her aunt quickly advised her, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t stay too long though, farming isn¡¯t easy work. For a young lady like you, getting all tanned wouldn¡¯t look nice at all!¡± It was then that Song Tan brought over her little basket: ¡°Auntie, the vegetables from our farm are really tasty this year. Many people are scrambling for this Milk Vetch. I¡¯ve saved a few bunches especially for you, you can try stir-frying some for lunch.¡± No sooner had she finished speaking than she saw her uncle had already peeled another kiwifruit and was handing it to her: ¡°Tantan, have one.¡± Song Tan couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for her aunt¡ª A few sentences exchanged, and twenty to thirty yuan disappeared just like that. Song Tan knew all too well how thrifty her aunt¡¯s household usually was. But since the fruit was already peeled, she took it, put it in her mouth, and quickly covered the box and moved it aside. The sweet juice burst in her mouth, mingling with a familiar murky scent, which wasn¡¯t exactly a pleasant taste. However, Song Tan was somewhat used to it by now and simply mumbled, ¡°Uncle, no need to peel any more, just tasting is enough, save the rest to sell.¡± Her uncle chuckled good-naturedly: ¡°You don¡¯t visit often, so have more.¡± Her aunt also cast off her worried expression: ¡°Tantan, don¡¯t be shy, eat more. Take this box back with you later¡ªanyway, if it stays here, it¡¯ll just get devoured by your Brother Yanping.¡± For a mother to refer to her own son eating fruit as ¡®causing chaos¡¯ showed just how much of a ruckus Zhang Yanping must have been making. Song Tan felt a twinge in her heart. Before she could even process her thoughts, she heard her aunt asking, ¡°Tantan, with you all farming this year, are your parents not going to work in the city for the second half of the year?¡± Song Tan nodded and began to calculate on her fingers: ¡°We have to plant rice in two fields, grow vegetables, sunflowers, and on the mountain, we¡¯re also cultivating wood ear and silver ear mushrooms. We¡¯ve pruned the chestnut trees a bit as well, and we¡¯ll probably stock the fish pond with some fish fry¡­¡± ¡°This year, we even raised five pigs on the back hill. The pork will definitely be tasty during the New Year. Auntie, I¡¯ll bring you some when the time comes!¡± Her aunt was dumbfounded: ¡°With that much to do, can your family handle it all?¡± Song Tan felt helpless¡ªthe money was already spent, and she wanted to earn more quickly, hence she had taken on more than she could manage. ¡°My grandparents are pitching in to help. We haven¡¯t officially started planting yet, so we can manage for the time being.¡± But ¡®for the time being¡¯ was just that, and in a few days, they¡¯d have to hire people to work again. Just at that moment, there was a commotion from the stairway, and Qiaoqiao¡¯s cheerful voice rang out: ¡°Brother Yanping, let¡¯s go throw stones!¡± ¡°Nope. Kid, I don¡¯t play with stones anymore.¡± Zhang Yanping¡¯s languid voice also contained a yawn. ¡°Brother Yanping, let¡¯s play hide and seek.¡± ¡°Qiaoqiao, your brother Yanping has grown up now. Can¡¯t hide anymore.¡± ¡°Brother Yanping, let¡¯s go watch Peppa.¡± ¡°What Peppa? Real men watch Ultraman!¡± Chapter 61 - Chapter 61: 61. Happy to have a new long-term worker_1 Chapter 61: 61. Happy to have a new long-term worker_1 Song Tan chuckled. She remembered promising Qiaoqiao she would show him Ultraman, but they had all been so busy lately that this silly boy had completely forgotten about Ultraman after getting a few toys. He hadn¡¯t even watched it yet! Peppa had ultimately managed to retain its status. Just then, her aunt asked in a coy manner: ¡°Tantan, look at your Brother Yanping¡¯s physique and frame. Why don¡¯t you take him back with you to work on the farm?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t care about anything else. Just let him stay in the mountains and work hard.¡± ¡°If he doesn¡¯t behave, don¡¯t feed him.¡± ¡°Let him realize just how hard making money really is!¡± The saying goes that sparing the rod spoils the child, and now the whole wholesale market knew her son was no good. For the past couple of years, there hadn¡¯t even been anyone willing to set him up on a date, which made Song Tan¡¯s aunt both anxious and irritable. She had heard that her sister¡¯s family was farming¡ªfarm work is great, it¡¯s tough and it tempers people. The scorching sun is the perfect place for her son! Zhang Yanping, who was familiar with the process of rummaging through boxes for fruit, immediately panicked: ¡°Mom!¡± Song Tan had the same thought¡ªafter all, Zhang Yanping was a tall guy over six feet, hefty and strong. Wouldn¡¯t it be a waste if he didn¡¯t wield a hoe or shovel? Even if he couldn¡¯t adapt at first, over the long term, he could become a good labor force! Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ??¦Í??.§ã¦Ï The two struck a deal immediately! Song Tan readily promised, ¡°Auntie, when have I ever let you down? Don¡¯t worry, Brother Yanping will definitely not starve when he comes back with me.¡± ¡°But the work in the fields is pretty tough, too. Don¡¯t feel bad when he gets tanned.¡± But even her uncle agreed this time, ¡°I won¡¯t feel bad at all. I¡¯d be relieved just to see him go out.¡± ¡°Besides, who hasn¡¯t done farm work before? Muscle is just a tool that comes back once it¡¯s used up. He¡¯s so tall, but all he does at home is eat, drink and play video games. It¡¯s better for him to get some exercise!¡± Zhang Yanping was desperate and turned to bolt upstairs: ¡°I¡¯m not going¡ªhey, hey, hey!¡± But Song Tan had grabbed hold of his collar and now laughed, ¡°It¡¯s almost noon, auntie. I¡¯ll take Brother Yanping back first. We¡¯ll have lunch, let him get acclimated in the afternoon, and he can start work tomorrow!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send you a video to show you then!¡± ¡°Good, good, good!¡± They finally offloaded their hot potato of a son, and though Song Tan was smaller in stature, Yanping, once she grabbed hold of his collar, couldn¡¯t move a muscle! The couple was all smiles, as if they could already see their son being transformed into a resilient good man with a strong work ethic. Her uncle quickly dove back into the warehouse, and when Song Tan was dragging a resistant Yanping to the car, the back of the vehicle was already piled with several more boxes of fruit¡ªall of them expensive. Song Tan locked the back door of the car and looked at Yanping¡¯s plaintive face, her words especially taunting, ¡°Brother Yanping, look at you, working for our family for free, and my aunt still has to give us fruit.¡± But Yanping calmed down in an instant, the aggrieved expression gone. A smile broke across his plump white face, making his dark circles seem endearing. He smoothly pulled out his phone, charger, and earbuds from his pocket. ¡°My mom¡¯s always been like this; I¡¯ve been prepared for it.¡± ¡°Little girl, I¡¯m your brother. Even if I don¡¯t work, you think auntie¡¯s going to eat me up?¡± He had just finished when Qiaoqiao, sitting in the passenger seat, turned around excitedly to look at him, ¡°Brother, I¡¯ll take you to dig in the vegetable garden, yeah!¡± Zhang Yanping: ¡­ Song Tan just smiled without saying a word¡ªonce in the village, whether he would work or not was no longer up to him. ¡­ Zhang Yanping indeed lived up to his reputation as the man who even baffled his aunt. Once he got into the car, he started playing video games, his fingers moving so swiftly they almost created afterimages. Qiaoqiao, sitting in the front passenger seat, nearly broke his neck from craning so much, his curiosity stretched to the max. Song Tan glanced at him: ¡°With such agile hands, not picking tea is just a waste!¡± However, that job is the easiest in which to slack off, so¡­ for a big man, it¡¯s still got to be good, solid physical labor! Qiaoqiao¡¯s vegetable garden had found a new companion. But the gaming session lasted only for an hour, after which the vehicle turned towards the mountain roads, and the pickup truck¡¯s shock absorption features could be said to be nearly non-existent. With the road winding eighteen bends, rocking left and right, bouncing and jolting, even the gods would find it hard to snatch victory in this battle. Zhang Yanping, staring at the screen until he was dizzy, finally could only resign himself to his fate: ¡°Tantan, why on earth did you decide to go back home and start farming?¡± Song Tan also asked him, ¡°Brother Yanping, why did you decide to stay at home and be scorned by your aunt?¡± After all, he was a university graduate from a 211 university! Zhang Yanping replied nonchalantly: ¡°What do you know? In life, one should enjoy what can be enjoyed. I have no worries about food or drink and am perfectly comfortable at home. Why would I want to be a suffering wage labourer?¡± ¡°My mom just doesn¡¯t see it; with or without money, as long as we live comfortably, that¡¯s all that matters.¡± ¡°She and my dad are all about getting me to take the civil service exams ¡ª it¡¯s like crossing a single-log bridge with thousands of troops these days! Without connections, you can¡¯t even get on it. And even if you do get in, with our small family¡¯s status, I¡¯d either be sent to the county to help with poverty alleviation or to the villages for work¡­¡± He exuded the aura of a salted fish: ¡°Anyway, I won¡¯t do it.¡± Truth be told, who doesn¡¯t have the desire for a life of pleasure? Song Tan nodded in understanding, now fully aware of her cousin¡¯s attitude. However, as soon as she returned home, she saw Wu Lan with a frosty expression, while her dear dad, Song Sancheng, sat there soaking seeds, not daring to raise his eyebrows. The grandmother was supervising a few tea pickers with the weighing, the tender green shoots in the baskets piled layer upon layer, a sight so delightful one could hardly contain themselves! A few tea-picking aunties from the village commented with a smile: ¡°Your family¡¯s tea plants are growing so well this year. On that small piece of land, we pickers can¡¯t even keep up with the growth.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Wu Lan shouted loudly, ¡°We¡¯ve been taking great care of that tea plantation!¡± As if, they had only fertilized it once half a month ago. Anyway, the yield of that field this year was anyone¡¯s guess, quite mysterious really. Seeing everyone chuckle and walk away, but the atmosphere at home still hadn¡¯t softened. Song Sancheng was still too afraid to speak, sitting there and soaking each seed meticulously, anyone unfamiliar would think it was ginseng fruit. Song Tan didn¡¯t rush to inquire, but instead called out loudly, ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve brought Brother Yanping! Auntie said she wanted him to work for our family.¡± Wu Lan quickly came out, and upon seeing the robust young man, she couldn¡¯t help but laugh: ¡°Yanping is here ¡ª Ah, don¡¯t mind your mom, can I really put you to work when you¡¯re here at my place? We will have food soon.¡± After a moment¡¯s thought, she added somewhat embarrassedly: ¡°But Yanping, you see, I didn¡¯t get notice from Tantan, I didn¡¯t prepare any dishes ¡ª Would it be alright to have some dumplings for lunch?¡± Zhang Yanping could be picky with food, but he wasn¡¯t unreasonable, so he nodded without hesitation. ¡°Sure, I¡¯m not fussy about food.¡± It was then that Song Tan seized the opportunity to ask, ¡°Mom, what did dad do?¡± Chapter 62 - Chapter 62: 62. The plot was exposed_1 Chapter 62: 62. The plot was exposed_1 Mentioning this made Wu Lan so angry! ¡°Ask your dad! He took everything out of my fridge and then didn¡¯t put it back!¡± ¡°I just went to pick more than a pound of tea leaves during my free time. When I came back, the dumplings had all thawed and stuck together!¡± If it wasn¡¯t for this, they wouldn¡¯t have had to eat dumplings at noon¡ªboiling them is convenient, making them perfect for a busy morning. Song Sancheng buried his head deep and mumbled, ¡°I just wanted to fit some tea leaves in, and after I took things out, I couldn¡¯t fit them back¡­ and then I forgot about breakfast altogether.¡± Ah, this¡­ Song Tan was helpless, ¡°Dad, how big is the freezer compartment beneath our fridge? And you still want to store tea leaves? Just tell me and I¡¯ll pick up a freezer from the city tomorrow.¡± It was her oversight as well. With more and more stuff at home, a freezer was indispensable. These days, freezers aren¡¯t even that expensive; for just over a thousand, you can get a pretty nice one with a big capacity. Hearing this, Song Sancheng looked even more embarrassed: ¡°I¡­ I just didn¡¯t think of it, okay? Who knew the dumplings would thaw so quickly¡­¡± Zhang Yanping, watching on the side, couldn¡¯t hold back and chuckled: ¡°No worries, Uncle, I love dumplings. We¡¯re family, so what if they¡¯re a bit broken?¡± Listen to that! Isn¡¯t this why everyone likes Zhang Yanping? Always quick with a compliment, such a smooth talker! Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ??¦Í?0.§ã¦Ï Logically, Song Sancheng should have felt relieved. But upon hearing this, and seeing Yanping¡¯s tall, strong build and robust appetite, his expression suddenly turned even more sour: ¡°We¡¯ve only got that little bit of shepherd¡¯s purse dumplings left¡­¡± That tone of tragedy confused Yanping. But soon, his interest was piqued: ¡°Uncle, are we picking tea leaves this year? They must smell amazing!¡± Mentioning this invigorated Song Sancheng, his dejection vanished as he threw the seed into the basin and led the other man into the house. Then, with great care, he retrieved the bag of tea leaves that had no place to go, and cautiously pinched a small amount, placing it securely in the cup. He didn¡¯t pour water, just let the cup sit, ¡°Yanping, take a sniff! If it wasn¡¯t for your visit, I swear I wouldn¡¯t have opened this tea!¡± But it was dry tea! It did smell really nice, but Uncle, what do you mean by not pouring water on it? Zhang Yanping was thrown off rhythm and could only lower his head to take a sniff¡ª ¡°Huh, this aroma truly is different!¡± Song Sancheng¡¯s face instantly brightened, and he quickly brewed some tea for him. Poor thing, when that little bit of Maojian tea blossomed, it barely covered the bottom of the cup. Zhang Yanping internally laughed, lifting the cup to observe closely. He saw a tiny layer of fuzz floating on top, with distinct buds standing upright in a tranquil green color. As the steam rose, that fresh and fragrant aroma wafted around, refreshing and delightful. A bit of bitterness, a hint of roast, but the most profound was the extraordinary freshness that far surpassed the ordinary. He too widened his eyes in surprise and blurted out, ¡°Excellent tea!¡± No wonder my uncle went to such lengths to keep it safe. Any loss of this tea would be heart-wrenching. Then he gently blew on the tea before taking a light sip. Song Sancheng carefully wrapped up the tea leaves again, and turning to see Yanping motionless, he asked in perplexity, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhang Yanping let out a deep sigh: ¡°Uncle, this tea¡­anything less than six thousand per pound would be a disgrace to it!¡± ¡°What the heck?!!¡± Song Sancheng jumped up. Just then, Song Tan walked in and hearing the conversation couldn¡¯t help but laugh: ¡°Brother Yanping, no wonder my aunt said you have a discerning palate. You really know how to enjoy food and drink! I do plan to sell this tea for a decent eight to ten thousand.¡± This tea isn¡¯t like vegetables, where selling for twenty bucks a piece, anyone can afford to give it a taste, rich or not. But tea leaves aren¡¯t a necessity of life. Whoever loves to drink it, whoever is willing to spend the money, let them come and buy! ¡°What?!¡± Song Sancheng raised his voice again. Unexpectedly, even Zhang Yanping nodded, ¡°Indeed, do you have a way to sell it? If not, take some samples, and I¡¯ll find someone for you.¡± His wining and dining over the years wasn¡¯t for nothing; his family¡¯s high-end fruit had an excellent reputation, mostly thanks to the channels he found. It was just that in his parents¡¯ eyes, this sort of blind eating and drinking truly didn¡¯t count as a skill. Song Tan nodded, ¡°There should be some takers, don¡¯t worry, Brother Yanping, just focus on your work for now.¡± A strong laborer like him should be put to use for a few days first; selling the tea was not urgent. However, turning her head, she saw Song Sancheng¡¯s face was even more ashen. Song Tan couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Dad, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Her eyes glanced over the bag of tea, and then she was taken aback, ¡°You couldn¡¯t have already sold the tea, could you?¡± Song Sancheng had a mournful face, ¡°Sell, no, I haven¡¯t sold it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that Uncle Zhou came by this morning to deliver the tea, and I impulsively gave away eight jin¡­¡± He desperately tried to justify himself, ¡°It¡¯s not¡­ it¡¯s not that we had more tea than planned, Uncle Zhou works late nights¡­ his craftsmanship is good, and our pay is low¡­ five jin of it is summer tea¡­¡± Low pay could be raised! Song Tan¡¯s eyes darkened. Even if it was the old village custom to give away something extra, it didn¡¯t mean you had to promise eight jin in one go! This really was her biological father! Looking at Song Sancheng, who also wore a look of agony, she sighed, ¡°Eighty thousand yuan, Dad, I worked the land, and you only supported me with sixty thousand.¡± Seeing Song Sancheng like this, his blood pressure seemed ready to spike. Song Tan, at this moment, couldn¡¯t see past the eighty thousand no matter how hard she contemplated, and felt troubled in her heart. Faced with such distressing dilemma, she could only play her trump card¡ª ¡°Mom!¡± ¡­ Zhang Yanping was restlessly seated at the dining table, his gaze inadvertently drifting towards his uncle-in-law. ¡°Tantan, it¡¯s not that serious.¡± Song Tan also looked down bashfully, ¡°I just wanted my mom to have a word with my dad, to not be so generous, but I didn¡¯t expect dumplings and tea to add fuel to the fire¡­¡± The siblings exchanged glances, until Qiaoqiao came over with a big bowl, ¡°Brother, Mom said, the best dumplings are for you.¡± What followed were bowls of dumplings in their torn skins and filling, a damaged version for each person. But as soon as the dumpling skins tore, the aroma in the air grew even stronger, making Zhang Yanping take a deep breath, ¡°Auntie, your cooking is much better than my mom¡¯s, these dumplings are really delicious!¡± Wu Lan laughed out, ¡°You sweet talker! You haven¡¯t even tasted them, how do you know they¡¯re delicious?¡± Zhang Yanping patted his chest, ¡°When it comes to eating, I can tell just by the smell if it¡¯s good or not, and these dumplings definitely smell amazing!¡± With that, he took a big bite. The flavor of the dumplings burst in his mouth, the perfect combination of shepherd¡¯s purse and meat, he didn¡¯t even take the time to chew properly before wolfing down a second mouthful. Dumplings like these, he wouldn¡¯t mind having every day, not getting tired of them at all! If he had known Auntie¡¯s food was this delicious, he would have come over much sooner. With a gust like the wind sweeping through leaves, the dumplings vanished without a trace¡­ After finishing a large bowl, he patted his belly still wanting more, ¡°Is there any left?¡± Next to him, Song Sancheng ate the plain noodles made from the dumpling soup, his eyes stealthily glaring at him, As expected, he could really eat! Chapter 63 - Chapter 63: 63.Over-age Rice Paddy Keeper_1 Chapter 63: 63.Over-age Rice Paddy Keeper_1 A meal had Zhang Yanping instantly unable to move an inch from his stool. However, working was out of the question; he had resolved never to suffer that hardship in this lifetime. He decided to firmly plant himself on the chair, immovable even if his aunt scorned him. As the one currently at the bottom of the food chain, Song Sancheng didn¡¯t dare say a word after the meal and eagerly set about clearing up the dishes and chopsticks. And ever since Wu Lan found out that tea leaves could sell for ten thousand a pound, she tossed aside her rice bowl and headed straight for the mountains with her basket! More proactive than anyone. What was the use of being mad at a man? Making money was what mattered most! And Song Tan declared: ¡°Brother Yanping, this afternoon you should go dig in the vegetable garden with Qiaoqiao!¡± Preparing the garden meant turning the soil over first, then breaking it up. Although the area was small, it was a meticulous task. For Qiaoqiao, who was taking on such a solemn task for the first time, he did it with utmost seriousness. The family¡¯s own garden had actually been dug the night before, but Grandma and Grandpa said, since they wouldn¡¯t lack vegetables after they started farming, they might as well clear out the adjacent plot for Song Tan too. That plot hadn¡¯t been dug up yet. Just right for Zhang Yanping to get used to it. Song Tan went to check on the bok choy seeds she had soaked at noon, sneakily added some Spiritual Energy, and now, after half a day, tiny sprouts were slightly bulging. She planned to plant them all by evening. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï??0.§ã? The garden wasn¡¯t large, all things considered¡ªabout three parts of an acre, nearly two hundred square meters. But if they grew bok choy, which could wildly produce four thousand pounds per acre, this plot could normally yield around twelve hundred pounds. If there was an addition of Spiritual Energy¡­ Song Tan did the calculations in her mind and was already in a rush to start. She had great plans, but Zhang Yanping didn¡¯t even lift his butt: ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± He was clearly determined. ¡°If you don¡¯t go, you won¡¯t have dinner tonight.¡± ¡°Then I won¡¯t go.¡± Zhang Yanping chuckled, ¡°Tantan, you¡¯re still young, you don¡¯t understand the persistence of adults. My aunt definitely won¡¯t let me starve.¡± Song Tan also smiled with deep meaning, ¡°Brother Yanping, she won¡¯t let you starve, but that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll get to taste what we had at noon. If you¡¯re willing to eat something different from us, then enjoy rotting away right here.¡± Zhang Yanping¡¯s heart skipped a beat. But how could a grown man just admit defeat like this? He stubbornly said, ¡°Impossible, you guys are so busy; how could you have the time to cook two separate meals?¡± Song Tan only smiled without answering. But before that, a plot also needed to be plowed in the fields. The rice would need to be grown together first, then later transplanted. And there were seedlings that needed to be cultivated as well. Song Tan handed the tools to Qiaoqiao, ¡°Be good, dig out Grandma and Grandpa¡¯s garden well. If you do a good job, we¡¯ll plant vegetables tonight.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we planting corn?¡± Qiaoqiao obviously disliked Song Tan¡¯s way of gardening. ¡°We will, but it¡¯s not the right time now. When the time comes, I¡¯ll set aside a separate plot for our Qiaoqiao to plant corn, okay?¡± Only then was Qiaoqiao content. Zhang Yanping shook his head at his nephew¡¯s na?ve and foolish appearance. Meanwhile, Song Tan walked to the field and saw the old ox lounging there with several birds perched on it, and she couldn¡¯t help but smile: ¡°Grandpa Li!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± A figure sitting on the ridge stood up¡ªit was the owner of the old yellow cow. ¡°Grandpa Li, do the Milk Vetch plants in my field taste good?¡± Old Li¡¯s face creased into wrinkles as he smiled, ¡°Good! Really good, even better than braised meat. I have to cut a basketful every day.¡± The matter was actually broached by Song Tan herself. Having known hardship in his youth, Old Li wasn¡¯t picky about food, and although these two patches of land had been grazed by cattle, he still found some tender and crisp corners to enjoy. After trying it once, he would bring a basket when herding the cows every day, the flavors bursting in his mouth, making him feel there was something to look forward to each day. Now looking at Song Tan, he felt that this girl was good in every aspect. Worthy of being a college graduate, she was even better at farming than them. ¡°Tantan, did you come here for something?¡± In the adjacent areas of paddy and dry fields, Song Tan pointed out two patches of land: ¡°Grandpa Li, these days it¡¯s time to cultivate the rice seedlings, could you please plow these two patches thoroughly in the next couple of days?¡± ¡°The patch on top is dry land where I plan to nurture some vegetable seedlings, it also needs to be done with care.¡± Plowing the fields was something Old Li had done for half his life, and now he agreed without a second thought: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know exactly what you need, and I¡¯ll do it properly for you.¡± Then, pointing at a corner of the field: ¡°That spot, sheltered from the wind and well sunlit, close to the ditch, I¡¯ll plow those two patches a bit finer.¡± Glancing at the intense sun, the old man naturally had a bellyful of experience to share: ¡°Tell your father, when he has time, to make more straw mats. With this weather, covering them early in the morning and evening is still necessary.¡± ¡°I reckon the chestnut trees on the mountain will bloom in a while, right? Don¡¯t just focus on the chestnuts; the black fungus underneath needs to breathe too.¡± The workload had increased again¡ªSong Tan was genuinely getting a headache. If this place was deserted, she might have used some small tricks, but now with so many people in the village, and the fields and forests under everyone¡¯s watch, everything had to proceed slowly. However, seeing Old Li¡¯s eagerness, a thought struck Song Tan, and she suddenly asked: ¡°Grandpa Li, how about you help me manage the seedling cultivation for now? Later on, you can also take care of the two paddy fields.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t talk about paying you or not, but I¡¯ll take care of all your rice, flour, oil, vegetables, and meat for the year. How does that sound?¡± The old man had his wisdom, too. Old Li was all smiles as he said: ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me being old and not able to work hard, just give me twenty pounds of pork from your house at the end of the year!¡± Song Tan couldn¡¯t help laughing and crying at the same time. ¡°Having an elder is like having a treasure. Grandpa Li, you¡¯re much more capable than us young folks.¡± Despite the old men in the village seeming frail and unsteady on their feet every day, put them in the fields, and they worked more efficiently than anyone else. Those unyielding iron hands, when it came to weeding, could outdo many of the younger able-bodied adults. Not to mention, Old Li had a deep understanding of growing rice, having spent the first half of his life doing just that, and now he assured firmly: ¡°Rest assured, I¡¯ll make sure they are well-cared for.¡± Now tasked with a responsibility, he was eager to offer more advice: ¡°By the way, Tantan, that pond up there, clean it out when you have time. There¡¯s too much aquatic weed in it, rear some grass carp.¡± Grass carp are voracious eaters of vegetation, suitable for such an environment. ¡°The water quality in the pond is pretty good. When you get the chance, put some crucian carp fry in there, take good care of them, it can be another source of income.¡± Song Tan had this in mind, too. ¡°Grandpa Li, my plan was to release the fish fry after filling the paddy fields with water. Otherwise, they would all head down the ditches into the fields.¡± It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want to farm fish in the rice fields. Her main concern was about the flock of ducks on the mountain, which would later go into the fields to graze. Syncing their activities could afford a slight delay. But Old Li wasn¡¯t worried: ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of? If the fish end up in the rice field, that¡¯s even better than ducks. They¡¯ll help you by eating insects and weeds, and fertilizing the field. The TV¡¯s always talking about that ¡®rice fragrant¡¯ fish; you can sell it for a higher price.¡± ¡°Just release more fry when the time comes; I¡¯ll look after them in the rice field for you.¡± Chapter 64 - Chapter 64: 64. The Functions of Golden Sakura_1 Chapter 64: 64. The Functions of Golden Sakura_1 Old Li had a new venture and it seemed as if he had entered a second spring. Nowadays, he no longer dozed off in the fields, but walked back and forth along the ridges, looking as though he had made plans for the rice paddies. Meanwhile, Song Tan went up the hill behind her house to carefully inspect the five boxes of bees she had bought. After feeding them with sugar water for two days, the cherry blossoms at the entrance bloomed, clusters of pink and white flowers, bursting forth in a lively display. The only problem was¡­ there was just one tree. Without the mix of Spiritual Energy, it simply wasn¡¯t enough for the swarm of bees. Song Tan kept the entire tree suspended with Spiritual Energy, and every day it was surrounded by a buzzing swarm of bees. From a distance, it looked quite terrifying. However, this situation wouldn¡¯t last long. As April approached, there were more and more wildflowers blooming in the fields. Song Tan had already planned that after April, she would induce a different section of flower buds to bloom each day, allowing the bees half a month to gather honey before tilling the ground again. She aimed to complete rice transplanting by late April and officially enter the vegetable planting season. As for that bumblebee¡ªit was still busy breeding! The bumblebee was unfortunate; just after leaving its cave and before it could taste any pollen, it was caught by Qiaoqiao. At first, it survived on sugar water, but now it absorbed Spiritual Energy in great gulps every day. The larvae in the beeswax jar hadn¡¯t grown much, but the bumblebee itself had gotten plumper, now even rounder than a thumb. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï??0.§ã? The only thing that hadn¡¯t changed were its fragile little wings, which couldn¡¯t carry its hefty body. It flapped them in vain each day, so much so that Song Tan began to worry¡ª With it becoming so fat, wouldn¡¯t it crush the flowers when it went to gather nectar? She was concerned in her heart, yet her hands couldn¡¯t help but reach out again to touch the round, furry, pudgy black and yellow striped bottom. By now the bumblebee had probably been petted too much. After being firmly stroked, even the beeswax jar rolled forward a bit. The bumblebee didn¡¯t even extend its stinger, clearly having become quite indifferent to its surroundings. ¡­ Song Sancheng had once again shouldered the carrying pole and was off to fetch pig feed. The five piglets ate non-stop every day. Thankfully, he was strong and robust; otherwise, carrying that much feed every day would be impossible, not to mention the flock of chickens and ducks constantly chirping nearby¡­ He felt a mix of happiness and concern. He was pleased that the little ones were full of life and seemed delicious. But he was concerned that they were far from full-grown and his pig-feeding business would likely go on for an entire year. Qiaoqiao toiled away in the vegetable garden, diligent and honest. The entire Lao Song¡¯s family was bustling with activity¡ª Except for Zhang Yanping. He was currently sitting on a stool, playing with his phone with his legs crossed. Seeing Song Tan come back with a frown, he teased, ¡°Yo, what¡¯s troubling our little farm girl now?¡± Song Tan didn¡¯t hold back: ¡°I¡¯ve enclosed all parts of the mountain with fences. I can keep an eye on the back hill, but at Chestnut Woods, I¡¯ve put out many fungus sticks for black and white wood ear mushrooms, only secured by nylon rope nets. I¡¯m afraid that they won¡¯t hold back the thieves when it¡¯s time for harvest.¡± Chestnut Woods was on a gentle slope with paths leading up and down, situated a fair distance from Song Tan¡¯s house. Now with the Chestnut Trees still growing leaves and the mushrooms in the stage of piled-up ventilation, the fences were sufficient to keep things safe. But she was worried that when the wood ear and white wood ear mushrooms grew, there might be those who would take the opportunity to steal. After all, anyone who had tasted her family¡¯s produce would yearn for more. She shared her concerns with Zhang Yanping now, thinking that there was strength in numbers, and if necessary, she could arrange for her cousin to patrol the mountain with the three puppies. At most, she would add Big White to the mix. Farming wasn¡¯t Zhang Yanping¡¯s strong suit, and he didn¡¯t even notice Song Tan¡¯s alarming ideas¡ª The three little native pups whining and nibbling hands with their tiny milk teeth beside his legs, were they even fit to patrol the mountains? If they really encountered the thief, wouldn¡¯t they just be voluntarily delivering themselves as a meal? But he knew nothing, and after a moment¡¯s thought, he actually had an idea: ¡°You just want to stop people, right? Then it¡¯s easy! Plant some thorny vines around the perimeter of the mountain to enclose them, preferably the kind with lots of thorns that are impossible to grab.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think about how much fruit they bear; you need to be clear about what your primary need is¡ªif it¡¯s protection, then focus on protection.¡± He arched his eyebrows, looking very pleased with himself, ¡°Tantan, brew me another cup of tea, will you? If you pour me a cup, I¡¯ll give you a tip.¡± Song Tan didn¡¯t mind her own family members drinking tea, but providing Zhang Yanping was out of the question! This cousin hadn¡¯t even started working the fields yet. ¡°No way. At most, I¡¯ll pack a few ounces for you to take home.¡± That was more than enough! Who needed a bicycle at this point? Zhang Yanping immediately became serious as he began to explain: ¡°You should also check out some videos online when you¡¯re free.¡± ¡°I saw one talking about Golden Sakura, isn¡¯t that the thorny vine by our roadside? Although it has practically disappeared nowadays.¡± ¡°The thing is, it looks especially beautiful when it flowers, but it¡¯s tough because it¡¯s covered in thorns everywhere! The fruit it bears is also bristling with spikes, and the vines are so tangled together, it¡¯s impossible to start picking.¡± ¡°Besides, its fruit skins are edible, can be used as medicine, and even infused in liquor; both its economic and medicinal values are quite high.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to take down those fences; just support them with sturdy stakes at intervals, and plant a ring of Golden Sakura both inside and outside the perimeter. It can keep people out and also bring in extra income.¡± As he spoke, he suddenly let out a sly laugh: ¡°Tantan, if the Golden Sakura harvest is bountiful, don¡¯t worry if you can¡¯t sell it¡ª I¡¯ll find you buyers.¡± Song Tan gave him a skeptical look, then went online to check¡ª Goodness, no wonder Zhang Yanping had that odd expression! The biggest use for this stuff among the folks, turned out to be in making liquor for tonifying the kidneys, securing essence, and boosting virility! She looked at Zhang Yanping thoughtfully: ¡°Brother, no wonder Auntie said you needed to come down to the countryside to engage in physical labor. Lying at home all day playing with your phone, no wonder you¡¯ve become frail.¡± Zhang Yanping bristled right away: ¡°Frail? What do you, a young lady, understand? I know whether I am frail or not.¡± Song Tan humphed: ¡°What¡¯s wrong with being a young lady? Don¡¯t I use the internet or learn new things? Clearly, I¡¯ve hit a nerve, and you¡¯ve gotten angry from embarrassment.