Wang Qiqiang escorted Yuan Doudou home and then turned to walk back inside.

She had only taken a few steps when Li Xueqing came to meet her. She had put on heavy makeup and was wearing a fuchsia cardigan and a dark green skirt.

Wang Qiqiang looked at her, and his eyes felt a stinging pain.

"Brother Qiqiang, why are you only coming back now? I've been waiting for you at your house for ages." Li Xueqing frowned and pouted, thinking that her coquettish manner was beautiful and charming.

Li Xueqing spoke in a sweet, coquettish voice, and clung to Wang Qiqiang's arm with both hands, like a sloth.

Wang Qiqiang pushed Li Xueqing away with disdain, saying, "Please have some self-respect."

Li Xueqing stepped back, deliberately falling to the ground, and said in a pitiful voice, "Brother Qiqiang, do you dislike me that much?"

She had just seen Wang Qiqiang escorting Yuan Doudou home.

Wang Qiqiang knew he hadn't used much force, so he didn't bend down to help her up, letting her cry and make a scene on the ground.

Seeing Wang Qiqiang about to leave, Li Xueqing nimbly got up from the ground, grabbed his sleeve, and said angrily, "Are you treating me like this because you've taken a fancy to that young widow, Yuan Doudou?"

She's not stupid; she saw everything.

Wang Qiqiang was stunned for a moment, then waved his hand and forcefully threw Li Xueqing aside, watching helplessly as she fell to the ground, her clothes getting even dirtier.

"Waaah, Qiqiang, you've changed. You weren't like this before," Li Xueqing cried pitifully.

She had liked Wang Qiqiang since she was a child. He was three years older than her, and he would always take care of her when she played with him as a child.

Wang Qiqiang frowned, he hadn't expected Li Xueqing to have such a big misunderstanding about him.

How can childhood memories be confused with romantic relationships?

“Li Xueqing, calm down. Let me tell you again, I have no feelings for you. Your mother has also spoken to my mother, and my mother thinks the same as me, that we are not suitable for each other.”

We're all from the same village. If it were mutual, we would have gotten together long ago, instead of dragging it out until now.

Li Xueqing, with her plump, ball-like body, shuffled on the ground for a while before huffing and puffing as she got up. She dusted off her clothes and said stubbornly, "Brother Qiqiang, I don't care. I love you, and I'll wait for you forever. No matter how many men my mother finds for me, I'll never agree to them."

As soon as Li Xueqing finished speaking, she heard a voice behind her: "Your mother's hair has turned white from worrying about you. I think if you have any ideas, you should get married quickly. In a few years, I'm afraid no one will want you."

Li Xueqing glared at Wang Ningjing, her anger flaring. "Wang Ningjing, this is my business. Mind your own business."

“Brother, listen to this. I meant well, but she doesn’t appreciate it.” Wang Ningjing walked to Wang Qiqiang’s side and grabbed his arm.

Li Xueqing then realized that Wang Ningjing was Yuan Doudou's good friend and also Wang Qiqiang's younger sister.

"Brother, Mom sent me to call you home for dinner."

Wang Qiqiang didn't even turn his head, and strode home.

Li Xueqing stood there, stomping her feet in anger. This Wang Ningjing would definitely side with Yuan Doudou and try to match her up with her brother.

No, we have to find a way.

On the way home, I ran into Zhuang Shuhui, and the two of them chatted for a long time.

In the evening, Yuan Doudou cooked a pot of noodles. The noodles were handmade by Wang Shi. She simply sautéed scallions in oil, added water, brought it to a boil, and then added the noodles. Handmade noodles cook very quickly, and the pot was ready to serve after the water boiled a second time.

Yuan Doudou specially made two poached eggs inside, one for Wang Shi and one for Anji.

"Mommy, the noodles are so delicious!" Anji exclaimed after taking a bite.

"We should thank Grandma, she made it." Yuan Doudou also thought the hand-pulled noodles smelled delicious. Even in her previous life, she rarely ate hand-pulled noodles.

Angie said obediently, "Thank you, Grandma."

Wang smiled, revealing crow's feet, "Anji should thank your mother. It was your mother who worked hard to earn money to buy the flour."

Wheat flour is better for making noodles. Wheat yield is low, and after paying taxes, there is very little left. Families save it for holidays and festivals, and usually eat buckwheat flour.

Buckwheat flour is coarse, and whether it's made into steamed buns or noodles, it will irritate your throat.

"Thank you, Mom. When I grow up, I will earn money to buy you and Grandma lots and lots of flour," Anji said confidently.

Yuan Doudou smiled and gave a thumbs up, "Anji is so sensible."

After dinner, Yuan Doudou watered the greenhouse. A new batch of oyster mushrooms had been planted and would be ready to be harvested in seven days.

She thought to herself that planting a little in the yard wouldn't yield enough.

We happen to have some land at home, so why not make use of it?

Without hesitation, the next day, Yuan Doudou took two jin of flour to the village head.

Li was flirting with his wife inside when he heard Yuan Doudou calling him. He quickly got dressed, lifted the curtain, and went out.

Seeing that Yuan Doudou was holding something, Zhou Chuangen guessed that she wanted something from him, and quickly put on airs, "What brings you here so early?"

Yuan Doudou wanted to laugh when she saw him putting on a scholarly air.

"Village head, there's something I'd like to discuss with you."

The village head stroked his beard, feigning seriousness: "Speak frankly."

Yuan Doudou expressed her desire to use five acres of dry land to grow greenhouses specifically for mushroom cultivation.

"That's not appropriate. If the steward finds out, he'll be held accountable." The village headman feigned mystery, knowing the steward wouldn't have time to investigate such a trivial matter.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Doudou sighed, "Fine, then I won't bother you any longer."

After saying that, she turned and left, waiting for the village head to stop her.

Sure enough, the village head raised his voice: "It's not impossible."

Yuan Doudou stopped, slowly turned around, and looked expectant. "Oh? Why don't you tell me about it?"

"In principle, the steward's land can only be planted with the prescribed seeds. However, since you have other ideas, I can keep it from you. But when it comes time to pay taxes, fifty catties of grain per mu is absolutely required. Of course, you can also pay in cash instead."

Even knowing the taxes were high, Yuan Doudou was still shocked. No matter what you plant on an acre of land, the yield would not exceed 100 catties, yet the tax was 50 catties at a time, plus other exorbitant taxes. What was the point of farming?

If mushroom cultivation were to become profitable now, the returns would far exceed those of grains, making it a sure-fire way to make money, and Yuan Doudou was determined to succeed.

"No problem, I'll be eternally grateful as long as the village head helps me." Yuan Doudou placed the flour in the village head's hand with a smile on her lips.

Zhou Chuangen opened the cloth bag with a smile, and it turned out to be flour.

His family always had a supply of flour, mostly given to them by others.

However, in the past two years, due to natural disasters and man-made calamities, every household is short of food, let alone wheat flour.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it even if the sky falls," the village head said, patting his chest.

Having established this connection, Yuan Doudou began to work boldly and decisively.

Starting with a small plot of land, Li Dahai led his team to measure the dimensions, worked overtime to prepare materials, and built the large structure.