Chapter 74

Because I want to remember the feel of your touch, I think that no matter what happens in the future, I will never forget you.

Qingyun wanted to say something, but swallowed the words back.

She couldn't help but wonder what she should do next. Now that she was tied to this place, would she ever want to go back?

Perhaps it will take a long time before we have the answer.

However, she no longer needs to worry about the forced marriage. It seems that so much has happened and it has been resolved inexplicably. This is because she is unaware of the negotiations between Song Chaoyun and the Emperor, and even less aware of how fierce the court was at the time. In the end, it seems that there was neither reward nor punishment.

It was as if nothing had happened.

Time passed, and the autumn wind blew again. A woman stood on the rocky mountain, shielding her eyes from the glaring sunlight with her dark hands, gazing into the distance. She was still wearing patched clothes, but now she had some ornaments on her head. The place she looked out over was no longer a field of yellow sand, but a lush green forest.

Looking at all this, Qingyun felt surprisingly calm. She had created the forest and the oasis. Even though it took her nine years, she was satisfied. In reality, it would take at least thirty or forty years to accomplish this, and it would also rely heavily on the system. Thinking about how many years she had been here, she felt a little melancholy.

System: [Congratulations, host! You have successfully completed the mission. Amidst all the hardships, big and small, you remained true to your original aspirations, without seeking death, committing suicide, or giving up on yourself. You successfully transformed the desert into an oasis, benefiting the local people. You acted not for the people's sake, nor for personal gain, but solely for the mission's excellence! Truly commendable…]

Qingyun: [Stop, stop, stop]

The beginning was okay, but it got weirder and weirder towards the end. You can't even announce the dishes like that.

System: [Does the host plan to return soon, or continue exploring this world?]

Qingyun, who was troubled by these thoughts, was taken aback upon hearing this.

What does it mean to pioneer?

Seeing this, the system quickly explained, "Besides mission points, there are many other places in this world that are similar to this one."

Hearing this, I remembered that I had always heard about refugees. So it was all foreshadowing here?

Qingyun: [I still need to think about it.] Although she had been in a platonic relationship with someone for six years, she was still reluctant to just leave, which was what she was worried about at the time.

It's fun when you're kissing or dating, but it's still a little sad when you actually face parting ways.

"Can I leave if I regret it?" Qingyun asked tentatively.

System: [Of course you can! After all, you've completed your mission and accumulated a lot of points and resources. If you want to make a big splash in this world again, that's entirely possible!]

As the old saying goes, you can't let a dog that has just eaten a bone go, and you can't let someone who has just enjoyed wealth and luxury become a beggar.

Hey, hey, hey? This metaphor isn't exactly a good one.

The system had seen plenty of people like Qingyun who were struggling with their own ideas, so it didn't rush them and just let them figure it out on their own.

"Now everyone knows that you and Lord Song are deeply in love, but why haven't you changed your clothes at all?" Mu Helian and Lin Wanjun were standing in Qingyun's small house, tidying up the seasonal clothes for people. But as they looked at them from left to right, they couldn't help but sigh.

"Could it be that Lord Song is a complete miser?" Mu Helian raised an eyebrow and continued to ask.

Then he thought of throwing a linen garment into the box.

Seeing this, Qingyun, who was still sweeping, quickly took it out again, saying, "This can be worn."

Lin Wanjun and Mu Helian exchanged a glance and sighed.

When Qingyun unfolded the clothes, she found that there were several small holes in them, obviously caused by insects biting them from somewhere. She was puzzled, wondering how it could still be bitten when she had put in mothballs.

"Then I'll use it as a rag." With that, she put it aside, and then, as if remembering something, began to answer Mu Helian's question.

"That's his, it has nothing to do with me. If there's something good, I'll eat more. If I really have no clothes to wear, I'll ask him for money."

"What, if he doesn't rely on him for anything, would he be happy?" Mu Helian continued to tease.

Hearing what the other party said, Qingyun really thought about it seriously. It seemed that the other party had mentioned it a few times, but he had put it back each time and never brought it up again.

The main problem is that she has nowhere to wear or use her nice clothes. Those pretty clothes drag on the ground, and her jewelry is heavy, making them unsuitable for work. And she spends almost all her time working on the sand dunes, except for holidays.

Qingyun is a practical person. As long as the house is livable and the clothes are wearable, it's all within acceptable limits. Moreover, she seems to have a kind of nostalgia and is reluctant to throw away many things. Although she complains about the small outhouse she has lived in for several years, she is unhappy when Song Chaoyun suggests that she move to a different house.

Her only hobby is eating. She has never been polite to Song Junwu about eating. His pastries are all very delicious. She asked for the recipe several times, but he wouldn't give it to her. So she just asked someone for it whenever she wanted to eat it, and it seemed like the other person always had some on hand.