¡± Cultivators have experienced everything! As she spoke, she picked up the hoe again: ¡°However, Brother, considering your idea of Golden Sakura is quite reliable, I¡¯ll cut you a few more bunches of chives from my field when they¡¯ve grown well.¡± She had walked around the village when she came back earlier, just as a local family was tending to their vegetable plot. They felt they¡¯d planted too many chives and without enough fertilizer, they weren¡¯t growing properly, so they couldn¡¯t bother anymore and decided to switch to planting something else. Song Tan wasn¡¯t at all reluctant; she carried a black fungus stick down from the mountain and exchanged it for a large patch of chive roots, deciding to send them to Milk Vetch¡¯s field later on. Zhang Yanping stayed still for a moment, then suddenly it dawned on him, his face alternating between red and white. Indeed, those chives also had a well-known benefit¡ªboosting virility! He was a young man, and he should not have to hear this kind of talk! Chapter 65 - Chapter 65: The Omnipotent Fifty_1 Chapter 65: The Omnipotent Fifty_1 However, by the time Zhang Yanping came to his senses and thought of rebutting, Song Tan had already gone down to the field. When it came to digging, no one in the family could match her. She found a corner in the uppermost field and started hoeing with great vigor. In just an hour or two, she had turned all the Milk Vetch in that patch of land into the field, then broke up the clods and replanted the leek roots. The leeks were pulled up so bare, they looked especially pitiable. She moved her fingers slightly, and without a sound, a stream of more robust Spiritual Energy surged over and was narrowly intercepted by her; she allotted only a portion to the leeks, with the remainder spreading into the field of Milk Vetch Flowers. The spring breeze blew, and the green leaves swayed. In no time, the buds at the top of the Milk Vetch began to sprout rapidly, and then they were ready to bloom. The Milk Vetch grew swiftly. Standing in the field, one could almost hear the ¡°crackling¡± of the trembling flower buds. Song Tan was content. While she carried a water bucket to fetch water from the pond to thoroughly water the newly planted leek roots, she also reasoned that from tomorrow, the bees wouldn¡¯t need to cling to that poor cherry tree and struggle anymore. Here, an entire field of Milk Vetch would temporarily suffice. Ah, how should she sell this Milk Vetch honey when the time comes? Thinking about it, she couldn¡¯t help but look forward to it. ¡­ Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã? This field hadn¡¯t been tended for a long time; even the Milk Vetch growing here was less lush than in other fields. Song Tan pinched a clump of soil and observed carefully, and finally decided not to fuss over it anymore¡ªthis place was especially suited for growing watermelons! Watermelons love sandy soil and have a strong adaptability to different types of earth¡ªtruly a summer necessity. Although now large-scale watermelon farms mostly use grafted pumpkin seedlings, it¡¯s totally unnecessary for small-scale farming households to bother with all that. Song Tan had not forgotten that her farming, while partly for making money, was also to satisfy her daily needs and allow her to eat comfortably! So the most urgent task at hand was to diversify the crops, not to scale up the operation. Moreover¡­ there really was a shortage of labor! Alas, this could only happen now, with advanced technology and an abundance of people! If this were at Yinmoon Peak, she alone would manage the entire spiritual field behind the mountain without ever worrying about a labor crunch. But now with the labor shortage, and the villagers being mostly older people, some tasks had to be planned in association with technology after earning some money. For instance, sprinkler irrigation, system management¡­ As she was thinking, suddenly a green shadow flashed in front of her! Song Tan was quick with her eyes and hands, and at that moment, she pinched a tender green grasshopper that was perched atop a Milk Vetch. ¡°You¡¯ve got quite the picky mouth!¡± She had barely given a bit more Spiritual Energy, and already there were insects eager to taste it. If it continued like this, no matter how much Spiritual Energy she provided, it wouldn¡¯t be enough for the endless numbers of insects and birds from all directions! After all, with the warmth of spring and blooming flowers, all kinds of birds and insects should be arriving soon, which would disturb the bees¡¯ honey gathering. Song Tan did have corresponding spells she could use, but she needed to keep a low profile, didn¡¯t she? In that case¡­ This field would serve as an initial experimental field. Tomorrow she would lure the bees here, and let all the chickens and ducks loose. Then she would secretly combine spells to see if the pest and bird repelling effects were natural enough and sufficiently effective. ¡­ By the time Song Tan and Qiaoqiao finished tidying up the vegetable garden, the setting sun was already casting an orange glow over the edge of the mountains. Back home, Zhang Yanping was indeed still half-lying on a reclining chair. The afternoon sun was warmly comforting. Lying there, he had somehow found a straw hat to cover his face, while three little puppies climbed over him, whining and grunting. From time to time, their fluffy little heads would nuzzle him. The scene was remarkably cozy and heartwarming. However, this didn¡¯t change the fact that everyone was busy while he alone was idle. But Song Tan was in no rush. Her cousin was a true foodie with a stubborn temperament, and trying to force him to do anything was the worst strategy. But if it was linked to food¡­ Tsk! He¡¯d end up crying and begging to go to the fields tonight! Song Tan looked at the seeds she had soaked in advance to speed up germination and gently applied some Spiritual Energy. The sprouts of the seeds swelled even more, and she scooped them out. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Qiaoqiao, we can rest after we finish planting the vegetables.¡± Qiaoqiao reluctantly glanced at the three puppies: ¡°Sister, can we take the puppies with us?¡± ¡°No,¡± Song Tan shook her head, ¡°They¡¯re too small, they¡¯ll get all dirty and get in the way of work. I¡¯ll keep you company, and if we both work quickly, you can come back and play with the puppies afterward.¡± Qiaoqiao let out a disappointed ¡°Oh,¡± but then her attention was diverted: ¡°When I come back, I¡¯m going to name the puppies!¡± ¡°Sure, you name them. Once you¡¯ve decided, I¡¯ll make a few dog tags for them.¡± Qiaoqiao immediately perked up: ¡°I want one too!¡± Song Tan chuckled¡ªsure enough, the pigs had fallen out of favor, and now it was the puppies¡¯ turn. But on second thought, since Qiaoqiao was often out and about, it was indeed time to carve a tag with contact information for her. She also agreed: ¡°Okay, you do a good job in the field, and your wages this afternoon will be enough to make four tags.¡± Zhang Yanping was resting with his eyes closed when he heard this, and he really couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. ¡°Tantan, you see how hard Qiaoqiao works, all sweaty, just how much are you paying him?¡± And to coax the money back with a dog tag? That¡¯s the essence of a capitalist! However, before Song Tan could answer, Qiaoqiao had already puffed up proudly: ¡°Fifty!¡± Fifty?! Zhang Yanping couldn¡¯t hold back anymore. He had never imagined that fifty yuan could have such a big impact! The vegetable garden required tilling and breaking up the soil, a grueling task, and the mud on Qiaoqiao¡¯s rain boots spoke volumes about the effort involved. The kid was still cheerful about it! Seeing Qiaoqiao¡¯s proud look, he sighed helplessly: ¡°Fine, I¡¯m the foolish one here, if someone is willing to hit and another willing to be hit¡ªQiaoqiao, work hard!¡± Qiaoqiao nodded solemnly: ¡°Brother, don¡¯t worry, once I finish sowing, I¡¯ll have money, and I¡¯ll buy you bubble gum.¡± Zhang Yanping: ¡­Thank you for your bubble gum! ¡­ Planting Chinese cabbage wasn¡¯t difficult; it didn¡¯t even require furrowing, just scattering the seeds directly followed by a light covering of soil with a hoe, and that was that. The sister and brother finished the entire large vegetable garden in less than half an hour. Just then, Song Sancheng carried the pig feed bucket up the mountain again, and the people picking tea on the mountain were also coming down one after another. Wu Lan was at the front, her spirits especially high¡ª How could they not be? Just the thought of the current price of tea leaves made her feel as though she wasn¡¯t picking tea, but picking up money! Picking up money! Does anyone feel tired when picking up money? She only felt she wasn¡¯t picking enough. That afternoon, those annoying old men had upset her, causing delays, and while everyone else picked five jin, she had only four and a half. But the consolation was that no matter who picked it, it all ended up being their own. After a simple tally was made, she familiarly rolled up her sleeves: ¡°What are we having for dinner tonight?¡± Chapter 66 - Chapter 66: 66. Stubborn Man Zhang Yanping_1 Chapter 66: 66. Stubborn Man Zhang Yanping_1 When Wu Lan said this, Zhang Yanping instantly perked up, ¡°Auntie, let me wash the vegetables for you.¡± Song Tan looked at Zhang Yanping with a half-smile: ¡°Mom, my great-aunt said if Cousin doesn¡¯t work then don¡¯t let him eat.¡± ¡°Nonsense.¡± Wu Lan gave her a reproving glance. ¡°Yanping hardly ever comes by, how could we do that?¡± Song Tan turned her head and, sure enough, saw Zhang Yanping raise his eyebrows, a smug smile on his face. She wasn¡¯t angry; she simply changed the subject: ¡°Well, Mom, you must be tired too. I¡¯ll just whip up something simple for dinner then, stir-fried pork with Milk Vetch chili peppers.¡± ¡°And let¡¯s stew the preserved meat we¡¯ve prepared earlier for Brother Yanping. It would be so inappropriate if we didn¡¯t make a meat dish when he has come all this way to visit.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Wu Lan hesitated¡ªit¡¯s well-known that nobody liked the stewed meat without adding something from their own field! In their pursuit of Milk Vetch, the whole family was practically turning into ascetics. But after working all day, she really was tired and eventually relinquished control of the kitchen. Zhang Yanping glanced left and right, feeling that something was off, yet unable to pinpoint it, his heart unsettled at this moment. As expected, Song Tan went into the kitchen to cook. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.§ã? Her cooking skills were quite ordinary; she could make edible food. With Wu Lan¡¯s guidance, she took radishes to stew the preserved meat, then washed and chopped the Milk Vetch, smashed some garlic cloves, sliced a few chili peppers, and heated up the lard in the pan. After the entire kitchen was fragrant, she stir-fried the chili and garlic for a bit, followed by the minced pork, and finally added the Milk Vetch. Just by adding a simple dash of salt, an irresistibly fresh fragrance filled the area. Zhang Yanping peeked into the kitchen doorway, smelling the bubbling aroma of the preserved meat and the rich and fresh scent of Milk Vetch. He suddenly came to a realization: Aha! No wonder my little aunt had sent over a few bundles of Milk Vetch to our house! This dish truly was something special! Shrewd as his nose was, he could tell which was tastier just by the smell. So, he diligently served some rice, then with a touched expression, said to Wu Lan, ¡°Little Aunt, Uncle, you both worked so hard today. Come, have some more meat!¡± However, quick as he was, Song Tan was quicker. In no time, she was doling out servings to each of the four family members, leaving barely any Milk Vetch. In the platter there remained only a tiny spoonful of vegetables, which was then reluctantly given to Zhang Yanping. She smiled amiably at her cousin, ¡°Brother Yanping, it¡¯s not often you visit. How could we possibly ask you to eat wild vegetables? This is the preserved meat specially fried by my mom. It was stewed today¡ªtry it, isn¡¯t it particularly fragrant?¡± The plain white rice with a small clump of green vegetables on top looked rather pathetic. Zhang Yanping looked up at her, and in that moment, an unspoken challenge passed between the sibling-like cousins. But the die was cast, and the meat did smell good. Zhang Yanping could only snicker inwardly: Little wench, as picky as I am, I¡¯m not that desperate for vegetables, to make such a fuss over a dish! He scooped up a mouthful of rice and, along with the Milk Vetch, stuffed it into his mouth¡ª A moment later. Zhang Yanping watched everyone else enjoying their meal and then looked at his own bowl full of meat, tears of sorrow streaming down: Dammit, why are the vegetables so delicious?! ¡­ Somehow, the meal concluded amidst Zhang Yanping¡¯s difficulty in swallowing his food. He dejectedly began clearing the dishes, originally intending to impress his little aunt in hopes that she¡¯d step up and take over the kitchen the next day. However, Song Tan had just sent the video she filmed to her aunt, and while doing so, she expressed her concern, ¡°Auntie, Brother Yanping is so picky when it comes to eating.¡± In the photo: A family of four all having greens, but only his bowl had both radishes and meat, yet, his expression was still very dissatisfied. The aunt indeed flew into a rage. Didn¡¯t she know her son¡¯s eating habits? He might be picky, but he usually found everything delicious, and her sister¡¯s cooking was much better than her own. Yet, this kid acted so oddly at his aunt¡¯s home! It was clear he was complaining about being sent to the countryside! The couple whispered to each other for a while and concluded that Yanping¡¯s behavior was precisely because a rural assignment was a useful punishment for him! So they became even more enthusiastic and directly called Wu Lan: ¡°Lan, the reason I sent Yanping to the countryside is to toughen him up, so please don¡¯t hesitate to put him to work! Whether it¡¯s digging on Tea Mountain or plowing the fields, let him do it, he¡¯s a young guy, what could possibly wear him out?¡± The sisters exchanged pleasantries, and Yanping, seeing the thoughtful look on his aunt¡¯s face, had a hunch that his future life wasn¡¯t looking good. But working was really not his thing, his hands were the revered Starlight Supreme hands, and there was no way he was going to pick up a hoe! So he sidled up to Song Tan: ¡°Tantan, what do you think about me planting Golden Sakura that I mentioned today?¡± Song Tan had already thoroughly researched the various states and growing environments of Golden Sakura, as well as its thorns, and was currently crunching numbers. Hearing him, she nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a good idea, Brother Yanping, it¡¯s because of your talk about Golden Sakura that I gave you a bunch of greens tonight.¡± Zhang Yanping: ¡­ Well, that was virtually worse than getting nothing! After just one bite, it was gone, and eating thereafter was like chewing wax, utterly tasteless! He moved a bit closer, just about to speak, when he accidentally saw Song Tan making a payment to someone noted as ¡°Express Brother Hua.¡± The transaction wasn¡¯t much, just over sixty yuan. But then looking at the ledger, there were two other express charges adding up to one thousand five hundred yuan! He was startled: ¡°What did you buy? The delivery charges are so expensive, why not use logistics?¡± Song Tan also sighed, ¡°It¡¯s those Milk Vetch you¡¯re eating. There¡¯s a lot of demand for it in Ning City, and the product doesn¡¯t preserve well, so it¡¯s all sent via refrigerated transport. When she first started sending express packages, she made a transfer of five hundred yuan for the courier. But after shipping oversize packages several times, that amount had nearly run out. This time, she transferred a thousand yuan in advance for the express delivery, thinking it would be enough, but it turned out it wasn¡¯t, and she still needed to add more than sixty yuan.¡± In fact, with just over fifty orders, the courier gave her a thirty percent discount and the lowest price for packaging. By rights, it shouldn¡¯t have cost that much. However, the initial weight for fresh produce was 24, and ice packs cost extra. Many of the orders were for ten, eight, or five jin, all of them overweight. So additional charges had to be made up, right? Fortunately, Song Tan had made it clear beforehand, and everyone¡¯s payments included the shipping costs. She was now working out how to refund any excess money back to each person based on their shipping fee. Zhang Yanping was shocked ¡ª for just these vegetables, sent over cold transport; were they eating the vegetables or the delivery charges? But then he thought: Good things were indeed like that; some people were willing to pay expensive shipping fees, just like when his family bought fruit. Recalling the importance of his initial approach, he put aside Milk Vetch and the delivery charges, and asked with a smile: ¡°Well¡­since you think Golden Sakura is suitable, have you found a nursery that cultivates it?¡± Chapter 67 - Chapter 67: 67. Nursery Changes Meals_1 Chapter 67: 67. Nursery Changes Meals_1 Song Tan¡¯s eyebrows rose as she looked over with clear piercing eyes, making Zhang Yanping feel as if the familiar, good-tempered cousin he knew had not only changed her personality but also seemed to have gained a penetrating look in her eyes. But soon enough, a very accommodating smile appeared on Song Tan¡¯s face: ¡°Brother Yanping, do you have a recommendation?¡± Zhang Yanping felt somewhat uncomfortable. When it comes to spiny plants that can be used for defensive walls, actually, there are many options. However, Zhang Yanping ruled out a series of plants such as goji berry and sea buckthorn, which can be found in most nurseries. Of course, if we¡¯re talking strictly about defensive power, these plants really can¡¯t compare to Golden Sakura. This plant grows completely unruly, with large and small thorns together, and its fuzzy thorns cover its entire body. From the leaves to the fruit, not a single part is innocent. Most importantly, its branches are flexible yet long, with vines intertwining with each other, and the old branches are very hard. And it isn¡¯t short either! If this were to form a protective layer, it would be both high and thick, the kind you could snip at with large scissors for ages without tearing open a gap. If someone could actually make their way through it, they would truly be considered a brave warrior, and his recommendation wouldn¡¯t be in vain. But now it seemed as if his little cousin understood everything in her heart, which caused him a slight embarrassment even with his thick-skinned nature. However, this did not stop him from continuing to express his thoughts: Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï??¦Ï.?¦Ï ¡°You see, Golden Sakura nurseries are hard to find, right? But your modest cousin here just so happens to know of one.¡± Up close, Zhang Yanping¡¯s face, pale and round, appeared especially sincere. ¡°But look, Tantan, isn¡¯t this a skill of mine? Don¡¯t be like my mom, thinking that I¡¯m just fooling around.¡± ¡°Since we¡¯re family, I won¡¯t charge you a middleman¡¯s fee. All you need to do is have me eat well and live comfortably at home during this time¡ªaside from fieldwork, of course.¡± Song Tan smiled too: ¡°Brother Yanping, under normal circumstances, I would definitely agree with you. But you must not forget that you¡¯re here in the village for labor reformation this time.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t work, you won¡¯t be able to stay here for long, because aunt will definitely feel that you¡¯re holding up our work.¡± Just look at Brother Yanping, such a sturdy figure! Not to put him to work would be an incredible waste. Song Tan also gently persuaded: ¡°Cousin, there aren¡¯t any particularly heavy manual labor tasks in our household right now, just some miscellaneous jobs.¡± Her words were true, up next was only breeding plants, picking tea, harvesting vegetables, digging ditches, and picking tea again. Oh, and also one has to add, digging holes to plant Golden Sakura, feeding pigs, chickens, ducks, and teaching the puppies. In general, these tasks are much easier than moving a mountain. Song Tan mainly wanted to proceed step by step. Today digging ditches, tomorrow going up the mountain to plant Golden Sakura, and later transplanting seedlings in the fields¡­ it¡¯s not too much, is it? Therefore, her voice became even more alluring: ¡°Back home, aunt complains about you every day. Even though you¡¯re the one who found the channel for imported fruits, she still thinks you¡¯re just freeloading. Doesn¡¯t that make you feel wronged in your heart?¡± It¡¯s not that the aunt and her husband were too harsh on their son; it¡¯s that their generation feels anything other than honest labor is not respectable. As for finding a channel for imported fruits¡­ What kind of channel is that, with prices so high! If the market weren¡¯t so booming, the overly honest couple wouldn¡¯t dare to try it. ¡°But it¡¯s different here. My mom likes you, and with just a little bit of help from you, the treatment at home would absolutely be top-notch!¡± ¡°Besides, you know how the vegetables from my land taste. Just think, with a little movement, you can exchange it for a big bowl of a good meal. Isn¡¯t that worth it?¡± Zhang Yanping opened his mouth, but, in the end, he was at a loss for words. He was well aware that by not working every day at his aunt¡¯s house, not to mention how his own mother felt, his aunt¡¯s household couldn¡¯t handle it either since they were truly busy. After thinking for a while, he finally said, ¡°Qiaoqiao mentioned there were some purslane buns at home, heat two more for me. If they are good, I¡¯ll go and contact the nursery for you.¡± Thinking further, he added, ¡°Tantan, actually, those plants can be propagated by cuttings, and you can also sow them. They are easy to grow. If the forest protection is not urgent, with this weather, go find one in the wild, take cuttings and plant them. In two or three years, you¡¯ll almost be there.¡± Song Tan felt helpless¡ªpropagation by cuttings was possible, but with Spiritual Energy enhancing growth, how could everything grow all at once? ¡°It¡¯s quite urgent, the Chestnut Woods are far, and the area is also big, almost four acres of land with more than five hundred chestnut trees.¡± This was not considered large locally, because looking around, there were many larger Chestnut Woods on the rolling hills. However, as years passed, many farming households no longer relied on this for their livelihood, and the care for the chestnut trees had noticeably declined. Some were cut down, others were left standing, but were no longer properly tended to. In Song Tan¡¯s memory, when she was a child and the chestnuts were about to ripen, she often had to go up the mountain to watch them to prevent theft. But now, when they ripened, they ripened¡ªnobody even gave them a second glance. If there were buyers in the town, they would harvest some chestnuts to sell, and if not, let it be. After all, there were not many able-bodied workers left in each household. The capable workers, during the chestnut harvest season, many had already packed up and left to work elsewhere. The woods lacked even the basic fertilization, as farmers found it hard to make money, having the willingness but not the power to improve things. ¡°Right now, our family can¡¯t spare anyone to watch over the forest day and night; in the woods, the black and white fungi only take up a part, and subsequently, we need to plant something else¡ªin the current situation, who has the time to wait for Golden Sakura to grow? Better to buy mature plants,¡± Song Tan explained. Zhang Yanping frowned and hesitated, ¡°If you want one that can grow within a year, you are going to need three to five-year-old saplings¡ªthose won¡¯t come cheap.¡± ¡°Especially since you need the original thorny variety. Nowadays, with industrialized planting, most of the varieties cultivated are thornless.¡± ¡°Counting it all up, one plant would be about fifteen dollars. How many do you need?¡± Song Tan considered the boundary of the Chestnut Woods. With the aid of Spiritual Energy, the planting of mature plants could be more sparse. The double-layer fence inside and outside, each layer staggered with a two-meter interval between each plant¡ª ¡°Two hundred plants in total will be enough.¡± Zhang Yanping pondered for a moment and cautiously asked, ¡°Tantan, you¡¯re really investing a lot in farming since coming back. Are you planning on sticking with this for good?¡± He did not believe Song Tan was just hoodwinking his mother by saying she was just home to recuperate for a while and incidentally do some farming¡­ Song Tan nodded: ¡°Brother Yanping, don¡¯t worry about the money. I¡¯ve been selling vegetables every day recently. The Milk Vetch you ate today sells for twenty dollars a pound.¡± The money from selling wild vegetables was all put into that pickup truck. She had been selling Milk Vetch for several days now, with an income of ten or twenty thousand already. Moving forward with outer region and bulk transactions, earning another thirty thousand wouldn¡¯t be a problem. Although Song Tan had many tasks lined up, her overall investment was already beginning to pay off. Not to mention that there was tea as well! This season¡¯s spring tea harvest would be enough to make their family a tidy profit. Zhang Yanping did not express surprise at the twenty-dollar vegetables nor think that Song Tan shouldn¡¯t have come back to farm. Instead, he nodded: ¡°It¡¯s worth that much. As long as you have a plan.¡± He then picked up the phone without hesitation, ¡°I¡¯ll contact the nursery for you right now.¡± ¡°Oh yes, and heat up those purslane buns for me quickly.¡± Chapter 68 - Chapter 68: Do you want the dog? _1 Chapter 68: Do you want the dog? _1 The taste of the purslane baozi, Zhang Yanping didn¡¯t want to talk about it anymore, because if he did, his mouth would start watering. The sour and spicy purslane, mixed with some chunks of marbled meat, the crisp fat soaking into the dough with each bite¡ª Alas! It was all because he was too conservative. What was there to fear if he was full? Even after a full meal, he could still eat four more baozi! Now with only two baozi to fill the gap, his cravings intensified. But those two baozi weren¡¯t eaten in vain, as he finished them, the nursery had gotten back to him. ¡°Brother, the stuff you¡¯re asking for this time is really niche, let me tell you, among the nurseries in the surrounding cities, only mine has these seedlings!¡± ¡°And I¡¯m giving you a fair price, 15 bucks each, you won¡¯t find them anywhere else!¡± No matter if he was exaggerating, it was clear that authentic Golden Sakura seedlings were not easy to buy in bulk. The nursery had a lot going on, and the owner was unwilling to deliver; he only agreed to ship them. But in a couple of days, Song Tan¡¯s home was going to start breeding officially, and they wouldn¡¯t be free to handle this. They only had some minor tasks in the next two days, and even if he waited for the shipment, at the very least, it would take three to five days. Thinking it over, Song Tan found out that it was about a three-hour drive from the other city and simply asked Zhang Yanping: ¡°Tomorrow, come with me to pick up the goods, okay?¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.?¦Ï Little Pika could pack a lot, two hundred saplings was nothing to worry about. Zhang Yanping thought about it: ¡°It¡¯s not worth it, just ship them if you have to, you can always hire someone to plant them when the time comes!¡± Song Tan shook her head, ¡°Let¡¯s make the trip, it¡¯s not that far. I heard there¡¯s a place nearby with a good reputation for selling fish stock, I want to check it out as well.¡± Zhang Yanping thought about it¡ªhe did realize that he didn¡¯t really know any fish sellers; his contact list was incomplete, he had to go! ¡°Heat me up a steamer of these baozi when we leave!¡± ¡°Oh yeah, do you want a big dog? These three little ones at home¡ª¡± they just won¡¯t cut it! He pointed at the three silly little dogs that were clinging together with Qiaoqiao, all round and wobbly, wagging their little tails and whimpering, they even stumbled as they walked! Expecting them to guard the door would take ages. But with Song Tan having expanded her operation so much in the village, it wouldn¡¯t be safe without a few dogs watching over it. Song Tan raised an eyebrow: ¡°You have a connection for that too?¡± She had thought about it but hadn¡¯t seen any suitable options, and she couldn¡¯t spare the time for a while. Zhang Yanping raised his eyebrows proudly: ¡°Of course! If I didn¡¯t have some skills, where do you think I got all those fruit channels from all over the place?¡± He took out his phone and opened a map: ¡°See? On the way back from the nursery we¡¯re going to, just go three more kilometers to the side, and there¡¯s a really good kennel.¡± ¡°They specialize in large breeds, not something ordinary people can handle.¡± ¡°A friend of mine got three dogs from there, and during the New Year¡¯s, they teamed up and killed two wild boars.¡± This was like getting a pillow when wanting to sleep! At that moment, Song Tan was starting to see her cousin in a new light. Indeed, in modern society, whether someone is capable isn¡¯t just a matter of brawn. She nodded: ¡°Okay, I plan to pick out a few.¡± Zhang Yanping nodded: ¡°Actually, it¡¯s best for you to keep a few dogs now.¡± ¡°There aren¡¯t many young and strong people in the village, and even fewer who have the guts to rob forcefully. The main role of more dogs is vigilance and sentry duty, strong deterrence is enough.¡± While rubbing his stomach, he spoke frankly: ¡°Me taking you there, I have my own motives too, the owner of the kennel is an old classmate of mine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking, you go and choose, and in our village, it¡¯s also like giving those dogs a good home.¡± These dogs needed meat every meal to maintain their fitness, and most families couldn¡¯t afford them, nor would they be willing to. He had only stayed at home for half a day, but he could vaguely tell that his cousin had become the pillar of the household. Plus, she could earn money, so those dogs would not be mistreated. Song Tan didn¡¯t care whether it was out of selfishness or not, if there really were suitable ones, what was the harm in selecting a few more? She calculated carefully, three puppies were not of any use, so they could be excluded. The three dogs were most suitable for watching pigs and poultry in the back hill, after all, there were many pigs, and too few wouldn¡¯t be able to cope. In Chestnut Woods, at least one or two, and at most three or four dogs were needed, depending on whether the hilly terrain could be utilized or not. The fields and ponds also needed dogs to watch over them, otherwise, these places were too easy for people to casually steal fish from. Even though she hadn¡¯t developed a large scale operation yet, at the very least, five adult large dogs needed to be prepared. After all, the price of these things was so high when sold that she would be heartbroken by even a small loss. When the time came, every area that needed guarding would have a doghouse built, and with the village being open, any slight disturbance, as long as the dogs started barking, they would be able to hear it. This was much more reliable than Song Tan using ¡°Spiritual Energy¡± to send warnings all the time. She had only been practicing cultivation for a short time, and with Spiritual Energy being so scarce, she should save it where possible! But, dogs of such quality couldn¡¯t possibly be very cheap, could they? Song Tan thought of the money in her bank account, constantly going in and out, and never accumulating, which was truly painful. Zhang Yanping, however, watched her quietly: ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you running short of money? Big brother has some!¡± ¡°Are you selling that five catties of tea? I¡¯ll offer you 8000 yuan per catty, after all, we are relatives, let me turn it around for a profit.¡± ¡°I earn the money, you save the worry.¡± Zhang Yanping knew people who could afford tea at 10,000 yuan per catty, but those willing to spend such an amount on a tea with no fame or promotion were indeed few. He also had to consider the loss of inviting people for tastings; if the price was too high, it wouldn¡¯t be worth the trouble. This price had been on his mind ever since he tasted that cup of tea at noon. Quite fair actually. Song Tan shook her head, ¡°That won¡¯t work, the spring tea is particularly expensive right now. For the summer tea, 8000 that price, if there¡¯s extra, I can save some for you.¡± Having said that, she decisively composed a message and posted it in the group: ¡°New tea on sale, simple packaging, special price of 11,000 yuan per catty, limited quantity, first come first served.¡± Not to mention, the members in her group were loyal fans and might not believe in the price but would never doubt the quality. However, the shocking price of 11,000 yuan per catty for an unnamed tea was so astonishing that it took a long while before someone cautiously asked: ¡°I¡¯ll buy just 50 grams, will you sell it?¡± Song Tan was amused: So quick?! Someone actually had such trust in her! Without any hesitation, she replied: ¡°Sell!¡± ¡°Come find me tomorrow morning when I sell the vegetables.¡± Just for the sake of this trust, she should set a precedent. With that response, the group also became lively: ¡°Boss, what kind of tea can command such a price?¡± ¡°Can we have a cup tomorrow morning when you sell the vegetables, just to try?¡± Song Tan thought, I¡¯ve been selling vegetables for so long, to still go to the vegetable market and offer taste tests, what a hassle! Especially when you all just want to buy 50 grams each, it¡¯s not even worth the time spent packaging. This taste test will happen just this once. ¡°No, no, I need to sell the veggies quickly tomorrow morning. I have to go on a long trip and won¡¯t have the time.¡± It was at this moment that someone marked as ¡°Secretary Wang¡± privately messaged her: ¡°I¡¯ll take half a catty, is that okay?¡± Chapter 69 - Chapter 69: 69. Secretary Wangs Little Trick_1 Chapter 69: 69. Secretary Wang¡¯s Little Trick_1 ¡°` Secretary Wang, with his purchasing power alone, set off a buying frenzy throughout the entire compound, something he truly hadn¡¯t anticipated. But it wasn¡¯t his fault. It started with the head chef asking him for contact information, swiftly followed by others inquiring about which vendor the leader had purchased his vegetables from. If he were to hide that information in a group about buying groceries, wouldn¡¯t that make him too standoffish? In the end, Secretary Wang gave out his WeChat. As for his colleagues in the compound, those who hadn¡¯t tasted the vegetables were jealous, and those who had couldn¡¯t forget the taste. Regardless of whether they had tried them or not, everyone shared the same mentality¡ª ¡°The leader has bought some, so it¡¯s not excessive for me to follow suit, right?¡± ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll even curry some favour?¡± Even if the goodwill doesn¡¯t pay off, it probably won¡¯t result in a loss, right? So, that¡¯s how passionate orders came to be. However, the compound was tightly secured, ordinary deliveries couldn¡¯t get in, so everyone had to provide their home addresses instead. Otherwise, Song Tan¡¯s batch of deliveries would have all ended up at one single place. Had she found a freight truck, she could have delivered them all the same day, and it might have been cheaper than the courier! Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï???.