Chapter Seventy: Returning from the Outing

Shen Zhiyi really wanted to see if they were joking, but considering how serious they were, it would be too alarming to conclude that they were joking. Could it be that her supposedly excellent pruning skills had gone wrong here?

"What does Miss Shen think?" Lu Jingbai asked softly.

“A crane,” Shen Zhiyi corrected earnestly, “isn’t this like seeing a crane under the lamplight?”

Lu Jingbai silently met the village chief's gaze, confirming their suspicions, neither of them connecting the "fat chicken" in front of them with the crane.

However, knowing it was a "crane," he found it hard to accept that, and immediately asked, "Can this branch still be pruned? Will it affect the fruit production?"

“It’s mature now, so as long as you don’t cut off the stem, it won’t be a problem,” Shen Zhiyi said.

"Xuan Yan." Lu Jingbai called out softly. Before he could say anything, Xuan Yan had already prepared all the pruning tools and laid them out on the low table next to him.

Compared to Shen Zhiyi, who only has a pair of scissors, she doesn't recognize half of the tools on the table. It seems that she is also proficient in pruning flowers and branches. Is it true that modern scholars are all-rounders?

Lu Jingbai's expression instantly became focused. He selected a pair of exquisite scissors and began to comb along the leaf stems. He rarely cut them short; he mostly made slight bends to create a stylish look.

As soon as he put down his tools, a graceful crane appeared before him, and the tomato that had been standing beside him suddenly came carrying a branch, giving it a touch of oriental charm.

From trimming to completion, it only takes the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea.

"Great! This crane is beautiful!" the village chief couldn't help but praise.

Shen Zhiyi had initially heard "This pot is really unique," but it turned out to be just the village chief's perfunctory remark. If she had known it would be mistaken for a "chicken," she wouldn't have given it away!

Of course, this was just a fleeting thought in her mind. She looked at the crane that Lu Jingbai had modified with rational thinking, and it was indeed much more lifelike than hers.

“I only trimmed the shape; it was actually much harder for Miss Shen to cultivate it,” Lu Jingbai said gently, putting away the pruning tools on the table as he spoke. “If this is how it is, it can enter the homes of the wealthy. It seems that Miss Shen has no worries about sales.”

"That depends on whether the adults are willing to help," Shen Zhiyi said with a smile.

"If it benefits the people, why shouldn't I do it?" Lu Jingbai replied gently. If the title of county magistrate could be of any help, he would be more eager to have more capable people like Shen Zhiyi.

"I presume Miss Shen has already thought of a name for that water vat? May I ask?" Lu Jingbai asked.

“It’s red when it’s a seedling, and the fruit grows underground, which is similar to many tuber plants. I think the word ‘sweet potato’ is very fitting,” Shen Zhiyi tentatively suggested.

“Then let’s call it sweet potato,” Lu Jingbai replied, showing no displeasure at her probing. “If the yield of sweet potatoes is as you say, I will promote them in the name of the county government. I wonder if Miss Shen has any other seeds she has saved?”

“These seeds were hard to find, and they’re all with you, sir,” Shen Zhiyi replied.

She had expected Lu Jingbai to press for details, but to her surprise, he simply hummed in response and said, "I'm sure you understand the value of this better than I do. Is there anything you wish to ask?"

“No,” Shen Zhiyi replied without hesitation.

"We're just ordinary farmers, and the first thing we thought of when we found good seeds was to report it to you, sir! Besides, Lord Lu has taken care of us many times, and we are extremely grateful," the village chief added from the side, making sure the words didn't slip out.

"Let's leave this pot of tomatoes here at the yamen for now; it'll surely have a miraculous effect," Lu Jingbai said calmly, not minding at all that his official title was being used in this way.

"Thank you very much, sir," Shen Zhiyi said sincerely.

After chatting with the village chief for a few more minutes, Lu Jingbai asked Xuan Yan to see them off. However, the slightly heavy feeling in their conversation made Shen Zhiyi feel uneasy, something she had never experienced in their previous conversations.

While the village chief was driving the oxcart over, Shen Zhiyi said to Xuan Yan, "Has something happened to you recently, sir? But knowing your personality, even if you have, you will find a goal to achieve. If you don't do it, you will definitely regret it for the rest of your life."

As Shen Zhiyi watched the oxcart slowly approach, her voice softened slightly: "Tell the adults to go forward with peace of mind. We will always be behind you! If you get tired, rest a bit before continuing the fight. No one will laugh at him; he has already done a great job!"

If these words were spoken to her face, Shen Zhiyi might have been more tactful, but with Xuan Yan relaying them, the awkwardness brought about by this directness was something she couldn't say without any psychological burden, even if she faced it herself.

"Girl, it's time to go," the village chief called out.

"Coming!" Shen Zhiyi replied, then glanced at Xuan Yan with her eyes before leaving.

Xuan Yan watched the group's figures disappear, and rarely looked up at the sun in the sky. It was the "sky" that, if it were to be angered, would leave corpses strewn across the land.

He figured his young master wouldn't change his mind because of those words, so he went back and relayed the information honestly. He only saw the other man's silent profile, but he didn't sense the secret elation growing within him at all.

A gentle breeze swept across the empty oxcart. Shen Zhiyi sat on the lead cart and brought up another matter: "Tomorrow is the day to deliver Jigong Mountain. I'll have to trouble Grandpa Village Chief to come with me."

"What trouble? It's just a few steps," the village chief said nonchalantly, then lowered his voice and added, "The villagers have been keeping an eye on things for you when they pass by Jigong Mountain, but they haven't done anything shady."

"So quiet, that's a bit unusual," Shen Zhiyi said in surprise. This quietness was quite unlike the assertive manner that Master Lin displayed in the courtroom. "Anyway, we'll know what's going on tomorrow. We can't just move everything off the mountain, can we?"

