Chapter 47: A Pill of Reassurance

Chapter 47: A Pill of Reassurance

Tang Xiang wasn't skilled at farming, was she?

After all, she was a city girl born and raised, a precious gem in her parents' eyes, someone who couldn't even wash socks or underwear. How could she know how to farm?

But even if you don't know how to farm, you must have heard of Wuchang rice, right?

Tang Yuan didn't want to engage with her further. The separation from the family meant she had severed ties with Old Tang's household, no more connection.

She deliberately showed an evil expression. "Of course it's because you're crazy."

With that, she walked away, head held high like a villain.

Watching Tang Yuan's arrogant departure, Tang Xiang's fingers trembled with anger.

She pointed at Tang Yuan. "This person, she's sick!"

Tong Xue said softly, "Didn't she go crazy before? Is she better now?"

Tang Xiang sneered. "How could she be crazy? She nearly drove others mad; it was all an act."

At Tang Yuan's unusual behavior, Tang Xiang's first thought wasn't that they were similar but rather that Tang Yuan had somehow met Ji Hongyue at some point, and he had taught her everything.

For some reason, she suddenly felt uncomfortable.

In the past, Tang Yuan was always fiery and temperamental, with poor social skills. Watching her always gave Tang Xiang a sense of unspoken superiority.

She would look at Tang Yuan with pity, believing that one's character determined their fate, and with Tang Yuan's temperament, things wouldn't end well for her.

She had the mentality of watching an NPC make fatal mistakes.

Now, Tang Yuan had suddenly changed, stopped making fatal mistakes, and even got engaged to Feng Chen, whom she couldn't get close to. She also managed to connect with county officials and the team leader.

When did Tang Yuan meet Ji Hongyue?

Why didn't she know about it?

Was Tang Yuan's act of going crazy and separating from the family also Ji Hongyue's idea?

Was getting engaged to Feng Chen after separating from the family also his suggestion?

Why would this Ji Hongyue help her?

The more Tang Xiang speculated, the more curious she became, and the more frustrated she felt without answers.

She needed to figure this out.

"I need to go see the village's rice fields," Tang Xiang said urgently.

Tong Xue replied, "I'll go too."

She was also curious about Ji Hongyue. He was a young county official, which meant his parents must be quite capable; otherwise, he wouldn't have become an official.

Her situation didn't allow her to wait; she had to choose Tang Wu, but she wasn't satisfied.

If there was any chance to return to the city, she would seize it.

On her way home, Tang Yuan realized that Tang Wu and Tong Xue ended up together?!

For Tang Yuan, this was too explosive.

Although reality hadn't deteriorated as badly as in the original plot due to her and Feng Chen's intervention, Tang Wu was still obsessive and deranged, threatening suicide if his girlfriend broke up with him. It seemed logical to stay far away from him.

Yet Tong Xue... married him.

This... was truly surreal.

Tang Yuan suspected that Tong Xue might have been coerced by Tang Wu, perhaps with threats like "If you don't marry me, I'll make sure both you and your child die."

Otherwise, why would she marry him?

Even if she was pregnant, couldn't she just terminate the pregnancy?

Though abortion was difficult in those days, if she managed to convince the team leader to issue a letter stating she was raped, it could be possible.

Despite Tang Bingde's stern appearance, he was actually kind-hearted. If Tong Xue pleaded, Tang Bingde would sign the document.

Was it that Tong Xue wanted to keep the child to leverage against the city official?

Simple-minded people couldn't understand the logic of complex-minded ones, so Tang Yuan gave up trying to figure it out.

She wasn't particularly interested in the gossip anyway, as it was like eating a melon with half a worm inside—disgusting.

They brought back two wild chickens and five rabbits this time.

Wild chickens were manageable, but rabbits bred prolifically, especially during the lush summer months when water and grass were abundant.

This worked to Tang Yuan and Feng Chen's advantage.

Since Tang Yuan and Feng Chen got engaged, Old Lady Feng straightforwardly declared that Tang Yuan would be in charge of the household.

So, she didn't interfere with how the game was handled—whether to sell, eat, or give it away—leaving the decision entirely to Tang Yuan.

Tang Yuan felt a bit embarrassed, feeling guilty since the engagement was fake.