§ã0 But before the new batch of vegetables had arrived, the store owner crazily put up another product for sale¡ªa sky-high priced tea at ten thousand per jin! They from Ning Province didn¡¯t really have any famous local specialties, and compared to well-known national teas, this tea was far inferior. Despite that, they still dared to sell it at such a high price? Everyone was watching, yet Secretary Wang¡¯s heart raced at the thought of the leader¡¯s previous comments concerning rural revitalization and related industries¡­ At this moment, he made up his mind with gritted teeth: Buy! Based on the taste of the wild vegetables alone, and the store owner¡¯s forceful tone, Secretary Wang knew that they would not falter on quality! He was personally promoted by the leader at a young age, sharing the same hobby of tea-drinking in their leisure time. Now, with the flavor of Milk Vetch in mind, he fantasized about the tea¡¯s fragrance, and five thousand yuan seemed less painful to part with. Oh no, there¡¯s also the twenty yuan delivery fee. This stingy boss can¡¯t even offer free shipping for a five-thousand-yuan purchase?! ¡­ The next morning, when Zhang Yanping was groggily roused from sleep and taken to the field to numbly start picking¡­ah, picking Milk Vetch flowers, he was completely bewilded. Yesterday, they had said there was no heavy labor involved, but they never mentioned heading out to the dew-covered fields at the break of dawn! Yet seeing Song Tan and Qiaoqiao both buried in their work with baskets in hand, and he had already gotten up with his rubber shoes on, what else could he do? He could only heave a long sigh and begin his first day as a farm laborer. The early morning forest was serene and hazy, with a faint mist swirling around the front yards, behind the houses, and throughout the rural fields, looking quite different from afar. The air felt fresh and cool, with a hint of sweetness. As the breeze blew by, in the first plot next to the bamboo forest, Milk Vetch had already burst into bloom, showing off their pinkish-purple petals, clustered like lotuses, exceptionally distinctive and charming. But Zhang Yanping couldn¡¯t appreciate this beauty in the slightest, all he felt was the continuous bending and the pain in his back! What was even more infuriating was that after toiling for half the morning, his basket was still not full! Qiaoqiao¡¯s basket was already filled, and now, she ran over cheerfully to take a look: ¡°Brother, let me help you.¡± Even with Zhang Yanping¡¯s thick-skinned face, he was beginning to feel somewhat overwhelmed. Not to mention Qiaoqiao¡¯s soft whisper: ¡°Brother, when the little store opens, I¡¯ll go buy you some bubblegum; I have money. Don¡¯t feel bad if you¡¯re not doing well.¡± Zhang Yanping: ¡­ If his face could turn any redder, he would have resembled a fully ripened shrimp by now. Right then, Song Tan asked, ¡°Qiaoqiao, have you thought of names for your three puppies yet?¡± Qiaoqiao shook her head. ¡°` ¡°No, it¡¯s so hard to think of one, Sister, can you name them?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t either,¡± Song Tan coaxed him, ¡°but the puppies are too young, they don¡¯t understand yet, I¡¯ve decided to go find them some sensible new parents.¡± ¡°Can you stay at home today and keep the puppies company? My brother and I will go out and help look for them.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Qiaoqiao blinked in bewilderment. ¡°Can¡¯t Qiaoqiao come too?¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t.¡± Although Qiaoqiao was obedient and sensible, traveling for a few hours in a car wasn¡¯t enjoyable for him, so it was better to leave him at home this time. ¡°However, you also have a task at home¡ªyou need to go tea-picking with Mom or help Dad take care of the chicks and ducklings today. That way, you can earn your wages.¡± The feeling of having money must be nice, or perhaps it was the tea-picking or the chickens and ducks that were appealing¡­ Qiaoqiao hesitated for just a moment before quickly agreeing. When the sun rose and everyone brought back the baskets for sorting, Song Tan raised her voice: ¡°Dad, the milk vetch is blooming in the field, so if the beehives are empty later, don¡¯t worry, just go take a look in the field.¡± Song Sancheng was feeding pigs on the back hillside, and his voice, mixed with the grunts and squeals of the piglets, wasn¡¯t very clear. ¡°What about my Daxiong?¡± Hearing the word ¡°bees,¡± Qiaoqiao eagerly sidled over. Song Tan thought for a moment, then went to the top of the storeroom shed to take down that box: ¡°I¡¯m entrusting you with a task. Wait until the dew has evaporated, then take this box to the blooming field.¡± ¡°Your Daxiong has gotten too fat from eating, and its wings haven¡¯t moved in a long time; I doubt it can fly. Just be a hard-working porter, let it gather enough pollen and honey in that field to feed its babies, and then come back.¡± Some time had passed, and with both sugar water and Spiritual Energy, those bee larvas should be close to metamorphosis. Bumblebees have big appetites; at this time, they must have pollen and honey, they need to eat their fill. Zhang Yanping came over and was startled to see a fluffy, chubby creature in the box: ¡°What¡¯s this? Why is it so fat?¡± Holding the beeswax pot, which was constantly trembling to warm and incubate the bumblebee, at this moment it buzzed, as if protesting against being called fat. But it was indeed very fat. Its fuzzy, round body, barely lifted two centimeters off the box by its tiny wings, quickly fell back down with a ¡°plop.¡± Zhang Yanping: ¡°Pfft!¡± ¡­ Before leaving, Song Tan checked her account. She had long since spent the original sum of sixty thousand yuan. Although she had spent part of her parents¡¯ share, there was still more than twenty thousand yuan left in their cards, which Song Tan didn¡¯t plan to touch; it hadn¡¯t been easy for her parents to save that money. As for her own account, it was just the twenty thousand yuan from selling milk vetch lately, plus the six thousand yuan from yesterday¡¯s tea sales. She wasn¡¯t planning on picking any special breed of dog, a local mutt would do, and with that, buying Golden Sakura afterward, she would have more than enough from that twenty thousand yuan. Once she had planned everything, she took out the white papers she brought back, weighed half a pound and an ounce of tea leaves separately, wrapped them in layers of the white paper, and stuffed them into sealed bags. Zhang Yanping watched with twitching eyelids: ¡°You should at least add some packaging!¡± It would make the buyers a bit more satisfied. Song Tan was not ignorant of this; it was just that if she started packaging this time, any other time without packaging, customers might become finicky. So, with the products¡¯ quality being up to standard, it was better to save the trouble wherever possible. Seeing that Qiaoqiao and Wu Lan had already tidied up the vegetables, she quickly called out, ¡°Brother Yanping, help move the baskets.¡± Chapter 70 - Chapter 70: 70. Green Sichuan Pepper_1 Chapter 70: 70. Green Sichuan Pepper_1 Zhang Yanping could never have imagined that his universally charming appearance would fail him at the hands of the market aunties in just three rounds! Here¡¯s how it went down¡ª He was replacing Qiaoqiao, helping Song Tan sell vegetables! In theory, this wasn¡¯t difficult work. He efficiently bagged the vegetables and announced the price: ¡°Sixty.¡± But the auntie¡¯s face immediately tightened: ¡°Girl, where did you find this helper? No good! Just look at him, he doesn¡¯t have a single bit of festivity in him.¡± Zhang Yanping touched his face in disbelief. Standing there tall, big, fair, and chubby¡ªhe was the type all middle-aged aunties loved! It didn¡¯t make sense that he¡¯d falter here, right? So, when the next auntie with red hair came along, he made sure to put on a particularly endearing smile. The red-haired auntie was buying in bulk. She claimed she had perfected a new pickling recipe, making some every day and accumulating various flavors to send to her children who lived far away¡ªit was highly sought after. However, when Zhang Yanping, still smiling, had stuffed the milk vetch into a bag, the red-haired auntie found fault: ¡°Ah, young man, your smile isn¡¯t as pretty as Qiaoqiao¡¯s, no need to force yourself!¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?0¦Í?0.§ã¦Ï Zhang Yanping¡¯s smile almost cracked. But the deadliest blow came from another auntie who was even more scathing¡ª ¡°This young man must be thirty, right? Trying to emulate little Qiaoqiao, really like an old cucumber painted green¡­¡± Zhang Yanping felt a surge of anger! He was only twenty-six! Twenty-six! Just eight years older than Qiaoqiao, and still in the prime of his youth. How did he become an ¡°old cucumber painted green¡±? But the auntie had already walked away, with the next one coming up the line, he could only sullenly continue as a numb cog in the machine. When they¡¯d almost sold out of vegetables, a man rushed over in a fluster: ¡°Girl, where¡¯s my tea?¡± While speaking, he looked around sneakily, like a thief. Zhang Yanping knew this was the devoted fan who only ever bought a couple of ounces! The customer looked surprised to see Zhang Yanping: Zhang Yanping: ¡­Is it really necessary? Seeing the customer¡¯s anxious expression, he asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± The man whispered in response, ¡°I¡¯m buying this on the sly; the tea is so expensive, and I didn¡¯t want my partner to catch me.¡± He took the tea, opened the sealed bag, and fished out a small packet wrapped in white paper, furrowing his brows. Then he lifted a corner of the paper and took a deep sniff with his head lowered¡ª Just that action, and his face rippled with smile after smile, radiating sheer anticipation: ¡°Ah, the scent! Truly exquisite!¡± He hurriedly repacked the item and immediately began dashing back the way he came. The neighboring vegetable vendor squeezed over, eyeing Song Tan curiously: ¡°What exactly are you selling? You¡¯re acting all secretive about it.¡± He wasn¡¯t saying anything yet, but his actions and demeanor were like those of someone secretly peddling contraband, quite illicit. Seeing him, Song Tan swiftly bagged the five kilos of milk vetch that the vendor had wanted the day before: ¡°Picked fresh this morning; they¡¯re still crisp.¡± The vendor looked around, then with a swift motion, snatched the bag of veggies and carefully hid them behind his own stall. This clandestine transaction was no different from the tea-buying uncle¡¯s ordeal just moments before. It wasn¡¯t until then that Song Tan finally answered his question: ¡°It¡¯s just some tea leaves fried at home, a bit pricey, so everyone is cautious.¡± The vegetable vendor couldn¡¯t help but feel tempted again: ¡°Your family¡¯s tea leaves¡­¡± However, Song Tan was too busy to wait for him to make up his mind today, and she quickly packed up the basket: ¡°Brother Yanping, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡­ On this trip, they were heading to Huacheng, a two-and-a-half-hour drive away. There was no need to enter the city; the suburbs were their destination¡ªXinxin Flowers Nursery. How Zhang Yanping knew so many people, Song Tan couldn¡¯t find all the items she needed even on TaoTao treasure, but this Xinxin Flowers Nursery really pulled it off¡ªin one go, they produced two hundred Golden Sakura saplings! Now in the early spring, these Golden Sakura trees had been deeply pruned last winter, and at the moment, they looked bare and far from pretty. But a careful inspection revealed a well-developed root system and a vigorous vitality, confirming they were truly in the prime of their maturity. Song Tan pointed out a few with obviously weaker root systems, but saw the owner scratching his head and chuckling awkwardly: ¡°Girl, you have quite an eye¡­ Um, this wild type is really hard to deal with. It¡¯s been years since anyone bought it.¡± ¡°You came wanting them all of a sudden, and I can¡¯t muster two hundred trees right away. I scrapped a few from the pots, just a tad weaker, just a tad. I had actually planned on grafting and cultivating them with rosebushes¡­¡± While the owner spoke, his face showed signs of reluctance to part with them: ¡°But you won¡¯t lose out.¡± He hurriedly searched through the pile of already pruned Golden Sakura, finding an exceptionally robust and large one: ¡°This one is the source plant of all these saplings, very strong. In the past, I wouldn¡¯t have sold it for fifty bucks!¡± Since the owner said this was the source plant, it meant that all of the Golden Sakura were propagated from it. Generally speaking, the source plant would be even stronger. This deal wasn¡¯t a loss. Song Tan was very satisfied in her heart. The few that she had picked out were only slightly weak at the roots, but that didn¡¯t mean they wouldn¡¯t grow well, and this source plant was indeed an unexpected bonus. It was thick and strong with a well-developed root system. Just this one could take care of a six- to seven-square-meter space. Both parties were very pleased. However, even if she personally came to pick up the goods, the owner wouldn¡¯t budge on the price of three thousand yuan. Meanwhile, Zhang Yanping treated the nursery as if it were his own, pulling Song Tan along to stroll around the place. But most of what was here was ornamental flowers, many of which were specially cultivated horticultural varieties. They didn¡¯t hold much economic value in the countryside. Song Tan looked and looked, and finally set her sights on a small sapling just budding in the corner of the wall: ¡°What is this?¡± The owner was taken aback, then after some thought, he remembered: ¡°It¡¯s Sichuan pepper.¡± Sichuan pepper? A thought struck Song Tan, ¡°Owner, I won¡¯t haggle with you anymore. Give me this Sichuan pepper tree.¡± The owner was stunned, ¡°But this is one I planted for my own family to eat, I haven¡¯t taken much care of it¡­¡± ¡°No matter!¡± Song Tan declared confidently: ¡°I think your Sichuan pepper looks quite good. We don¡¯t grow much in Yun City.¡± The owner hesitated, doing some mental calculations: Accepting her offer was fine, as long as he didn¡¯t have to haggle. Besides, the tree wasn¡¯t expensive. Thinking of the batch of Golden Sakura that had nearly been stuck with him, he finally agreed. Zhang Yanping didn¡¯t understand. What did Song Tan want with a Sichuan pepper tree? It was a spice; how much could a family eat by themselves! It was enough to just buy some, why bother planting one specifically? But Song Tan had already turned around: ¡°Brother Yanping, I remember grass carp is quite suitable for making Sichuan pepper and sauerkraut fish hotpot, right?¡± Sichuan pepper and sauerkraut fish¡­ Slurp!!! With that said, Zhang Yanping started to feel hungry too. Chapter 71 - Chapter 71: 71. Add-on and dog field_1 Chapter 71: 71. Add-on and dog field_1 The expression on the face of the nursery owner was somewhat complex. ¡°You¡¯ll take the Sichuan pepper trees, too? You guys really aren¡¯t picky, are you?¡± On second thought, picky people wouldn¡¯t usually come to buy Golden Sakura, right? He had been swayed by the sales pitch from the medicinal herb company, thinking it had great potential and a hot market. He hurriedly propagated a batch to test the waters, only to find that just as they started growing in scale, people became interested in the thornless varieties. He had been growing them for three years, and this batch he propagated was the same batch he was still trying to sell off¡ªhis only Golden Sakura customers. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been forced to cash in the mother plants, too. So the owner tentatively added: ¡°I¡¯ve got some red Sichuan pepper trees as well, about the same size as these green ones¡­ want those too?¡± Seeing Song Tan¡¯s eyes light up, he suddenly got a jolt: ¡°You have to pay for them!¡± ¡°Boss, that¡¯s not very fair of you!¡± Zhang Yanping draped an arm around his shoulders, handing him a cigarette, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s have a good chat. I¡¯m telling you, the cost of the trip alone is a couple hundred¡­¡± The two men walked off arm in arm, disappearing from view, while Song Tan had already started to think about which spices she might need¡­ And intercropping in the forest; there was nothing she particularly craved for the moment, so that required further consideration¡­ Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã¦Ï As she pondered this, she saw the owner and Zhang Yanping already carrying saplings back: ¡°Come on, let¡¯s load them up and head back.¡± The saplings were a lush green, clearly thriving well in the greenhouse. However, there was a layer of dust on the leaves, a sure sign they were part of the owner¡¯s stock that had nearly been forgotten in some corner. And indeed they were. The owner, rubbing his head, said, ¡°That¡­ Yanping knows that I used to work in agricultural seedling cultivation. Later, because it wasn¡¯t profitable, I switched to fresh flower potted plants. These are a few leftover plants¡­¡± He tried to save face, putting on a confident demeanor: ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled by their ordinary looks; five-year-old saplings like these usually go for a hundred and eighty each.¡± The price was right, but Zhang Yanping¡¯s purslane buns weren¡¯t eaten for nothing, and with a cheerful response, he said: ¡°True, they¡¯re all quite expensive, which is why Uncle Zhou saw that we came from far away and it wasn¡¯t easy, so he gave us this red Sichuan pepper, this grafted Star Anise Tree, and also that green Sichuan pepper tree of yours, all to us.¡± ¡°Tantan, next time you need any trees or flowers, remember to come back to Uncle Zhou, okay?¡± Song Tan smiled both sweetly and sincerely, ¡°Sure! Thank you, Uncle Zhou!¡± Owner Uncle Zhou sighed, ¡°Next time you come, I¡¯ll have to think more¡­ If it¡¯s not urgent, better to just ship next time. Dealing face-to-face is just too costly.¡± ¡­ The vehicle drove along the road, and everyone inside was happy. Zhang Yanping felt he had demonstrated his skills, and although he had been homebound for two years, his capacity for networking had not diminished. Song Tan was also happy. The Golden Sakura had cost three thousand yuan, and the trip had been pretty exhausting, but the Sichuan pepper and Star Anise trees were mature saplings that could bear fruit this year, not bad at all. If she hadn¡¯t taken this trip, she might not have thought of it for quite some time! Otherwise, once she started raising her own grass carp, she might have been ready to make pickled fish soup only to find the spices lacking in flavor¡ªwouldn¡¯t that be a flaw in an otherwise perfect gem? For a while, spirits were high. Halfway through the trip, Zhang Yanping pointed to a side road: ¡°Go straight ahead until you reach a pond, then turn right, and you¡¯ll see a big dog kennel.¡± The area had a clear view and the road wasn¡¯t complicated. Song Tan turned the steering wheel and quickly found the place he was talking about. It was a square courtyard, completely enclosed with two-meter-tall wire mesh. A few bungalows were built in the middle, and the rest of the space was divided into different areas. Now in spring, sparse green grass was poking out, a clear sign that people or animals moved around the area frequently. In front of the big yard, a van and a pretty large SUV were parked. A man in a trench coat leaned despondently against the SUV door, silently smoking a cigarette. Song Tan frowned: ¡°Is this guy the owner?¡± His aura doesn¡¯t seem too good. Zhang Yanping squinted and watched the approaching car before confirming, ¡°No. He¡¯s probably a customer who¡¯s here to buy a dog.¡± Then he pointed at a young man in the field who was walking to and fro with a dog: ¡°It¡¯s him.¡± As the two got out of the car and passed the SUV in front, Song Tan saw a huge, unidentifiable breed of dog lying silently in the back seat of the vehicle. It lay motionless, its cheeks black and its fur a yellowish hue. Its mere presence filled the spacious SUV¡¯s rear seat to the brim. Looking at its size, it would stand taller than an adult man! Both the man and the dog were silent, their moods somber. It was at this moment that the dog farm¡¯s owner noticed them: ¡°Yanping!¡± Then, turning to Song Tan with an outstretched hand and a laugh: ¡°This must be our little sister! Boy, you¡¯ve kept her well-hidden. She¡¯s so pretty. Got a boyfriend yet?¡± Song Tan also smiled, ¡°What do I need a boyfriend for? Can a boyfriend help me guard the gate?¡± Ha! The owner laughed too. ¡°Our little sister has a sense of humor¡ªI¡¯m Sun Shouping, just call me Brother Sun. I¡¯m good friends with your brother, pick whatever dog you want.¡± ¡°How should I address you?¡± With the owner being so straightforward, Song Tan also enjoyed the ease: ¡°Brother Sun, just call me Song Tan.¡± And with that, the two were acquainted. Then. After Sun Shouping¡¯s friendly and polite words were spoken, his expression suddenly became serious: ¡°But little sister, I have to speak plainly. If you take one of my dogs back and just tie it up at the door with a rope, and feed it a diet of vegetable soup with rice, letting it go hungry and full by turns, that just won¡¯t do!¡± Song Tan understood what he meant. In rural areas nowadays, many people keep dogs tied up at the gate with a rope just one or two meters long, from puppyhood to old age, almost never untying them. Moreover, with improved living standards, villagers are now willing to spoil their pets with bones, meat, and fish from time to time. But at Sun Shouping¡¯s place, all the dogs were large breeds. What if the owners found them too expensive to feed and just neglected them? Clarifying these points in advance was good for both people and dogs. After all, large breeds like these could easily fall ill and would hardly meet the requirements for warding off intruders if fed such a diet for long. Before Song Tan could speak, Zhang Yanping was already displeased. ¡°Would I bring someone like that?¡± ¡°My sister picked up three tiny stray pups and she¡¯s been soaking milk powder for them every day! The dog she¡¯s taking back is meant to watch over the mountaintop; how could it work if it¡¯s not well-fed?¡± Judging by this detail, Sun Shouping immediately felt at ease. Without another word, he led them into the yard: ¡°Don¡¯t think that just because I have only big dogs here that they¡¯ll bite. They¡¯re all well-trained, don¡¯t be afraid!¡± ¡°Yanping said you wanted an adult dog to watch the mountains, right? That¡¯s even more reason to pay attention to this matter. These days, if a dog bites someone, it¡¯s troublesome and you might even have to compensate. Most importantly, the dog usually ends up with a pretty bad fate.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why all of my dogs are trained, they won¡¯t bite unless it¡¯s absolutely necessary.¡± Song Tan nodded, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± In a society governed by law, causing serious harm by biting can still be troublesome. Chapter 72 - Chapter 72: What dog to choose? _1 Chapter 72: What dog to choose? _1 Sun Shouping clearly loved dogs, and now as he spoke of his beloved pets, his eyes sparkled and his expression softened with affection. ¡°If you want a guard dog, those common pet dogs you see on the market, like Huskies, Shiba Inus, Golden Retrievers, Labradors¡­ none of them will do.¡± ¡°The first two basically have no obedience, only madness.¡± ¡°The last two have enough obedience, but they lack intimidation and attack power, you¡¯re raising them on a mountain, and people would still come up to pet them!¡± He opened an iron gate, and immediately, puppies joyfully rushed over in the grassy yard, seemingly plunging Song Tan into a fluffy paradise. Even though Song Tan remembered she wanted an adult dog, she nearly succumbed to them right then and there. I mean, who could resist the temptation of these fluffy and cute puppies! Sun Shouping couldn¡¯t help but smile as he watched. He had seen many people buy dogs, and a look at the details was enough to tell if someone truly loved them or not. Some people love pedigree, some love looks, and others, regardless of these factors, only want to vent their frustrations, boost their ego, or show off¡­ In short, once you¡¯ve kept animals for a long time and invested a lot of emotion, it¡¯s too easy to become heartbroken over them if you fail to see the larger picture. Sun Shouping has loved dogs since he was young, and only in the past two years has he slowly calmed down. But calm as he may be, seeing someone truly fond of dogs still made him happy, so he quickly led Song Tan to another area: Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.?? ¡°Don¡¯t you have a small dog at home? A well-trained local mutt is really smart! Not inferior to these breeds. So this time, don¡¯t look at the puppies, just pick what you need.¡± Song Tan knew this, but it didn¡¯t stop her from joking, ¡°Sun Ge, you¡¯re pushing so hard, is it because adult dogs are a bit more expensive?¡± Sun Shouping laughed, ¡°You¡¯re mistaken there, the price difference between my big dogs and small dogs isn¡¯t much, and the puppies actually make more money!¡± Raising dogs is different from other things, companion animals, like cats and dogs, are best matched with their owners at the right age. They¡¯re also the easiest to bond with and can receive very effective training. But once that optimal period passes, no matter the breed, the older they grow, the less cute and good-looking they are compared to when they were puppies. At that point, the chances of selling them have already diminished greatly. Therefore, with pets, the older they are, the more likely they are to be sold cheaply. By the time they are adults, they are basically unsellable. The reason Sun Shouping¡¯s kennel hadn¡¯t reached the point of practically giving dogs away was that he raised large breeds, which had a fairly high demand even as adults. And all of them were meant for guarding and protection; to maintain combat capability and training results, the quality of their diet was definitely not compromised. As a result, the price difference between his big and small dogs was leveled by their meals. And because he was introduced by Zhang Yanping, he had not even charged a separate training fee! He explained these intricacies briefly and, fearing that Song Tan would worry that the adult dog might not obey or be affectionate when brought home, quickly clarified: ¡°You can rest assured about the adult dogs here. I¡¯m not deceiving you, I¡¯m obviously the master here.¡± ¡°But as soon as they go home with you and you feed them with care for a while, as long as you neither spoil them nor mistreat them, they will absolutely obey commands and be fiercely loyal.¡± ¡°Despite my kennel only being open for a little over two years, I¡¯ve been in this line of work long before opening it. Over these years, I¡¯ve kept track of the dogs I¡¯ve sold.¡± ¡°As for reputation, you can ask Yanping.¡± Song Tan had already inquired about this thoroughly before coming, and now she nodded: ¡°So, do you have any dogs to recommend?¡± Sun Shouping smiled, dealing with someone who understood made things pleasant. ¡°It¡¯s up to your preference. Purely for guarding the mountains, German Shepherds, Casros, Mastiffs, Dobermans¡­ any of these will do, it all depends on what you like.¡± ¡°German Shepherds are sharper, with a higher IQ.¡± ¡°Casros are calmer and very self-confident.¡± ¡°Dobermans are bolder, and also more fierce.¡± ¡°The Mastiff can run and jump, over this fence of mine that¡¯s two meters high, no problem,¡± he said, making it sound as if he had hardly introduced the dogs at all, as each one only had merits! Song Tan couldn¡¯t help but feel torn. At this moment, they had arrived at the farthest meadow. It was a vast space, with folding partition fences along the edge, and in the middle of the meadow, about a dozen large dogs were lying lazily in the grass, basking in the sun. They looked content and poised, clearly enjoying a comfortable life in the dog training area. Sun Shouping couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°Dogs have it better than humans.¡± Then he clapped his hands: ¡°Come over here.¡± In an instant, all the dogs pricked up their ears and immediately stood up, spirited and dashing towards Sun Shouping! One dog in motion brought all the others with it. They charged over with loud barks, the spectacle quite impressive! Sun Shouping even stepped in front of Song Tan, looking at her worriedly from the side, afraid that the beautiful girl would be startled. However, Song Tan was looking at the large dogs in front of her with gleaming eyes, paying him no mind and his subtle movements. She noticed that the leading Mastiff was indeed capable of running and jumping, its leaps outshining the rest, with particularly swift movements. Following was the Doberman. It looked somewhat fierce yet dopey, charging mindlessly as though it might bite someone who didn¡¯t know any better. Then came several German Shepherds and Casros. In comparison, their running was much more cautious; as they neared Sun Shouping, they slowed down even more, and only when they finally gathered around him did they excitedly stick out their tongues to lick his palms. But they were obviously well-trained; despite the general excitement, even with Song Tan standing right beside Sun Shouping, the dozen dogs carefully avoided her, approaching their master from the other side. The closest black-backed dog was even cautious, wagging its tail without a single hair touching Song Tan. ¡°They really are well-trained!¡± She couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. Seeing she wasn¡¯t afraid, Sun Shouping was also pleasantly surprised, and he clapped his hands again, issuing a command: ¡°Sit down!¡± In a moment, all the dogs took a step back and obediently sat down. Then they cocked their heads, curiously eyeing the strange girl next to their master. Song Tan already had her hand over her chest: ¡°I just regret that my hill isn¡¯t big enough, my wallet not hefty enough¡­¡± Otherwise, she really wanted to take all the dogs home! Sun Shouping also smiled happily: ¡°It¡¯s rare to see someone as brave as you! Come on, see if there¡¯s any that catch your eye.¡± ¡°I can honestly say, all the dogs here meet your needs, you just have to pick the one you like and that likes you back.¡± ¡°These dogs are smart, you know. If they don¡¯t seem too willing to go with you, then I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to pick another one.¡± When it came to this, Song Tan was quite confident. She smiled meaningfully, ¡°I¡¯ve been likable to animals since I was a child, I¡¯m afraid if I lift a finger, all your dogs will want to follow me home.¡± Sun Shouping laughed heartily, stepped back, and pointed to Song Tan for the dogs: ¡°Show your best now, this might be your new owner.¡± For a moment, all the dogs fixed their gaze on Song Tan. Chapter 73 - Chapter 73: 73. Choose a Dog_1 Chapter 73: 73. Choose a Dog_1 Song Tan crouched down, with Spiritual Energy surging and condensing into the palm of her hand. Then she clapped her hands: ¡°Come over, all who like me!¡± In that instant, the Spiritual Energy, like smoke dispersed by a pat, wound around her hands without dissipating. Sun Shouping had been standing by with a smile, but his expression gradually shifted to one of utter surprise. Because his dozen or so dogs were now all pricking up their ears, looking spirited! The next second, they all charged over! ¡°Woof!¡± Song Tan burst into laughter, her crouched figure enveloped by more than a dozen dogs, their fluffy heads constantly reaching over, sniffing her palm with their wet noses before being pushed away by other dog heads. From a distance, one could no longer see Song Tan¡¯s figure. Sun Shouping¡¯s face went numb¡ªthough he had given the order for the dogs to behave well and welcome their potential new owner, this was too good of a performance, wasn¡¯t it? Were they that eager to abandon him? Feeling sour inside, he now had no choice but to clap his hands to draw attention. ¡°Sit down!¡± A brief pause settled over the group of dogs. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã¦Ï Afterward, the dogs, albeit reluctantly, pulled back their heads and obediently sat down on the grass. However, their eyes still clung to Song Tan, wet and pitiful, which was heartbreaking! Only then did Song Tan manage to stand up¡ªthere was a distinct doggy smell! As they all crowded around, she was surrounded by doggy breath, causing the handful of scattered Spiritual Energy in her hand to be completely dispelled before they finally stopped¡­ She couldn¡¯t keep up, couldn¡¯t keep up. It was then that Sun Shouping sighed, ¡°Now I believe that animals have liked you since you were young.¡± ¡°Come on, pick any you want, how many would you like?¡± How should she choose? It was difficult to pick any of them. Song Tan looked over, troubled, ¡°Brother Sun, you haven¡¯t told me the price yet?¡± Sun Shouping smiled, ¡°Yanping already told me about this¡ªso, I¡¯ll charge you the cost price, 3,000 yuan per dog.¡± For a purebred dog, especially ones of such quality, 3,000 yuan really only covered the costs for their food and vaccines as they grew. But Sun Shouping wasn¡¯t someone who would let his brother-in-law slash his prices without a good reason, so he had conditions: ¡°They are all prime-aged dogs, both male and female. To ensure their explosive power and vigorous energy, I haven¡¯t sterilized them.¡± ¡°So you can take a dog for 3,000 yuan, but for future breeding, I hope you¡¯ll pair them with dogs from my kennel. If it¡¯s inconvenient for you, I can bring the dogs over.¡± ¡°When they have puppies, regardless of gender, I¡¯ll claim the first year¡¯s offspring. Later, if there are more puppies, I¡¯ll come and collect them.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll charge according to the market rates.¡± Song Tan let out a sigh of relief. Well-trained dogs usually come with pedigrees, and a combination of pedigree and training brings a soaring price. And she could only choose these adult dogs. Although she had admired these dogs before, she had also been concerned about the prices. Now at 3,000 yuan each, her financial burden was much lighter. She had originally set a baseline price for herself of 20,000 yuan, but now it looked like she had more than enough. Of course, in Song Tan¡¯s mind, as long as people could eat and drink well, money was just a worldly possession. But in Wu Lan¡¯s mind, she would probably end up on a tree branch¡­ What¡¯s the use of cultivating Spiritual Energy? It still couldn¡¯t withstand her old mother¡¯s beatings! ¡°Alright!¡± She agreed without hesitation. But¡ª ¡°Male dogs can breed a maximum of twice a year, and female dogs only have one litter a year. Moreover, they have to take a liking to the partner. Plus, if I decide to keep any puppies from the female dogs I select, they can¡¯t be sold to you.¡± ¡°Fine!¡± Sun Shouping became excited as well. After all, finding a good home for his dog sons was the most important thing. After the more immediate issues were settled, Song Tan began to pick from the dozen or so dogs sitting obediently. She didn¡¯t have much experience in selecting dogs and didn¡¯t bother to check their teeth or body structure; she simply cheated and used a little trick¡ª She wrapped an extremely tiny thread of Spiritual Energy around her fingertips and then moved them slightly. In an instant! Four dogs in the pack quickly turned their heads, their eyes staring intently in her direction. Got it! There was no need to pick anymore; irrespective of the dogs¡¯ overall qualities, these were the ones most sensitive to Spiritual Energy. They would also be the quickest to adapt during the initial training period. Song Tan began calling them out¡ª ¡°That one with the yellow fur and black back.