This topic inevitably reminded her of the decision she needed to make.

It's cotton harvesting season now, and you can hear lively conversations outside, mostly about making new cotton-padded clothes for the children this winter.

The mixed rice that Qingyun planted in the fields had either died or withered. In the past few years, she had led people to plant cotton, vegetables, wheat, and fruit trees, but none of them went smoothly. No matter what she did, the rice just wouldn't work. Qingyun once questioned whether it was still an environmental problem. But when she built greenhouses, new problems arose. For those two years, she was almost on the verge of collapse.

However, there is a good side as well as a bad side. Her saplings are exported to various counties. The cost of propagation is not high, but the selling price is quite considerable. The fruits and vegetables that she leads everyone to grow are also being exported to some small neighboring countries.

It seems that her life has reached its fulfillment here.

However, whenever someone asks her, it's always the same question: anyone with such abilities, even if they don't get promoted, will still be rich and powerful, and won't have to work in the fields themselves. They could be capitalists who provide labor for others. But none of that matters to Qingyun. Whether the seedlings survive in the early stages largely depends on her, and she also has to provide after-sales service.

What others say is impossible for her.

In short, she seems to have had a pretty tough life.

But thinking about it carefully, at least the air I breathe in here is clean, and there is no longer a noticeable dusty smell. In the past, if I walked across the sand dunes without covering my face, there would definitely be a thick layer of dust on both sides of my nose.

It seems pretty good, after all, it gives me a great sense of accomplishment.

Whether or not to keep them is still up for debate.

It seems that only Qingyun herself believes in the secret relationship between Song Junwu and Qingyun. Others think that Song Junwu is not giving her a proper title, but little do they know that Qingyun is simply not aware of her own desire to avoid making a public announcement too conspicuous.

On the way back to the city, Mu Helian ate a bowl of soup noodles. While she was eating with Lin Wanjun and the other two, she saw a group of ragged and filthy people crowding around the corners of the city. Mu Helian followed her gaze and said, "How come there are refugees here?"

Logically speaking, although Muyun City has developed well in recent years and many people have settled here, no refugees have come. Firstly, the place is remote, and secondly, they might starve to death on the way here.

Those with money will still choose big cities like Kyoto.

As soon as she finished speaking, Lin Wanjun chimed in, "Other places are not like here. They are still in the same state as in previous years. Moreover, natural disasters are frequent. How can they afford to suffer losses?"

The aroma of various foods on the street was tempting, but the refugees could only look and not eat. They tried to ask the shopkeepers for alms, but they wouldn't give any. If one person was given alms, a large crowd would rush over. At first, some kind-hearted residents offered potatoes as aid, but after a while, a crowd gathered in front of the shops, and some even set up camp, making the whole place stink.

Qingyun mechanically chewed what was in his mouth, and couldn't help but fall into deep thought. Even if these places got Qingyun's seeds, they would still be sick and there was no cure for it, so the yield was not as good as that of Muyun City.

It seems that other places are still in dire straits. If we really want to stay, should we go to these places as well?

It seems that only by doing this can it be considered meaningful, but other places are not like Muyun City. Although Muyun City exports its saplings all over the world, the enthusiasm for planting trees is incomparable to that here. If we really intend to do this, it is equivalent to challenging another high mountain.

Qingyun wasn't sure if this decision was right, so she discussed it with the system in her mind.

The system naturally followed her advice. The game was already completed, and it couldn't control whether the player wanted to develop in other worlds.

System: [But what will happen to your little darling if you leave? Song Junwu holds an official position; he can't possibly wander with you or stay in one place for long. And what about the two women in front of you?]

Qingyun naturally felt that there was no need to discuss this matter with them; each had their own path to follow and they wouldn't be bound together.

So he didn't tell the two of them at the time, but when he went to see Song Junwu that night, he mentioned it briefly. It was rare to hear the other party say that he disagreed after so many years.

"Why?"

Song Junwu: "Why bother?"

Hearing this, Qingyun frowned. She couldn't make any significant contributions in reality, but at least she could realize her value here. Why couldn't she do it elsewhere? Besides, it wasn't entirely for her own good.

Seeing those refugees today, my heart ached, as if something was blocking my throat. I can't achieve universal harmony, but at least everyone can have enough to eat. And she is currently working with the system to develop vegetables and food that don't rely on pesticides. Everything is moving towards a better future.

"I'm just here to let you know, not to ask you to come along. You don't need to worry about your career."

Song Junwu felt a pang of sadness upon hearing these words. The other party thought of him superficially. "The places where other officials take office may not be suitable for you. Do you know how difficult it is?" In other words, if Qingyun really went, it would likely cut off the source of income for any of the officials. He was clearly worried about the other party. Moreover, he had known all along how difficult desertification control was, and he felt sorry for him.

