Lu Qiqi didn't have mind-reading abilities, so of course she didn't know what Zhou Yi was thinking. She patiently asked again, "Yes, what are your plans? You're still young, and there are definitely more things you can do and want to do than your third uncle. It's just that you're young now, inexperienced, and lack confidence, but you'll have those things in the future."

On Monday, looking at this girl who was the same age as him but a few months younger, he was impressed by her ability to speak in a way that was not only convincing but also like an elder patiently instructing a child. He admired her greatly.

On Monday, he shook his head. He didn't have any good plans. He had never been to school and only knew a few words by writing for people in the village.

On Monday, he said, "No."

If Lu Qiqi knew that Zhou Yi had compared her to an elder, she would definitely beat him to a pulp. But she had no idea. "Since there is no such thing, then listen to my arrangements first. You can tell me if you have any plans in the future. You can go out to do business, get married, have children, or leave home. Don't feel embarrassed. Just tell me the truth, and I won't make things difficult for you."

On Monday, he swallowed the words "I can't" that were about to slip out and said, "Okay."

Lu Qiqi liked dealing with honest but not stupid people, and Zhou Yi was obviously one of them. She smiled and said, "Then starting tomorrow, you can take the Zhou brothers and work with my third uncle. After this winter, I will find a way to send your younger brothers to school. Of course, you can go if you want."

On Monday, he clenched his fist excitedly. He hadn't expected that Lu Qiqi's promise to send them to school when he left Yi'an Village was true. He took a deep breath and tried to calm his tone, saying, "Sending the younger brothers to school is enough. I don't need to."

Lu Qiqi asked him earnestly, "Are you sure you don't need to? If you can pass the imperial examinations, your younger brothers will have a better life. Besides, you'll be literate, so you won't have to worry about losing money in business in the future."

On Monday, he shook his head and said, "I'm way past the age for school enrollment. I'm just happy that my younger brothers can enroll."

Lu Qiqi didn't force her. Everyone has their own ambitions. If she were to go to school now to take the imperial examinations and get up at dawn and go to bed at dusk, she wouldn't be able to do it. It would be better for her to set up a stall to earn money so that she could live the retirement life she had longed for as soon as possible.

Sigh, I just don't know when I'll be able to live the life of retiring in a manor.

After Monday, Liu Tong came over and asked, "Lu girl, why didn't I see you buy meat?"

Lu Qiqi said, "I won't be setting up a stall tomorrow."

Liu Tong frowned and asked, "Why not go? Business is so good, wouldn't it be a waste not to go?!"

Lu Qiqi said, "Business is so good today because it's market day. Business won't be so good tomorrow. It costs a lot of money to go into town now. If you were in that situation, would you go into town just to eat a bowl of noodles instead of buying anything else?"

Liu Tong thought to himself, 'No, he won't go unless he needs to buy something important.'

Liu Tong thought it through and said, "Was I thinking too simply, or were you being too thoughtful? I'll go help build the house tomorrow."

After saying that, Liu Tong left.

Lu Qiqi knew that Liu Tong was a good cook, but he might not be as quick-witted as Zhu Zi in business. However, Lu Qiqi did not plan to teach him step by step. Once things settled down, she would let them do it themselves and learn to solve problems on their own, otherwise she would be exhausted.

***

The next day, Lu Qiqi entered the space early. She harvested all the corn and cut down all the corn stalks.

She planned to keep some of the plump corn for Lu Dahai to plant, and keep the rest to feed the chickens when she opened her chicken farm. This way, she could save a lot of money on grain.

All the radishes sprouted from the soil, plump and glistening. Lu Qiqi pulled them all up, washed them clean by the stream in the space, and prepared to slice and dry them to make dried radish and pickled radish as side dishes.

By then, the cabbages will have grown big enough to be made into sauerkraut, and the weather will probably be cool by then.

After finishing these tasks, Lu Qiqi tidied up the land and planted lettuce and cabbage, waiting for the harvest in winter.

Once she left the space, she headed into the mountains; she needed to check on Little Flower and her three cubs.

Lu Qiqi walked to the foot of a high mountain, and indeed, as Li Qingshan had said, there were many green bamboos standing in the mountains, layer upon layer, lush and verdant.

She took out a wooden whistle and blew it as she walked up the mountain.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, just when she thought she was going to return empty-handed, she heard two tiger roars.

Lu Qiqi's eyes lit up. It must be Xiaohua and the others. The wooden whistles sounded one after another, responding to the three of them.

Within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Lu Qiqi saw the figures of three tigers, which soon stopped in front of her.

Lu Qiqi looked around and found that the tiger mother seemed to have lost a lot of weight, while the two tiger cubs had grown quite a bit. It seemed that Xiao Hua was indeed having a hard time taking care of the cubs.

Xiao Hua put down the two gray rabbits she had just hunted, walked up to Lu Qiqi, and then growled twice, as if accusing Lu Qiqi of not coming to see them for so long.

Lu Qiqi stepped forward and stroked Xiaohua's hair. "I came to see you two. Xiaohua, you're amazing, taking care of two kids all by yourself."

Little Flower rubbed against Lu Qiqi's palm, and Lu Qiqi knew it was very pleased. "Raise them up, and let them take care of you and bring you food every day."

Little Flower glanced at Rainbow and Snowball, who were trying to bite the gray rabbit, and subtly kicked Tiger. These two rabbits aren't for you to eat!

Seeing that they were living well in the mountains, Lu Qiqi didn't stay long and was about to go back when she saw Xiao Hua push the rabbit with her front paw.

Lu Qiqi found it somewhat amusing. Was this little flower trying to become a spirit? It actually knew how to repay her. Not bad, no wonder she had fed and cared for this tiger for so long. Unlike some villagers who were ungrateful and caused her trouble!

Lu Qiqi glanced at the sky. Through the dense foliage, she could only see some vague blue shadows. She recalled some unpleasant memories and sometimes felt that humans were not as sensible and grateful as tigers.

Lu Qiqi picked up the two gray rabbit ears and said, "Then I won't be polite, thank you Xiaohua."

Little Flower chirped twice, and Lu Qiqi could tell that she was very happy to have accepted its gift.

After saying goodbye to the three, Lu Qiqi carried the rabbit down the mountain.

Back in the tent, Lu Yao immediately surrounded her, "Sister, did you go into the mountains? I just heard a tiger roaring. Did you see the tiger? Were you scared?"

Lu Qiqi patted Lu Yao's head and said, "Sister wasn't scared, but Yao was. Sister, touch your ears, the ruffled fur won't scare you."

Carrying a bloody rabbit, Lu Qiqi didn't want to get too close to Lu Yao. After comforting Lu Yao, she went into the tent, took out a basin, and put the rabbit in it.

Lu Qiqi said to Lu Yao, "Yao, go and call Uncle Liu back. Tell him we're having spicy rabbit tonight and ask him to come back and be the head chef."