¡± ¡°The one with ears both sharp and high.¡± ¡°Also, that one with short ears and all black fur.¡± ¡°That yellow-furred, long-faced one.¡± As she spoke, she pointed them out to Sun Shouping. He froze for a moment and then chuckled bitterly¡ª ¡°I can¡¯t believe Zhang Yanping is my brother! Why wouldn¡¯t he tell me the truth? You¡¯ve got such a good eye for choosing dogs, picking out the ones with the best physique and trainability. And he told me you were a novice, asking me to give you more advice?¡± Although the murmuring Sun Shouping himself was puzzled¡ªbecause from what Song Tan said, she clearly couldn¡¯t distinguish between the breeds of these dogs, she indeed appeared to be a novice! In any case, she had chosen one of each of the four dog breeds he had introduced ¨C and each one she pointed out was the leader. Three males, one female. But since the choice was made, he pointed out those few dogs to Song Tan, making sure she recognized them clearly. ¡°The yellow-furred, long-faced one is a Mastiff.¡± ¡°The yellow fur with a black back is a black-back German Shepherd, the female dog.¡± ¡°The short ears belong to Casro; actually, its ears aren¡¯t short but hang down in large flaps, which can easily get bitten and bleed in a fight. So, they¡¯re usually cropped short when they¡¯re young.¡± ¡°And this one, this is our kennel¡¯s most handsome Du Bin.¡± The four dogs were vigorous and their eyes shone. When their cool, damp noses gently touched the back of Song Tan¡¯s hand, she felt her heart as if it too had been brushed by a feather, soft and tender. But although he chose the strongest leaders, Sun Shouping still felt compelled to offer advice: ¡°According to the rules of my kennel, if a male dog comes to mate, the owner can only take one puppy from the litter the female dogs have.¡± ¡°Although mixed-breed dogs have high quality too, most people still care about pedigree. You¡¯ve picked four different breeds, which won¡¯t be profitable if you bring them here to mate.¡± ¡°Instead, selecting two pairs of male and female dogs of the same breed, or all of the same breed, would be more profitable when I come to purchase the puppies based on their looks.¡± Song Tan shook her head, ¡°No, I¡¯m not raising them for profit, so it really doesn¡¯t matter about the breed.¡± Since dogs can live for a good ten to twenty years, choosing dogs of the same breed might be troublesome if she ended up with puppies at home that she would have to sell. That would indeed be hard for her. Even though Sun Shouping seemed to be someone who loved and cared about dogs, such matters were still a worry, no matter how you look at it. ¡°Let¡¯s just go with these, they¡¯re fine.¡± She then chuckled again: ¡°I originally planned to get five dogs. But I only connected with these four this time, so I¡¯ll start with them.¡± Chapter 74 - Chapter 74: 74. Man, SUV, and Dog_1 Chapter 74: 74. Man, SUV, and Dog_1 Upon hearing Song Tan¡¯s words, Sun Shouping¡¯s brow twitched slightly. But quickly, he suppressed his emotions and then, sighing, began to pet the four dogs¡¯ heads: ¡°The names I gave them here were pretty arbitrary, just serial numbers. After you get home, you can give them names to start getting familiar and comfortable with them.¡± ¡°They¡¯re very smart, they¡¯ll understand.¡± Song Tan nodded in agreement. By now, she had seven dogs. Although naming them was hard, she already had some ideas in mind: ¡°By the way, can you make dog tags here?¡± Sun Shouping laughed: ¡°Of course! I made the tags they¡¯re wearing myself. Think about the names, and I¡¯ll engrave them for you later.¡± Having said that, he turned and went into the room, took out familiar mats, towels, plush toys, and chewing balls for each of the four dogs, reluctantly packing them into a box. Then, he left the place together with Song Tan. The other dozen or so dogs, seeing their siblings following their owner out, seemed to realize something and started whimpering pitifully. Casro, who had been silent all this time, suddenly turned back and gave a deep ¡°woof.¡± Instantly, all the dogs quieted down again, silently watching them leave. Sun Shouping felt a tinge of redness around his eyes as he continued to explain to Song Tan: ¡°Actually, it¡¯s okay. My dogs are quite popular in the market, and people come to pick them often. They¡¯re used to it.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.§ã¦Ï As they stepped out, they found Zhang Yanping, already lost in the joy of playing with the puppies, and hadn¡¯t noticed the two of them. It was only when the group of puppies suddenly quieted down and rushed over that he turned his head¡ª ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°These four dogs are looking sharp!¡± He came forward and slapped Sun Shouping¡¯s shoulder hard: ¡°Good brother! It had to be you! Such a noble gesture¡ªhow much are they?¡± Song Tan answered, ¡°Three thousand each.¡± At that, even Zhang Yanping was moved: ¡°Brother, I didn¡¯t realize you were so generous¡­¡± He fumbled in his pocket and finally pulled out a cold steamed bun wrapped in a plastic bag: ¡°For great kindness, I have nothing to repay, this is the steamed bun I managed to save¡­ now, take it!¡± Sun Shouping¡¯s feelings of reluctance and sorrow vanished in an instant! He snatched the steamed bun fiercely: ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll eat this for dinner tonight!¡± Seeing Zhang Yanping¡¯s feigned reluctance, he felt even more speechless: ¡°And you, telling me your sister is a novice at picking dogs. Can a novice have an eye for dogs like hers, picking the right one every time?¡± ¡°All of them are top-notch dogs from my lot! I wouldn¡¯t usually part with them so readily!¡± But this time, it was rare that his dogs took such an initiative¡­ Sigh. Hopefully, they¡¯ll have a good life in the future. Guarding mountains and forests, although they probably won¡¯t have meals that are 100% carefully balanced, at least they¡¯ll have freedom. Zhang Yanping also cast a surprised glance at Song Tan. Song Tan helplessly responded, ¡°Brother Yanping, I really don¡¯t have experience in picking dogs. It¡¯s purely that these dogs have a high standard; they knew at a glance that I have a promising future. What can I do about it?¡± Zhang Yanping withdrew his gaze. Whether his cousin had experience in picking dogs, he didn¡¯t know. But this thick-skinned attitude was a true trademark of a businessperson. Then thinking about the price of three thousand per dog, he realized his buddy really hadn¡¯t made a profit, and wasn¡¯t sure what to say for a moment. He simply pointed outside again: ¡°Your customer outside? I see them standing there smoking for a long while.¡± The cigarette butts on the ground had piled up to a dozen or more. Sun Shouping glanced over and also felt helpless. ¡°Let him smoke there, blow off some steam.¡± Song Tan seemed to remember something and asked curiously, ¡°What kind of dog does he have? Why didn¡¯t I see it this time? It looks so big, even bigger than any of mine.¡± Sun Shouping smiled proudly, ¡°That¡¯s the Turkish National Dog¡ªKangal!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any adult dogs here, only puppies, you definitely didn¡¯t see one.¡± Zhang Yanping had never heard of such a dog and it took him a while to ask, ¡°Seems like I¡¯ve heard about it online, something called Anatolia?¡± Sun Shouping scolded him with a laugh, ¡°Stop faking it if you don¡¯t know your stuff. This is a genuine Turkish Kangal, not Anatolian. It can kill a Tibetan Mastiff in minutes, a true fierce dog!¡± ¡°This dog enjoys the right to live like a citizen in Turkey, do you know what they call it?¡± ¡°¡ª God¡¯s Pet!¡± ¡°The status of the giant panda in our country is what the Kangal has in theirs.¡± Zhang Yanping¡¯s eyes were already filled with dollar signs¡ª ¡°With such an incredible pedigree, breeding them must be very profitable, right?¡± Sun Shouping was speechless, ¡°Money, money, money! That¡¯s all you think about.¡± ¡°Even a puppy here costs twenty-one thousand each, forget about the others.¡± ¡°Besides, ordinary people can¡¯t afford to keep them. One meal would cost you a week¡¯s worth of food expenses. I wouldn¡¯t be willing to sell without seeing some assets.¡± Zhang Yanping glanced at the silent SUV outside and the man who was still despondently smoking, ¡°So, what¡¯s his story? Bought one and couldn¡¯t afford to keep it, so he¡¯s returning the dog?¡± Sun Shouping also sighed, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Actually, returning such a large dog after it has bonded with an owner is quite a burden for me.¡± ¡°But this person is different, he truly loves dogs.¡± ¡°That dog, as a puppy plus some training fees and all, cost him a solid thirty thousand. For the twenty-one thousand puppies, he came in person to choose, I trained it for six months, and he even bought a large car to transport it.¡± ¡°Just to keep it, he specially built a villa in the countryside.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t raise it for status but for real love!¡± But suddenly, his business suffered a loss, and he was left with nothing but a school district apartment in the city for his child¡¯s education. The villa in the countryside was sold at a discount. And, the dog could no longer be kept. ¡°For one, the city does not allow it.¡± ¡°Second, the dog eats too much in one meal. If you let it maintain its exercise and eat its fill, it could finish off a hundred or so pounds in a day.¡± Zhang Yanping gasped in shock. Sun Shouping quickly laughed, ¡°It¡¯s not that exaggerated, I was talking about if you let it go all out. With normal activity, it doesn¡¯t eat that much, and it doesn¡¯t require all meat.¡± But even so, these numbers sound terrifying, don¡¯t they? Zhang Yanping, who had been somewhat stirred by the idea of a large dog, was instantly calmed. ¡°It¡¯s really too expensive to keep.¡± And with a dog this large, it could become vicious, and most people couldn¡¯t handle it. He was afraid to keep one, too afraid to keep one. Sun Shouping gave a wry smile, ¡°Although Kangals are brave, they are not violent or aggressive and are exceptionally gentle with children and extremely loyal. But with such large dogs, just their appearance can be terrifying enough¡­¡± He looked outside at the SUV with a sigh, ¡°It¡¯s because of its loyalty, it knew its owner couldn¡¯t afford it, so it ate only a pound or two of meat per meal for a whole week.¡± ¡°That big guy would cry at home watching it eat, cry watching it eat.¡± ¡°Those rich friends of his were willing to take it and help with its care¡­ but the dog wouldn¡¯t accept a new owner, no way.¡± ¡°He drove over early this morning, asking if I could continue to keep it?¡± Chapter 75 - Chapter 75: 75. Wavering_1 Chapter 75: 75. Wavering_1 Sun Shouping also gave a wry smile, ¡°Raise it, I can indeed afford to, and since it¡¯s just reached adulthood, if I manage to breed it well, I can earn the money back.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that neither the person nor the dog can get over this hurdle. You see, after agreeing to terms, they became hesitant to part, lingering there for half a day already.¡± Mature people had already known difficulties and backed down, like Zhang Yanping. However, having raised all sorts of bizarre things on the back mountain, Song Tan began to feel an itch! That is to say, she really loved such a fierce dog! At this moment, she slowly asked, ¡°Then if¡­ this dog could be a bit cheaper, I¡¯d like to have it!¡± Zhang Yanping stopped her, ¡°The money you make in a day from selling vegetables is only enough to feed and water it!¡± Sun Shouping was also startled and quickly refused, ¡°No, no, you can¡¯t afford it, really can¡¯t afford it!¡± ¡°And¡­¡± He looked at Song Tan and sighed, ¡°In foreign countries, they use this kind of dog to hunt tigers. It¡¯s not an exaggeration, usually it¡¯s not aggressive, but if it does become fierce, you won¡¯t be able to hold it back.¡± Song Tan, however, smiled, ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true.¡± Sun Shouping truly hadn¡¯t expected the girl to be so stubborn! Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.§ã¦Ï At this moment, he gave a bitter laugh, his words earnest, ¡°Really, it¡¯s not possible.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m unwilling to part with this dog. I already have Kangal breeders here; one more or one less doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡± ¡°But the problem is, you really won¡¯t be able to handle it! This dog is too loyal; it doesn¡¯t easily accept a new owner. Even if you take it back with you, at first it¡¯s going to be stubborn and not listen to you. How will you raise it then?¡± ¡°What if something happens, you tell me¡­¡± Sun Shouping was really sincere in his advice, ¡°If you really have the ability to take it away, its owner said, not a penny necessary, as long as you¡¯re good to his dog, regularly send a video, or, if convenient, allow him to see the dog occasionally.¡± If it were an ordinary girl, faced with such a request, there would be a lot to consider. But the problem is Song Tan lives in the village, where there are plenty of mountains and fields, so if you want to come by, just do so; how could the whole village keep outsiders from doing so? Not to mention, she¡¯s not an ordinary girl. Hearing this, she became even more enthusiastic, and set off walking outside, ¡°Then wait for me here, Sun Ge, I¡¯m going to have a chat with its owner!¡± She strode out the gate, and Sun Shouping breathed a sigh of relief: a chat is fine. The owner wouldn¡¯t agree. Then, turning his head and recalling something, he asked Zhang Yanping, ¡°So your sister, her farm business must be doing pretty well, huh? Making a few thousand dollars a day just from selling vegetables? It¡¯s hard work, indeed.¡± Clearly, he remembered what Zhang Yanping had just said, that the money from selling vegetables was only enough to feed the dog. Zhang Yanping thought of how everyone just went to the fields in the morning and picked a few handfuls of Milk Vetch, and could easily pocket two to three thousand¡­ At this moment, after remaining silent for a while, he finally replied with a complex expression, ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s quite tough.¡± And at that moment, Song Tan had already approached the off-road vehicle. The man who had been smoking one cigarette after another was still standing there, and the large dog on the back seat of the car was also lying down in the same silent manner. ¡°Hello.¡± Song Tan greeted, ¡°My name is Song Tan.¡± Then she gestured to the dog field behind her, ¡°I came here today to buy a dog, and I heard from Sun Ge that you were looking to find an owner for the Kangal, right?¡± She smiled, trying to appear friendly, ¡°So, what do you think about me?¡± The man was taken aback, instinctively saying, ¡°Oh, uh, my name¡¯s Wang Zhen.¡± He then came to his senses and shook his head, ¡°Young lady, don¡¯t joke around. My big boy would run off, and you couldn¡¯t hold him back even if you tried.¡± Behind him, Kangal, hearing his name called, lifted his head. However, upon making eye contact with his owner, he whimpered and lay back down. ¡°You see,¡± Wang Zhen said with a hint of pity as he reached out to pet him: ¡°My dog hasn¡¯t been eating well these past few days, he has lost some weight, but he still weighs over 130 pounds, much heavier than you. He could stand two heads taller than you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really not suitable.¡± Song Tan wasn¡¯t upset by the rejection; the more he refused, the more responsible she felt for the dog. She thought for a moment and started to paint a grand picture, ¡°Brother Wang, my home is in the countryside, with several mountains and countless fields.¡± This was, to tell the truth, a bit of an exaggeration, rounding up the details. ¡°There are hardly any children in our village and few elderly folks. Most are well-behaved. I want Kangal because I like him, and also to have a deterrent.¡± ¡°Besides, I just got a few big dogs from Brother Sun, and they can play together. They¡¯d have the freedom to run around half the mountain, far more than they would in normal places.¡± The man¡¯s gaze wavered. Although he had built a villa in the country, it was still not the place he was familiar with. Walking the dog around the village could sometimes be lonely. ¡°As for food¡­¡± Song Tan thought for a moment, ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, I can¡¯t afford hundreds of pounds of meat a day. But thirty to fifty pounds is no problem, and I am sure I can take good care of Kangal.¡± In fact, she planned to use Spiritual Energy and a predominantly vegetarian diet (she had no other choice, as money was tight) based on her previous experience of raising animals in the hills behind her home. She was certain she could keep the dog sleek, well-fed, and full of life. She then made a further promise: ¡°If you¡¯re worried, you can come by the village any time unannounced, and you should be able to see him.¡± Big space, companionship, and the ability to visit anytime. Wang Zhen¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but waver. But then he looked again at the fair-complexioned, beautiful, and tall Song Tan, and he managed to retain his rationality¡ªfor now: ¡°No! You wouldn¡¯t be able to pull him. He probably wouldn¡¯t want to go with you anyways.¡± Seeing him respond that way, Song Tan felt more confident and smiled, ¡°He doesn¡¯t bite, does he?¡± The man shook his head hastily: ¡°Absolutely not!¡± By nature, the dog wasn¡¯t aggressive or fierce. Especially given its size, opening its mouth could easily lead to an accident, so that was a focus of its training right from the start. Song Tan smiled and walked directly up to Kangal, reaching out to stroke his head. ¡°Hey, our Big King doesn¡¯t like¡ª¡± He was only halfway through his sentence when he saw Kangal extend its neck forward, pushing its fluffy head into Song Tan¡¯s palm, allowing her to stroke it. The dog then closed its eyes, snuffling contentedly, clearly reveling in the sensation. The man was at a loss for words, finding it hard to believe that his dog was truly enjoying itself! He murmured in puzzlement, ¡°How can this be¡­¡± Song Tan turned to smile at him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I am really confident.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, let¡¯s try having me walk him around for a bit and see if he¡¯s willing to follow me.¡± Throughout this time, Kangal¡¯s expression remained gentle, even showing a hint of reluctance to leave. The man hesitated for a moment, then stepped back, ¡°Go ahead and try then. Just let go if you can¡¯t hold onto him.¡± Song Tan then took hold of the leash, and with a gentle shake said, ¡°Let¡¯s go for a walk.¡± Kangal looked at his owner, then noiselessly stepped down from his seated position. The whole all-terrain vehicle trembled slightly, and finally, its paws touched the ground. The spring breeze blew, greenery surrounded them, and under the warm sunshine, Kangal¡¯s running motions seemed so small and gentle. The man was astonished to find that his Big King was maintaining the same pace as the young lady beside him. Fierce as a tiger on the outside, tender-hearted within. In that moment, he wavered profoundly. Chapter 76 - Chapter 76: 76. True Appetite_1 Chapter 76: 76. True Appetite_1 Wang Zhen watched as his pet King (Big Wang) placidly followed Song Tan, and for some reason, his eyes suddenly reddened. Look at how suave his King was! When running, his ears would flip up and down, and his body moved so swiftly, like a jungle tiger! His precious King, his little treasure, oh so adorable, wuwuwu, but now¡­ Tears of sorrow began to flow. In the distance, the Kangal, which was trotting in front of Song Tan, seemed to sense something and abruptly turned its head¡ª It saw its owner with tears and snot streaming down his face. Wearing a crumpled trench coat, his slightly yellowed fingers pressed against his face as his shoulders shook, the faint sound of his sobs drifting in the wind. Without hesitation, it left Song Tan and bolted back, rushing straight towards him and slowing down only as it neared its owner. In the end, it simply whimpered and walked up to Wang Zhen, sticking out its tongue to lick his tears. ¡°Woof!¡± It barked loudly. Wang Zhen shivered and couldn¡¯t help but wrap his arms around it: ¡°King! King! My King, wuwuwu¡­¡± The Kangal promptly stood up, its strong and muscular front legs resting on his shoulders, quietly enduring as its owner hugged it tightly, burying his face in its chest, getting a big wet patch of tears on it. Song Tan watched silently, and although the scene was touching, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit amused. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï???.§ã? Still, it showed just how gentle the Kangal really was. It took a while for Wang Zhen to choke back his sobs. Song Tan, watching him struggle to stuff his hands into his pockets, simply took out two tissues and handed them over. Wang Zhen grabbed them and began to clumsily wipe his face, then, with a choked voice, he said, ¡°Take good care of him, take good care of him¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s so good¡­ wuwuwu, my King¡­¡± As tears threatened to spill again, Song Tan sighed¡ª Sun Shouping used to say that the Kangal was sympathetic to children; perhaps in its eyes, everyone is a baby! Including its owner. This tendency to cry at the drop of a hat, no wonder he could cry just watching a dog eat, he¡¯s so emotional. She could only promise again, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can afford to feed it.¡± Wang Zhen laughed with a ¡°pfft¡±: ¡°What nonsense are you talking, girl? Just by looking at your clothes, I can tell you can¡¯t afford to spend a thousand a day.¡± Song Tan: ¡­ I was exaggerating, I never intended to feed it that much meat, but do you really have to say it out loud like that? Wang Zhen, caressing the Kangal¡¯s head lovingly, said, ¡°This dog of mine, called Big Wang. You can change its name when you get home, or keep it as is.¡± ¡°I see it¡¯s quite fond of you; that¡¯s rare. I had many friends who used to meet it often, but in the end, it didn¡¯t recognize anyone but took a liking to you.¡± He sighed, clearly resolved to his decision. ¡°As for its food, don¡¯t listen to the exaggerations of Boss Sun; that¡¯s just how he talks. When you buy his dog, he¡¯ll tell you upfront about all the money you might spend and the highest cost you could incur, just to make sure you are aware of what you¡¯re getting into.¡± ¡°When I bought the dog, he told me it could eat up to a hundred pounds of meat a day, and it really worried me! But back then, I had the money, and I wanted to show off a bit, so I agreed.¡± ¡°Who knew that once I got home, Sun Shouping would tell me the truth: Kangal dogs that can eat a hundred pounds of meat are the ones overseas, brought by their owners on hunting trips for bears and tigers.¡± ¡°If we¡¯re raising one ourselves, just walking around our little plot of land, we don¡¯t need that much food; too much would just make it fat.¡± Thinking about it, Wang Zhen also sighed¡ªhe had mentally prepared himself for a long time before making that decision. Only when he got home did he learn the truth! If he had known earlier, why would he have troubled his family about it for so long! ¡°In any case, it¡¯s not picky. Feed it like other people feed their Golden Retrievers; meat would be better, of course, but if not, it¡¯s fine with dog food too.¡± ¡°Boss Sun himself can¡¯t possibly feed them that much meat every day. Think about it, a thousand a day, thirty thousand a month¡­ how much would he have to sell a dog for to make that money back, right?¡± ¡°I was just too naive back then, seeing how honest he spoke, I was totally stunned by him!¡± Song Tan, who was equally naive, couldn¡¯t help but be speechless. If Boss Sun had simply told the truth to customers, feed the Kangao Dog as you would feed a Golden Retriever, not everyone would be scared off by its enormous appetite. But on second thought, even if it only ate dog food, it would still need a large bag for a single meal. If you can¡¯t afford it, you can¡¯t afford it; there¡¯s no need to struggle to scrounge up money just to feed a dog, right? Wang Zhen made sure everything was clear, bent down to enter the vehicle, and then rummaged out a box. On top of it was a cream-yellow, shallow enamel basin with a diameter of about thirty centimeters, heavy and substantial. ¡°Just fill this basin up with dog food, that¡¯s all you need to do each time. When you can afford it, feed it three to five jin of meat every day. If not, it¡¯s fine too.¡± ¡°Our Big King is quite genteel when it comes to eating, never scattering food outside the bowl.¡± He sighed, constantly stroking the Kangal¡¯s neck, ¡°Here it doesn¡¯t get much exercise. It only eats about two to three times more than a Golden Retriever.¡± Then he pulled out a small booklet from the box. ¡°This has a list of its favorite foods, its vaccination record, a booklet for deworming, and its dog license.¡± ¡°Now that you¡¯re taking it back, and since it¡¯s going to be raised in a rural area, it¡¯s up to you whether to handle this stuff.¡± Wang Zhen dumped all the items on the ground: ¡°Girl, now you give it a try.¡± ¡°Call ¡®Big King¡¯ to trot, hold the leash, and then take control of it, feel the pull¡ªthat if you can handle it, you are its new owner.¡± ¡°Oh, just give a couple of light tugs, that¡¯s enough. Even my wife and I together can¡¯t hold it back, so make sure to let go!¡± With reluctance, he let go, watching as Song Tan took over the thick and sturdy leash, and then asked: ¡°Ready?¡± Song Tan nodded, and he commanded: ¡°Big King! Run, but take it slow.¡± In an instant, Big King sprang up, and then its four thick, powerful legs started moving, frolicking freely on the grassland! Its size was massive, and even at a slow pace, its speed was truly astonishing. But what surprised Wang Zhen even more was that the girl by its side was keeping up with ease, not looking the slightest bit clumsy¡ªin fact, she almost seemed to handle it effortlessly. Remembering how he and his wife would lead the dog, huffing and puffing to the point of collapse, he now touched his slightly sticking-out beer belly and couldn¡¯t help but sigh: ¡°I¡¯m really getting old.¡± Meanwhile, inside the dog farm, Sun Shouping had been chatting with an old classmate; he did not expect to turn his head and nearly pop his eyes out: ¡°What does this mean? They¡¯re really going to give her the Kangal?!¡± Zhang Yanping was also clinging to the fence, looking worriedly at the large, black-muzzled, yellow-haired dog outside. ¡°Can she handle it?¡± Whether she could handle it or not, Song Tan knew very well. At that moment, she also gave a command: ¡°Stop!¡± Then she yanked the leash sharply, and the Kangao Dog, unable to brake in time, came to a sudden halt, its whole body forced to lift its front half off the ground by the pull of the leash! Its two hind legs firmly planted, bringing its running motion to an abrupt end. The two-meter-tall frame hung momentarily suspended in mid-air, then slowly, its front paws too returned to the ground. From start to finish, it hadn¡¯t moved an inch forward after that command. ¡°Holy shit!¡± In the dog farm, Sun Shouping¡¯s cigarette fell from between his fingers. Chapter 77 - Chapter 77: 77. Dog tags and name_1 Chapter 77: 77. Dog tags and name_1 ¡°` Little Pika roared along the road once again. In the truck bed, half was filled with trimmed Golden Sakura saplings, and the other half held several cardboard boxes. Inside the boxes were the dogs¡¯ favorite items and the dog food they were used to eating. Especially for King Kangal, its favorite items filled up one large box, and the dog food it usually ate took up two large boxes, stuffing the small bed of the truck to the brim. Its former owner had really put in a lot of care. But¡­ The driver, Song Tan, glanced at the rearview mirror and said, ¡°This car is still too small.¡± Zhang Yanping, who had been out for half the day, already felt tired. At this moment, he slouched lazily in the passenger seat: ¡°Normal, no one buys so many dogs at once.¡± Just that Kangal alone could pack the back full to the brim. Right? The Kangal lay on the backseat, curled up pitifully, while the other four dogs were even more pitifully scrunched up on the cushion. The windows on both sides were cracked open slightly, and a gentle spring breeze blew in, yet the dogs¡¯ expressions seemed exceedingly forlorn. It was unclear if they were too upset because the space was too small, or if they were reluctant to part with their previous owner. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã? Each of them wore a brass dog tag around their neck, courtesy of Sun Shouping¡¯s on-site engraving and generous gift¡ªnine in total. The front had their names, while the back listed Song Tan¡¯s contact number. At that moment, looking at the four remaining dog tags in his pocket, Zhang Yanping¡¯s expression was complex: ¡°Are we really going with these names?¡± ¡°Otherwise?¡± Song Tan retorted, ¡°The tags are already engraved; isn¡¯t nine just perfect?¡± As she spoke, there was a sense of nostalgia: ¡°The grand path is divided by forty-nine, with one remaining as the surplus. Nine is the ultimate number¡ªwhat a great number! It¡¯s like they were all meant to be my dogs.¡± A vein throbbed on Zhang Yanping¡¯s forehead. He took out the few dog tags and shook them: ¡°I¡¯m truly thankful King Kangal isn¡¯t changing its name! But as for the rest¡ªdo these names suit their stature? Such fine breeds wasted on those names!¡± The brass-colored tags read: Wubao, Liubao, Qibao. These were prepared for the three puppies. The last one he singled out read: Qibao Jojo. ¡°Song Tan!¡± Zhang Yanping was at a loss for words: ¡°If you take this tag out and Jojo really wears it, won¡¯t my aunt smack you?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Song Tan also took out a dog tag from her pocket: ¡°Look, me, Tantan Jiu Bao (Ninth Treasure Tantan).¡± ¡°But this one is outside the grand path, so it doesn¡¯t count.¡± With that, she completely broke Zhang Yanping¡¯s defenses, leaving him with a stiff face, clueless about what to say. Song Tan chuckled, ¡°Brother Yanping, my mom said that it¡¯s safer for Jojo to wear a tag. No worries about a humble name¡ªas long as it keeps him safe.¡± This tag, being akin to a dog tag in Wu Lan¡¯s view, was just like naming a dog ¡°Egg¡± for the good omen of easy raising. For all these years, she had been worried about Jojo¡¯s future. When he asked for a dog tag that day, Wu Lan, as an intermittently superstitious person, made the request without hesitation. Zhang Yanping was speechless¡ªhow could he argue against an official confirmation? Finally, he glanced at the few dogs in the backseat. Looking into their bright eyes, he suddenly wondered: ¡°You just said their names once when you put on the tags, right? Did they understand just like that?¡± Those eyes didn¡¯t look like they misunderstood at all. ¡°Indeed,¡± Song Tan replied confidently: ¡°` ¡°The dogs I take a fancy to couldn¡¯t possibly lack intelligence, right? It¡¯s just that this car is really too small; look how cramped they are.¡± Zhang Yanping sighed, ¡°Then why don¡¯t you buy a few more metal cages and stack them up in the back? But you didn¡¯t want that either.¡± Song Tan cared about spending money. ¡°Spending on these few dogs would earn me a lecture from my mom once I¡¯m back. And just look at how much they eat; that¡¯ll be the end of it! Save where you can.¡± Zhang Yanping really felt like sighing, ¡°Seeing how freely you spend money, I never would¡¯ve guessed you knew how to save.¡± At this point, something came to mind, and he asked, ¡°Are you still going to buy fish fry today? There seems to be a pretty big reservoir nearby.¡± Song Tan checked the time: ¡°Three-thirty, it¡¯s a little over half an hour¡¯s journey back to Yun City. Let¡¯s take advantage of the health inspection station before it closes and get the dog licenses sorted. Forget about the reservoir; I¡¯ll have my dad buy fish fry from the neighboring villages later.¡± Zhang Yanping instantly turned his head, and the Kangal in the back seat was staring at him quietly, its gaze particularly intimidating. He cried out incredulously, ¡°You¡¯re taking them to get dog licenses?!¡± Such large dogs, how could they possibly get licensed! Not to mention multiple ones! ¡°But I¡¯m from the countryside, aren¡¯t I?¡± Song Tan said confidently, ¡°As far as I know, I¡¯ve never heard of any rural family getting licenses for their dogs! I¡¯m here to support the work; why shouldn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Besides, the city bans the keeping of large breeds, but there¡¯s no such requirement in the village. Where we live, all hilly and remote, no one ever comes there. I¡¯m just preparing for the future when more people might come to buy stuff, better to be safe than sorry.¡± Her vegetables hadn¡¯t even been officially planted yet and the interest was already picking up. Getting licenses for the dogs really was a matter of forethought. ¡°But these big dogs¡­ big dogs¡­¡± Zhang Yanping had no experience in securing dog licenses, and he stuttered a bit more now looking at Kangal and the four other dogs. ¡°It¡¯ll work!¡± Song Tan declared assertively. ¡°I¡¯ve asked Brother Sun, and he said our small city has lots of mountains and since it¡¯s about rural development and watching the house, the requirements for a dog license aren¡¯t strict.¡± ¡°Besides, they all have legitimate origins, pedigree papers, vaccination records, deworming logs, and even their one-inch photos¡ªeverything¡¯s in check.¡± ¡°After we get back this time, I reckon we won¡¯t be bringing them into the city area often, might as well get it sorted out on our way.¡± What else could Zhang Yanping say? It¡¯s about proactively answering the nation¡¯s call, responding to urban policies. How progressive! Little Pika made it smoothly back to Yun City. In Yun City, the facility for licensing wasn¡¯t really called a health inspection station but the Animal Disease Monitoring Center; however, everyone was used to calling it the former, defaulting to the health inspection station. The health inspection station¡¯s facade was exceptionally simple, tucked between the gaps of an old community, and only after turning into a darkened doorway could you see an even more modest office. Song Tan opened the car door, and in an instant, a pitch-black dog¡¯s head poked out! A passerby walking by happened to glance over, instinctively gasped ¡°Whoa!¡± and took two steps back. Then, they looked with both shock and admiration at the shiny-coated Dobermann before them. Dabao the Dobermann, obediently carrying its own leash, had a brass dog tag on its neck to prove it had an owner. Once Song Tan took over the leash, it stood by her leg obediently. This prompted an exclamation from the pedestrians on the road: Real men should have big dogs! At that moment, he shuffled his feet, thinking about stepping forward to strike up a conversation and hopefully pet the dog on the head¡­ but just as he was mulling over this thought, another sleek black dog¡¯s head emerged from the back seat! This one had short ears, a fierce expression, and a massive body, with muscles bulging everywhere! He quickly retracted his feet. Chapter 78 - Chapter 78: 78. License Processing_1 Chapter 78: 78. License Processing_1 The feet were pulled back, but the onlooker didn¡¯t leave; they just stood there, silently watching. Erbao the Casro obediently passed over the leash and positioned herself next to Du Bin. My, oh my! The bystanders internally marveled, already itching to come forward and inquire about the dogs. But just as they were about to step forward, another dog appeared from behind! One, two, three, four¡­ The fourth dog also climbed down. Finally, no more dogs¡¯ heads popped out from the back seat of the car, leaving the onlookers numb. They now gazed admiringly at the girl¡ª So pretty, yet raising dogs with such splendor? These were obviously purebred dogs, and she had four of them at once; good gracious, what a wealthy family! Without a villa, there would hardly be room to move around. He finally took a deep breath, but now hesitated to approach the four majestic dogs standing before him. After watching for a bit longer, he reluctantly prepared to leave. Just then, the beat-up pickup truck trembled slightly again. He looked over instinctively, only to see a huge dog¡¯s head poking out from the back seat! ¡°Holy shit!¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?0¦Í??.§ã¦Ï The onlooker was dumbstruck. ¡­ Regardless of the onlooker¡¯s amazement, Song Tan paid it no mind. After running around all day, having eaten only a few buns since ten o¡¯clock, she was now ravenous and eager to get home. Just as she turned into the pitch-dark archway, the door of the office with a sign that read ¡°License Bureau¡± swung open, and a young man came out. He stretched lazily at the doorway and then exclaimed, ¡°Oh my goodness!¡± Before him stood an enormous giant dog! It looked like a tiger from the zoo, with a black snout and a coat of light yellow fur. It wore a thick black collar around its neck, from which a brass tag hung, trembling slightly with the flexing of its muscles as it moved. He had never seen such a ferocious and enormous dog in his life! What¡¯s more surprising was that at the other end of the dog¡¯s leash was a young girl. Moreover, her other hand was holding four dog leashes, each attached to a large breed that was typically banned in the city! With his limited knowledge, he recognized only the Du Bin and the German Shepherd. ¡°Hello.¡± In a daze, he heard the girl say, ¡°I¡¯m here for a dog license.¡± The staff member¡¯s eyes drifted uncertainly, gazing at the big dog and then at the four large breeds, thinking to himself in a daze, ¡°That¡¯s a big license¡­¡± Wait, that¡¯s not right! The last of his reason kept his professional integrity intact, and he blurted out, ¡°No way.¡± ¡°These dogs,¡± he scrutinized each one, all large breeds, ¡°are banned in our city.¡± Song Tan blinked, ¡°But I raise them in the countryside.¡± She shook the leash, ¡°I need these dogs to guard my vegetable garden.¡± Does your family¡¯s vegetable garden grow Flat Peaches as well? Needing so many good-looking dogs to guard it! The clerk was taken aback. Lacking such experience, he couldn¡¯t make up his mind and finally added, ¡°Your dogs are too big. Wait a moment, I need to ask the leader.¡± After saying that and glancing once more at the Kangal, he turned to go back upstairs. Before ascending, still unable to resist his curiosity, he turned back and asked, ¡°What kind of dog is this?¡± ¡°This one? Turkish Kangal. It¡¯s called Dawai.¡± ¡°From Turkey, huh¡­¡± The staff member was impressed yet confused, then quickly went upstairs. The small courtyard was quiet, suggesting that the work was rather leisurely. It wasn¡¯t long before a middle-aged man also came down the stairs. He descended the steps with a teacup in one hand, asking slowly, ¡°Which Turkish Daiwang is here for licensing?¡± Upon hearing his name, Dawai let out a deep ¡°woof¡± from his throat. In the next instant, the leader nearly tripped over his raised foot and almost fell down the stairs! ¡°Oh my, that dog is huge!¡± The two hesitated in the corridor, not daring to approach, and after a while, they said, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s easy to license these four dogs, but this one¡­¡± The leader sighed, ¡°We¡¯ve never issued a license for such a big dog before.¡± Song Tan blinked and said, ¡°Well, leader, I¡¯m not raising dogs in the countryside, I want to respond to the call of our city district, don¡¯t I?¡± The way she put it¡­ There were lots of dogs in her mountainous and remote rural area, and indeed no one had ever come to the city district to get a dog license. After all, the dogs in the village didn¡¯t even get vaccinated, so there was no question of licensing them. If it were about dogs from the countryside, it would be a first! But in their place, there was no such target or anything, so the staff didn¡¯t feel much pressure. Suddenly issuing a license for such a big dog, if any problem arose¡­ The leader¡¯s mind began to waver back and forth. Seeing this, Song Tan decisively struck while the iron was hot: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this dog can be licensed.¡± She took out Dawai¡¯s previous license: ¡°Look, this is a license from neighboring Huacheng, which its previous owner had arranged. Now that the dog belongs to me, I¡¯m here to handle the formalities, aren¡¯t I?¡± Oh dear! The leader flipped through a notebook, ¡°From Huacheng next door, huh¡­ Well, if that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s easily settled.¡± Those lower-level workers didn¡¯t care about being the first; they preferred having something to follow. Huacheng, being a second-tier city, was much better than their eighteenth-tier; if that place could do it, so could they. Moreover, compared to the licenses in Yun City, Huacheng¡¯s dog license looked more formal and serious ¨C not only did it detailedly record the dog¡¯s breed, height, weight, but also registered the owner¡¯s residential information. ¡°In that case,¡± the leader let out a sigh of relief, ¡°then sure, let¡¯s do it. Did you bring a photo? If not, go ahead to the photo studio upfront and take one yourself. Fill out those forms in your spare time, and then we can get this settled for you when you come back.¡± ¡°I brought one.¡± Song Tan took the form, which, in addition to the personal contact information and ID details she had to fill out, required only the dog¡¯s breed, age, color, name, and gender. Dawai Kangal, Dabao Du Bin, Erbao Casro, Sanbao German Shepherd, Sibao Mastiff. Easy! When the application form was submitted, the staff member stared at the names on the form, almost convinced that these dogs were being raised to guard vegetable gardens. ¡ªSloppy from start to finish. ¡­ Meanwhile, elsewhere. Not far from the disease prevention station, in a housing complex, a middle-aged man opened his door, looked left and right before carefully letting a few peers into his home. ¡°Old Sun, what are you up to? Didn¡¯t you say we were just having tea?¡± His secretive behavior put everyone on alert, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, we¡¯ve been friends for so many years, we can¡¯t get involved in any dirty business!¡± Old Sun had a look of ¡°you wouldn¡¯t understand¡± on his face, and after ushering the people inside, quickly shut the door. He then sneakily opened the freezer compartment of his fridge, struggling to pull out his tea canister from beneath a pile of buns, dumplings, and wontons. From inside the canister then came a sealed bag specifically for tea. The pitiful handful of tea leaves, at most an ounce or two. A group of grown men was instantly speechless. Chapter 79 - Chapter 79: 79. The Face and Money of Big Brother One_Two Chapter 79: 79. The Face and Money of Big Brother One_Two ¡°What a guy!¡± A group of middle-aged men grumbled and complained, ¡°I asked you to play cards, and you wouldn¡¯t come! Old Wu suggested going fishing, and you still wouldn¡¯t go¡­ When asked what you wanted to do, you said you wanted to stay home and taste tea!¡± Retired middle-aged men either strut around scenic spots wearing jackets with equally retired old ladies or squat by the water, dedicated solely to fishing. If not that, they¡¯re gambling on the card tables, playing for stakes of a mere one or five yuan. Their plans had been disrupted, and Old Sun had spoken so mysteriously, as if he had acquired some extraordinary, top-notch Da Hong Pao! Everyone wavered, and within a few words, they were egging him on to come back and share this exceptional tea with the group. Old Sun, putting on airs, initially pretended to be reluctant. How much could each of them drink anyway? At most a liang? Yet, he still hemmed and hawed. Were it not for their many years of friendship and the conversation reaching this point, they wouldn¡¯t even have had the chance to step through his door this time. Who would have thought, after so much buildup and anticipation, this old coot dug around in the fridge for ages, only to produce such a small packet of tea leaves! That packet¡ªso familiar; isn¡¯t it the one Old Sun always uses to carry his tea when he goes out? Tui! The group showed utter contempt. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï???.§ã¦Ï Old Sun¡¯s character was insulted, and he declared loudly, ¡°What do you know? Don¡¯t look down on these tea leaves just because they weigh only a liang¡­¡± Alright, there wasn¡¯t a liang now; he had secretly made himself a cup of hot water that morning. The moment he poured it in, the fragrance filled the room. Even his wife, who never drank tea, asked subconsciously, ¡°What kind of tea is this? It smells really good.¡± What a close call, what excitement! Old Sun managed to fend off any further inquiry. With just that one cup of Mao Jian, Old Sun brewed it over and over, seven or eight times, chewing the leaves until they were pulverized and swallowing them before finally setting aside his cup with lingering satisfaction. He hadn¡¯t expected that showing off would bring the whole gang over. It didn¡¯t matter that they had come; he was prepared to make a grand sacrifice and then await their admiring looks. But the group was still skeptical! Heh! Old Sun lost his temper, vowing that this afternoon he would show them what good tea really was! Old Sun huffed, ¡°Do you know how much this small packet cost? A thousand yuan! Five hundred from my card gambling funds, plus five hundred from my private savings over the years, just to get it first!¡± That¡¯s why he dared not let his family find out. A thousand yuan for a liang? Despite each of the burly men feeling rather comfortable with their two to three thousand yuan retirement pensions each month, what could you do with so little money in today¡¯s world? The grandchildren would occasionally need financial help. Even the pickiest tea drinker among them would only spend a thousand yuan once a year to buy a few jin of Yuqian Tea for the pleasure of it. Their local tea wasn¡¯t famous, and anything priced at five hundred yuan was already considered very good. Learning that Old Sun had spent a thousand yuan on tea leaves in silence, and had only bought a liang, immediately stirred everyone up. They found spots to sit down in the old unit¡¯s house and then automatically began to pull out some glass cups from under the tea table. ¡°Come on, come on! Hurry up and show us what this thousand-yuan-a-liang tea looks like!¡± The group exchanged glances, their looks conveying both anticipation for the tea and suspicion that Old Sun might have been duped ¨C all without a word spoken aloud. Old Sun had been around them too long not to recognize their lack of taste; he snorted coldly at that moment: ¡°Wait, let me boil some water first.¡± The water boiled, and Lao Sun, dissatisfied that the cups at home were not transparent enough for entertaining guests, decided to repeatedly scrub them clean by the sink using toothpaste. By the time everything was ready, the only thing left was to check the water temperature with a thermometer. However, everyone had already grown impatient when Lao Sun finally opened the sealed bag. As he pinched the tea leaves, his hands trembled with distress. The tug-of-war between pride and money gave him a sudden urge to regret. To avoid losing face in front of his brothers, he could only change the subject, ¡°Smell this, it¡¯s freshly roasted dry tea. Doesn¡¯t it smell good?¡± The tea hadn¡¯t been brewed yet, and the dry leaves had just been placed at the bottom of the cups. Everyone sniffed, and indeed, a faint tea fragrance wafted through the air. It wasn¡¯t pronounced. But for dry tea to have this aroma was already quite exceptional. The connoisseurs were already swirling the transparent glass cups, examining the shape and color of the dry leaves while continuously sniffing, finally concluding: ¡°Lao Sun, you might not have wasted that thousand yuan.¡± Local tea drinkers have a custom of washing the tea: dry leaves are put into the cup, then one-third of the cup is filled with water, swirled a bit, and the water is poured out. Next comes the actual brewing. Normally, this initial wash water is simply discarded, but today, as everyone smelled the refreshing aroma and watched Lao Sun pour out the first infusion from each cup and then neatly collect it in another glass cup, no one said anything. When it came time to properly brew the tea, the leaves tumbled and unfurled in the flowing water, the buds standing straight, and the lush, dewy green color reflecting a spring-like shade within the cup. The fragrance of fresh tea rolled throughout the room¡­ Everyone took a long deep breath. ¡°It smells wonderful!¡± No sooner had the words been spoken than they heard the ¡°click¡± of the door being turned open. A shiver went through everyone¡¯s heart. Lao Sun¡¯s wife entered carrying a basket of groceries and flinched at the sight of several burly men seated in a row in the cramped living room. ¡°Oh my.¡± She exclaimed. Lao Sun also mentally exclaimed ¡°oh my,¡± and subconsciously shifted his teacup as if to lower its presence. Lao Sun¡¯s wife laughed, ¡°What brings you all here? You should have given us a heads up¡­ Well, it¡¯s perfect timing, I bought an extra two bunches of Milk Vetch this morning. Stay for dinner!¡± They were all retired middle-aged people, who didn¡¯t know the kind of splash a thousand yuan per tael of tea could cause at home? Everyone grew concerned, not interested in the Milk Vetch, and awkwardly shifted their tea cups a bit closer to themselves. This movement made them feel even more embarrassed. After all, it was a thousand yuan for just a tael. Now that they were splitting it, even though Lao Sun had been frugal with just a swipe at the bottom of the cup, there was only a pitiable handful left. Barely thirty grams, perhaps? By this calculation, a single sip was worth dozens of yuan. With many mouths to feed at home, Lao Sun¡¯s wife didn¡¯t buy enough vegetables. She put down the grocery basket and quickly turned the doorknob to head out: ¡°Keep chatting, I¡¯ll go buy some side dishes. Let¡¯s just eat something casual tonight.¡± Seeing her turn and the doorknob rotate, everyone let out a collective sigh of relief. But the sounds of relief seemed too evident in the room, as Lao Sun¡¯s wife turned back and sniffed: ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to ask all morning, Lao Sun, where did you get such fragrant tea leaves? How much did you spend?¡± Chapter 80 - Chapter 80: 80. A thousand yuan is almost 1 Chapter 80: 80. A thousand yuan is almost 1 In the Lao Sun household, this was the situation¡ª Lao Sun¡¯s daughter-in-law sent her granddaughter to school every morning, and then joined a few aunties to participate in free ¡°health care¡± projects. She had maintained this hobby for many years, starting from the Sun God phase to later on with Quanjian, and now she was involved with something called Xiang Mei Zhi Nei. Lao Sun went from initially indulging her hobbies, to gradually becoming vigilant, and then to letting things take their own course, all because no matter what Lao Sun¡¯s daughter-in-law did, she managed to be that miraculous woman who didn¡¯t spend a penny amongst thousands! However, this led to her spending a lot of time on these activities, so the responsibility of buying groceries at home had been Lao Sun¡¯s for many years. He started with just buying vegetables and, because he didn¡¯t know how to bargain, would come home to be nagged relentlessly, but over time he learned to tell the quality of pork and whether the shelled edamame was tender or not. But you know, being a man, he had a tendency to be careless with money. If it wasn¡¯t for his daughter-in-law controlling his grocery budget every day, he would have tried anything that looked fresh, making him quite the trendy old fellow. That¡¯s right, he saw a girl selling wild vegetables one day and noticed a bunch of people his age queuing up, so he spent twenty yuan on a whim to join the excitement. From then on, he couldn¡¯t stop! From scanning a code to join a group to actively responding and then waiting every day at the designated time, these vegetables had become indispensable at home. Because of these vegetables, Lao Sun had become a die-hard fan. The day Song Tan posted about tea leaves in the group, he immediately felt a rush of excitement and spent a fortune to bring home this tael. Of course, at night, tossing and turning, he was not without regret, but as a big man, the money had been spent; could he still go back on it? This regret dissipated the next day at the market with just a sniff from beneath the barely unfolded paper and immediately turned into sheer joy. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã¦Ï After all, the serendipity and destiny involved here were too intricate to explain in detail. But aside from all that, the tea leaves being a thousand yuan per tael was an indisputable fact. Now, faced with his daughter-in-law¡¯s seemingly casual question, Lao Sun¡¯s face immediately soured. At that moment, an old buddy sitting on the couch spoke up: ¡°I mean¡­ ah, this¡­¡± He held his cup steady with one hand, standing up: ¡°Little sister-in-law, don¡¯t bother anymore. I just remembered I have something to take care of at home tonight, I need to get going now.¡± Then he looked at the tea in his hand as if it were an afterthought: ¡°The tea leaves are pretty fragrant, it¡¯s a waste leaving them here since they¡¯ve been brewed¡­ I¡¯ll take them with me! I¡¯ll bring the cup back to you later.¡± While speaking, he quickly made his way to the door. His other hand carefully protected the mouth of the cup to prevent any dust from getting in. With him setting the example, the few remaining people looked left and right and quickly stood up, then said courteously: ¡°Sister-in-law, about that¡­ I mean¡­ something at home¡­ that is¡­ you know, I should get going too.¡± In the blink of an eye, the whole crowd was gone, and all the teacups at home were taken along with them. What was left for Lao Sun were only the cup of tea in front of him and the accumulated water used for rinsing the tea leaves. Lao Sun¡¯s daughter-in-law had been all smiles, but as soon as the door closed, her face immediately drooped. ¡°Look at you! If you¡¯re buying tea, just buy it. Why all the secrecy?¡± ¡°I complained for a year and you really took it to heart? Go ahead and enjoy it. How much tea can you drink in a year, after all?¡± She rolled her eyes: ¡°At most, three to five hundred yuan per jin; wouldn¡¯t I allow even that?¡± Upon hearing these words, Lao Sun first felt elated, but then he became depressed. At that moment, the tea leaves before him were fresh and tender, the liquor clear and bright, the fragrance lingering. But for him, the surprise and anticipation of drinking fine tea had completely vanished. He sat there with listless eyes, stammering: ¡°This¡­ this¡­ I have some taste in tea, always drinking cheap ones doesn¡¯t quite cut it¡­¡± The more he said this, the more uneasy Lao Sun¡¯s daughter-in-law felt in her heart. Staring at him intensely, she burst out, ¡°You didn¡¯t go overboard and buy it for a thousand yuan per jin, did you?¡± Old Sun let out a sigh of relief and immediately nodded in haste, ¡°About right¡­ about a thousand yuan.¡± A thousand yuan. Old Sun¡¯s wife obviously felt a pang of heartache. She walked over, holding the cup of tea, sniffed it again, and in the end, nodded her head: ¡°That¡¯s true, you get what you pay for. If the tea is this quality, a thousand yuan isn¡¯t out of the question.¡± Then she blew on it, took a small sip, and her eyes lit up without hesitation; she took the teacup away! ¡°Delicious! I¡¯ll try this cup¡ªand hey, don¡¯t just keep such good tea for yourself. Pack some for me tomorrow; I will let my old sisters have a taste. They took me to get a pedicure today.¡± Old Sun had a look of despair, now holding the cup of tea meant for rinsing, as if he could already see his tea ¡°flying away.¡± Downstairs, a few men holding teacups looked at each other. Taking in the tea¡¯s fragrance once more and feeling the wild spring breeze outside, they hesitated: ¡°Or¡­ shall we just drink this cup now? We can take some home later.¡± The group each blew on their cups and then without any hesitation¡ªdrank. ¡°Mmm!¡± ¡­ Late at night. Perhaps because of the tea, Old Sun tossed and turned, sleepless and spirited. Glancing at his wife lying motionless in bed, he thought of the little tea that he still had to share, he felt so anguished that he quietly got up, and in the dead of night, he started rummaging through the freezer in the kitchen. He took out that small packet of tea, found a bag in the kitchen, and started to divide it little by little, the more he divided, the more heartbroken he felt. In the end, after much thought, he couldn¡¯t bear it and poured half of the divided tea back into the packet. But upon closer inspection, doing so meant there was only a little left to give his wife to take out tomorrow¡ªthey would surely laugh at her. So, he began dividing it again. Just as he was struggling with this, his phone suddenly rang. He checked it and saw an old buddy had sent a message in the group: ¡°Old Sun, where did you buy that tea? Man, it¡¯s keeping me awake at night; I feel like I could scale a mountain!¡± With that, four or five people in the group all chimed in. But being older and it being late at night made typing difficult, so most of them sent voice messages: ¡°You guys can¡¯t sleep either? Ah, this tea is so strong. I¡¯ve been drinking for many years and am usually unaffected.¡± ¡°Exactly! Old Sun, where did you buy that tea? Hurry up and take us there!¡± Old Sun instantly felt proud and replied with a voice message: ¡°Of course! It¡¯s a thousand yuan for fifty grams. Would I be so generous if it wasn¡¯t good tea?¡± ¡°Let me tell you guys, I was saying that there¡¯s a market stall selling tasty veggies and you didn¡¯t believe me. If you¡¯d stayed last night, I guarantee you¡¯d have been unable to put down your bowls!¡± Towards the end, his tone became somewhat impassioned. But upon careful listening, no other sound came from the room, and he immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Just then! A figure emerged from the backlight of the living room: ¡°Old Sun, is this tea a thousand yuan for fifty grams, or for a kilogram?¡± Chapter 81 - Chapter 81: 81. Three thousand is okay_1 Chapter 81: 81. Three thousand is okay_1 Song Tan had no idea how many gentlemen¡¯s hearts had been hurt by that tea; she only knew she had spent a whole day and it was already six o¡¯clock when she arrived home. ¡°This day really dragged on.¡± Having alighted from the vehicle, Zhang Yanping stretched lazily, feeling completely stiff all over. Then she began rubbing her stomach, crying out, ¡°Aunt, what¡¯s for dinner tonight? I¡¯m so hungry!¡± Wu Lan, with tea-picking sleeves still on her arms, came out of the kitchen carrying a large basin: ¡°I found a pork leg in the fridge, I¡¯ve forgotten which year it was frozen in, so I had your uncle chop it up¡ªtonight we¡¯re having this!¡± Zhang Yanping now held no luxury expectations for meat, just looking at her pitifully: ¡°What about the Milk Vetch¡­¡± Wu Lan burst into laughter: ¡°You won¡¯t miss out on that, Tantan is so fussy; if it isn¡¯t grown in the field, she won¡¯t even eat it.¡± Song Tan also sighed; it wasn¡¯t that she ¡°won¡¯t eat anything not grown in the field,¡± rather that nowadays, she could only stomach that particular flavor. Having been home for a while, she had hardly had a proper meat meal; mentioning it was just heart-wrenching. As they were speaking, Qiaoqiao suddenly cheered: ¡°What a big doggy!¡± It was then that Wu Lan remembered her spendthrift daughter went out today especially to buy a dog, saying that a small dog was no use and someone had to keep watch over the mountain and fields. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.?? She wasn¡¯t ignorant of this logic, but understanding was one thing, feeling discomfort in her heart about spending money was another. Fortunately, the premium price of the tea leaves eased her pain a little, and she now asked, ¡°How much did this dog cost?¡± Before she could finish speaking, she saw a huge dog walking toward them in the shadow of the evening, looking practically like a yellow-furred tiger! ¡°Oh my!¡± That gave her quite the fright. Upon hearing the commotion, Song Sancheng ran over and was also gaping in amazement, then said excitedly as he rubbed his hands: ¡°This dog is really big! Really big!¡± Looking back at Sibao by the side, he could recognize only one: ¡°This must be a German Shepherd, right? What breed is this black one? Oh, look at them, so handsome! Their fur is shiny and smooth, really nice.¡± Wu Lan, however, had her eyes opened wide in surprise before finally coming to her senses: ¡°You¡¯ve brought home so many dogs at once, what will they eat? They¡¯re all so big, do we have to cook a pot of food especially for them every meal?¡± I knew it. Song Tan thought to herself: In the countryside, isn¡¯t it all about leftover meals soaked in soup for dogs? But she didn¡¯t argue; instead, she pointed to the back of the truck: ¡°No need, there is dog food that the seller provided.¡± However, Wu Lan was still disdainful: ¡°Your four dogs are okay, looking like a wolf dog, quite spirited. But what¡¯s with this, this huge dog? If you put it at the gate, no one will dare come to our house!¡± She was referring to King Kangal. Song Tan had a plan ready: ¡°It¡¯s the biggest, it will look after the pigs. The others will first guard the Chestnut Garden.¡± ¡°The black fungus on the mountain hasn¡¯t started growing yet, but it won¡¯t be long before the white fungus begins to appear. What if someone picks it or carries it off, wouldn¡¯t you feel heartache?¡± ¡°That stuff is sold by the gram when it¡¯s dried.¡± Song Tan wasn¡¯t exaggerating; even ordinary white fungus is sold by the gram, as it weighs almost nothing when dried and is quite light. With the dogs already brought home, what more could Wu Lan say? She now asked the most crucial question: ¡°How much was it?¡± Zhang Yanping tensed up nervously by the side. Song Tan watched as Qiaoqiao fidgeted nearby, guiding his hand to pat a few dogs¡¯ heads while introducing them: ¡°This is King Kangal, the head of the family. King Kangal, this is Qiaoqiao. From now on, you must protect him. And this is Dabao¡­¡± Meanwhile, she answered her mother¡¯s question, ¡°Three thousand.¡± Zhang Yanping¡¯s heart skipped a beat, wondering how her silly cousin could be so bold as to tell the truth?! Wu Lan indeed began to feel the pinch: ¡°Three thousand for just these five dogs? You really have too much money with nowhere to burn it.¡± The mouthful of water Zhang Yanping had just taken ¡°pfft¡± spat out. Seeing Wu Lan¡¯s skeptical gaze already drifting over, he quickly chimed in, ¡°Exactly! You don¡¯t know how to live a life. Auntie, I tried to persuade her all day in vain.¡± Little did they know, Wu Lan changed her tune, ¡°Three thousand is still okay. I know the breed dogs are expensive these days; let¡¯s make do. They all seem pretty obedient.¡± Indeed, since getting off the vehicle, they had lined up without causing any commotion. When Qiaoqiao went to pet them, they were very gentle. Surely these were well-trained by someone. They seemed fierce yet docile, not the type to bite easily, which was reassuring to keep. ¡°Right,¡± Song Tan said, ¡°These dogs weren¡¯t sold when they were little, and it¡¯s harder to sell them when they¡¯re grown, so I got a good deal. I bought them for three thousand.¡± ¡°Otherwise, if it were back when they were young, one would cost three thousand.¡± Wu Lan indeed broke into a satisfied smile, ¡°That¡¯s not bad. I saw some selling for seven or eight thousand online¡­ I¡¯ve heard that these dogs shouldn¡¯t always eat our food. There¡¯s cheap dog food online; buy some to bring back.¡± Song Tan shook her head, moving several boxes of dog food from the back of the car: ¡°Mom, look, this is the dog food that someone wanted to sell off quickly, so they gave it to us. Let¡¯s finish these first mixed with their meals.¡± She spoke as if she was dealing with a serious matter: ¡°There are many places to spend money; we need to save a bit.¡± Zhang Yanping instantly gained new respect for his little cousin. Not to mention anything else, this ability to read people and win over adults was not something one could acquire without decades of practice! Was this truly a natural talent? In comparison, what was he? A brother? It was clear he was more like a younger brother. Song Tan didn¡¯t pay any attention to him; after unloading the dog food and dogs¡¯ items from the car, she brought in a pile of straw from outside. While introducing the dogs, she said, ¡°Mom, it¡¯s a bit chilly these nights, let them sleep here for now. I¡¯ll find time in the next couple of days to build their dog houses and then move them to the mountain.¡± Knowing her daughter had scored a bargain with the dogs, Wu Lan was content, and she still gave her daughter some advice, ¡°You can¡¯t do this; these dogs are grown, and they¡¯ve been moved to a new environment; you have to let them get more familiar with us.¡± ¡°Qiaoqiao, go and get the clothes from the bottom drawer of your wardrobe. Those are old clothes from our family. There¡¯s no place to throw them, so they¡¯re perfect for the dogs¡¯ bedding, to get them used to our scent.¡± She, too, couldn¡¯t resist the curiosity and tentatively stroked King Kangal¡¯s head. The dog was tall; she didn¡¯t need to bend down and even had to raise her arm to reach the top of its head. ¡°Look at this face, with a black muzzle and yellow fur, how honest! I saw other people on the internet taking care of those small dogs, yapping away without being able to guard the house, which is nothing like the reliability of these big dogs.¡± After patting each one a couple of times, she hurried into the kitchen, ¡°That pig trotter meat is too fatty, and you guys probably don¡¯t like it; I¡¯ll pick out a few pieces for them.¡± Zhang Yanping watched Song Tan pretending to messily spread the straw, filled with nothing but admiration in his heart. Chapter 82 - Chapter 82: 82. Daxiong eats and takes_1 Chapter 82: 82. Daxiong eats and takes_1 ¡°` The dogs had more or less become familiar with everyone in the house after such a cleanup. Song Tan was still worried that their refusal training had been too successful that they would reject food even from the family members. Therefore, she had everyone hold some dog food mixed with Spiritual Energy and fed them under her supervision. The dogs, feeling her encouragement and temptation, finally began to eat. After all this commotion, it wasn¡¯t until seven o¡¯clock, when it got dark, that everyone finally sat down at the table for dinner. The dogs, still new to the place¡ªwith the exception of Dabao, who was feeling somewhat down and lying there missing his previous owner¡ªroamed freely around the yard. Dabao, the Doberman, sniffed with interest at the fluffy little ducks kept in a corner. Sibao, the Mastiff, clung to the support post of the shed, eyes fixated on the slight humming bee boxes above, full of curiosity. Erbao, the Casro, sat next to Qiaoqiao, the two brothers sharing food bite for bite, as if they yearned to sleep together that night. Sanbao, on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen, but Song Tan could tell from her dad¡¯s peculiar expression¡ªsure enough! While eating, one hand disappeared behind his back. Sanbao, the German Shepherd, sat there, cautiously and gently grabbing the bone with his teeth. Watching her silly cousin eat without looking up, Song Tan knew this was the best time to put a long-term worker to good use! She seized the moment when everyone put down their chopsticks to ask, ¡°Qiaoqiao, did you take the bees to gather nectar today?¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã¦Ï Qiaoqiao instantly perked up. He had been waiting all day to report his work to his sister. Now he loudly said: ¡°I did!¡± At the same time, he flapped his arms to gesture, ¡°Daxiong is too fat, he can¡¯t fly at all. When I took him to the field and he leaned on a flower, it bent over.¡± This was why Qiaoqiao¡¯s precious day was so tiring. Other bees buzzed tirelessly in the flower field, self-sufficient and even earning for their owner. But with his Daxiong, Qiaoqiao had to hold the stem so it could support its burdensome weight. ¡°Daxiong¡¯s wings are just tiny, buzzing and buzzing, but he just can¡¯t fly up!¡± He obviously felt a sense of heavy responsibility and was proud as he spoke: ¡°But sister, I touched its butt, and it didn¡¯t sting me!¡± As he spoke, he touched his palm, clearly remembering the swelling and pain from before. Song Tan cleared her throat, unwilling to admit that she had touched them so much that the bees had grown accustomed. ¡°So, did it get enough to eat?¡± ¡°It ate all day,¡± Qiaoqiao gestured. ¡°When we left, it even had two small baskets hanging from its legs¡­¡± With his limited vocabulary, he hesitated for a long time, then with some inspiration from Wu Lan, he managed to give an assessment of the behavior: ¡°Eating and taking, all plump.¡± Song Tan couldn¡¯t help but laugh¡ªwhat ¡®eating and taking¡¯? Bees collect pollen they can¡¯t eat right away on the back of their legs in pollen baskets to bring back home. Otherwise, if they ate so much themselves, what would they feed their young? ¡°Hmm, very good, Qiaoqiao. You¡¯re doing an excellent job. I¡¯ll add your wages later, and when you need money, just tell your sister,¡± she said. At this, Qiaoqiao hesitated, looking at Song Tan, then at Zhang Yanping, leaving the young man looking confused. Only to hear Qiaoqiao say, ¡°Sister, give me a dollar, I want to buy bubble gum for brother.¡± The bubble gum Qiaoqiao referred to, also known as chewing gum, was still the kind Song Tan ate when she was little. One dollar for a pack, five pieces, and after twenty years, the price only increased by fifty cents, a model of a conscientious company indeed. Upon hearing this, there was silence at the table. Then, amidst everyone¡¯s stifled laughter, Song Tan rummaged through every corner of her bag, finally finding that elusive coin. Zhang Yanping protested, ¡°Brother doesn¡¯t eat bubble gum!¡± ¡°Brother lies.¡± Qiaoqiao seriously said, ¡°You didn¡¯t buy it for brother yesterday, so you were slow at work this morning.¡± ¡°` ¡°I¡¯m off!¡± he exclaimed, dashing out. A little while later, he hurried back, asking, ¡°Sister, can I take the dog out?¡± He was already wearing the dog tag himself, eager to go out and show it off. Song Tan thought for a moment, ¡°Then wait for me, I¡¯ll take Da Wang for a walk with you.¡± The small store has always been the gathering place for conversations. Taking Da Wang for a walk there would let the villagers know that their house was not without protection. Qiaoqiao just gave an ¡°Oh¡± and obediently went back to the doghouse to look for Da Wang. Meanwhile, Song Tan continued, ¡°Dad, how was the bee honey gathering today?¡± ¡°Great, great!¡± Song Sancheng¡¯s face lit up with joy: ¡°I went up to the mountain today to air out the black fungus, and to see the silver fungus mycelium coming out!¡± ¡°On my way back, I took a stroll through the fields and saw the bees buzzing in layers, all of them swarming there! Looked pretty scary from afar.