She secretly asked Feng Chen.

Feng Chen: "Is there anything you want to buy? If so, we can exchange it for money."

Tang Yuan thought for a moment: "We still have plenty of toilet paper, so we don't need any for now. We didn't have time to gather herbs this time, and these few rabbits aren't worth the trip to town."

A round trip takes two or three days, which isn't worth it.

Actually, how could there be nothing she wanted to buy? Her family all wore straw shoes; to make cloth shoes, they needed to prepare shoe uppers, which required both money and coupons.

Coal oil, batteries for flashlights, needles and thread, farming tools, and other necessities also needed to be replenished regularly.

Next time, when she went back, the season would be right, and many herbs would be ready for picking. She could gather more herbs to sell then.

As for meat, she still wanted to provide more nutrition for her family.

After all, wasn't earning money all about living better—eating well and dressing warmly and beautifully?

Feng Chen said, "Then let's tan the hides we've been saving. I'll make you a rabbit fur vest to wear."

He planned to hunt some wild boars and mountain goats in the mountains again. They would eat the meat and use the hides to make fur coats for winter.

Dad Tang and Mother Tang couldn't sit idle; they would want to do something even in winter, and such fur coats would be very useful.

Tang Yuan thought about wearing a puffy coat while catching wild chickens and rabbits in the snowy mountains and immediately nodded. "Yes, please!"

Feng Chen loved seeing her unguarded excitement. Unable to resist, he reached out and stroked her hair.

Her hair had grown a little longer. When it was short, it was a bit coarse and prickly, but now it felt smooth and silky.

Tang Yuan showed no embarrassment and looked up with a smile. "How does it feel? Is it nice to touch?"

Feng Chen was taken aback, slightly embarrassed. Who would expect a girl to react to being touched by asking, "How does it feel? Is it nice to touch?" instead of being shy?

He withdrew his hand, rubbing his fingers together, and nodded. "It feels good."

Tang Yuan chuckled and patted his shoulder, signaling him to lower his head.

Feng Chen: "What is it?"

Tang Yuan: "Just lower your head."

Feng Chen slightly lowered his head.

Tang Yuan tiptoed and raised her hand, touching the top of his head—she had long coveted his thick, lush, and black hair!

His hair seemed to have a natural wave, as if it had been permed, standing up from the scalp and curling at the ends, naturally covering his head in layers.

This made her curious about whether his hair was soft or hard.

So fluffy, wouldn't it feel great to touch?

Now that she could touch it, Tang Yuan's eyes sparkled, and she praised him without hesitation. "Boss, your hair feels so good!"

Feng Chen: "..."

Visibly, his ears and cheeks turned bright red.

Even his lips were rosy.

Tang Yuan didn't let go after touching it once, running her fingers through it twice more, sighing, "It really feels great."

She wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but Boss's hair seemed to be in better condition and thicker than before.

She envied him!

She withdrew her hand, rubbing her fingers, still savoring the feeling.

Feng Chen was secretly glad he washed his hair every day; otherwise, he didn't know if she would have found it disgusting.

He wouldn't mind if she didn't wash her hair because he thought she was cute either way.

Dad Tang and Mother Tang were working, and Grandma Feng had prepared food for them, wanting to call them to eat. But when she saw them touching each other's heads and one blushing and the other grinning, she couldn't help but chuckle. These two were acting like children in love!

Grandma Feng made hand-pulled noodles, diced cured meat stir-fried with eggplant, and added some green garlic sprouts. Knowing that Tang Yuan liked tomatoes, she mixed a large bowl with sugar and used Tang Yuan's method to make a cucumber salad with chili oil and minced garlic.

With summer in full swing, the vegetables in the garden grew lush and abundant, more than they could eat.

Tang Yuan exclaimed, "Wow, Grandma, your cooking is getting better and better."

Grandma Feng's face lit up with joy, her wrinkles dancing. She loved it when Tang Yuan called her Grandma, not Grandma Feng.

This feeling of happiness was indescribable.

She left the couple alone, happily heading to the vegetable garden to weed and catch insects.

Tang Yuan was in a state of mind where she believed her relationship with Boss was pure and innocent, no matter what they did, there was no ambiguity. She felt completely justified.

