No cooperation, no deep discussion
Zhong Ling knew nothing about the rumors in the village and didn't care at all.
She spent two days tilling the vegetable patch again, and the land recovered at a speed visible to the naked eye.
She took out some of the seeds that had been saved from the mustard space, mainly vegetables, cucumbers, tomatoes and other varieties with short growth cycles, and replanted them.
After finishing these, she returned to her previous life, tending to the vegetable garden during the day and meditating in the space at night.
At present, her cultivation level is at the peak of Qi training. After a while, she plans to practice in seclusion and break through to the foundation building stage.
As for her online store "Delicious Vegetable Shop", she doesn't expect it to make money now. The time has not come yet, so there is no need to rush.
The next afternoon, Zhong Ling just came back from the vegetable garden, washed her face, and prepared to make a pot of tea and take a break.
Outside the courtyard gate, there was the sound of a car engine, and it finally stopped not far from her door.
Zhong Ling raised her eyebrows, walked to the gate of the courtyard, and looked out through the half-open wooden door.
A black Audi A6 was parked on the side of the road. Its shiny body was particularly eye-catching on the rural dirt road. Two people, a man and a woman, got out of the car.
The man was in his forties, wearing a well-fitting dark suit, his hair combed meticulously, his face serious, his eyes sharp, and he had the air of someone who had been in a high position for a long time.
The woman was younger, about thirty years old, wearing a professional suit, holding a briefcase, and had a capable temperament.
It was obvious at first glance that these two people were not ordinary people, and they certainly didn't look like they were here to visit the countryside.
The man's eyes swept across Zhong Ling's house and finally landed on Zhong Ling at the gate of the courtyard.
A scrutinizing look flashed in his eyes, and then a slightly gentle smile appeared on his face.
"Excuse me, is this Ms. Zhong Ling's home?" The man's voice was low and his tone was deliberately gentle.
Zhong Ling looked at them, understanding clearly. What was supposed to come finally came.
She nodded calmly, her voice flat: "It's me. What's the matter?"
Her directness caused the man's smile to pause for a moment, but then it returned to normal. "Excuse me for interrupting. My last name is Liu, and I work at the Provincial Agricultural Technology Extension Center. This is my colleague, Xiao Chen."
He turned sideways so that the young woman behind him could also come into Zhong Ling's sight.
Xiao Chen nodded politely, his eyes quickly resting on Zhong Ling for a moment, then turned to the courtyard.
"Agricultural Technology Extension Center?" Zhong Ling repeated, her eyebrows raised slightly. "What do you want from me?"
Director Liu still had a gentle smile on his face. "It's like this, Ms. Zhong Ling. We heard that you grow some... well, very unique agricultural products with a short growth cycle, high taste and nutritional value, and they're very popular in the market."
He chose his words carefully, avoiding sensitive words such as "magic" and "cure", and only emphasized the market value and growth characteristics. It sounded like a routine agricultural survey.
"Oh?" Zhong Ling did not comment, neither admitting nor denying. She just looked at him indifferently, waiting for him to continue.
Seeing her calm reaction, Director Liu's assessment of this young woman deepened. She was not like an ordinary villager; she was too calm.
"Our center is very interested in this high-yield, high-quality planting technology and hopes to learn more about it to see if there is any experience worth promoting or if we can provide some technical support."
He paused, his tone more sincere. "Of course, if it involves some exclusive methods or details that are inconvenient to disclose, we completely understand. We simply want to have some technical exchanges. Perhaps... there will be some possibilities for cooperation in the future."
These words were flawless, indicating the official identity, expressing interest, and hinting at potential benefits, in an attempt to attract Zhong Ling's attention or willingness to cooperate.
Zhong Ling seemed not to understand the deeper meaning behind his words, and just casually replied, "No special techniques, just good soil, so I just plant whatever I want."
She pointed to the vegetable patch behind her and said, "It's just a few acres of land passed down from our ancestors. We just make do with it."
This is half true and half false. The land was indeed left by our ancestors, but it was not our ancestors who made it what it is today.
Director Liu looked in the direction she pointed, his eyes slightly focused.
Even from a distance, one can feel the extraordinary fertility of the land, which cannot be explained by "randomly planting".
He knew in his heart that the other party did not intend to reveal any information easily.
"Ms. Zhong, you're being modest." Director Liu smiled and didn't ask about the land. Instead, he continued, "We also learned that the vegetables you previously planted were priced relatively high, but they were still in short supply. This shows that there is a huge market demand for high-quality agricultural products.
Do you have plans to expand your cultivation or conduct commercial operations? If you need funding or channel support, our center may be able to provide some assistance."
He threw out a more direct bait, using business interests to test Zhong Ling's attitude.
Zhong Ling seemed to think seriously about this, then shook her head. "I don't have that plan. I'm just growing it for fun, just enough for myself. I'll sell a little occasionally, depending on the situation." She paused, then added, "Besides, the price will go up."
As soon as these words were spoken, not only did Director Liu lose his smile, but even Xiao Chen, who had been silent the whole time, couldn't help but look up at Zhong Ling a few more times.
Raise the price? Still at the current level? The village rumor of 200 yuan per jin is already a sky-high price, and she's going to raise it even more? This is either ignorance and fearlessness, or... she's completely overconfident.
Director Liu looked at Zhong Ling deeply. This young woman was even more unpredictable than described in the information.
She seemed to care nothing about money, or the so-called "official support," and was not afraid of their intentions.
"Haha, Ms. Zhong is quick-witted." Director Liu chuckled, knowing that today's meeting would be unlikely to yield any further results. The other party's attitude was clear: no cooperation, no further discussion.
"In that case, we won't bother you any further." He pulled a business card from his pocket and held it out with both hands. "Here's my contact information. If Ms. Zhong changes her mind or needs any help, please feel free to contact me."
Zhong Ling didn't reach out to take it, but just glanced at the business card, which had the words "Liu Jianmin, Director of the Provincial Agricultural Technology Extension Center" and a mobile phone number printed on it.
"I know." She still looked indifferent.
Director Liu's hand paused in the air for a moment, then he calmly withdrew the business card and put it back in his pocket. "Then we'll take our leave."
"No need to see you off." Zhong Ling nodded slightly, as if to see the guest off.
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