¡± But as he got closer, he saw each little bee busily collecting honey, not even sparing a glance when he reached out toward them. They would surely be having a good feast this time. Song Tan was perfectly content. These little workers were earning money, truly the heroes. In a couple of days, when this flower field is almost depleted, they¡¯d have to start another. She didn¡¯t have to worry about the bees anymore. Remembering the Golden Sakura in the back of her truck, she went on, ¡°Then¡­ Dad, find someone to help my cousin tomorrow to plant all the Golden Sakura.¡± What? Zhang Yanping almost leapt up: ¡°We¡¯re digging up mountains now?!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s digging up mountains?!¡± To Song Sancheng, it hardly seemed like a task: ¡°We just need to dig a few trenches along the net on each side and plant the saplings, right? We don¡¯t need to find more people, my cousin and I can finish it in one day.¡± ¡°No, no, no, no, no¡­¡± Zhang Yanping frantically waved his hands, ¡°Uncle, we should find someone! Look at me¡­¡± He showed his soft, tender palms: ¡°I¡¯m really not cut out for this.¡± But Song Tan had her aunt¡¯s words as her ultimate weapon and wouldn¡¯t take the laborer¡¯s protests seriously. She simply asked him, ¡°Choose one: either help put up the fence or plant the Golden Sakura.¡± How could he choose? What kind of choice was this? Zhang Yanping was on the verge of tears. ¡°By the way, Dad, we need to get some bricks and cement when you have the chance; we need to build a few more doghouses.¡± Song Sancheng thought for a moment, ¡°There are some old green bricks and big tiles left over in the back yard at Grandpa¡¯s.¡± ¡°But we don¡¯t need to hire anyone for that either. I¡¯ll take care of it in the next two days.¡± Song Tan looked at Da Wang¡¯s size and advised him, ¡°We should still hire someone. Make a foundation for Qianqian¡¯s house, and build it solid.¡± After all, it needed to be durable for long-term use. ¡°Otherwise, you see how big Da Wang is. Doing it alone would be no different than building a house. The tea has already sold for six taels, six thousand yuan. We have money, Dad,¡± she reminded him. Tea brought up, Song Sancheng immediately dared not delay any further and agreed right away. Wu Lan, puzzled, asked, ¡°You sold the tea before you even picked it?¡± And for such a high price? Chapter 83 - Chapter 83: 83. Young girl_1 Chapter 83: 83. Young girl_1 Song Tan: ¡­ Could she say that she had forgotten? The so-called picking process involved using a tea holder made from fine bamboo twigs, and some tender twigs would inevitably break and fall into the tea during the high-temperature roasting process. Moreover, during the picking of the tea leaves, some old leaves were bound to be mixed in, which would turn yellow in the frying process, making them easy to distinguish and remove. But that was okay. She kept her composure, ¡°It¡¯s fine, Mom, they can just have the first pick when buying tea in the future. You can find someone to do the picking later.¡± Wu Lan was silent too¡ªfirst pick, why didn¡¯t you just reach for the sky? She dreamt at night that people were coming back demanding refunds because the tea was too expensive. But the sale had been made, so she could only think positively. ¡°There¡¯s no rush. I saw the forecast, and there¡¯s going to be rain the day after tomorrow. When it¡¯s raining and we can¡¯t work outside, I will call over the four aunts who pick tea. We don¡¯t need to talk about money¡­ let¡¯s just sit together and chat.¡± Five or six pounds of dry tea a day, and just a dozen or so pounds saved up over a few days, that¡¯s just a moment¡¯s work. Talking about paying them for this is just embarrassing them, isn¡¯t it? Then she began to take pride again, ¡°This year they can earn quite a bit of money picking tea leaves.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.?? Song Sancheng took a drag of his cigarette and contentedly said, ¡°Our Tantan is really making something of herself, now not only farming well but also providing our fellow villagers with an opportunity to earn money¡­¡± He wasn¡¯t good with words, and couldn¡¯t really summarize any more than that, just repeating softly, ¡°Good, good¡­¡± Song Tan found it hard to understand these feelings. Her hometown was her obsession in both her past and present lives, and her kin was where her heart belonged, but as for the village itself¡­ even in her last life, she hardly spent any time there once she started boarding school. Forgotten for too long, she didn¡¯t have such a strong sense of conviction. Yet, seeing Wu Lan and Song Sancheng¡¯s pride, her heart was faintly moved. Qiaoqiao poked his head out from outside: ¡°Are we done yet?¡± He said with a hint of sadness, ¡°It¡¯s getting dark, the convenience store is about to close.¡± The village convenience store¡¯s closing time entirely depended on how late the chatting people left, so Song Tan quickly stood up: ¡°Let¡¯s go, Your Majesty.¡± With one call, Da Wang obediently came over with the leash in his mouth. When the hook was attached to the loop, Song Tan passed the leash to Qiaoqiao: ¡°You lead him, walk slowly, Da Wang is very smart, you have to talk to him if there¡¯s anything.¡± While petting Da Wang¡¯s head, the fluffy touch softened her heart, followed by a surge of Spiritual Energy that slowly flowed into him. Da Wang made a whining sound from his throat and gave a low ¡°woof,¡± stretching his body in silent ease. After that, he looked at Song Tan and then nudged Qiaoqiao in the chest with his head. That made Qiaoqiao ecstatic! ¡°Da Wang really likes me!¡± He proudly held the leash, ¡°Da Wang, let¡¯s go buy bubble gum. Do you eat sausage? I don¡¯t know how much of my wage is left, will it be enough to buy some?¡± ¡°Do you eat eggs? If grandma boils an egg for me tomorrow, I¡¯ll share with¡ª¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not right, I can¡¯t just give to you, I have to give to the others too¡­¡± He looked troubled again, obviously feeling that one egg wouldn¡¯t be enough to share. Then, seeing the dog tag on his neck, he immediately cheered up, held the dog tag and smiled at Song Tan, ¡°Sister, Mom said that if I have this tag, I should go find the police with it if I ever get lost.¡± He wrinkled his nose, ¡°Qiaoqiao knows the way well, how could I get lost?¡± The siblings chatted and laughed their way to the grocery store. In front of the store was an activity square, which was pitifully small compared to city areas. But in their village, it was only paved after the villagers selflessly contributed a piece of land. A few aunties, who looked familiar to Song Tan but whose names he couldn¡¯t recall, were sitting there chatting and laughing. On a few nearby fitness equipment, there were also people swinging leisurely. ¡°Oh my, how come there¡¯s such a big dog, looks just like a tiger!¡± The presence of Dawang was too eye-catching. For a moment, even though the two solar street lamps on the square were not very bright, they still made everyone curiously gather around. Of course, they didn¡¯t dare to get too close, subtly maintaining a certain distance. Song Tan noticed that among them, there was a young girl. She was dressed in a simple black baseball outfit, her bare face wasn¡¯t exactly fair, but her eyes were incredibly bright. She looked to be about the same age as Song Tan. It was rare to see young people in the village, so subconsciously, Song Tan met her gaze and returned a smile. Meanwhile, the other aunties were listening to Qiaoqiao¡¯s loud introduction of the impressive Dawang, growing more and more interested, and exclaiming in amazement. However, Dawang clearly knew his limits, retreating a step whenever someone dared get close, looking fierce! Although he showed no intention of attacking, his demeanor alone was enough to make everyone a bit scared. As they listened to Qiaoqiao¡¯s childish talk about the seven dogs at home that needed to be taken to the mountain fields to watch over them, the expressions on the faces of the crowd subtly changed. Song Tan knew that this news would definitely spread throughout the whole village by no later than tomorrow noon. At that moment, an old timer said with a sharp tone, ¡°Oh my! Back in our day, we couldn¡¯t even feed people, now you¡¯re feeding dogs? The young folks these days are willing to spend money, who knows where they earned it from.¡± Song Tan also casually replied, ¡°Yeah, indeed it costs quite a bit of money. This dog used to be abroad. Over there, they take him out for hunting, to hunt bears and bite tigers.¡± ¡°Now it¡¯s not convenient for them, so they sent the dog to me.¡± With her adept use of vague specifics, the crowd¡¯s look at Dawang became even more fearful. After a night¡¯s fermentation, Song Tan believed that tomorrow¡¯s rumor would be that she owned a dog that had eaten a tiger. And someone might even add the phrase: ¡°This is a dog sent from abroad, it dares to bite tigers, not to mention people!¡± Those words said, the old lady indeed fell silent. And with that, Song Tan achieved her aim. She now instructed Qiaoqiao, ¡°Weren¡¯t you going to buy some chewing gum? Go ahead quickly.¡± Afterward, she watched as everyone looked at Dawang warily, and then slowly led Dawang onto the road. Walking under the dim streetlights, a person and a dog exuded a sense of calm. But at that moment, she heard footsteps behind her. Turning around, she saw the young girl catching up: ¡°Song Tan, right?¡± She pursed her lips and smiled, with cute dimples on her cheeks, her entire demeanor was indescribably cheerful. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about you before.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve tasted your Milk Vetch in the field, and it¡¯s really good. I wonder if you used some kind of new fertilizer or a new variety?¡± Song Tan raised an eyebrow: ¡°You¡¯ve bought it?¡± The girl was taken aback, then her eyes lit up: ¡°Are you still selling it?¡± She shook her head immediately afterward: ¡°No. I just happened to be passing by the field, and saw Old Lee struggling to pull his ox away for quite a while. I thought to myself, this must taste really good, so I went to pluck one and try it.¡± She extended her hand: ¡°Hello, my name is Zu Jun. I was appointed last year as the village secretary of Yunqiao Village.¡± She finished and blinked: ¡°If you¡¯ve seen the news, you should know that our province welcomed over nine hundred college graduate village officials last year¡ªI¡¯m one of them.¡± Chapter 84 - Chapter 84: 84. Village Party Secretary, Road Construction, and Subsidy_1 Chapter 84: 84. Village Party Secretary, Road Construction, and Subsidy_1 Village secretary? Song Tan immediately perked up and quickly shook the other person¡¯s hand with the slickness of an old hand. Then he asked, ¡°So, what brings you to me? Are they finally going to build a road for our village? Ah, not to hide it from you, but every day I drive a rickety pickup truck, and it¡¯s such a bumpy ride!¡± Zu Jun: ¡­ At this moment, all the drafts she had prepared were blocked out of her mind, with only the road construction left. But was that something she could accomplish? For some reason, she felt a wave of sighs coming on. So she had no choice but to awkwardly withdraw her hand: ¡°Just call me by my name, we¡¯re about the same age, I¡¯m only two or three years older than you¡­¡± After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Zu Jun finally remembered the almost forgotten main issue and couldn¡¯t help but ask again: ¡°Then, would you mind revealing if your family used any new formula in the fields this year?¡± Whether Song Tan had used anything wasn¡¯t something that could be clearly explained with just a few words; in the end, she said with joy and fervor: ¡°You also think our fields are very fertile this year, right? Ah, my mom said it too, the God of Soil has shown his power, it¡¯s our time to prosper!¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.§ã? Having been in the village for over a year, Zu Jun was not witnessing the superstitious thoughts of the villagers for the first time, but was it really okay for a young girl like you to speak so confidently? Song Tan mentioned something metaphysical, then intertwined it with half-truths and half-science: ¡°It¡¯s not that our fields are particularly good, it¡¯s mainly that ours is the only family still farming in the village. The land has been fallow for so many years, who knows how much decomposed fertilizer is buried beneath the soil layer.¡± ¡°Before we plowed, we burned it all over once, adding fertilizer to the soil, sterilizing it, and getting rid of insects.¡± ¡°Therefore, it¡¯s only natural that the plants grow well in the fields when we take good care of them for the first year.¡± Although Zu Jun didn¡¯t come from a farming background, she had undergone training and education, and she was aware of the actual situation of farming in the village. Fertilizers, urea, and pesticides are still used, having not yet reached the level of full ecological organics. That ordinary Milk Vetch could have such a good taste is indeed rare. But then she heard Song Tan sigh: ¡°Think about it, with the current policies, even villages a little close to the city are not allowed to burn straw or touch the fields, and if you want to plant a couple of grapes on your own mountain, you still need to apply for permission, otherwise, it¡¯s against the law¡­¡± Song Tan also sighed: ¡°Farmers have worked the land all their lives, and now when they want to do something in their old age, it¡¯s against the law. I¡¯m not saying the policy is bad, but there are many rigid guidelines that completely disregard reality.¡± ¡°Our Yunqiao Village takes twenty minutes to reach the town by car and even more than an hour to get to the city center. In such a remote place, a certain degree of freedom is expected, and it¡¯s only normal for things to grow well. In the past, our area was known for being filled with talent and natural beauty.¡± Whether these ramblings¡ªfrom road construction to the God of Soil, to fertilizing and burning, to policies¡ªwere convincing or not, only the young village secretary herself knew. She fell silent for a moment, then decisively changed the subject. ¡°I see you¡¯ve been doing a series of works in the fields and the mountains; you must be trying to scale up the rural industries?¡± ¡°I heard from the villagers that you worked in Ning City, that¡¯s the provincial capital. Now that you¡¯re back, have you really decided to commit to this for the long run?¡± Song Tan smiled, her expression carrying a distant recollection: ¡°I went to middle school in the town at eleven and lived at school, attended high school in the city and lived there, went to university in the same city, and then directly to Ning City after graduation¡­¡± ¡°All in all, how many years have I actually spent with my parents?¡± ¡°My mom¡¯s idea is, as long as I can find a suitable partner in Ning City, my life would be successful, and she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about me any longer.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Song Tan lifted her chin to make Zu Jun look at Qiaoqiao, who was running over with a stick of gum. ¡°Seeing how great they are, how could I bear to drift around outside forever?¡± After drifting all the way to the Cultivation World, she eventually discovered that there, if you weren¡¯t strong enough, you¡¯d get beaten up and wouldn¡¯t be able to control your own destiny. So Song Tan chose to live in isolation, often going into seclusion for ten or twenty years at a time, and was even content with farming¡­ all for the sake of respect and freedom. And now, she had returned. She would never go back to that strange city that she hadn¡¯t managed to escape from in her previous life. Isn¡¯t that how everyone lives their life? The night indeed was not suitable for discussing this topic. Zu Jun took a deep breath as he watched the village idiot Qiaoqiao approach¡ªwith fair skin, black hair, and eyes as clear as stars. Even without speaking, his face was full of childlike innocence. Qiaoqiao looked at Zu Jun for a while, then suddenly smiled and opened the pack of gum in his hand, ¡°Sister, do you chew bubblegum?¡± Zu Jun¡¯s heart quivered. As an official, of course he couldn¡¯t take even the slightest thing from the residents¡ªbut who could refuse Qiaoqiao? He reached out and took it, the taste of cheap fragrance spreading instantly in his mouth, bringing back his train of thought. ¡°Song Tan, I actually was intending to find you to say that, if your farm products do well this year, you could consider expanding in the future, taking on contract for the village¡¯s other fields and forests.¡± She looked at the green mountains, ¡°This place is a treasure trove of gold and silver mountains, but the gold and silver mountains can¡¯t fill the stomachs of the people below. We still need to carve out a road.¡± ¡°When the time comes, the village will support you with the land you¡¯re interested in. I just hope that when it comes to hiring, you¡¯ll consider our village¡¯s labor force first.¡± Otherwise, come autumn and winter, everyone who can work will go out to find jobs, leaving only a few elderly people to guard an increasingly desolate village. Song Tan was quite surprised. What kind of talk was this? Her own parents never had such confidence in her, yet the village secretary was so bold? Song Tan was puzzled, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll make a loss?¡± Zu Jun laughed heartily, ¡°I¡¯ve tasted good food before. I know exactly how the things from your fields taste.¡± In today¡¯s society, with numerous online channels, only quality matters. As long as it¡¯s somewhere the transportation can reach, there might be difficulties initially, but there will certainly be a market. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± Zu Jun still offered a reminder, ¡°Our village road has been patched up time and again for three years, and a major repair is unlikely. So try to grow things that can be stored and can withstand some bumps in the beginning.¡± Song Tan was well aware of these facts. She asked another question, ¡°I heard that the government provides subsidies for express delivery of agricultural products; can I apply for that?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Zu Jun agreed without hesitation, ¡°Agricultural products are exempt from taxation, and vegetable transportation is toll-free. As for the express subsidy, that¡¯s a policy that was introduced last year. You can register an online store, then come to me and get an ¡®E-commerce Agricultural Products Express Subsidy Application Form¡¯ to fill out.¡± She was obviously very competent in her role, answering even minor questions logically and clearly, ¡°The postal service subsidy amount is the highest, sixty cents. Other express deliveries are fifty cents per order. But the cap is a subsidy of a hundred thousand dollars.¡± Song Tan hesitated, ¡°What if¡­ I send it via Wind Speed Express?¡± Zu Jun: ¡­ She fell silent for a moment before reigning in her impassioned thoughts, ¡°Which is why I told you to grow more things that can be stored. Wind Speed Express charges too much and there are no subsidies.¡± Song Tan: ¡­ Good thing I don¡¯t offer free shipping. Chapter 85 - Chapter 85: 85.Guiguisuisui old men_1 Chapter 85: 85.Guiguisuisui old men_1 The night was pitch-black, the stars twinkling brightly above. The village roads, though no longer smooth as they once were, posed no burden for the country folk when it came to night walks. Song Tan and her brother, with Da Wang in tow, felt an extraordinary tranquility as they moved along. To their surprise, the insects had even started to chirp among the grasses. Qiaoqiao blew a bubble with a ¡°pop,¡± as big as a fist! He turned his head in delight, his crossed eyes fixed on the bubble, cooing for Song Tan to come look. Even Da Wang approached curiously, sniffing it with his nose. ¡°Pop!¡± The bubble burst. It left him smearing the sticky remnants on his lips, cheeks, and philtrum, struggling for a while before he spit out the remaining gum in dejection. Song Tan couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud! ¡°By the way, Qiaoqiao,¡± she suddenly remembered, ¡°Wasn¡¯t the bubble gum meant for Brother Yanping? Why did you open it first?¡± Qiaoqiao spoke with righteous indignation, ¡°Brother doesn¡¯t take his work seriously, so he can¡¯t have much. If he¡¯s faster than me at pulling weeds tomorrow, then he gets rewarded with a piece.¡± Song Tan: ¡­ That piece of bubble gum must be exceedingly precious then. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.§ã? ¡­ Such a piece of bubble gum, Yanping probably hasn¡¯t tasted in twenty years or so. To think he had studied hard through bitter winters, been one among tens of thousands, graduated from a 211 university¡­ and here he was, all for a piece of bubble gum, working as a farmer in the hills. Song Sancheng, his uncle, swung the hoe in front, turning the hardened mud into furrows like crumbling biscuits. Looking back at himself, although he was digging too on the other side, he had barely made a furrow a meter long and was chastised by his uncle for not digging deep enough¡­ while over there, ten meters were already done! He couldn¡¯t help it and made a video call to his own mother: ¡°Mom, look at me, look at the work your son is doing now, does it pain your heart?¡± But a mother stays true to being a mother. Wu Fang exclaimed with delight, ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°Son, sending you to the village was really useful. Look, your skin has whitened, and your dark circles have faded!¡± How could that be possible? Zhang Yanping simply couldn¡¯t believe it. Although he had done a lot of work during the day and, with little nighttime entertainment, indeed went to bed early and ate well¡­ it still couldn¡¯t change the fact that today was only his third morning since arriving in the countryside. Zhang Yanping turned the camera to look at himself: Oh, it was all because his phone was too good, now even video calls had beauty filters. He said, speechlessly, ¡°Mom, this is the phone¡¯s beauty effect.¡± ¡°What beauty effect?¡± Wu Fang glanced at him, ¡°When you had beauty effects on, the color under your eyes was all different, dark and sallow.¡± ¡°No wonder no one in the whole wholesale market wanted to matchmake for you; just look at you, you don¡¯t work, have no prospects, and you even look feeble!¡± It was a thorough beating from all directions. It seemed someone had come to wholesale fruits up ahead, and she quickly grew impatient, admonishing casually, ¡°Son, work hard. I¡¯ll tell your aunt to cook you something delicious. Look at you, you¡¯ve grown¡­¡± ¡°Beep¡ª¡± The video call ended. With no recourse, Zhang Yanping turned his head to see his uncle had already diligently plowed a wide stretch of furrow. Resigned, he picked up his hoe and continued to work alongside. Glancing at the pile of Golden Sakura by the tree, their well-developed root systems and many long tendrils meant that compared to digging holes, trenching was somewhat easier. Zhang Yanping thought: If he had known he would have to plant these flower seedlings himself, he definitely would have recommended the kind of net with iron spikes to his cousin! Looking again at the silent and reserved uncle, who was only busy banging thick branches into the earth as stakes to support the fence with his big hammer¡­ He looked at the soft flesh on his own arms and legs, thinking: If he had known, he might as well have gone to pull weeds! ¡­ The Milk Vetch was also about time to bloom. At this moment, several flower fields were already sporting buds on the verge of bursting open. A few blossoms mixed in with the vegetables were fine to eat, but if too many flowered, the vegetables would become tough, and no longer suitable for sale. But this was all within Song Tan¡¯s calculations; she wasn¡¯t flustered and simply picked an extra fifty kilograms that morning. Once at the vegetable market, the aunties swarmed around her. All they could hear was Qiaoqiao earnestly saying, ¡°They¡¯ll be gone soon, anyone wanting to pickle vegetables should start getting ready now.¡± Oh my! As the temperature slowly rose, everyone guessed the Milk Vetch wouldn¡¯t last much longer. Upon hearing the news, they weren¡¯t sad but simply asked, ¡°What will you sell next?¡± Honestly, having Milk Vetch as the daily greens at home wasn¡¯t exactly tiresome; they just fancied a bit of variety. Song Tan thought for a moment, ¡°Bok choy grows fast; I¡¯ll sell bok choy after half a month. In the meantime, I¡¯ll sell Milk Vetch for as long as I can.¡± As the group who bought Milk Vetch began to disperse, the neighboring vendor looked at his own stand, where his cucumbers and tomatoes were also being bought as an afterthought, and he sighed: ¡°Lucky for you to have just one variety, otherwise the rest of us in this market would merely serve as a backdrop.¡± ¡°How can you say that?¡± Song Tan disagreed, ¡°How much can I alone grow? If they can¡¯t get mine, they¡¯ll still have to buy yours, won¡¯t they?¡± Heh! This girl. The vendor thought you might as well not have explained. But then, around the corner, a few middle-aged men were looking in their direction, gesturing and peeking curiously. He grew wary, ¡°I recognize that old man at the front; he¡¯s bought your vegetables before. But what about those following him? What are they up to?¡± Song Tan glanced over and didn¡¯t recognize them either. Looking at her now-empty baskets, she said: ¡°Maybe they¡¯re also here to buy vegetables.¡± ¡°Oh dear,¡± she said, half in delight and half in vexation, ¡°I still didn¡¯t bring enough stock today.¡± The vendor almost rolled his eyes to the heavens: You bring a few baskets of greens, strangers would think every household runs a ranch! While they were talking, the few middle-aged men had already sneaked over, furtive and secretive. ¡°Is this the place?¡± ¡°That¡¯s her! She¡¯s got the good stuff aplenty!¡± ¡°It¡¯s too expensive¡­¡± ¡°Expensive can¡¯t be helped, once you taste it, you can¡¯t forget it¡­¡± The men stood there, conflicted and suffering, hesitating and mumbling, unable to make up their minds to ask¡ª After all, a thousand yuan per liang (50 grams) was an astronomical price! In the end, it was Old Sun who took the lead: ¡°Miss, do you still sell it?¡± Song Tan remembered he was the one who bought the tea leaves yesterday¡ªsure enough, her tea leaves were as valuable as she said! Look, hadn¡¯t they all come back as a group? She smiled and said, ¡°I do sell.¡± However, before the crowd could get excited, she added, ¡°I don¡¯t sell them individually anymore; selling by the liang won¡¯t do.¡± Everyone¡¯s spirits instantly shuddered¡ªa thousand yuan per liang, and ten thousand yuan per jin (500 grams), sounded like a whole different ballgame! Just mentioning that price scared the daylights out of their retirement savings. Chapter 86 - Chapter 86: 86. Lao Sun brings in a new customer_1 Chapter 86: 86. Lao Sun brings in a new customer_1 Old Sun felt a tremble in his heart upon hearing this sentence. Suddenly, he experienced an inexplicable sense of superiority¡ªso it turned out that Old Sun had such great influence, able to buy this one or two! Worth it! He glanced at his useless brothers, looked around to make sure there was no one familiar in the market, and then whispered: ¡°Can¡¯t you guys figure it out? Let¡¯s all chip in to buy it together, then divide it up when we get back!¡± Five or six people, all together, that shouldn¡¯t be too far off¡­ right? So, several grown men stood next to the pickup truck, transferring money: you 2000, I 3000, he 1500. As the last one to make a payment, Old Sun had just reluctantly scanned the code, when suddenly his shoulder sank, gripped firmly by an iron-like hand¡ª ¡°Police, don¡¯t move!¡± ¡­ Song Tan had just poked his head out from the back of the truck when he saw Qiaoqiao¡¯s shoulder seized by a uniformed man, and the silly kid was even grinning: ¡°Uncle! Wow, Police Uncle is here! Qiaoqiao has an ID tag!¡± The moment he said this, it didn¡¯t sound like an adult¡¯s tone, and the man with the buzzcut holding him was taken aback, inadvertently letting go of his arm. Then he watched as Qiaoqiao reached into his collar to pull something out, making everyone¡¯s heart clench, only to end up pulling out a brass dog tag¡ª Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?0¦Í??.§ã¦Ï £ÛBao Bao Qiaoqiao£Ý On the flip side was a string of phone numbers. Song Tan was puzzled: ¡°I just didn¡¯t rent a stall, just set up a street stand¡­ Do you guys even handle issues for the Comprehensive Law Enforcement Bureau now?¡± Everyone was transparent and confused, feeling like they couldn¡¯t grasp what was going on. ¡­ A moment later. A group of people with disheveled looks and droopy eyes were sitting in a room. ¡°Spill it, how do you all communicate?!¡± Communicate how? A bunch of grown men buying tea got muddled and ended up here. The money had just been transferred, and they hadn¡¯t even received the tea! As the ringleader, Old Sun was at this moment overawed by the stern atmosphere, looked around hesitantly, and finally ventured: ¡°Well¡­ there¡¯s a group chat, we meet at the market at a certain time every day, there are notifications in the group¡­¡± Well, well, well! A crime business with a group chat, that must be a sizable operation! A group of police officers was eager to quickly bust this criminal gang! ¡°Your phones, take them out and show me this group of yours!¡± Meanwhile, in another room¡ª The young police officer had just entered when Qiaoqiao excitedly shouted, ¡°Police Uncle!¡± He stopped dead, subconsciously touched his face, and then frowned, ¡°Stop smiling, explain yourself clearly!¡± Qiaoqiao was not at all intimidated by his stern look, blinked, and pulled out the tag that was almost mistaken for a weapon: ¡°Uncle, my sister said to show my tag to the Police Uncle if I see one.¡± His skin was fair, his pupils bright, and he exuded an air of innocence that did not match what everyone had imagined. The two police officers in charge of the statement looked at each other, feeling like something didn¡¯t quite add up¡­ On this side, as the stall owner and group admin, Song Tan was given a single room. But for some reason, no one had come in, until there was a commotion outside after a good while. The door was opened. A few police officers, with embarrassed looks on their faces, said, ¡°Sorry, sorry¡­¡± Then they couldn¡¯t help but complain with a hint of grievance, ¡°If you¡¯re selling vegetables, just sell vegetables; if you¡¯re selling tea, just sell tea. Why make it all so sneaky?¡± They had received three calls in the morning, all reporting suspected drug deals, and each time they had dashed to the scene with alacrity¡ª Only to find out it was a big misunderstanding after the middle-aged man surnamed Sun explained everything next door. Little did they know their discomfort was nothing compared to old Sun¡¯s distress. The calamity had struck early that morning, and the agony he suffered is another story. Just consider that in order to teach him a lesson, his wife left with most of the tea leaves early in the morning, leaving him only a tiny bit, which he had desperately managed to salvage. Old Sun was heartbroken and felt nowhere was safe to hide it, so he decided to carry it with him at all times. To prevent it from getting crushed, he not only put it in a sealed bag but also wrapped it in paper. He did it to prove to his brothers that he had sacrificed too much, and when it was time to distribute the tea leaves, each person owed him a cup! The group had all sneakily taken money from their secret stashes and dared to bring everyone only after making sure there were no familiar faces at the market. Who would have thought! The money had just been transferred when they found themselves confused and taken to the station. Old Sun had always abided by the law, and this was the very first time for him! The whole market had seen it, and he had lost all face. How could he show up to buy groceries in the morning from now on?! But the real tragedy was still to come. When the police found that paper-wrapped bundle on him and opened it with the utmost care, they only found a bunch of tea leaves inside! Now, it wasn¡¯t that there were no new types of leaves disguised as tea leaves, but as soon as they opened it, the fragrance of tea began to waft through the room. Everyone took a sniff, and no one could mistake it. Still, just to be sure, they unpacked the tea and eventually tossed it into a cup. The nonchalant boiled water from the kettle poured over it, and old Sun watched with a bleeding heart! Once the tea was steeped, and its aroma spread, it was nothing like what everyone had thought, and things finally got cleared up. They apologized, but what good did that do? Old Sun¡¯s eyes reddened, and at his age, he had been embarrassed by this group of police officers: ¡°That was my tea, and all I had left was that one mouthful¡­¡± He lamented. The police officer responsible for brewing the tea was so uncomfortable that he quickly tried to console him, ¡°Well, I have half a pound of tea leaves here, I¡¯ll compensate you with all of it.¡± Who knew old Sun would stand firm, ¡°I don¡¯t want it! Can your tea compare to mine? A thousand bucks for just an ounce!¡± Wow! The folks sniffing the aroma from their cups became unsteady: ¡°A thousand bucks for an ounce?¡± You actually bought this?! Their incredulous expressions deeply wounded old Sun! Suddenly, he stood up and began to parade the cup of tea around the room, attempting to thrust its fragrance under everyone¡¯s noses: ¡°Just say it, this aroma, this fragrance! Isn¡¯t this tea worth a thousand bucks? Huh?!¡± ¡°Do you know how hard it is for me? I¡¯m just buying some tea, what have I done to anyone!¡± Smelling the fragrance, the scales in everyone¡¯s hearts began to waver¡ªpresumably, if the tea could fetch such a price and summon such a crowd, it must really be good, right? In the end, Song Tan gained a dozen WeChat friends, while old Sun was left with nothing. But Song Tan didn¡¯t console old Sun. All she did was sigh, ¡°Look at you, buying tea as if you were thieving. Now everyone in the market knows I was taken to the station over selling vegetables. How am I supposed to do business in the future?¡± Old Sun¡¯s face fell, ¡°Then what about me¡­ The market is full of people I know, my wife, she¡­¡± Everyone exchanged glances, finding the situation very awkward. Only Qiaoqiao was overjoyed, ¡°Sister, you were right. As soon as the police uncle saw my sign, he let me see you!¡± Chapter 87 - Chapter 87: 87. Wealthy Secretary Wang_1 Chapter 87: 87. Wealthy Secretary Wang_1 Ning City. Brother Fengfeng delivered a package once again. But this time it was different, this time it wasn¡¯t transported on ice, but rather a plain cardboard box, wrapped with an air column bag enclosing a simple sealed bag. Upon opening the sealed bag, inside were the tea leaves. Five thousand yuan! Secretary Wang was actually very cautious and expectant. However, the moment he unsealed it, as the dry tea¡¯s fragrance diffused, he also picked out a small yellow bamboo stick about one centimeter long, as well as a very small yellow old leaf¡­ He was speechless in an instant. On one hand, he regretted spending the impulsive five thousand yuan, and on the other hand, he was heartbroken: How many agricultural products end up forgotten without a trace? The reason is that they only care about immediate benefits, gradually ruining their reputation! The leader had even specifically instructed him to pay more attention¡­ But fortunately, the aroma of the tea was lingering, fresh and refreshing, it seemed like he hadn¡¯t lost out just on account of this fragrance. He¡¯d already made the purchase; he could only accept it. While the leader was still working inside, Secretary Wang decided to taste it himself first, before deciding whether to bring out the leader¡¯s teacup. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?0¦Í??.?