But Qingyun had her own ideals and ambitions. From the moment she saw the refugees today, she was determined to make sure everyone could have enough to eat and wear; otherwise, what was the point of her staying here? But she dared not say it aloud.

Although the two have gotten along well over the years, there is always a generation gap between them. There are some intimate things that they still can't say to Song Junwu, because he might not believe them.

Moreover, I've always had this personality since I was a child. I only confide in others about emotions that I find really hard to resolve; otherwise, I keep them bottled up inside and process them alone.

Fortunately, she didn't say it. If she had heard such words, Song Junwu might have lost her little pearl.

Song Junwu understood Qingyun, but he just wanted to be a little selfish and spend more time by her side. Recently, foreign countries had been invading and always trying to seize this kind of tree magic formula. One day he would be on the battlefield. To be honest, he was not satisfied with the peace and stability he had stolen over the years.

However, the two of them kept their problems to themselves, which prevented them from understanding each other. Upon hearing that the two were arguing, Song Chaoyun sent a letter by carrier pigeon, which reminded them of their misunderstanding.

As a fellow woman, Song Chaoyun understood that kind of ambition. Moreover, Qingyun had always been independent and self-reliant over the years. It wouldn't be like her to abandon anything for love and romance.

But what Song Junwu had been hiding in his heart and dared not say was not this fear. It was that he always felt that Qingyun did not seem to have much affection for him, but at other times he could see that Qingyun cared about him. This was the first time they had quarreled in so many years. He wanted to find someone to talk things out, but he also seemed to be angry.

"If I didn't have you in my heart, why would I bother saving you?"

But Song Chaoyun seemed to have divined it, and the last thing in his mind was this sentence. This sentence also brought people back to the plague years ago, and Song Junwu still remembered the scene of Qingyun guarding the bedside day and night.

Or rather, Qingyun does have feelings for him, but everyone expresses themselves differently and understands love differently. In the other person's heart, trees and vegetables seem to be above all personal feelings, but when it really comes down to it, she can give up everything for just you.

With this in mind, Song Junwu took the initiative to find someone to talk to again.

"I'm not one to boast; I mean what I say. I understand all the issues you're concerned about, but you don't need to worry."

Surprisingly, Qingyun's attitude softened considerably. In fact, she didn't have time to argue with anyone. However, after negotiating with the system for the past few days, she realized that she had also made mistakes. She had intended to go find the person first, but the person came to her first. This made things easier, so she decided to just say everything on her mind.

Although our dynasty has female officials, they are not involved in any real government affairs.

Qingyun: "Has this oasis been sustained by men all these years?"

Qingyun stared at the other person with calm yet sharp eyes. Yesterday, when she checked on the trees, she had seen many women regularly inspecting for pests. Suddenly, she realized that while her ideals seemed grand, she ultimately couldn't achieve them on her own. Over the years, she had taken in many single mothers who, having reached a point of no return with their husbands, were welcome to come, as long as they were willing to endure the hardship of planting trees.

But they have done so much with their own hands. Who will remember them when it comes to rewarding them? It's not just about one person; it's about making all women visible and heard. We can't let society ignore their value. It's not just the women here who need to be seen; women in other places should be seen too.

Those who were abandoned, those who were considered worthless, could all find a way out through her.

Although she knew it would be incredibly difficult—something that hadn't even succeeded in modern society—trying to challenge a feudal dynasty was practically suicide for Qingyun. In the emperor's eyes, it was tantamount to plotting a rebellion. But she wanted it this way. She wanted to create a utopia. Couldn't she be a heroine in a wish-fulfillment novel, a leader, and steal the spotlight?

Although it's actually a very tough leadership job, this can be interpreted as a sudden, erratic outburst.

In short, in this large game world, she wants to play a female protagonist simulation game. If Song Junwu really can't understand her, she won't force him. After all, she's not someone who advocates gender antagonism. Everyone has their own ideas, and those who have different paths cannot work together.

However, Qingyun clearly underestimated everyone. She wasn't the only one in this world who thought this way. Song Dynasty Yunlin Wanjun, regardless of the form they used, all wanted to be seen with this attitude, regardless of gender.

Song Junwu understood Qingyun's thoughts as soon as he saw the letter.

The two had a heart-to-heart talk, and Qingyun was clearly surprised that this person had already won her over before she even started.

That one and only big argument ended inexplicably.

When I saw her again, Qingyun's tiny figure was in the vast desert. She walked on the sand, her feet sinking deep into the sand, carrying a hoe and looking up at the blinding sky just like when she first arrived.

"Does this mean a new instance has been started?"