Jiaojiao followed Lin Zhongxiao and the other two to the cafeteria for breakfast. Before they finished eating, they saw Wang Guifen hurriedly running out from beside them like a gust of wind.

Qin Zhongyi looked at Wang Guifen's back in confusion: "What happened? Why are you running so fast?"

He will never understand the eagerness of someone who is always at the forefront of gossip!

When Jiaojiao and the others finished their meal and were walking back slowly, they saw Wang Guifen and a group of people dragging Mrs. Li Dasao and Mrs. Li Ersao down the mountain.

"Get out! You are not welcome in Wangjia Village! Everyone, watch out! If these two come again next time, kick them out!"

Lianhua was at the back, her eyebrows raised as she explained to everyone, "These two people lied and said they were Technician Li and his sister-in-law, and they came up to grab the saplings! If we didn't give them to them, they'd throw a tantrum!"

"We are Li Xiucheng's sister-in-law! Let us go! You are such a black-hearted person! How dare you deny us?"

The people in Wangjia Village had a special feeling for Technician Li. When they heard these two people scolding Technician Li, they immediately became angry.

He twisted Mrs. Li Da and Mrs. Li Er and secretly pinched them a few times, making them scream like ghosts.

After throwing the two out of the village, everyone clapped their hands and shook their heads, "How could Xiao Li, such a good man, have two scoundrel sisters-in-law? No wonder Li Xiuyuan comes running to his brother every New Year. With people like this in the house, it's bound to be a mess!"

Wang Guifen cleared her throat and said, "I heard..."

She paused, looked around, and when she saw that everyone was looking at her with their ears perked up, she continued.

"The eldest and second daughters-in-law of the Li family are amazing! Little Li had promised his family before marriage that he would give all his salary to them for his work. Because of this, the two girls his family had arranged for him to date were ruined by these two! They wish they could keep Little Li single for life and give all his earnings to them!"

"That's not all..."

Wang Guifen is amazing. Although they were both sitting at home, she knew everything. She could even describe the farce that happened in Technician Li's home vividly, as if she had seen it with her own eyes.

Lotus curled her lips. This family is too troublesome! If it were her, she would ignore these vampires! She thought that such a petty person who holds such a grudge would be very cruel, but this is it? Lotus shook her head. No way!

On the road, Lu Fengshou came pushing a wheelbarrow.

"Uncle Fengshou, where are you going?" Lianhua greeted.

"Come to Wangjia Village!" Lu Fengshou wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I heard they're distributing saplings today, so I came to see if I can get some."

He grinned and said, "It just so happened that your uncle Feng Ming sent something back last time. I'll give some to Jiaojiao to try."

There was a basket on the wheelbarrow, with two packages of snacks inside and two brown jars outside, which should be filled with fermented soybeans or something like that.

"I'll also bring some homemade fermented beans to see if you guys like them, Old Lady Feng."

Lianhua saw that there was a child in the car, with a straw hat covering his face, sleeping soundly.

Lu Fengshou's grandson Hong Jun was only three years old. He was snoring and sleeping soundly after the bumpy ride on the wheelbarrow.

"Come on, go sit at my house for a while, I'll see if I can get you some saplings!"

Lianhua turned around and took Lu Fengshou to Feng's house at the west end of the village.

Wang Guifen was multitasking. She looked at the snacks on Lu Fengshou's wheelbarrow and said, "Lotus, tell Xiao Li to tell him to hide some people!"

"Oh, I know, auntie!" Lotus walked away, swinging her long, shiny black braid.

Old Lady Feng's home was also quite lively. Everyone in the surrounding brigades knew Old Lady Feng. Some of those who were close to her would stop by and chat with her when they passed by.

Lianhua came with Lu Fengshou, and kept greeting people on the way.

Zhou's sister-in-law, Cai's aunt, Yan's aunt, Lu's sister. Their faces were frozen with laughter along the way.

Lu Fengshou put down his things, drank a bowl of water, and told Old Lady Feng the purpose of his visit again.

Old Lady Feng gestured toward the back of the house and said, "You don't have to go up the mountain. I've already prepared it for you, but I just didn't have time to deliver it to you. It's just right that you're here, so hurry up and take it away!"

Lu Fengshou was flattered. He went to the backyard and saw two bundles of saplings tied with hemp ropes, at least ten trees.

"That's great! Thank you so much, Mrs. Feng!"

"Why are you being so polite? Your brother has won so many benefits for our Wangjia Village! Even if he doesn't say it, we know it! He's doing us a favor! If you have any problems in the future, just come directly! Don't be embarrassed!"

Others may not know, but Old Lady Feng knows everything. The reason Wangjia Village, and indeed Xinjin County, were spared from excessive grain levies during this national food shortage was largely due to Lu Fengming's strict enforcement. Any reports of false per-acre yields from his subordinates were rejected. He even personally visited the fields to conduct inspections. Even the slightest bit of fraud wouldn't fool him.

That is why the people of Xinjin County had enough food and drink and did not go hungry during those difficult years.

Those ambitious people under him hated him so much that they cursed him behind his back for blocking others' path to advancement.

"That's what he should do! When I came here, my mother repeatedly told me not to mention my brother's name. Otherwise, she wouldn't let me take the saplings back! She said my brother had told me not to treat him any differently!"

Lu Fengshou looked at the sapling again: "Look at this..."

Old Lady Feng waved her hands repeatedly: "This is not a backdoor! We prepared this, it's completely different from what's on the mountain!! You can take it back! This is not special treatment!"

Lu Fengshou finally breathed a sigh of relief: "Thank you even more for thinking of us!"

Old Lady Feng took out a few more bags of wild fruits and said, "Take them back for your mother to eat. There's also hairy eggs. It's been a while since I've been here! I haven't been to the mountains to eat wild fruits either. Take them back for him to eat!"

Speaking of his son Maodan, Lu Fengshou smiled and shook his head: "He's very naughty, always clamoring to play with Jiaojiao. He doesn't even go to school. If my mom hadn't whipped him, who knows where he'd be!"

Maodan was his youngest, a dozen years younger than his eldest son, and he doted on him dearly. On the other hand, Mrs. Lu was ruthless in her teachings to the child.

Old Mrs. Lu often taught the children, "Even if we, the Lu family, don't have great prospects, we can't bring shame to your Second Uncle! Your Second Uncle has earned everything he has today through blood and sweat, and no one can hold him back!"

Mrs. Lu held herself to high standards, not just for her children. She rarely socialized with others, and she always declined requests from outsiders to use their connections. Over time, people stopped looking for her.

Friends and relatives privately said that she was putting on airs. The child hadn't gotten any benefits at all, yet she still acted like an official!

Lu Fengshou couldn't help arguing with those people several times, but Old Lady Lu was calm and ignored these people with bad intentions.

Old Mrs. Lu only knows the principle that a person with a clear conscience has nothing to fear, but she doesn't know that the human heart is the most evil in the world. It is like a poisonous snake, lurking somewhere and ready to bite people once it gets the chance!