¦Ï Otherwise, what if this brand¡¯s quality was poor, wouldn¡¯t bringing it out as a treasure only bring about unnecessary sorrow? So. He dumped out the remaining tea leaves, swirled some hot water in the cup, and poured it out. He added the dry leaves, then poured in one-third of the hot water and swirled it around¡­ Secretary Wang stood still. This fragrance, this fragrance was rather extraordinary! Based on just this, the five thousand yuan was worth it! After all, he had tasted fine tea before, and some so-called top-quality famous teas didn¡¯t even smell as good as this. In fact, they didn¡¯t have such a natural fragrance. Out of respect for this aroma, he even poured the water much more gently. And as the hot water slowly filled the cup, the entire room was enveloped in an indescribable scent like that of the forest, calming one¡¯s mind¡­ The fragrance seemed to have a slightly cool sensation, like dew silently seeping into the back of the hand, and with just one whiff, the cluttered thoughts in one¡¯s mind seemed to be cleansed away, leaving mental clarity and tranquility. Secretary Wang didn¡¯t quite know how to describe it at the moment. But with such effects, those five thousand yuan were indeed a steal! Without hesitation, he knocked on the office door: ¡°Leader, you asked me to pay attention to that farm; they¡¯ve picked some wild tea themselves this year. I just brewed some, and the fragrance is quite extraordinary! How about I brew a cup for you to try?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The leader put down his pen, showing interest. He had just eaten the wild vegetables from this farm at his residential compound yesterday, which were fresh and pleasing to the palate, very comforting to the stomach. For a middle-aged health enthusiast like him, it was a rare treat indeed. Now hearing about the tea leaves, he was even more interested! He glanced at the cup of tea he had only steeped twice this morning: ¡°I just brewed a couple of infusions¡­¡± But it didn¡¯t matter. He picked up his cup and gulped down a mouthful, then poured the rest of the tea water into the tea bucket before handing his cup out: ¡°Secretary Wang, please take care of this.¡± Secretary Wang was almost desperate to share this wonderful experience with someone! Now, after brewing the tea and while the fragrance still lingered, he immediately brought it into the office. The other party sniffed: ¡°Good tea!¡± The leader remarked, ¡°This is truly fragrant¡­¡± For a moment, the two tea enthusiasts, each holding their own cup, became immersed in the aroma. ¡­ Yun City. Upon returning home, Song Tan felt that although the day was a bit hectic and full of novelties, it wasn¡¯t without its perks. For instance, the local police station in the old district of Yun City also crowdfunded a pound of tea leaves. Of course, a group of modestly-paid young officers had to pool together to come up with the 10,000 yuan. The good news was Song Tan promised them, ¡°I won¡¯t charge you for shipping.¡± That said, the police station was just a ten-minute walk from the market. The captain stood firm, ¡°Can we get a discount if we pick it up at the stall ourselves?¡± Lowering the price was out of the question; not even a penny less. Song Tan pretended not to hear and quickly took his leave, thinking to himself that they should count their blessings they could even purchase it now! No sooner had he parked the car than another message popped up on his phone. This Secretary Wang didn¡¯t hesitate to spend money: ¡°Hello, do you still have tea leaves? Please send over five pounds. Do you have gift boxes? Can you do some packaging? We¡¯re planning to go to Imperial City next week to give them as gifts.¡± Song Tan smiled proudly and instructed Qiaoqiao to bring out a stack of gift boxes from the back seat of the car. On the way back, they passed by a packaging store, and Song Tan took home the shop¡¯s sealing machine, small scale, and packaging boxes. Last time was too rushed, just a trial in the market; he had originally intended to keep it simple. But his mother was right: After all, a bit of selection shows that we care, and we can¡¯t afford to get the attitude wrong. Song Tan found this very reasonable and hence decided to spend his own money on matching gift boxes. Sealed bags, tin containers, packaging boxes, carry bags¡­ a set of thirty! Just as he entered the courtyard, he saw Wu Lan and Grandma Wang Lifan, along with a few aunts who had helped pick tea, all weighing the tea leaves in the yard. Song Tan was invigorated, ¡°How much did we pick today?¡± He supplied Spiritual Energy to Tea Mountain every day, so it should have the best yield, far exceeding that of Milk Vetch by dozens of times. Wu Lan couldn¡¯t stop smiling, ¡°I went late and only picked a little under three pounds. Each of your aunts picked over five pounds, and your grandma picked exactly four pounds!¡± Wow, that¡¯s really something! Grandma Wang Lifan was older and moved slower, plus she had to prepare food for the pigs and get their family¡¯s breakfast ready before heading up the mountain. And his mother Wu Lan had to help bundle the Milk Vetch and weigh it. Others went up the mountain at six o¡¯clock, but she didn¡¯t leave until eight or nine. An aunt chimed in, ¡°Exactly, the tea leaves are so lush! Bushels and bushels!¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± another sighed, ¡°In the past, the most I picked was four and a half pounds. Working for your family this year, how come I¡¯ve been performing so well? We¡¯re paid by the day, not by the weight¡­¡± With that, everyone started laughing, ¡°You must have been a long-term worker for the Song family in your last life! Working harder for them than for your own family!¡± The topic shifted around until it finally landed on the yield of the tea: ¡°I don¡¯t know how your family manages it, but this tea is both thick and fragrant. Zhou Maozhu said he¡¯s so energized just to stir-fry your family¡¯s tea that he has to wear a mask to sleep during the day.¡± Another joined the conversation, ¡°Who can ever be sure about these things with the God of Soil? Remember the year when we had some trouble, didn¡¯t work the land at all¡ªand yet, everything that grew was large and of high quality; even the vegetables tasted better than those from other places!¡± When it comes to agriculture and its mysterious practices, everyone indeed had their experiences: ¡°That¡¯s true! When we used to grow chestnuts, no matter how we fertilized or sprayed, the yield simply alternated between more one year and less the next¡­¡± Chapter 88 - Chapter 88: 88. Please get it right! _1 Chapter 88: 88. Please get it right! _1 The topic wandered off as we chatted. After people left, Song Tan did some calculations before saying to Wu Lan, ¡°Mom, talk to the aunts tonight and ask for some help sorting through the tea leaves after dinner. I need to bring over seven pounds tomorrow.¡± Five pounds for Yun City, one for the bureau, and another pound for those poor masters. Oh, that¡¯s not right. Song Tan also remembered someone else. ¡°Let¡¯s pack an extra three pounds. I¡¯m going to send it to Imperial City.¡± ¡°And give Grandpa one pound for his drinking, don¡¯t mention the price. When he¡¯s finished it, we can give him more. It¡¯s the same for my dad, how can you be reluctant to taste your own produce? Let him drink as much as he wants, as long as he doesn¡¯t give it away.¡± After all, you can¡¯t eat tea leaves as a meal, so how much can you actually drink in a year? Wu Lan predictably fell back into old habits, feeling a wrench in her heart as soon as she heard that their own family would be drinking the tea. According to their custom, the best products should be sold, and only the blemished would be left for family consumption. But this matter also involved the children¡¯s grandfather, so what could she do? All she could do was compromise, ¡°Leave half a pound of the spring tea for your dad and let him drink the summer tea for the rest.¡± The price of summer tea nosedives compared to spring tea; it hurt Wu Lan less relatively. Song Tan helplessly replied, ¡°Mom, given the quality of our tea this year, the summer tea will have a stronger bitterness, and some people might prefer this particular kind.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.?0 Therefore, she never intended to sell it cheaply. Wu Lan¡¯s heart ached again, but then she thought about it and her face instantly brightened, ¡°Ah! That¡¯s ten pounds sold!¡± Her mind started calculating fast: even including additional expenses, such as a 3000-yuan dog or the like, if you put together their old couple¡¯s money with Tantan¡¯s, they have already broken even with 120,000 by now! Aiyoyo, it¡¯s only been a month! Who knew that farming could make money so fast before? Song Tan: ¡­ Those three pounds for Imperial City were not for sale. The receiver didn¡¯t want repayment and even was reluctant to disclose, so naturally, you couldn¡¯t talk about money. You were just sending the best from home for them to taste. Speaking of which, Song Tan also felt somewhat wistful: Hopefully, the Spiritual Energy would help his wounds heal. ¡­ Wu Lan went into the kitchen to cook a simple meal, not feeling tired in the least with a smile on her face. There was no alternative, with a son who was unreliable and a daughter whose cooking skills could barely manage to make food edible. To avoid letting the children waste their own products, she had to take on more labor herself. Just then, Song Sancheng arrived, carrying a hoe on his shoulder. Trailing behind him, with a listless air, was Zhang Yanping. After a morning¡¯s absence, his brand-logo-adorned hoodie was now caked with mud, sweat, and filth beyond recognition. That morning, Song Sancheng had warned him about the heavy dew on the mountain and had found him a pair of old rubber shoes to wear, but he had refused. Now, his equally big-brand sneakers were so laden with wet mud they were as heavy as gold, hardly recognizable as the same pair. Qiaoqiao greeted him immediately, ¡°Brother, Dad said you worked hard today, so you get bubble gum!¡± Zhang Yanping almost snatched the piece of chewing gum viciously, then stuffed it into his mouth. The low-quality fragrance overwhelmed his senses so much that it took a moment for him to realize what he had just agreed to¡ª Sure enough, he saw Song Sancheng looking at him with admiration, ¡°Yanping did well! I thought you were too weak to work this morning, and I figured you wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything this afternoon either?¡± ¡°But you showed some perseverance¡ªokay, this afternoon I¡¯m going to fix a den for some dogs, you can give me a hand.¡± Zhang Yanping just wanted to slide his legs out and lie down straight off the stool. He couldn¡¯t do it anymore, he really couldn¡¯t do it anymore. He stretched out his hands and saw two crystal-clear blisters in his delicate palms. ¡°Tantan, look at me, I¡¯m really not cut out for this! Please let me off.¡± Song Tan indeed leaned in to look, then grabbed his wrist firmly, ¡°Mom, get a needle! Let¡¯s pop them!¡± Zhang Yanping immediately started making a fuss. And when he was holding his blistered hands, feeling sorry for himself, he heard Song Sancheng say, ¡°Tantan, I looked around the Chestnut Forest on the hill behind and the vegetable garden nearby this morning, and I found a good spot. What kind of doghouse do you want to build?¡± Song Tan thought about it, ¡°Well for the dogs, they don¡¯t need a fancy type of house, just something they can use for many years¡ªDad, just make sure it¡¯s sturdy. Like for Da Wang, maybe lay some bricks and cement, and put a floor in the doghouse.¡± Song Sancheng considered, ¡°Okay, I asked grandpa and he said we have some old blue bricks, which are perfect for flooring. I¡¯ll see who has some cement and red bricks in our village and get some to construct their kennel.¡± ¡°Just lay the old tiles on top.¡± ¡°Later, you can stuff in your unwanted clothes or some straw. Change it every month and it¡¯s both clean and warm.¡± Having said that, he couldn¡¯t help but feel pleased with himself: ¡°The spot I chose is excellent, shaded in summer and sunny in winter. I guarantee they¡¯ll live more comfortably than people!¡± Qiaoqiao¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Can I sleep with Da Wang then?¡± Sleeping with Da Wang wasn¡¯t a problem; the fellow was slick and well-cared for, even cleaner than people. After all, country children are resilient, playing with insects and mud from a young age; they¡¯re not so delicate. But the issue was¡ª ¡°No, the blue brick floor is too cold and damp.¡± Wu Lan flatly refused. Seeing Qiaoqiao¡¯s face fall, Song Tan then pointed to Sanbao, who was fussing around a few large dogs: ¡°Qiaoqiao, you always remember Da Wang, but that¡¯ll hurt their feelings. And what about these little treasures that you brought back? Aren¡¯t you going to take good care of them?¡± Qiaoqiao indeed found himself in a dilemma¡ªthe imperial mindset. Da Wang gave him a sense of security, but Qibao each had their own charm. Who should he take care of first? How could he care for them without making the other dogs feel sad? For a while, this complex question occupied his young mind, and he could no longer bother with anything else. However, the work was not yet done. Farm work is just like that, with new tasks every day. ¡°Dad, about tilling the fields, could you contact that person? The Milk Vetch field at the very top, which is flowering, all needs to be plowed.¡± Song Sancheng was a bit troubled, ¡°For that patch of field, it¡¯s just a few hours of work if he brings his machine over, and paying a day¡¯s wages isn¡¯t worth it¡ªfive hundred! Offer less and he might not bother coming over¡­¡± After all, he¡¯d still have to ride the tricycle to transport the machine over. Wu Lan glared at him, ¡°You¡¯re really getting senile, for rough tillage the Milk Vetch is fine, but Tantan is planning to plant vegetables there, we still need to plow again, finely till it. After a whole day of time-consuming work, it¡¯s tough.¡± Zhang Yanping listened and was confused, ¡°Are machines that expensive? Can¡¯t we buy one ourselves? Five hundred yuan for labor seems too expensive!¡± Song Sancheng shook his head, ¡°Five hundred yuan covers labor, machine, and fuel cost. We don¡¯t need to worry about a thing, just tell them how we want it done.¡± ¡°Buying one ourselves isn¡¯t expensive, but firstly, those things always break down and we don¡¯t know how to fix them. Secondly, there¡¯s only a few of us at home, who has the time to till the fields now? Sitting on top and chugging through the fields for a whole day isn¡¯t easy work.¡± Zhang Yanping immediately backed off, ¡°Better to hire, definitely better to hire!¡± Chapter 89 - Chapter 89: 89. Tobacco and Shaken Honey_1 Chapter 89: 89. Tobacco and Shaken Honey_1 Song Sancheng still felt a bit sorry for the milk vetch, ¡°Are we in such a hurry? If we don¡¯t turn it over and let it dry out, won¡¯t the milk vetch sprout again in the field? And won¡¯t we have to pull it out?¡± ¡°And isn¡¯t it in full bloom right now? I see the bees buzzing around so happily. I don¡¯t even know how much honey they¡¯ve made. Even if we can¡¯t sell the greens, it¡¯s still good for the bees to have them.¡± Cherishing anything that can be put into one¡¯s mouth is the natural instinct of a farmer. Song Tan wasn¡¯t in a hurry either, so she slowly persuaded: ¡°It¡¯s alright, Dad, I¡¯m planning to plant water spinach, green onions, ginger, and garlic in that plot. If we plant now, we¡¯ll be able to start harvesting in a month. When we have time, we can weed a bit¡­ Let¡¯s focus on making money first!¡± The spiritual energy acting on the new crops made them stronger and better at absorbing nutrients, which naturally left no room for the weeds to grow. ¡°As for the bees¡­ Dad, the flowers have only bloomed for a day or two. That small plot of land has to support the bees that were originally responsible for fifteen acres of flowering crops¡ªhow could that be enough?¡± Initially, we bought five boxes of bees, and after some time of feeding, there must be more than twenty thousand of them by now. I¡¯m afraid that by the end of the day, the pollen in the field would be depleted. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, our fields are staggered. I see the fields higher up starting to bloom too; they won¡¯t go hungry.¡± With Song Tan having arranged everything, Song Sancheng simply had to agree. Then, after giving her a look and hesitating for a while, he asked in a low voice, ¡°Is it possible to plant two rows of tobacco in that corner just for your grandpa?¡± ¡°The soil in our fields is fertile this year, so the tobacco grows well. Your grandpa really enjoys it, and you see how busy he¡¯s been helping around the house¡­¡± Song Tan sighed. Indeed, despite being busy all the time, he never cut down on smoking¡ªlike father, like son. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.?¦Ï If she didn¡¯t grow tobacco, her grandpa would just plant it by the doorway¡­ Song Tan thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled with a profound meaning, ¡°Sure!¡± Zhang Yanping numbly watched his fair-skinned and delicate-looking little cousin make so many plans over the course of a meal and could only put on a mask of pain: ¡°I finally understand why Tao Yuanming wrote, ¡®Grains were planted beneath the southern hills, but where the growth was lush, the bean sprouts were sparse¡¯¡­¡± Because farming is not something just anyone can do. ¡­ Brother Yanping¡¯s painful reform was still continuing. Grandpa Song Youde went with Song Sancheng to help build a kennel, while Grandma Wang Lifan kept up her relentless pace of earning money, crossing the basket and heading to the mountains after lunch! Wu Lan watched with anxiousness. Right after finishing her meal, she pushed aside her bowl and hurriedly instructed Qiaoqiao to wash the dishes. Song Tan didn¡¯t sit idle either. A flock of ducklings and chicks took over a corner of the yard, chirping and quacking noisily, each day bathed in the lingering spiritual energy of the courtyard, becoming both nimble and lively, impossible to ignore. Only now, as they ate more and grew faster, they were gradually losing their endearing yellow down, and their cuteness factor was decreasing. Song Tan called over Da Wang and affectionately stroked his head: ¡°Come here, Da Wang, watch over them. From tomorrow on, start moving the chicks and ducklings to the mountain. Make sure they are all in the fence, and you need to keep a close eye on them, okay?¡± ¡°This is your job. If you do your work, you¡¯ll be rewarded; you¡¯ll be able to eat your fill.¡± In the two days since Da Wang¡¯s return, he had been well-behaved, and his appetite seemed not too big, leading Wu Lan to mumble that he was eating too little¡­ Actually, dogs have their sensitivities too. He knew he had been given away by his previous owner for consuming too much and being too expensive to keep, so he hadn¡¯t yet returned to his real portion sizes. Hearing this, he shifted his front paws, readjusting his posture. His thick tail wagged subconsciously on the ground, and then, fixing his eyes intently on the circle of chicks and ducklings, he let out a low bark from his throat: ¡°Woof!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about a dog being lonely either. Once these three puppies grow a bit bigger, we¡¯ll assign them to you guys to look after¡ªbe sure to train them well.¡± ¡°` The tail suddenly felt a heavy, soft weight drop onto it, and when the King looked back, he saw that it was one of the five, six, or seven treasures¡ªQibao. At that moment, it was vigorously scratching at the tip of its tail, shaking its head and desperately batting at something. By the time Qiaoqiao had finished tidying up the kitchen, Song Tan had already brought out a cylindrical barrel from the room. The barrel was brand new and shiny, with a crank handle on the side. In her other hand, she held a basin containing two layers of filters, a brush, and a thin, sharp knife. She then handed the basin to Qiaoqiao: ¡°Let¡¯s go, Qiaoqiao, we¡¯re going to harvest some honey.¡± Qiaoqiao immediately cheered, eagerly taking the basin and halfway through her walk suddenly asked, ¡°What does ¡®harvesting honey¡¯ mean? Does it mean we have to cut the bees?¡± Song Tan: ¡­If only I had said ¡®to extract honey¡¯. But this also reminded her, ¡°Wait a moment.¡± She went back into the room and brought out a netted head cover and a pair of rubber gloves. ¡°Here, put on the head cover and the gloves so you don¡¯t get stung by the bees again.¡± With the painful memory of last time still vivid, Qiaoqiao promptly put them on, tying the mesh of the head cover tightly around her neck, afraid that a single bee might sneak through. The beehives were on the mountain path behind the house, placed in a staircase arrangement every five meters. At this moment, the milk vetch in the fields was still enough for their consumption, so there weren¡¯t many bees around here. However, this was all relative. Still, many bees were buzzing around the hives, and Qiaoqiao hesitated before following. ¡°Come, pay attention and learn. Once you get the hang of it, this task will be your responsibility in the future.¡± Everyone in the family had chores to do. Although Qiaoqiao was doing a lot, she lacked a specialized task, which always seemed a bit insufficient. Extracting honey, with proper protection, wasn¡¯t too dangerous and seemed quite suitable for Qiaoqiao. Qiaoqiao was indeed excited and thrilled, nodding vigorously: ¡°Got it!¡± The two went up the mountain and first found a flat stone to set the basin on, then they positioned the big barrel to one side. Lifting the asbestos tiles that covered the top of the beehive to shield it from wind and rain, they opened the lid, and in the next instant, Qiaoqiao let out a startled ¡°Ah!¡± Then she looked at Song Tan, ¡°Sister, don¡¯t you need a hat?¡± Song Tan shook her head: ¡°Sister is the most incredible in the world, I don¡¯t need one.¡± The beekeeper had provided a detailed instructional video before, so although it was Song Tan¡¯s first time, she handled it like a pro. It helped that she wasn¡¯t particularly afraid of bees, and now, working with bare hands, her movements were at ease and casual. Inside each beehive were five wooden frames, on which the bees had built their honeycombs. She first took out one frame and then instructed Qiaoqiao to take the brush: ¡°Gently brush off the bees from these honeycombs.¡± The combs were shades of deep and light yellow. The creamy shade was the layer of beeswax on top, beneath which a white layer housed the larvae, and the deeper shades of yellow were the unique color of the honey itself¡ªthere weren¡¯t enough larvae yet. The air was instantly filled with the unique sweet scent of honey, refreshing to the soul. However, many bees were still clinging on to the edges of the combs, not flying away. It required a very soft brush to gently sweep them off. Qiaoqiao hesitated: ¡°Is this their home? Are we going to drive them out?¡± ¡°` Chapter 90 - Chapter 90: Honey and Growth_1 Chapter 90: Honey and Growth_1 ¡°No, that¡¯s not right,¡± Song Tan said with confidence and righteousness, ¡°You forgot, these bees were bought from Uncle Beekeeper; they work for our family.¡± ¡°This is pollen collected from our fields and turned into honey. Sister will leave some for them to feed their young later, and the rest we need to extract.¡± ¡°It¡¯s perfectly normal, just like when Qiaoqiao does chores for the house, and Sister pays Qiaoqiao a salary.¡± Qiaoqiao, who half-understood, now cautiously brushed the bees aside with a feather duster. His movements were extremely gentle, both slow and light. Song Tan stood there holding the honeycomb, not rushing at all. It took a good ten minutes for the bees to be brushed away, leaving flat honeycombs of various shades of yellow. Placing the honeycomb on a container, Song Tan carefully pointed out to Qiaoqiao: ¡°See, this whitish area, these are the bee¡¯s young; their larvae are hatching inside.¡± ¡°So they leave a lot of honey for the young, which Sister won¡¯t touch. We¡¯ll cut the other half that doesn¡¯t have larva.¡± ¡°You just asked why we¡¯re harvesting honey, right? Because we need to use a knife to shave off the top layer of white beeswax¡­¡± ¡°The knife must be as flat as possible, don¡¯t press too hard, gently, bit by bit¡­¡± Song Tan¡¯s hands were actually fast and steady, but for Qiaoqiao¡¯s sake, she proceeded slowly. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.?¦Ï After the whole piece was done, the honey, now unprotected by beeswax, slowly began to drip out. Then she flipped the honeycomb over, ¡°Here, Qiaoqiao, try the other half.¡± Qiaoqiao took the knife, hesitating to go forward: ¡°I¡¯m afraid of making a mistake, of cutting into their young.¡± This problem was quite intractable. Even the most skilled beekeeper sometimes made a hasty move and accidentally cut into the larva. Song Tan abandoned the usual way of cajoling children and seriously said, ¡°But if you don¡¯t try, we won¡¯t get the honey, and these bees will have no economic value¡ªthey would be raised in vain.¡± ¡°Over time, without care, they might freeze to death in the cold winter snow.¡± ¡°If Qiaoqiao is brave and careful, taking it slowly, you might make mistakes at first and feel sad, but once you get the hang of it, this won¡¯t happen again.¡± The speech was long and complicated, but Qiaoqiao seemed to understand the overall message. Standing there, after much hesitation, he finally tightened his grip on the knife. Song Tan also breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Just like that, slowly, bit by bit, careful not to cut yourself.¡± ¡°Look, the little bees are all waiting at the side, once we¡¯re done, they can go back home.¡± She instructed Qiaoqiao to hold the knife as flat as possible, little by little moving it forward¡ª ¡°Ah!¡± Qiaoqiao suddenly cried out. When Song Tan looked, she saw that his knife had slipped, cutting through three bee larvae inadvertently, bisecting the white grubs which obviously died. He stood there, knife in hand, and Song Tan could clearly see tears swirling in his eyes, yet this time, he did not cry. Just sniffed, carefully removed the larvae, and continued on with the work. Song Tan breathed another sigh of relief. She knew she would definitely live longer than Qiaoqiao, but their parents weren¡¯t so sure. And they didn¡¯t want to put that responsibility on their daughter either. If Qiaoqiao could support himself by beekeeping in the future, they would certainly be very happy. It took Qiaoqiao a full twenty minutes to clean the beeswax off that side of the small honeycomb. Afterward, Song Tan placed the honeycomb frame into a honey extractor beside him. The extractor has two clamps in the middle, where you¡¯d insert the honeycomb frame like placing a file, one on each side. Then you can turn the handle, and the honey inside quickly spins out. It¡¯s similar to the spin dry function of a washing machine. One box holds five frames, and here there were a total of five boxes. Qiaoqiao became more and more proficient as she worked; starting from taking half an hour just for one side, she later managed to finish in ten minutes, and her progress that afternoon was significantly great. However, by the time she got the hang of it, it was almost dark. The two of them reorganized the beehives, and with Qiaoqiao carrying a basin and Song Tan holding the heavy bucket of honey, they descended from the mountain. It was too dark to see the tea leaves, and since they still had to pick tea leaves tonight, Wu Lan was almost done cooking dinner. At this moment, seeing her return with a bucket, moving with ease and a pleased expression, she even laughed and said, ¡°I told you it¡¯s too soon to get honey, the bees need to ferment the pollen for a few days, don¡¯t they?¡± But who would have known, as she turned her head to look, hey! There was quite a bit of honey in that cylindrical bucket. Wu Lan cried out in surprise and couldn¡¯t help but chide her daughter, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say there was so much honey? We haven¡¯t even washed all those jars we prepared.¡± Now she had to hurry to set up a pot to boil water, and quickly put all the prepared glass jars into it to sterilize. Qiaoqiao carefully covered the honey bucket with a mesh net, then puffed out her chest and declared loudly, ¡°Today¡¯s honey was spun by Qiaoqiao!¡± ¡°Oh my!¡± Wu Lan praised absentmindedly, ¡°Qiaoqiao is really impressive!¡± She thought Qiaoqiao was only responsible for turning the handle. Ordinarily, Qiaoqiao never would have noticed her mother¡¯s perfunctory praise, but today she had truly put in a lot of effort, bending over to work for hours. Now her back ached, and her hands hurt as well. Feeling wronged, she said, ¡°Mom, I did it all.¡± Wu Lan was taken aback for a moment. Song Tan quickly explained, ¡°That¡¯s right. From taking out the comb to cutting the beeswax, and finally spinning the honey, Qiaoqiao did it all. I was just helping a little.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Wu Lan was also stunned. ¡°Yes, really. If Qiaoqiao can do it herself, what can¡¯t she do?¡± She said as if it were the most natural thing. A six-year-old child already understands a lot, and besides, Qiaoqiao has learned to control her body and strength quite well over the years. She just lacked someone to teach her with patience and detail. After all, with so much work at home, it¡¯s not possible for parents to attend to her every day. Wu Lan¡¯s eyes reddened in an instant, and looking at the bucket of honey, she was filled with pride: ¡°Good! Good! Qiaoqiao is so amazing! Truly amazing!¡± She then hurriedly shouted loudly, ¡°Old Song! Old Song, come and look, your son has brought back honey from cutting!¡± All the while she beamed with delight, ¡°After we bottle it later, the first bottle is for mom to make tea with, so I can taste our Qiaoqiao¡¯s skill.¡± Qiaoqiao was extremely proud, ¡°Of course! Reserved for mom! The rest will be sold by sister to earn money for beekeeping.¡± Song Sancheng had already rushed out from the house, and once again he asked about the process, watching Qiaoqiao gesture excitedly. Despite his age, he felt a lump in his throat. Turning to Song Tan, he expressed with satisfaction, ¡°Good, good, you sisters and brothers are doing well, better than anything else.¡± Song Tan was really afraid they would cry. But alas, the heart of a parent. She was so afraid they would cry, that at the moment she quickly reminded, ¡°Mom, have you finished boiling your jars?¡± Chapter 91 - Chapter 91: 91. Village Party Secretary Visits_1 Chapter 91: 91. Village Party Secretary Visits_1 Wu Lan was both nimble and instinctively an expert in time management. Before the meal, she had sterilized all the jars by boiling them and kept the residual heat to slowly dry them on a grate. By the time the meal was over, the jars were dry and sparkling clear. These were the hexagonal glass jars Song Tan had bought along with vegetables before, not expensive either; buying in bulk, they were two yuan apiece, each with a capacity of five hundred milliliters, which was just about right for holding about a jin of honey. Perhaps because Qiaoqiao¡¯s labor was particularly gratifying this time, the family of four all pitched in: Song Sancheng hoisted the bucket, Wu Lan was underneath propping the strainer, and below the strainer was yet another layer of filtration. Song Tan was responsible for using clean chopsticks to stir and help the honey filter through more quickly. And Qiaoqiao squatted at the very bottom, in charge of bottling the honey. Their home workshop production line was clearly taking shape. Just then, a voice suddenly sounded from outside the gate: ¡°Is Song Tan there?¡± The voice was highly recognizable; Song Tan didn¡¯t even stop with the chopsticks in her hand, ¡°I¡¯m here, come in.¡± And sure enough, it was their young Village Secretary, Zu Jun, who walked in. Upon entering the yard, Zu Jun was surprised: ¡°I smelled this honey from far away, it¡¯s really fragrant!¡± ¡°Auntie Wu, are you selling this honey? Spare me two bottles, please.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.?¦Ï Wu Lan instinctively looked towards Song Tan. According to the price of honey in their village, a jin was between fifty to a hundred yuan. But now in Tan¡¯s hands, who knew for sure? Song Tan, without lifting her head, said, ¡°Not for sale, someone has placed an order.¡± Zu Jun chuckled at that: ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ve saved up quite a bit of money, I can afford a higher price, just name it.¡± She clearly understood the routine behind refusals. Song Tan, in fact, hadn¡¯t thought it through yet. Since she wasn¡¯t in a rush with her current task, she pulled out her chopsticks, found a cup to rinse with water, and then took a taste. Then she tasted it again. ¡°This can sell for cheap, one thousand yuan per jin.¡± Zu Jun immediately clutched at her chest. But she obviously had some savings; after a moment¡¯s hesitation she said, ¡°Since I¡¯ve made a special trip here, you could give me a cup of honey water to taste, that¡¯s not too much to ask, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that your tea is also very good; may I taste that as well?¡± Song Tan raised an eyebrow slightly and, under the pained looks of Wu Lan and Song Sancheng, she cheerfully agreed, ¡°Sure.¡± The guest made herself at home, settling into a chair with a backrest in the courtyard. Wu Lan, just then free from holding the gauze in place, hurriedly bustled into the house to find a cup: ¡°I¡¯ll pour for you, I¡¯ll pour for you.¡± Honey water needed to be mixed with lukewarm water, and the water in the tea bottle had been boiled after picking tea in the evening¡ªit was still a bit too hot but would need to cool for a while. The tea, however, was just right for brewing. The spacious courtyard, with its gentle breeze, carried the tea¡¯s fragrance far and wide. While not as invigorating as in an enclosed space, it was exactly this kind of refreshingly cool sensation that lit up Zu Jun¡¯s eyes¡ª ¡°How is the tea sold? I¡¯ll take two jin of that as well.¡± At that moment, Wu Lan paused, thinking to herself that it was no wonder her daughter had agreed so readily; she must have known that the Village Secretary had money! It turned out this youngster really did have a bit of wealth! As for whether it was obtained from other sources, Wu Lan didn¡¯t believe that. Because their village was really too poor. The former Village Secretary¡­ well, that was simply unspeakable. This young lady, despite her age, had been running around getting things done and had actually accomplished quite a few concrete things¡ªeverybody quite liked her. As for customer requests, of course, Song Tan wouldn¡¯t pass up the money; she nodded: ¡°Alright then, my mom has invited a few aunties over tonight to help sort the tea, I can deliver it to you at night if you¡¯re in a hurry. If not, you can pick it up tomorrow.¡± After thinking it over, she asked, ¡°You don¡¯t need a gift box, do you?¡± As a cultivator indifferent to worldly possessions, it wasn¡¯t that she was unwilling to spend the money, she just felt it was unnecessary to waste it. Zu Jun thought for a moment, ¡°Just need to simply laminate them, and then put them in tea boxes.¡± Song Tan nodded. ¡°As for the honey, these have just been filtered. Which bottle do you want? Choose for yourself.¡± Zu Jun looked curiously at those clear and tempting honeys, ¡°Is this Milk Vetch honey?¡± ¡°Your bees are pretty capable, huh? I just saw them collecting honey the other day, and now it¡¯s ready.¡± Qiaoqiao lifted his head, ¡°I did the spinning.¡± ¡°Oh my, what a good kid.¡± Zu Jun smiled warmly at him and took a few pieces of chocolate out of his pocket, ¡°Qiaoqiao, the chewing gum you gave me last time was pretty good. I¡¯ve brought you some chocolates too.