The stranger's words "interesting" were like a small stone thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples in Shen Qiqi's heart.

She narrowed her eyes and looked carefully at the man's back. He was wearing coarse cloth clothes that were washed to a pale color, but it could not hide his unusual temperament.

He stood at the edge of the field, his hands behind his back, looking at her family's rice fields as if he were admiring a piece of art, his eyes filled with inquiry and a hint of appreciation.

"Brother Qing, look at that man..." Shen Qiqi nudged Lu Qing beside her with her elbow and said in a low voice.

Lu Qing followed her gaze and noticed this uninvited guest. He frowned slightly. No one could covet his wife's abilities!

Just as the two were puzzled, the villagers began to gather around them and talk in a flurry. Their faces showed the joy of a good harvest, but also some hesitation.

"Qiqi, your new method is really amazing, but we're still a little confused about how to do it."

"Yeah, we're all old-fashioned people. We don't understand what you're saying."

"That's right, if this doesn't work out, what are we going to do next year?"

The murmurs rose and fell, like a group of ducks having a meeting, full of suspicion and distrust.

Some people were whispering to each other, and there were even a few sneers of disapproval. Suspicion spread among the crowd like vines.

Shen Qiqi took a deep breath. She had expected this to happen.

After all, getting a group of farmers who are accustomed to the old ways to accept new things is even more difficult than Tang Monk's journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures.

But she is not afraid!

I am a new-age woman, so what does this little scene matter?

She raised the corners of her mouth, revealing a confident smile, cleared her throat, and prepared to start speaking.

But before she could speak, a discordant voice was heard in the crowd. It was Old Man Li from the next village. He was a well-known old stubborn man in the village, and for some reason he came here today.

"I say, Shen's wife, does your method really work? Why does it seem so mysterious to me?"

As soon as he said this, it was like a fuse, instantly igniting the doubts in everyone's hearts.

The originally enthusiastic atmosphere suddenly dropped to freezing point.

"Tsk, this old man has so many things to do!" Shen Qiqi complained in her heart, but she still kept a smile on her face. She looked at everyone with a firm gaze, "My dear uncles and aunts, I know you all have concerns in your hearts. This is normal. After all, no one is stupid and will not easily believe in a new method. However, practice is the only criterion for testing truth!"

She paused, her eyes swept across the crowd, and finally fixed on Old Man Li. She smiled and said, "Uncle Li, if you don't believe me, why not... take a look at this!"

Shen Qiqi pulled out a thick notebook from the bamboo basket behind her, snapped it open, pointed at the densely packed numbers and records on it, and said aloud: "This is all my records from sowing to now, including the date, amount of fertilizer applied, amount of watering, etc. You can all take a look."

The villagers gathered around curiously, craning their necks like a group of curious babies.

The handwriting on that notebook was neat and the data was clear, even cleaner than an elementary school student's homework book.

Some literate villagers nodded repeatedly and marveled at the sight.

"Wow, Qiqi is really good at what she does!"

"That's right! Look at the record, it's even clearer than my account book!"

Old man Li narrowed his eyes and moved forward to take a closer look. The detailed data on it was like a heavy hammer, hitting his stubborn heart hard.

His old face turned red and he coughed twice, but couldn't say a word.

Lu Qing stood beside Shen Qiqi, looking at her gently, his eyes full of pride and love.

He helped Shen Qiqi answer the villagers' questions from time to time. The two of them worked together in perfect harmony, like a pair of immortal lovers, making others envious.

"Brother Qing, look, they believe me now!" Shen Qiqi said quietly to Lu Qing, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

Lu Qing rubbed her hair lovingly and said softly, "Of course, my Qiqi is the best!"

Shen Qiqi responded with a sweet smile, and a sense of happiness spread in her heart.

At this moment, Uncle Zhou walked over slowly, holding a pipe in his hand and smoking it. There was a barely perceptible gleam in his cloudy eyes.

"Qiqi, your method may seem good, but..." He paused, a hint of doubt in his tone, "The methods passed down by our ancestors must have their reasons..."

Uncle Zhou took a puff of his pipe, exhaling a cloud of grayish-white smoke. The smoke was just like his mood at the moment, turbid and unclear.

"Qiqi, I'm not saying you're a bad person, but farm work requires following the will of nature. The methods passed down by our ancestors have been tested for hundreds of years. If you use these new gadgets, what if God is unhappy and you don't get any harvest next year?" As he spoke, he pointed at Shen Qiqi with his pipe, looking like an old scholar teaching a disobedient student a lesson.

He exuded the smell of stale old ideas, like moldy straw, which was unpleasant to the smell.

Shen Qiqi felt nothing in her heart, and even felt like laughing.

This old man really won't cry until he sees the coffin!

"Uncle Zhou, you are right. The experience of our ancestors is very important, but the times are also progressing! Look, my family's rice grows stronger than anyone else's using new methods!" She pointed to the green and heavy ears of rice in her own family, her tone full of confidence and stability.

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!