To Grandma Feng and others, the couple seemed to be in a sweet, intimate relationship, but to Tang Yuan, it was perfectly pure.

She enjoyed drinking the water from sugar-preserved persimmons and shared it generously with Feng Chen, taking a sip herself and then passing it to him to drink from the other side.

They were careful not to drink from the same side.

Just as they were taking turns drinking, Ji Hongyue came in, wearing muddy slippers, and teased them, "Oh, interrupting your toast, are we?"

Feng Chen found the idea of a toast quite pleasing.

Tang Yuan retorted, "Officer Ji, why are you so old and blind at such a young age?"

Ji Hongyue: "I see it's red and you're... " He gestured, "messing around."

Tang Yuan handed over the large bowl. "Here, have a taste so you won't talk nonsense."

Ji Hongyue wasn’t shy or easily intimidated; he leaned forward to drink.

But Feng Chen took the bowl back and placed it in front of Tang Yuan, not letting Ji Hongyue have any.

Ji Hongyue: "So stingy, you should be more generous."

Feng Chen: "We’re engaged."

How dare you, an outsider?

Ji Hongyue shrugged, what a miser. He turned and grabbed a ripe, pink tomato from a small earthenware pot on the stove and started munching.

The sweetness spread, making his mood quite pleasant.

Tang Yuan: "By the way, why did you suddenly come home before work was over?"

Ji Hongyue: "Da Bei’er and Da Ban’ya were there blabbering. I came back for some peace and quiet, leaving the captain to deal with them."

The villagers of Tangjia Village liked giving people nicknames. Secretary Liu had big ears, so he was called Big Ears. Liu Guangming had a big forehead, so he was Da Bei’er. Zhao, the section chief, had big front teeth, so he was Da Ban’ya.

Tang Yuan widened her eyes. "Cadre Ji? Ji Hongyue, you’re a county cadre, and you’re leaving the captain to deal with your own Agriculture Bureau section chief? That’s too unrighteous!"

Ji Hongyue lowered his gaze, smiling, hiding the anger in his eyes.

Why did he come back?

He feared he couldn’t resist the urge to kill Liu Guangming.

Tang Yuan, already full, said to Feng Chen, "I’ll go take a look."

Feng Chen finished the last sip of noodle soup. "I’m done too, let’s go together."

Tang Yuan glanced at his large bowl and couldn’t help saying, "Don’t always drink the leftover broth at the bottom."

All the oil, salt, and purines are in that last bit.

But she understood; in these times, everyone tried to eat every bit of food, fearing waste.

But Feng Chen would be a future tycoon with countless assets. If he didn’t develop good eating habits, he might end up with high blood pressure when he became wealthy.

Feng Chen, however, couldn’t bear to waste any food, including oil, salt, and sauce. It all provided energy.

But he agreed readily, "Alright, I’ll remember that."

Whatever your partner says, just remember it.

Unless you don’t want this partner anymore.

Ji Hongyue made a face, these two together—Feng Chen would definitely be henpecked.

Thinking about the tall and mighty Feng Brother being henpecked made him feel instantly better, even lessening the disgust brought by Liu Guangming.

Tang Yuan and Feng Chen went to the brigade office.

Tang Bingde was using his characteristic seriousness and silence to counter Liu Guangming and the section chief’s onslaught.

Liu Guangming: "Uncle Tang, it’s not that I don’t consider our brigade, but there’s no such policy. Although the government has given planting rights to the brigades, it doesn’t mean they won’t supervise and guide us. It also doesn’t mean our brigade can act arbitrarily."

Tang Bingde squatted on the ground, puffing on his pipe.

Seeing his stubbornness, Liu Guangming got angry and glanced at the section chief.

The section chief smiled warmly and kindly. "Captain Tang? Why didn’t you consult with the superiors about planting rice? We could have prepared if we had known earlier."

Tang Bingde finally looked at them. "Has our brigade failed to deliver the public grain or cotton?"

He had already heard from Ji Hongyue that the Forward Brigade didn’t actually have much of a cotton quota.

At the time, he hadn’t lost his temper in front of Ji Hongyue, as Ji Hongyue couldn’t do anything about it either.

As a brigade captain, his influence in the county was even smaller, without even the right to voice objections.