¡± Qiaoqiao was so surprised! Ever since his friends had grown up, it had been ages since he last received such a gift! If it weren¡¯t for the important task of collecting honey at hand, he probably would have run over there in excitement. Song Tan looked at the way Zu Jun did things: How did this master of social interaction manage to charm everyone wherever he went? She then asked, ¡°Did you come over for something specific?¡± He surely couldn¡¯t just be strolling around with nothing better to do. Zu Jun pondered for a while, ¡°Indeed, I do. Song Tan, do you know that our country is now vigorously promoting the rural revitalization plan?¡± Song Tan nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about it, but I haven¡¯t delved into it.¡± She was telling the truth; after all, she had only been busy for a month. She hadn¡¯t even figured out her own land, let alone had time to understand those specific policies. Zu Jun smiled again, ¡°That¡¯s okay, just knowing about it is good. I know you¡¯ve only looked at the big picture and haven¡¯t checked the details.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve come over tonight specifically to talk to you about it.¡± ¡°This rural revitalization plan is very beneficial to your family.¡± ¡°Firstly, if you want to start an online store, you can apply at our Village Department to establish a family farm.¡± ¡°Then, you can apply online for tax exemption. You won¡¯t have to pay value-added tax, land use tax, or deed tax.¡± ¡°Plus, our agricultural electricity will be subsidized by sixty percent.¡± ¡°Secondly, the state encourages local farmers or returning young entrepreneurs to start businesses, and your family fits into this category too.¡± ¡°Furthermore, banks will be ¡®green lighting¡¯ loans for you.¡± Upon hearing this, Wu Lan and Song Sancheng shook their heads in unison, ¡°No, no, no loans! Let¡¯s just keep things as they are, it¡¯s fine.¡± Villagers have always steered clear of loans, and Zu Jun understood this. He didn¡¯t press the issue and simply changed the subject, ¡°So, do you have enough land to use this year?¡± Why wouldn¡¯t they have enough? They had plenty. Wu Lan didn¡¯t quite understand, but Song Tan seemed thoughtful. Her initial intention in returning home was to satisfy her cravings, but as of now, grains, vegetables, meat, and beverages were partially accounted for in the future. However, fruit¡­ was still nowhere in sight. The reason was simple, there weren¡¯t enough mountains. Their family¡¯s woodland was quite compact, with the Chestnut Woods behind the tea garden being almost everything they had. But she didn¡¯t want to make significant changes in the mountains. Because the trees on the mountain were growing well, and the firewood for winter heating at home was essential. If it wasn¡¯t necessary, Song Tan didn¡¯t want to disturb them. Zu Jun also agreed with a smile, ¡°Yes, in Yunqiao Village, we have fewer people and more land and mountains.¡± But of course, ¡®more¡¯ only seems plentiful when nobody is cultivating it. Once you start working on it and aim for a little scale, you quickly find yourself stretched thin. Chapter 92 - Chapter 92: 92. Contracting Barren Hill_1 Chapter 92: 92. Contracting Barren Hill_1 Zu Jun was truly capable of winning trust in the countryside alone, his words were very persuasive: ¡°I figure with your Chestnut Garden and this mountain behind it, along with your tea plantation, all in all it would add up to about ten acres, right?¡± ¡°There¡¯s quite a bit of land actually, and it¡¯s nice and concentrated, totaling a little over fourteen acres, but less than fifteen.¡± ¡°But the mountain behind your property, right across the road, that¡¯s a good twenty acres of hillside land. If you could lease that and join it up with your own, then the entire mountain ridge at the back would all be yours!¡± Wow! Boy, after this spiel, both Wu Lan and Song Sancheng got it: they realized he was trying to entice them into leasing more land because their farming was decent? Wu Lan was not pleased: ¡°You, this little secretary, what¡¯s the meaning of this? Don¡¯t you ever think about us farmers. My kid has only been farming for a few months, hasn¡¯t even made a noticeable difference yet, and here you are coaxing us into leasing more land.¡± ¡°What if we end up in a loss? The whole family would be left with nothing to do but to feel the northwest wind on our faces!¡± Zu Jun thought to himself, with your tea selling at ten yuan a jin, I¡¯m sure you definitely won¡¯t incur a loss! In fact, Zu Jun didn¡¯t initially plan to bring up the mountain leasing now, she intended to wait at least until next year, when they¡¯d made a bit of a name on this side. However, after taking a sip of tea, she felt a surge of confidence, and an idea struck her. So, she gently and persuasively said, ¡°Auntie, don¡¯t rush. Listen to me first.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.?¦Ï This time, Zu Jun provided a lot more detailed data: ¡°Under our rural support plan, there are indeed other solid subsidies.¡± ¡°I hear Song Tan graduated less than two years ago, right?¡± Song Tan nodded. Indeed, it was half a year short. Zu Jun then smiled and said, ¡°Uni graduates returning to their hometown to start a business within two years can receive a one-time subsidy of 5000 yuan six months after declaring a family farm.¡± Yeah! Wu Lan instantly became happy. Song Sancheng also smiled widely, ¡°University was indeed worth it.¡± Zu Jun adopted a strategy of dropping a less appealing proposal first, and then step by step discussing the benefits. ¡°There¡¯s more. According to policy, for combined land operation of over twenty acres, we get a subsidy of 300 yuan per acre. It¡¯s an annual subsidy for three consecutive years.¡± ¡°For those planting fruit trees on the mountain, as long as there are more than eighty trees per acre, and the trees are all over three years old, it¡¯s also 300.¡± ¡°Auntie, does that sound profitable to you?¡± ¡°This is why I mentioned leasing the mountain earlier; that land is owned by the village, with some fields at the bottom. If we added those, not only would your planting area be more complete, but both the mountain land and the fields would get this subsidy!¡± ¡°Over ten thousand a year, how could it not work?¡± ¡°Furthermore, for those planting vegetables in their fields, each acre gets a subsidy of 200. If it¡¯s a year-round greenhouse, then the subsidy is 500.¡± ¡°If you install things like surveillance cameras, automatic irrigation, stuff like that, throughout the whole area, you get a one-time subsidy of twenty thousand.¡± With each number she mentioned, Wu Lan and Song Sancheng¡¯s hearts thumped, beating vigorously with joy and surging passion. And it didn¡¯t stop there. Zu Jun then looked at the chickens and ducks in the yard, ¡°You also raise pigs, chickens, and ducks, right? This year¡¯s policy is a ten percent subsidy for infrastructure, but I think your scale doesn¡¯t quite meet the standard yet, and you¡¯ve probably not spent much on infrastructure, so I guess you can¡¯t apply for it.¡± But this was already a pleasant surprise. Though she hadn¡¯t worked out how much exactly she could get, Wu Lan¡¯s head was already spinning. Looking at the flock of chickens and ducks, she now deeply regretted not building a chicken coop earlier! The mentality that one has lost out if they don¡¯t take advantage of such ¡°cheap gains¡± was evidently etched into her soul. Zu Jun looked at Song Tan again, his voice tempting: ¡°I heard from the villagers that you¡¯ve also planted Golden Sakura in your Chestnut Garden, is that true? This counts as intercropping medicinal herbs, and you¡¯ll receive a one-time subsidy of an additional $2,000.¡± ¡°However, these subsidies have a cap. A family farm can receive a maximum subsidy of $200,000.¡± ¡°Auntie, I¡¯m sincerely considering our family¡¯s interests, otherwise I would have planned to bring this up next year.¡± ¡°You also know that our finances are limited, so it¡¯s first come, first served when it comes to applications and payments.¡± ¡°There is only so much funding, but there are so many people in within miles, and if I were to inform you too late, and the finances run out, this might get delayed¡­¡± He didn¡¯t finish his sentence, but Wu Lan was already becoming restless. Now thinking about the village secretary¡¯s earlier suggestion, she couldn¡¯t help feeling guilty¡ªthis was a way to bring money home to their family! She could only pick up the teapot again: ¡°Come on, let me top up your water, we have some good tea here, you should drink a few more cups.¡± Song Sancheng also hadn¡¯t expected that the subsidies for farming were so abundant now. Gosh, it was like a pleasant surprise, as if finding free money! Only Song Tan was still being rational: ¡°How much is the leasing fee for those twenty acres of mountain land plus the fields below?¡± Zu Jun laughed: ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that, our Yunqiao Town isn¡¯t some popular rural area, the leasing cost hasn¡¯t gone up in years. That¡¯s why I already inquired on your behalf at the town meeting last time: $150 per acre, paid for twenty years at first, and then the rest all at once after twenty years.¡± ¡°According to national regulations, we cannot reclaim the land during the lease. However, correspondingly, the lessee¡¯s whole family cannot change to a non-agricultural hukou (household registration), otherwise, we have the right to take back the land.¡± ¡°Additionally, your household registration is still a collective one, right? If you were to move back, we could immediately accept it here.¡± ¡°As someone from the village taking on the lease, we can still extend the maximum limit to seventy years.¡± After saying this, she added: ¡°It was hard to get approval for this before, but now it¡¯s possible, thanks to the recently introduced policies. All of these are for revitalizing the countryside.¡± She sized up Song Tan¡¯s expression and felt increasingly confident of success, so she struck while the iron was hot: ¡°The fields below, when combined, also total more than seven acres, and there is also a pond in the hollow of the hill within the leasing scope, which belongs to the public ponds of our village.¡± ¡°The fields are priced at $300 per acre, and the pond at about three acres, for $600 per acre.¡± ¡°How about that, the price is absolutely fair, isn¡¯t it!¡± ¡°These prices really haven¡¯t increased a cent, they are still the same as ten years ago.¡± Song Tan did a mental calculation¡ª The large tract of forest on the back mountain she saw had been unattended by the villagers, and didn¡¯t have any large trees. It was mostly shrubs and wild grass, making it simple to tidy up. But now it was almost April, and if they wanted to apply for subsidies quickly, they¡¯d need to hurry in cleaning up the mountain land, decide what to plant, and get planting as soon as possible. Time was a bit tight. Meanwhile, Wu Lan and Song Sancheng hastily filtered the honey and, holding a calculator, confusedly figured out how much they could subsidize. They hadn¡¯t come to any concrete conclusion, but they could roughly estimate: if they agreed to lease the uncultivated land on the back hill, they could very well secure a subsidy of thirty to forty thousand dollars a year! How much was the leasing fee for twenty years? Twenty acres of mountain land, at $150 per acre. Seven acres of field, at $300 per acre. Three acres of pond, at $600 per acre. Calculating it out, the initial twenty years of lease fees totaled just under $140,000. But three years of subsidies would cover more than half of that. At this moment, even the frugal Song Sancheng and Wu Lan couldn¡¯t help but waver in their hearts. Chapter 93 - Chapter 93: 93. Confirm Bags Mountain_1 Chapter 93: 93. Confirm Bags Mountain_1 To wrap or not to wrap? Song Tan had already made up her mind. So, the question was, where would this initial twent-year lease fee of one hundred and forty thousand yuan come from? Counting the money she had made since coming back¡ªsome of it filled in the sixty thousand yuan for her parents. A portion for labor, materials, various miscellaneous expenses. What she earned later all went to the dogs. Currently, her only major source of income was from tea leaves. But those tea leaves? When all was said and done, including the two jin the village secretary hadn¡¯t paid for yet, there were only a total of nine jin. Honey could make two thousand yuan, and selling vegetables could bring in one to two thousand yuan a day. But this money was untouchable because there were just too many expenses to come. So that meant there was still a deficit of at least fifty thousand yuan. However, she wasn¡¯t panicked. At this moment, she just calmly looked at Zu Jun: ¡°I can wrap Bags Mountain, and I do have such a plan.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã¦Ï ¡°But as the first young person from our village who has heeded the call to return home and start a business, shouldn¡¯t the village also provide some support?¡± For example, for the first rental payment, only needing to pay for the first ten years or something¡­¡± Zu Jun was stunned. Who knew that Song Tan would immediately add, ¡°Or it could be noted in the agreement that the sum should be completed within half a year.¡± ¡°You see, my request isn¡¯t excessive, is it?¡± Such arrangements were of course not excessive. Zu Jun, however, reminded her, ¡°If the money is still not in place when the deadline is reached, the Village Department has the right to terminate the contract.¡± Of course, they didn¡¯t want to terminate the contract. The village was short on money, and the barren mountains were just being wasted as no one was going to lease them. Getting one leaser was better than none¡ªthey cherished this opportunity. Song Tan had anticipated that her proposal would very likely be accepted, so she didn¡¯t show too much surprise. Instead, she seriously reminded him, ¡°You can take the tea leaves tonight. When you come to get them, remember to pay first, alright?¡± Zu Jun: ¡­ Having the money was her business, but the price of ten thousand yuan per jin really made people grimace. The two of them had thus more or less settled the matter when suddenly the sound of laughter came from outside the gate. Wu Lan glanced over in an instant: ¡°They¡¯re here to help pick the tea leaves.¡± Qiaoqiao, who couldn¡¯t understand the adults¡¯ conversation, was just focused on arranging the honey jars one by one. Just as she was seen by an auntie who came in, the auntie exclaimed, ¡°I was wondering, the moment I entered the yard I smelled a sweet honey scent! This smells too good, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Indeed, your bees are quite productive, to be so diligent just after settling in!¡± The crowd instantly got excited and then asked, ¡°How are you selling this honey?¡± ¡°I feel more at ease with our own honey. How much is it? Leave me one jin, will you?¡± Everyone echoed in agreement. Zu Jun chuckled to himself but saw Wu Lan sporting a sincere smile, ¡°We can¡¯t sell them, they¡¯re all spoken for.¡± Song Sancheng also had an honest face as he seriously said, ¡°The channels were established a long time ago. Otherwise, as small-time folks, how would we dare spend so much money.¡± Everyone thought about it and it made sense. If they didn¡¯t have channels, which young person would dare to be so bold? Goodness, how envious. Everyone glanced at the honey jars on the table. ¡°Hey, there are thirteen or fourteen jars there!¡± Then, someone with a loud voice suddenly exclaimed, ¡°Nowadays, our local honey is expensive, selling for a hundred yuan per jin, right? Doesn¡¯t that add up to one thousand three hundred immediately!¡± ¡°Old Song, your family is indeed lucky this year.¡± Song Sancheng immediately started coughing loudly. Zu Jun struggled to hold back his laughter and then stood up. ¡°Well then, aunts, you¡¯re busy, so I¡¯ll be leaving.¡± Oh my. Only then did everyone realize that the person drinking tea with his back to the group was the young secretary of the village; they immediately gathered around him without any reservation: ¡°Young Secretary, about that issue we discussed last time, you haven¡¯t got back to me yet, how is it going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, the young man I know is absolutely handsome! You¡¯ll know once you meet him¡­ ¡± Zu Jun¡¯s expression froze, and then he quickly scampered away. Song Tan, sensing something amiss, also sprinted toward the house. Indeed, another hearty laugh came from outside: ¡°Wu Lan, your daughter is so good-looking. I haven¡¯t seen anyone as attractive in miles¡ªwhat kind of son-in-law are you looking for?¡± Just as he entered the main room, he saw a figure leisurely sitting up in the dim light, aided by the flickering glow from a cell phone, and then asked stealthily like a thief: ¡°Tantan, are you going to take on Bags Mountain? Need any help during the summer break?¡± He then lamented, ¡°I¡¯ll be your foreman, just don¡¯t make me go back to working in the fields again, I¡¯m really not cut out for that.¡± Song Tan looked at him, slowly saying, ¡°Brother Yanping, I trust the quality of the work you oversee as foreman. But I¡¯m worried that you¡¯d take a cut when you organize the summer workers.¡± ¡°How is that possible?!¡± Zhang Yanping quickly retorted: ¡°That¡¯s not taking a cut; that¡¯s a referral fee.¡± ¡°So, will you refund this referral fee?¡± Song Tan countered. Zhang Yanping fell silent. Song Tan didn¡¯t tease him further: ¡°Alright, Brother Yanping, I¡¯m not hiring summer workers.¡± ¡°Nowadays, who among the summer workers can handle fieldwork?¡± Stop kidding, if they accidentally caught bugs or birds on the hillside and something happened, Song Tan would still have to deal with their parents. How much trouble would that be! Zhang Yanping thought about it and agreed, reluctantly giving up on this business venture. Then suddenly, something else came to mind: ¡°Right, you can¡¯t just use manual labor for clearing the mountain, can you?¡± Even with shrubs, those ten- or twenty-year-old roots are deeply embedded in the ground; how many could one person dig up in a day? That¡¯s a full twenty acres of land! He planned to lead into the subject, but his cunning cousin just put on a listening expression, not responding at all. Zhang Yanping, frequently thwarted and determined to avoid going back to the fields the next day, pressed on talking to himself: ¡°I mean¡­ are you hiring an excavator? I know a reliable guy who operates one.¡± ¡°If we go by the acre, it¡¯s 220 per acre. By day, 600 a day, and if it¡¯s less than a full day, the charge is for one full day.¡± Song Tan¡¯s eyebrows raised, now genuinely interested: ¡°On mountainous terrain, how many acres can be cleared in a day?¡± Zhang Yanping answered without hesitation: ¡°About five acres a day, it¡¯s a small excavator.¡± As he spoke, he also couldn¡¯t help but grumble: ¡°Look at our roads; a larger one would have to be able to get in, right?¡± Song Tan started to calculate in her mind. Five acres a day, twenty acres would require at least four to five days. After clearing, they still had to apply fertilizer, till the soil, and transplant saplings. To get good fruit within the year, even if one buys more expensive mature saplings, they couldn¡¯t delay later than May. Considering the tight schedule and heavy tasks, hiring people is expensive, but time is even more so! Song Tan immediately nodded: ¡°Okay, first ask about the schedule. If it¡¯s possible, arrange for someone to go cut the grass and chop down trees tomorrow, and we can have the contract ready by noon.¡± Chapter 94 - Chapter 94: 94. The Benefits of Excavators_1 Chapter 94: 94. The Benefits of Excavators_1 Young people dealing with young people, acting with resolute and swift efficiency is just the basic quality. By noon that day, before everyone knocked off work, Song Tan¡¯s contract was already signed. The first payment of seventy thousand yuan was transferred into the designated account, and at lunch, she announced: ¡°Dad, the whole side of the back mountain is ours now. Let¡¯s get people started on tidying it up this afternoon.¡± The so-called tidying up entailed laying a road surface before the excavator entered the site, clearing those large, overlapping vines and branches, etc. Zhang Yanping thought for a moment, then took out his phone to flip through a video, ¡°Tantan, why don¡¯t you try spending a bit more money? There¡¯s this brand-new bulldozer now that can be mounted on the front end of the excavator¡¯s bucket¡ªlook how efficient it is when this machine starts!¡± In the video, an excavator was outfitted with a strange contraption at its forefront, which barely touched the small trees ahead before swiftly sawing through their trunks and large swathes of vines, then the machine¡¯s grinding plates pulled them in, crushing them into debris. Whatever it touched, it toppled with ease, clearing everything in an instant. Song Sancheng also came over to watch the video and was immensely impressed! However, after some thought, he still rejected the idea: ¡°No, no, that won¡¯t do.¡± ¡°Yanping, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m stingy with money, but you don¡¯t understand¡ªthere are usually several old graves on the mountains in the countryside, with grass growing as high as trees.¡± The villagers were clearly accustomed to these graves. Some were known to belong to particular families, some might be related to their own ancestors, and others could not be traced at all. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?0¦Í??.§ã¦Ï But obviously, the time hadn¡¯t passed to the extent of being exaggerated; at the very least, the grave mounds were still there. ¡°Originally, it wasn¡¯t popular to build an extra layer of cement around the old graves; they were all piled up with yellow soil. Grass grows quickly and fiercely on top of them so that when wild grass proliferates and vines crawl, it¡¯s impossible to make out the graves.¡± ¡°This machine is powerful, but if it just whirrs and turns, and ends up digging up people¡¯s old graves, wouldn¡¯t that be committing a sin?¡± Song Sancheng, as a native villager, held this matter in high regard. Zhang Yanping was also stunned¡ªhe truly hadn¡¯t thought of this. But the machine was indeed very efficient, and Song Tan was reluctant to give it up. After thinking it over, she also asked a key question, ¡°Dad, does the village still have enough strong laborers to tidy up the wasteland within a week?¡± Don¡¯t be fooled, twenty acres of wasteland might not seem like much when mentioned in regards to someone else¡¯s garden, but when it comes to actual work, it¡¯s boundless. An excavator¡¯s bucket could dig up a tree root, while several big guys would pant and groan for half an hour. Song Tan did the math, even if they hired twenty people, to get the land completely turned over would take at least a month. Song Sancheng also started to worry: that many people¡­ well, they truly didn¡¯t have them. But Song Tan already had a solution in mind, ¡°Brother Yanping, how much will it cost if we add this equipment?¡± Zhang Yanping, who was always meticulous in his preparations, had clear terms, ¡°It¡¯s the same price, 600 a day. In two days, we can clean up the surface, and then we¡¯ll charge the regular rate for digging into the mountain.¡± ¡°But if we do this, it will take a week to get the wasteland cleaned up.¡± Song Tan was already quite satisfied. Without this machine, the villagers would have to work for a week or so before the excavator could even make a dent on the surface. Song Tan made a prompt decision, ¡°Brother Yanping, contact them to come over tonight or tomorrow morning; we¡¯ll provide food and accommodation.¡± Then she said to Song Sancheng, ¡°Dad, since there might be old graves on the mountain, why don¡¯t you call a few more people this afternoon to go up and separately mark the graves¡¯ locations, and, while you¡¯re at it, lay a road from beside the street to facilitate the excavator¡¯s entry into the mountain.¡± No need for a long stretch, just a short section to connect the village road and the wasteland, so the excavator could enter the site smoothly to begin with. ¡°Wait until the excavator starts working tomorrow morning, Dad, then you arrange for someone to follow behind the excavator, and collect all the debris like weeds and shrubs that are dug up to one side,¡± ¡°When digging starts, it¡¯s the same; the tree roots and rocks that are dug up need people to help move them to the side.¡± Song Sancheng calculated the process in his mind and found no issues, except for the cost. A moment¡¯s reflection: even if we don¡¯t hire an excavator, manual labor is still expensive! We¡¯re not in a time when strength comes cheap anymore. ¡°Okay!¡± With bellies full of food and drink and tomorrow¡¯s work arranged, everyone dispersed in high spirits, filled with a boundless fighting spirit. Wu Lan even discussed with Song Tan, ¡°For the wasteland we¡¯re clearing, let¡¯s keep planting tea; tea makes the most money.¡± Song Tan rejected the idea outright, ¡°No, let¡¯s not.¡± She always remembered why she came back to the countryside: staples, beverages, vegetables, meat, fruit. Now they had the first four, and only fruit was yet to be started. Therefore, the newly contracted wasteland must be used to grow fruit. True to her original intentions, she was clearly doing the right thing. But Wu Lan wasn¡¯t wrong either; since tea could fetch a good price, planting more of it was reasonable. Song Tan could only console, ¡°Mom, when something becomes too common, its price is bound to drop. We need to plant tea, but it will be years before it grows.¡± ¡°By that time, if the market is flooded with good tea, the price will surely fall.¡± Wu Lan also felt regretful, ¡°Right¡­ I was just thinking that since tea plants aren¡¯t tall, we could plant some other trees or something.¡± In her heart, Song Tan thought: tea plants might not be tall, but they have high demands. If we plant trees above them, wouldn¡¯t that shade reduce their yield? She reassured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll intercrop some other things among the trees later, you won¡¯t lose money.¡± Soon enough, Lao Song¡¯s family realized that ever since they signed that contract, there hadn¡¯t been a single day without expenses on their ledger. In this affair, Zhang Yanping had clearly become the biggest winner. That afternoon, after the villagers had briefly cleaned up the wasteland, the young man who had been eager for work and had operated his bulldozer solo rushed over. He was indeed a reliable person. Upon arrival, he went first to inspect the worksite. In the end, he found no significant trees, and this family seemed quite reasonable¡ªthey weren¡¯t difficult or unreasonably demanding clients¡­ The young man¡¯s skin was dark from the sun, and at that moment, he was holding Zhang Yanping¡¯s hand, thanking him profusely. And in the evening, when he tasted the first bite of Lao Song¡¯s family¡¯s unique food, he was nearly moved to tears. The hardships of a young single man with no cooking skills were indescribable. As Song Tan was organizing honey orders sold in the group chat today, she accidentally overheard their conversation: ¡°Brother Yanping, you really are my own brother.¡± ¡°If I knew the food here was this good, I would have come to help out yesterday afternoon.¡± Zhang Yanping laughed, ¡°How would you help out? Operate the excavator for free for half a day?¡± The young man gave a bashful smile: ¡°No way, we still have to charge for what¡¯s due. I mean I would have gone straight to the fields to help them for half a day.¡± Chapter 95 - Chapter 95: 95. Busy Old Song_1 Chapter 95: 95. Busy Old Song_1 How big is an acre of land? It¡¯s about six hundred and sixty-seven square meters. In terms of city houses, that area would definitely be considered extremely spacious. But placed within the rural expanse of farmland and forests, it is no more than a drop in the ocean, truly insignificant. Have you not seen how those heated orchards can be hundreds or even thousands of acres? Song Tan¡¯s twenty acres of land merely connected to his own property for convenience, causing hardly a ripple among the villagers. Even during village votes, the villagers¡¯ reaction was more surprise than actual anticipation of wealth. No help for it, the money was too little, the land too small. That little patch of land, doesn¡¯t everyone have one? Some joked with laughter, ¡°Sancheng, if you get rich next year, consider my family¡¯s land too, it¡¯s not far from yours!¡± Since they were away working all year round and couldn¡¯t manage the land themselves, renting it out would earn them a bit more money. Others were dead serious, ¡°Old Song, you need to think this through. With this investment, you and your wife could lose all your retirement savings!¡± ¡°In these desolate mountains, you can¡¯t even give the land away!¡± If farming were profitable, why had everyone left? Old Song was being impulsive! Song Sancheng listened intently, eventually responding with an honest smile, ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try, isn¡¯t online selling all the rage now?¡­ The kid will try it out.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.§ã¦Ï What else could he say? Could he claim that his wild vegetables weigh twenty-one kilos, his honey costs a thousand per kilo, his tea leaves ten thousand? Could he still face the village after spouting such nonsense? ¡­ Equally speechless was the young village party secretary. Zu Jun, even with grand ambitions, felt speechless holding that sum of money in the village committee. What had she planned all this for if not the village construction? Now it was clear that everyone was just watching for the fun of it. They had never considered staying home, and the village was still unable to retain its people. But she also knew, there was no helping it, farm work was too hard. Toiling under the sun and rain, sweating through the heat of summer while working under the sun, one couldn¡¯t make much in a year, and factory work was still a faster way to earn money. The young village party secretary sighed softly, gazing at the map of the collective land inside the village committee office, she fell into deep thought. ¡­ However, for Song Sancheng and Wu Lan, who had farmed all their lives, they had never once invested so much money into farming. Fortunately, their anxiety didn¡¯t last long. They got the preliminary contract, the village decided, and shortly afterward, they received confirmation of the contract from town¡­. Thanks to the rural revitalization, the importance of timely farming, and planning ahead with the village party secretary Zu Jun, everything was smooth and efficient, unbelievably so. Looking at the stack of contracts stamped with official seals, Song Sancheng felt both trepidation and exhilaration. He was full of drive, almost wishing he could rush up the slopes and overturn them for ten acres! But because the excavator operator- a robust young man who could eat and drink heartily- now lived in his house, and since high technology didn¡¯t require human labor, he had to abandon such reckless thoughts and channel his energy elsewhere. As a result, his schedule became traceably regular and packed. At five in the morning, he got up tidy, and did some chores. By six, he went to the old master Song Youde¡¯s place to pick up pig feed to take up the mountain, and then checked on the bees along the way. Next, he patrolled the Chestnut Garden, looked over the new dog houses that had just been built and were not yet occupied by the dogs, and fed them with the dog food and meat and vegetable scraps he had brought. Guarding Chestnut Garden are Sanbao the German Shepherd and Sibao the Mastiff. Both treasures are smart and agile, not only can they run fast, but their jumping ability is especially strong; thus, the important responsibility of guarding Chestnut Garden and the black and white fungus now rests on their shoulders! Just two or three days away, and the mountain seemed to have changed again. Two hundred Golden Sakura trees firmly encircle Chestnut Garden; it has only been two or three days since planting, and tender green buds have already sprouted on the branches. In a few days, you¡¯ll be able to see the fresh leaves emerging. Looking at this growth, by summertime, perhaps the branches and vines will climb and cover the entire netting, then stand as a dense, impenetrable thorny wall. It not only prevents prying eyes, but with the assistance of the two treasures, it won¡¯t indulge anyone¡¯s thoughts of petty theft and vandalism either. Village life is simple, but human nature is inescapable. The jealousy of seeing others have what you lack is something no one wants, no matter where you go. With the security measures in place, the work inside Chestnut Garden must also continue. Firstly, this year¡¯s chestnut growth is vigorous; one can vaguely see the status of the glossy, plump green leaves, but we can¡¯t keep exhausting the soil¡¯s strength like this; we need to fertilize it when we find the time. Secondly, the wild grass on the ground is also thriving; after the barren hills are cultivated, this place also needs to be tidied up. The scale of the fungus cultivation this year still can¡¯t fully occupy the entire garden area; therefore, they need to intercrop some other plants to quickly earn money. Those log segments are still stacked together, waiting for a while before they will be neatly arranged and set up. Song Sancheng hummed and huffed as he picked up the already stirring fungus; smiling from ear to ear at the white mycelium sprouting above, his brows and eyes full of happiness. However, looking at the time, even this brief tidying up has brought us to ten o¡¯clock in the morning. Farming really does delay time! But he still couldn¡¯t idle about. Circling down from Chestnut Garden, Sancheng headed to the family¡¯s extensive fields where Old Lee, the elderly overseer in charge of the rice paddies, was still leading an ox through the fields. But Sancheng himself had already arrived on the nearby ridges to check back and forth. In the corner of that area, two plots of land were cultivated; one for breeding various types of vegetable seedlings, which had two trembling leaves sprouting, greeting the sunlight. The other side was designated for rice seedling raising this year. A lush green patch of tender leaves, heartwarming to see. Old Lee is adept at farming, even with daily observation, it seems like he can¡¯t get enough of it. Seeing Song Sancheng, he couldn¡¯t help but exclaim again, ¡°This year¡¯s seedlings are both strong and plump! There¡¯s going to be a good harvest for sure!¡± He was convinced and full of pride, as if he were caring for his own fields, radiating vitality. ¡°Uncle Lee,¡± Song Sancheng greeted, ¡°Tantan asked me to check if you still have enough rice, flour, oil, and salt. If not, she¡¯ll make time to deliver some to you.¡± They had made a deal before: Old Lee would take care of the rice paddies, and she would supply the rice, flour, grain, oil, and twenty pounds of meat at year¡¯s end. ¡°I¡¯ve got plenty!¡± the old man said cheerfully. What could an elderly man living alone eat? He would rather manage with a bit more food. Nowadays at home, buying a pack of salt could last almost a year without finishing. Song Sancheng raised his voice, ¡°Alright then, Old Man, take another look when you get back just in case, and don¡¯t keep quiet about it if you actually run out!¡± ¡°Tantan said, if you really do that, then she wouldn¡¯t dare to let you be responsible for these two rice fields¡­¡± Old Lee was all smiles, not looking at all like someone with a stubborn temper; instead, his face beamed with satisfaction and joy: ¡°Alright, alright, your family is filled with good-hearted people, and Tantan is a good girl too, I know that!¡±