"I'm rich. I'm not afraid of any price!"
Qin Yihuai gave a faint smile. His handsome face looked particularly dazzling in the setting sun.
No woman can resist a handsome man!
Ye Zhinan let out a chuckle, and all her gloom vanished.
"I know you're doing this for my own good, but if you're so hesitant, how can we lead everyone to prosperity?!"
She had said another term they couldn't understand, but Qin Yihuai was already used to it.
"The prefect also said it can't be done overnight. Even if we follow your plan, can you guarantee everyone will listen?"
Not even the prefect dared to make such a guarantee.
Qin Yihuai left the second half of the sentence unsaid.
Shen Beiting was already struggling to keep himself afloat. Being too hasty would only lead to total defeat.
Ye Zhinan noticed the look of dejection in his eyes and handed him a piece of chocolate.
"Eating something sweet will make you feel better."
Qin Yihuai didn't refuse. He unwrapped the candy wrapper and popped it into his mouth.
The chocolate melted on his tongue. The bitter and sweet flavors mingled in his mouth, leaving a complex aftertaste.
"What did you mean by 'irrigation' just now?"
Ye Zhinan's eyes lit up. "The irrigation method we're currently using is flood irrigation. But the biggest drawback of this method is that it's time - consuming and labor - intensive, and it can easily lead to soil salinization. Mod... cough, cough..."
Ye Zhinan coughed violently twice to cover up her slip - up. Seeing that Qin Yihuai didn't notice, she continued, "I read in a book that there's a method called drip irrigation, which can improve the problem of waste and is especially suitable for the water - scarce situation in the northern border."
"What should I do?"
"Um..."
She thought for a moment. "I've only read about it in a book. I'll figure out the specific steps later. For now, we can continue to dredge the canals to prepare for the future."
Qin Yihuai nodded.
In terms of agriculture, Ye Zhinan did know more than him. Or rather, her ingenious ideas were more effective.
"Thank you today!"
Facing Ye Zhinan's sudden tenderness, Qin Yihuai was a bit at a loss.
"Why do you say that?"
"Taking me to see the prefect shows that you're ready to move on. Although I don't know what happened to you, I'm still happy to see you making progress."
Move on?
Qin Yihuai's eyes flickered. When did he start to move on?
Was it after he met Ye Zhinan? Or after he did those things with her?
Or perhaps, all these were just appearances, and deep down in his heart, nothing had changed.
Ye Zhinan saw Qin Yihuai standing there in a daze, and her eyebrows knitted slightly.
"If you keep dwelling on the past, you won't be able to move forward."
With that, she turned around and left.
She wasn't angry with him, but rather angry at the fact that the person in front of her still couldn't see clearly.
The night passed calmly, but the hazy feeling made people feel annoyed.
Ye Zhinan tossed and turned on the kang. The fields were fine, and her family was healthy, but she just felt stuffy in her heart.
What on earth was that man thinking?!
The more she tried to drive the figure out of her mind, the more persistent it became. So she simply got up and rummaged around in the space.
Huh? What's this?
She saw a plump chicken running past.
She took a couple of quick steps and chased after it, then grabbed the chicken.
"Free - range chicken! This is a good thing!"
Saying that, she found some pots and bowls in the kitchen and started to make chicken hot - pot in earnest.
Since she was exiled, her mouth had tasted like nothing. Even though she had the space, she was so busy with the fields every day that she never had the time to indulge herself.
Just as she was in a bad mood and in need of some comfort, she ate the whole chicken, bones and all.
"If we could raise free - range chickens, we could eat chicken hot - pot every day."
Ye Zhinan lay on the bed contentedly and started to make new plans.
Her next goals were to raise chickens and grow peppers and potatoes.
Thinking about these things, she had a good night's sleep.
The next day, before dawn, her craving woke her up. She started to be busy in the backyard early.
Ye Yingfeng got up early to practice martial arts. Hearing the rustling sounds from the backyard, he picked up a shovel and walked over. He saw a small figure squatting there.
"Who's there?"
As he spoke, he raised the shovel. Ye Zhinan turned around with a blushing face, which scared Ye Yingfeng into quickly putting down the shovel.
"What are you doing sneaking around here so early in the morning?"
"Brother, look. Isn't it beautiful?"
Ye Yingfeng looked in the direction she pointed and saw a small red thing hanging there. He was completely confused.
"What strange thing have you come up with this time?"
"Peppers! In a short time, we won't have to eat tasteless food every day."
Since Ye Zhinan came to this world, she hadn't eaten anything spicy. This really tortured her Sichuan taste buds. Now that she could grow whatever she wanted on her own, she just had to come up with some explanations.
Fortunately, Ye Yingfeng was straightforward and didn't dig deeper. He just shook his head and went back to practice martial arts.
In order to eat chicken hot - pot sooner, when she went to Fushou Village to find Lu Yanlai, she brought back a free - range chicken, saying that she found it on the mountain.
Ye Shenyan was a bit skeptical, but since the chicken didn't seem to be domesticated, he didn't pursue the matter further.
However, although Han Xiangmei praised her daughter for being lucky, she strongly opposed the idea of making "chicken hot - pot".
"You're always asking me to make things I don't know how to make. Besides, what are peppers? They're so spicy. Can they be delicious?"
To ensure the taste, Han Xiangmei ate a raw pepper. Now her voice was hoarse when she spoke.
Ye Zhinan hugged her mother's arm and tried her best to act coquettishly.
"Peppers are not only delicious but also have medicinal effects. They can dispel cold and aid digestion."
Hearing about the medicinal effects, Ye Shenyan spoke up.
"Since they have such effects, they're just suitable for the current climate. Our children work hard outside. Even though they're wearing down jackets, they still need internal conditioning."
"You're the only one who cares about the children!"
Han Xiangmei said angrily, "You have to tell me how to make it!"
Ye Zhinan smiled happily and pulled her mother towards the kitchen.
She had secretly put the seasonings in the pot in advance. All Han Xiangmei had to do was deal with the chicken and then pour in the peppers and stir - fry.
There was no hot - pot in the house, so the atmosphere wasn't right. She started to think about making a hot - pot.
"If only we had some copper!"
Just as their family was enjoying a satisfying meal, the ground shook violently, and the roof of their shabby house collapsed instantly.
Fortunately, Ye Yingfeng was quick - witted. He grabbed his father and mother and hid in the corner. Ye Zhinan followed closely behind.
She sighed looking at the pot of ingredients.
"We could have had another meal. Now, the pot and the ingredients are all gone."
"It's not the time to think about food."
Ye Yingfeng rarely scolded his sister.
Concern leads to confusion.
After the commotion, Qin Yihuai led the government officials to arrive. He comforted the villagers and passed by the Ye family without stopping.
Ye Zhinan felt a bit disappointed. At this time, Chen Zhenhai appeared beside her.
"Miss Ye, are you all right?"
Ye Zhinan shook her head. "Was it an earthquake?"
Chen Zhenhai nodded, showing a bitter expression. "This year has really been eventful. Not only have there been heavy rains and snow, but there's also been an earthquake. Fortunately, no one among the villagers was hurt. It seems that there's a crack on the mountain. The chief is leading people to check it out. That's why he didn't come to see you. Don't be offended."
"I want to go and have a look too!"
Before Chen Zhenhai could finish speaking, Ye Zhinan walked towards the mountain.
Seeing this, Ye Yingfeng quickly followed. Chen Zhenhai regretted his loose tongue and had no choice but to follow closely behind.