He could only try to make things easier for the Forward Brigade.

Despite Liu Guangming’s arrogance in the county, back in Tangjia Village, everyone who had watched him grow up from a child surrounded him.

Everyone knew what kind of temperament he had as a child and what embarrassing things he had done.

One cannot be arrogant in front of those who know one’s dark history.

So Liu Guangming’s anger seemed somewhat impotent, and Tang Bingde paid it no mind.

What if you’re a county section chief?

Back in Tangjia Village, you’re still just Liu’s kid.

He could even guess why Liu Guangming was angry—it was because the fifty acres planted with rice meant less land for cotton later.

This would reduce the extra benefits Liu Guangming and others could get.

And Tang Bingde wanted to stop growing cotton altogether!

Of course, they couldn’t say this outright, pretending the other didn’t know.

But this meant Liu Guangming couldn’t confidently accuse Tang Bingde of failing to meet the cotton quota this year.

It's really frustrating.

He had already negotiated with people to deliver a certain number of jin of cotton in the fall.

Liu Guangming truly wished all the farmland was planted with cotton. Cotton is in such high demand; there’s never enough no matter how much you have.

He didn’t even give Tang Bingde any face, sneering, "Captain, since you’re doing this, then next year you’ll have to plant fifty more mu of cotton."

He really wanted to confiscate the entire yield from those fifty mu of rice fields at that time, but unfortunately, he didn’t have the authority because the local area didn’t grow rice, and there were no regulations about rice tax.

They could manipulate things, but they couldn’t create something out of nothing.

Just as he was about to continue his tirade, Tang Yuan and Secretary Liu arrived.

Secretary Liu was, of course, invited by Tang Yuan.

Secretary Liu, like Tang Bingde and others, believed that Tang Yuan’s change was due to Ji Hongyue’s guidance.

Now that Ji Hongyue lived with the Feng family, when Tang Yuan sought him out for advice, it was assumed to be Ji Hongyue’s intention.

Secretary Liu naturally wouldn’t underestimate her.

Tang Yuan’s explanation to Secretary Liu was straightforward: Tangjia Village can definitely succeed in growing rice. If they can do it in the vast northern wilderness, why can’t Tangjia Village?

The natural conditions are perfectly suitable.

Moreover, those several dozen mu of land get flooded every year during the flood season and are not suitable for dry crops. Having rice fill this gap would be a great opportunity.

Tang Bingde had previously discussed with Secretary Liu and others whether to abandon this land and dig a large reservoir in the lowest-lying area to store water.

They had also considered bringing in soil from elsewhere to fill it, but the project was too massive.

It wasn’t just about the scale of the project; where would they get the soil? Wouldn’t that mean destroying other farmland to fill this area?

That would be counterproductive.

Tang Yuan had also gauged Secretary Liu’s thoughts. He hadn’t opposed planting rice initially because he agreed with the plan.

If he had wanted to oppose it, he would have intervened like he did with harvesting wheat before the rain.

She even suspected that Secretary Liu hadn’t told his son, otherwise, why hadn’t Liu Guangming come down to stop the seed soaking and seedling cultivation?

She further doubted whether this Section Chief Zhao knew anything about farming. Otherwise, how could he not have seen Tangjia Village’s rice seedling fields during his regular inspections? Wouldn’t he find it strange and ask questions?

Or perhaps he hadn’t been concerned about the summer planting work in Forward Brigade and hadn’t visited the village, which would be dereliction of duty.

Such an obvious matter, yet the two of them still came to the village to question Tang Bingde.

Where’s their shame?

Sure enough, when Tang Yuan went to talk to Secretary Liu, he immediately came over with a stick.

Secretary Liu, with his mustache raised, leaned on his stick and saw his accomplished and illustrious son shouting at Tang Bingde, immediately getting angry.

He slammed his stick on the ground. "Guangming, how are you talking to Uncle Tang?"

Seeing his father approach, Liu Guangming complained, "Dad, I’m not being disrespectful to Uncle Tang, but you’re making things very difficult for me."

However, Secretary Liu thought the same as Tang Yuan. Fifty mu of land had been flooded, and due to its location, it was impossible to drain manually, and the river overflow always flowed into that area.

Should they just leave it fallow?

