Chapter 232 A Little Interlude at the Dinner Table

The dormitory was better built than most houses in the village. Some enthusiastic employees expressed their desire to move to the dormitory, but were told that those whose homes were more than 3 kilometers away from the factory could apply for free, while the rest would have to pay 10 yuan a month for the room.

Once the rules were posted on the wall, all the people who were clamoring to stay in the dormitory dispersed. Just kidding, you can do a lot with 10 yuan, okay?

"Village chief, you're too kind. Let us pack up a bit, and we'll go to the peony field with you in a bit. We'll need to discuss when to start work in detail."

When it comes to things or matters that others envy, the key is to quickly change the subject; Yunxia said she understood this very well.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Village Chief Li beamed and said, "Alright, after inspecting the peony fields, it'll be almost lunchtime. Do any of you big bosses have any dietary restrictions?"

"No, just make some simple home-style dishes, nothing too fancy."

"OK!"

After Village Chief Li left, the group faced the problem of how to divide the houses.

"Yunxia, ​​do you want to live in a separate apartment?"

If men and women live together, the villagers will probably gossip!

Yunxia understood what Uncle Zhang was thinking and nodded, "Yes, that way we can choose any of the three bedrooms, and we can make whatever we want to eat in the small kitchen, isn't that great!"

"Heh, dream on! I don't agree. There are too many mosquitoes, snakes, and ants in the mountains. I'm worried about you living alone. I'll stay with you!" Jiang Chao snorted coldly, his face expressionless.

"Sister Yunxia, ​​hehe..."

Well, no one can escape it!

"Alright, we're brothers and sisters anyway, so no one else can say anything. But let me make this clear to you two beforehand: I'm here in the mountains to do something big, so don't try to dump all the cooking on me."

Jiang An was spoiled growing up and rarely did housework, let alone cooking. As for Jiang Chao, he couldn't even boil an egg, let alone anything else.

"Xiaxia, don't worry. I've already arranged for the small canteen next door to provide us with meals!" Bai Ye said with a smile.

"Look at my brain, how could I forget that the factory has a canteen?"

The employees of the peony factory could use their employee cards to get meals in the canteen without paying. After receiving her employee card, Yunxia happily hung it around her neck.

"Look at you, so smug. Hurry up and get ready, don't keep the others waiting."

"I pack super fast, but An'an, don't dawdle."

Jiang An: I didn't say anything, so how did the topic suddenly shift to me?

She pursed her lips and silently quickened her pace of packing!

On the other side, Uncle Zhang, Bai Ye, and Li Chen stayed in one suite. After each choosing their room, they quickly tidied up. Twenty minutes later, the group gathered at the entrance of the dormitory building. Village Chief Li arrived late, smiled a few words, and led everyone to the peony field.

Li Chen had lived in the mountains before, but Wuyun Mountain could not compare to Yao Mountain. The houses were low, the dirt roads were dusty, and shirtless little kids ran around like the wind. But he seemed to like this atmosphere very much, and there was always a faint smile on his lips.

Jiang An, who was born and raised in the city, was visiting a mountain village for the first time and found everything fascinating. He grabbed the girl's clothes and kept asking her questions. Yun Xia was good-natured and answered them one by one. Jiang Chao, on the other hand, said irritably, "An'an, tone it down. Don't act like you have no experience!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang An's face fell, and he stopped talking until Yun Xia secretly slipped him a strawberry candy, at which point he smiled again.

Upon reaching the hillside and gazing at the peonies covering the entire mountainside, the girl suddenly felt as if countless tiny gold ingots were waving at her.

"Wow, so many... peonies! Do we have to... pull them all out?" Jiang An exclaimed in surprise, then asked in confusion.

"Dig up one-third of it, then plant something else after that. Keep the remaining two-thirds for the flower tea business."

The popularity of various health teas will inevitably affect the business of peony flower tea, but... its sales volume is still very strong.

"Two-thirds, that's a lot! How long will it take to dig that far?!"

Mechanization is not yet widespread, and manual digging is still required. The advantage is that the wages are low, there are many people, and the villagers are hardworking. All things considered, the cost-effectiveness is acceptable.

"It won't be long, there's strength in numbers!"

After saying that, the girl bent down and plucked a peony with her bare hands. The peony root, covered in yellow mud, was thicker than her thumb. Just by looking at it, she knew it was of very good quality. She broke off a section, washed it with water, and took a small bite. It was bitter with a hint of sourness. After a moment, she felt quite refreshed and thought to herself that the seedlings cultivated in the space's fertile fields were indeed excellent.

Seeing the girl about to take a second bite, Bai Ye frowned and quickly said, "Xiaxia, all medicines have some toxicity, let alone eating them raw, so..."

“That makes sense. Then let’s not try it. Let’s go to the next place.”

There was a plot of land for every five acres. At each plot, Yunxia would pick a few peony plants to check the condition of their roots. Fortunately, the peonies were very vigorous, and their roots grew thick and long. By the time she finished inspecting the land, the sun was high in the sky, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on her face.

"Xiaxia, wipe your sweat!"

The girl turned her head and stared blankly at the handkerchief in Bai Ye's hand. For a moment, she didn't know whether to take it or not. The handkerchief was a personal item, so how could she lend it to someone else so easily? Just as she was about to reach into her bag to get a tissue, the magnetic voice rang out again.

"This was just opened and hasn't been used yet, please don't mind!"

Well, not taking it would make it seem like I disliked him. "Thanks, I'll wash and dry it and return it to you!"

Bai Ye's lips moved slightly, about to say no, when a hand with distinct knuckles reached out in front of him. He turned his head and looked at Jiang Chao with a puzzled expression.

"You're sweating, give me one too. Don't refuse, I know you brought more than one."

Upon hearing this, Bai Ye's lips twitched slightly. What happened to not interfering? Helpless, he took out another handkerchief and gave it to him.

"If you're sweating and don't have any tissues, you can borrow a handkerchief from Boss Bai, wash it, and return it to him," Jiang Chao added, having already gotten a good deal.

"No need, I brought tissues, hehe!" Clearly, Jiang An hadn't grasped the current situation.

"I also brought a few handkerchiefs, Xiaxia, if you need them..."

Ugh, what's with this awkward atmosphere? His lips twitched slightly, and he gave an embarrassed laugh. "No need, one is enough. Oh, my stomach's growling. Village Chief Li, the food..."

"It should be ready soon. Come this way. Old Liu is a famous chef in the surrounding area. Everyone who has an event has to ask him to come."

The group followed Village Chief Li for more than half an hour before arriving at Old Liu's house.

Old Liu was dark-skinned and chubby, with a shaved head and a shiny face. The yard was filled with the smell of braised meat. Even the black dog tied up at the door was plump and strong with shiny fur. It seemed that his family was considered wealthy in the village.

Old Liu's wife is mute, but she's incredibly capable at housework. She keeps the house impeccably organized, with not a single dirty spot to be found. Inside the spacious main room, the table is laden with food. Old Liu invites everyone to sit down and says apologetically, "Village chief, the neighboring village is having a wedding and they want me to come over to discuss it. I... sigh!"