Ye Shenyan showed a meaningful smile and gently shook his head.
"Perhaps this person has other ambitions, or maybe he has been suppressed, which makes him too afraid to aim higher."
Ye Zhinan nodded, half - understanding. However, what Ye Shenyan said did make some sense.
Having gotten the answer she wanted, Ye Zhinan stood up and was about to go back to the house.
Ye Shenyan called her from behind, his gaze sizing her up.
"The matter of suppressing the bandits will soon be on the agenda. You must be extremely careful."
Ye Zhinan paused. She always felt that there was more to her father's words, but she still obediently nodded.
"Father, don't worry. Daughter knows what to do and will surely take good care of herself."
Days passed peacefully. The villagers were curious about the greenhouse but none dared to get close.
They were afraid of attracting Ye Zhinan's attention and bringing unnecessary trouble to themselves.
They only dared to sneak a peek inside when Ye Zhinan lifted the curtain.
They found that the crops in the greenhouse did grow better than those outside.
Wei Shiqi swayed her delicate waist, snorted coldly, and mumbled.
"Crops that are not nourished by the spiritual energy of heaven and earth are probably filthy things that violate the natural law. There will surely be retribution someday."
Hearing her words, the people around lowered their heads and got back to their work.
As for matters related to the supernatural, they always believed it was better to believe in it than not.
They could only stay away and not provoke it easily.
Anyway, if anything happened, it would be the Ye family's responsibility. As long as it didn't involve them, even if Ye Zhinan turned the world upside down, it had nothing to do with them.
"Mother, the crops are growing so fast. If we use our plant ash, they will surely thrive."
Ye Zhinan looked at the crops that were growing vigorously and was extremely happy.
She didn't care about the gossips outside and focused on researching her natural fertilizer.
She had accidentally seen it in a video before.
Some people would put weeds, watermelon rinds, and other recyclable household garbage into a large bucket.
After fermentation, it could turn into liquid fertilizer. With specific materials, the fertilizer could be odor - free.
"I have to say, the things you've researched are really useful."
Han Xiangmei followed behind and praised her continuously. She was also proud of her daughter.
She found that since they distanced themselves from those women, their work efficiency had gradually improved.
They could finish a whole day's work in half a day, and use the remaining half - day to research how to improve the greenhouse and grow better crops.
It was as if they were guarding a utopia, enjoying extreme peace.
When the mother and daughter got home, they found Zhao Qingfeng standing at the door waiting.
He was holding several eggs and some pieces of cloth in his hand. It seemed that he had something to ask for.
"Come in and sit down quickly. Your face is all red from the cold. Next time, go to a neighbor's house and sit for a while."
Zhao Qingfeng waved his hand. He was not good at expressing himself. Moreover, the Zhao family didn't live nearby, and he had never met the other neighbors before.
If he went in abruptly, he was afraid it would be too presumptuous.
Moreover, he had recently heard about the Ye family's affairs. He didn't want to add unnecessary trouble and make their situation more embarrassing.
"You've come all the way here. Do you have something to say?"
Ye Zhinan poured him a cup of tea and pushed it in front of him.
Zhao Qingfeng drank it in one gulp. The hot tea flowed down his throat into his internal organs, dispelling much of the coldness from his body.
It also gave him a bit more confidence.
"I also want you to help me build a greenhouse."
Zhao Qingfeng looked embarrassed. Actually, this was not his idea. It was his third younger brother who had pestered him to come.
He had helped the Ye family without any other motives and didn't want to profit from it.
He had only done it out of friendship, as a simple act of kindness.
However, except for him, the other members of the Zhao family didn't think so.
"We've used a lot of cloth for weaving. It's only reasonable that we should share the benefits."
He still remembered what Zhao Qingyuan had said to him before he left. Now that he thought about it, he felt extremely guilty and couldn't lift his head.
Ye Zhinan suddenly slapped her forehead. There had been so many things happening recently that she had even forgotten about the Zhao family.
"It's my fault. I should have come to apologize in person, but I was delayed by trivial matters. Please don't take it to heart."
She stood up and bowed respectfully.
Panic flashed in Zhao Qingfeng's eyes. He quickly helped her up and kept explaining.
"I didn't mean that..."
Ye Zhinan walked to the chicken coop, took out more than a dozen eggs, carefully put them in a basket, and handed them to Zhao Qingfeng.
"Fortunately, our hens have been very productive recently. This is to return your favor. I'm off tomorrow. I'll go to your house in the morning to help you build the greenhouse."
With a beaming smile, she generously handed the eggs to him.
After explaining the whole story, Zhao Qingfeng seemed a bit stingy.
"You rarely get a day off. How about doing it a few days later?"
Zhao Qingfeng stood there uneasily, with his head down, not daring to look at her.
"I know you were forced by your family to come and ask. Actually, it was really my oversight, so I should make up for it."
She politely saw Zhao Qingfeng off. Before he left, she gave him some high - quality silk thread.
She said she had secretly saved it, but actually, she had taken it out of her space.
She was afraid that giving too many things would arouse jealousy, so she subtly emphasized that these things had emptied her family's savings just to make amends.
She winked slyly. Only after seeing that Zhao Qingfeng believed her words did she let him leave with confidence.
Early the next morning, she dragged Ye Yingfeng to the Zhao family.
Ye Yingfeng was full of reluctance and kept complaining on the way.
"Father was right. The Zhao family is too slippery. They calculate everything and never miss out on any benefits."
Ye Zhinan quickly covered his mouth and looked around. Only after making sure there was no one around did she let go of him.
"It's understandable. Everyone's life is hard these days. It's right to be careful."
"I'm just afraid that they're ungrateful and will give away our family's technology to others just to make their own lives better."
Just thinking about it made Ye Yingfeng angry. The third son of the Zhao family was the most cunning. Who knew what immoral things he would do.
"Don't worry. Your sister is smart and has a backup plan. The unique technology won't be easily stolen."
She blinked her eyes and flattered him all the way before finally coaxing Ye Yingfeng into the Zhao family.
However, as soon as they entered, she felt that the atmosphere was not right.
Zhao Qingyuan and his wife were sitting in the middle of the yard, staring coldly at the siblings as if they wanted to bore holes in them.
Even if they were angry, they should at least be polite on the surface.
Ye Zhinan twitched the corner of her mouth but still showed a professional smile and walked in calmly.
"Wait. If you want to enter our house, you have to settle the accounts first."
Zhao Qingyuan showed a sly smile, took out a list, and handed it to Ye Zhinan.
"This includes the cost of raw materials, my mother's hard - work fee, and the technology fee. After all, not everyone knows how to weave."