"That's impossible," the village chief said with a chuckle. "Girl, what are you planning to plant on the mountain?"

“We need to consider the soil conditions on the mountain before making any plans. This location is right between the town and the various villages, right? I’m thinking of trying to make it a transit station like a post station, where people can rest and buy things when they arrive,” Shen Zhiyi said slowly.

"Isn't that just a shop? Why build it at the foot of the mountain?" the village chief asked in surprise. He couldn't understand what use a shop would be here, so he stopped talking about it to avoid making the other party more concerned.

Chen Zhiyi actually wanted to open a wholesale store, which could not only sell various fruits, vegetables and agricultural products, but also vegetable seeds.

But they didn't have enough money, so they could only start by building a small house at the foot of the mountain.

However, she believed that her wholesale business would definitely grow from a small house into something that would shock the entire Pixian County!

Her confidence in her own vegetable garden was the key to her going from nothing to something!

Not long after they returned to Xiaba Village, another group of people returned from outside the village, covered in dust. The news spread like wildfire to every corner of the village.

"Da Niu, you guys are finally back!"

"Hey, Zheng San, you've gotten fatter!"

"Hey, you little rascal, Da Shui..."

"Dazhuang! I spotted you right away!"

Among the names shouted in unison, none of them concerned himself, making San Tou feel inevitably lonely in this bustling crowd.

"Three heads!" Shen Zhiyi's voice came from afar. She walked through the crowd to the front. "You seem to have grown taller."

"Yes, sister, they say so too." San Tou laughed. He was no longer just "some" but had grown to be almost as tall as Shen Zhiyi.

"Hey sis, how was it? Aren't I pretty good at taking care of people?" Zheng San suddenly appeared, eagerly pulling out several pages from his pocket. "These are all contracts! Our chili peppers are going to be famous all over the world!"

Zheng San had been keeping it a secret, but now that he saw Shen Zhiyi, he told her everything. The people around him were pleasantly surprised and asked all at once, "Zheng San, is this true?"

As the crowd grew larger, Shen Zhiyi casually pulled San Tou next to her and squeezed out of the crowd. Soon, Zheng San was being jostled around in circles.

Shen Zhiyi looked over there, still feeling a lingering fear, and asked, "Was the trip smooth this time?"

“It didn’t go smoothly at first, but then Brother Zheng took us to pay our respects to the powerful figures in the area. That’s how we got in touch with those people and learned some information that outsiders didn’t know. Of course, we also received a lot of kickbacks in return,” San Tou said slowly. “After that, things went very smoothly.”

From his nonchalant words, Shen Zhiyi knew that something was being hidden. Since he didn't want to say, she didn't press him further. She gently patted his shoulder and said, "Thank you for your hard work."

“It’s not hard work. I enjoy traveling and seeing many people and things,” San Tou said earnestly.

Shen Zhiyi smiled with satisfaction.

"Sister!" the three-headed man suddenly called out.

"Hmm?" Shen Zhiyi turned her head to look at him, realizing that the young man had something on his mind, perhaps related to her, so she asked, "What's wrong?"

After hesitating for a moment, San Tou mustered his courage and said, "Sister, can I take your surname? That way, I won't be looked down upon for not having a surname when we're out in the world."

“Okay!” Shen Zhiyi said without hesitation, “From now on you will be my younger brother.”

Zheng San, having finally managed to escape, hurriedly said, "Everyone, don't panic! Let me explain things to the village chief and Sister Chen after I've finished speaking with them!"

"Sister Shen!" Zheng San called out to Shen Zhiyi.

With so many people, Shen Zhiyi knew she couldn't handle it all, so she took the three heads and ran towards the village chief's house, saying as she ran, "I'll go wait for you at Grandpa Village Chief's place first!"

Without Shen Zhiyi watching from the sidelines, Zheng San's performance became even more exquisite and capable of handling things independently. He quickly calmed the villagers' curiosity and eagerness, leaving the rest of the matter to the taciturn Da Niu and the others, and then left first.

The sound of gongs echoed through Xiaba Village in the afternoon. Zheng San stood behind the village chief and Shen Zhiyi, full of energy. Standing in front of the ancestral hall, he felt a sense of pride in bringing honor to his ancestors.

"Third Brother, what are you going to say in a bit?" Shen Zhiyi asked curiously.

"Girl, you'll hear it in a minute!" Zheng San said proudly. He wasn't dressed up carefully because he was going to speak in front of people; he just paid attention to his appearance all the time.

"Then let's welcome Zheng San to speak. Let's give him a round of applause," the village chief said, before taking a seat on a nearby stool.

Amid the applause of the villagers, Zheng San, without any instruction and with great flair, gestured to them to quiet down, and announced loudly: "After verification by the village chief and Sister Shen, this contract requires a total of four thousand catties of the lowest grade chili peppers, two thousand catties of medium grade chili peppers, and two thousand catties of high grade chili peppers. Of course, some of these will be dried and ground into powder, which means the quantity will be more than eight thousand catties!"

The applause grew even louder, and even the three people standing at the very back were thrilled.

"So everyone doesn't need to worry about the chilies not selling. Our village's chilies are going to be famous all over the world! What I'm worried about now is not planting enough chilies, lest we ruin our village's reputation!" Zheng San said proudly.

"No, we'll have to keep an eye on it!"

"Anyone who dares to take advantage of this situation will be disowned!"

"Yes, even if they're your own relatives, it's not allowed!"

These words demonstrate how united the villagers of Xiaba Village are at this moment, and how the concept of "collective honor" has been deeply ingrained in their hearts. This is also the direction that Shen Zhiyi has been striving for.