Why not try growing rice? At least the commune members would have more food. Rice for rations, while more wheat and corn for public grain taxes, isn’t that the same?

Since it didn’t interfere with official duties, he hadn’t intended to tell his son.

Besides, his son had been busy with his in-laws’ affairs recently and probably didn’t have time to worry about this.

But Liu Guangming was very unhappy. This year, based on last year’s cotton production, he had negotiated with a procurement officer from the garment factory to pay fifty cents more per jin of cotton!

Fifty cents!

He had planned to negotiate for Tangjia Village to plant a few more mu of cotton after the agreement, but his father had reduced it by twenty mu without consulting him.

Now they were planting fifty mu of rice!

What good is rice? It doesn’t bring in money!

The south has plenty of rice; you can get as much as you want. Why bother growing it?

Even if Liu Guangming was upset, as long as Secretary Liu supported Tang Bingde, he had no choice but to comply.

If they fell out, he might not get to plant a single mu of cotton.

With a sullen face, he said to Tang Bingde, "Uncle Tang, I was just too anxious about my work, so my attitude was a bit hasty. It’s not personal, don’t be angry with me."

If it were anyone else, he wouldn’t bother. Apologize?

Not worth it!

But Tang Bingde was different. Tang Bingde still needed to grow cotton for him!

He wasn’t as powerful as Old Gao, who could get other brigades to help grow tobacco, sesame, or medicinal herbs. He could only rely on his own brigade.

Tang Bingde then tapped his pipe bowl, stood up, and said, "No problem." He turned to Secretary Liu and said, "Secretary, other brigades suffered from floods this year and couldn’t meet their public grain quotas. Our brigade paid our full quota, but some of our wheat was damaged by the rain, leaving the commune members with less food. We should strive for this exemplary recognition."

He knew that Secretary Liu placed great importance on gaining recognition and glory, almost obsessively.

He feared that Liu Guangming and Section Chief Zhao might harbor resentment and deliberately sabotage their chance at the recognition.

Secretary Liu immediately looked at his son.

Although Liu Guangming was angry, he suppressed it for now. He sensitively sensed that the relationship between his father and Tang Bingde had undergone a significant change.

This was astonishing!

In the past, although his father did not interfere with the production of the team, he still had a say in these matters, and Tang Bingde did not dare to strongly oppose him.

Now, Tang Bingde spoke more assertively, while his father seemed to be at a disadvantage, even deferring to Tang Bingde?

To think that his father would cater to Tang Bingde's whims—Liu Guangming rejected this idea; it was impossible.

His father was the secretary, higher than the team leader.

Realizing this, he did not press further on the rice issue but instead improved his attitude toward Tang Bingde.

Compared to his previous aggressive questioning, he now acted warmly, showing concern for the production situation in the village team.

Doesn't Tang Bingde know him well enough?

Watching the three-inch nail grow into a young man, relying on an influential father-in-law, who doesn’t know who?

Previously, feeling that his father was the team secretary and his father-in-law worked for the County Party Committee, he naturally looked down on him as the team leader but pretended to be humble and respectful.

But once it involved his own interests, he would rush over in a fit of rage, without any pretense of respect.

Tang Bingde didn't bother to maintain a facade of cordiality with him; he was busy and went straight to the fields.

Liu Guangming, still angry, pulled his father home to talk.

Chief Zhao hesitated for a moment before leaving for the commune.

As soon as they got home, Secretary Liu started coughing.

He had caught a cold and fever from being drenched in the rain, and his cough hadn't improved. His bronchitis had flared up, and he probably had a mild case of pneumonia.

But without an X-ray, it couldn't be confirmed, so he just took some medicine and endured it.

He was getting older, and old injuries were acting up again.

Liu Guangming poured him a mug of hot water and handed it over, "Dad, isn't Uncle Tang getting a bit arrogant now?"

Although Secretary Liu had open and hidden conflicts with Tang Bingde, he did not allow his son to be disrespectful.

He picked up the mug and took a sip, "Ah—" He spat the water back into the mug; was his ungrateful son trying to scald him to death?

Seeing his father scalded, Liu Guangming did not reflect on not adding cool water but blamed his father, "Dad, why do you drink like a child without testing the temperature?"

