As soon as Chen Changyuan and An Caicai returned to Qingshui Village, they ran into the old man Lao Yuantou, who was leisurely drying his pipe at the entrance of the village.
Seeing the two return, Old Yuantou greeted them cheerfully, "Hey, Xiaoyuan, Miss Caicai, you're back? How are things in the county?"
Chen Changyuan immediately put aside the heavy mood brought by the investigation and replied with a smile: "Old man, you are not tired anymore, right? The work is almost done, so I want to come back and rest."
Old Yuan narrowed his eyes and smiled: "You, no matter how busy you are, you should take care of your own land. There are still many villagers who are concerned about your medicinal herb base."
Chen Changyuan's heart moved. He knew that Lao Yuantou's words were meant to be a warning, but he didn't ask any deeper questions. He wanted to delve into the base affairs later, but An Caicai's gentle reminder pulled him back: "Changyuan, didn't we agree to take it easy tonight?"
Chen Changyuan smiled and said, "Yes."
Turning to Lao Yuantou, he said, "Old man, I'll make some chicken soup later. You must come and have a taste."
Old Yuantou nodded happily and left.
Chen Changyuan brought An Caicai home. As soon as they entered the courtyard, Fang Suxia came to greet them, holding an enamel basin covered with water droplets from washing wild vegetables. Her face was full of joy and she shouted to them, "Hey, Caicai is here! Come on, come in and sit down, come in and sit down! Xiaoyuan, you're so slow! You didn't even tell me you were coming back. Luckily, I was just about to make some old hen soup, which is our family's specialty. Caicai is in for a treat today!"
An Caicai walked in with a slightly reserved smile, but Fang Suxia had already greeted her without reservation as if she were her own relative.
Chen Changyuan was accustomed to his mother's enthusiasm, so he rolled up his sleeves and ran to the stove.
"Everyone, please don't be idle."
He said, "Mom, I'll do the work, you can take a break today. No need, Caicai, just help me."
An Caicai stood up, rolled up her sleeves, and said with a smile, "That's impossible. I can't just watch you busy. I got pretty good at cooking when I was in England."
The mother and son were busy side by side in front of the stove, while An Caicai helped to fetch water and wash vegetables.
The cold water made her hand retract, but she didn't care. She looked at Chen Changyuan and saw him skillfully gutting the chicken. Her eyes were slightly dazed.
While cutting vegetables, Chen Changyuan glanced at Caicai and found that she was thinking about something.
Instead of asking any more questions, he teased her, "I've never seen Miss An work so well before. Life has really changed you a lot."
"Nowhere—I'm not a young lady."
An Caicai gave him a playful look, "But speaking of this, I'm thinking that although the lifestyles in the UK and China are different, some flavors are better than nothing. I always feel that... the free-range chicken in Qingshui Village is more delicious than the famous dishes in restaurants."
Chen Changyuan couldn't help but laugh: "You really love our country life, don't you?"
"You're the only one who's talkative."
An Caicai couldn't help but pout, and casually picked up some vegetable stems and threw them into the enamel basin.
This simple action caused Fang Suxia at the door to laugh, "You two are really good at joking, Caicai girl, you like our location here, come over often in the future."
The chicken soup in the room became more and more fragrant, and Fang Suxia's expression became more and more relieved.
Chen Changyuan scooped a few spoonfuls of soup and simmered it slowly. The topic unconsciously turned to the planning of the medicinal materials base.
"Cai Cai, you've been in the village for so long, what do you think of the expansion plan?"
Chen Changyuan asked, his tone full of trust.
"I think it's necessary. The climate in Qingshui Village is perfectly suitable for growing medicinal herbs."
An Caicai said seriously, "However, as we expand our scale, we also need to synchronize our sales channels. You see, my father actually has some friends in the city who work at chain pharmacies, and we can definitely use these connections."
Chen Changyuan paused, frowning slightly. "It's a good idea to use it, but will your father agree? He looks down on country folk. You should have known that."
"Don't worry, I will take care of this."
An Caicai pursed her lips and said without further explanation, "I believe that as long as the project is attractive enough, the people in the city will change their prejudices."
Chen Changyuan felt a little complicated.
Although he was skeptical about this possibility, he also knew that this was an important way to make the medicinal materials base bigger and stronger.
Finally, he nodded and said, "Okay, let's give it a try. If you want to do marketing planning in the city later, feel free to let me know."
"You promised me that."
An Caicai smiles like a flower.
The chicken soup was cooked at night and the sumptuous dinner was finally served.
Although they were talking about official issues, An Caicai would occasionally laugh softly.
After dinner, Chen Changyuan insisted on sending An Caicai back to her residence, and the two were immersed in a relaxed conversation on the way.
They talked about the police station's investigation, the subsequent settlement of the base's accounts, and occasionally talked about future cooperation directions.
The afterglow of the setting sun fell on the village road, and the warm light illuminated the gradually shortening shadows of the two people.
An Caicai suddenly sighed, "I never thought I would live like this in the countryside, but now that I think about it, it's this place that makes me feel at ease."
Chen Changyuan was startled for a moment, then smiled and said, "That's because the people of Qingshui Village are so kind that even a city girl like you can't resist."
An Caicai pouted, then changed the subject and asked, "Are you confident about the future plans for the base?"
Chen Changyuan smiled slightly and looked towards the treeline at the end of the horizon. It seemed like an unintentional glance, but it carried a hint of deep meaning.
The late autumn wind in Qingshui Village was a bit chilly, blowing away the hazy fog in his heart.
He did not answer An Caicai's question immediately, but paced a few steps, as if weighing something.
"An Caicai,"
He spoke calmly, his lips curled up, "If I say that I want Qingshui Village to be more than just a place to grow medicinal herbs, but to become a place that even people in the city envy, what do you think?"
These sudden words made An Caicai stunned.
She turned her head and looked at him for a moment, a hint of curiosity in her eyes.
After a long moment, her lips curved slightly, her voice soft but serious: "Chen Changyuan, I've noticed that you always surprise people. But this kind of ideal sounds like the utopia described by those writers."
"Hey, I'm not a writer, and I'm not a braggart."
Chen Changyuan laughed heartily, his tone tinged with a mixture of sarcasm and conviction. "Any ideal without action is nothing but a foolish dream. I'm aware of Qingshui Village's current shortcomings, and I know how difficult it is to deal with those snobbish people in the city. But I'm a stubborn person who won't turn back until I hit a wall."
An Caicai did not respond to him immediately, but lowered her head and kicked the small stones under her feet, as if trying to digest the clear and somewhat abrupt confidence in his tone.
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