Secretary Liu retorted, "Now you only know how to serve your father-in-law and not your own father."

Would you dare give your father-in-law such scalding water?

Liu Guangming felt embarrassed and tried to explain, "My father-in-law doesn't drink plain water; he likes tea, which needs boiling water. He blows on it first, takes a sip, and spits it out."

As he spoke, he mimicked the action.

Secretary Liu wanted to hit him with a stick.

Liu Guangming then asked about Ji Hongyue, pretending not to care, "Dad, I heard our acting group leader is here in our village?"

After Ji Hongyue fell into the river, he didn't return to the county but went directly to the city and helped Tangjia Village with their rice planting.

His position as acting group leader wasn't revoked, but the work was divided among Gao Sheng and Liu Guangming.

Originally, it was already divided among them, and nothing changed except that Gao Sheng actually took on the role of group leader.

This time, his visit ostensibly was to hold Tangjia Village accountable for planting rice without permission, but in reality, he was there to gather information about Ji Hongyue.

What was Ji Hongyue's ulterior motive for setting up a rice experimental field in his hometown?

Was it because he couldn't deal with Gao Sheng and was targeting him?

Even though Secretary Liu didn't tell him about the village planting rice, how could he not know?

He also knew that those fifty acres weren't suitable for cotton, but that didn't stop him from using it as an excuse to reduce the twenty acres.

He originally planned to pressure Tang Bingde to plant fifty more acres of cotton. If you can plant rice, why can't you plant more cotton?

But his father unexpectedly defended Tang Bingde, and Tang Bingde wasn't very polite to his father either.

So he stopped pushing Tang Bingde to plant more cotton.

He clearly saw Ji Hongyue's back, but the kid turned away to avoid him.

Why was he avoiding him?

Did he suspect that the accident was orchestrated by him?

Damn, he was innocent!

He wouldn't take the blame for others!

Secretary Liu had no particular feelings for Ji Hongyue and spoke frankly.

"I see him more as a technician, not someone suited for politics. He won't amount to much."

Ji Hongyue never used official language in the village and never talked about county affairs; all he talked about was planting rice.

Secretary Liu thought he lacked political sensitivity and awareness, making him unsuitable for politics.

He felt that Ji Hongyue was nothing to worry about, just as he had never worried about Tang Bingde.

He had seen through Tang Bingde; this man only wanted to be the team leader, leading the members in farming. He hadn't even coveted the position of secretary, let alone aimed for the commune.

So even though Tang Bingde sometimes butted heads with him, he never threatened his status. Naturally, he didn't treat him as an enemy and would even protect him at times.

Liu Guangming trusted his father's judgment, and thus he completely relaxed about Ji Hongyue, while becoming increasingly disdainful.

This kind of guy, relying on his parents, had no real ability. What could he possibly achieve?

If he had parents who could help like that, he would have secured the position of director long ago!

He didn't know what price he would pay later for today's reassurance and disdain.

He also didn't know that there would be such earth-shattering changes in 1976.

He only wanted to show some concern to Ji Hongyue as a subordinate, but unfortunately, Ji Hongyue couldn't be bothered to pretend and refused to see him.

Liu Guangming didn't stay longer and hurried back to the county the next day.

Ji Hongyue truly didn't want to see Liu Guangming. He thought this person was incredibly stupid yet had the audacity to consider himself smart and capable, priding himself as the most handsome guy around.

Still, he was genuinely annoyed. After all, he had come to Binxian County full of passion, hoping to make a difference and lift the county out of poverty.

But reality slapped him hard.

Fortunately, he learned quickly and acted well, even fooling Secretary Liu.

Of course, he didn't want to deceive Tang Yuan and Feng Chen. He frankly told them that he wasn't a match for Gao Sheng and others now and could only hide in the countryside.

"It was you who saved me, it was you who made Captain Tang willing to shelter me."

He silently vowed in his heart that he would repay Tang Yuan and Feng Chen, repay Tangjia Village.

Without Tang Yuan and Feng Chen, he wouldn't have known Tang Bingde, and even if he had found him by luck, Tang Bingde might not have been willing to help him.

Other villages had no feelings for him and certainly wouldn't protect him.

And he couldn't hide in the city forever; otherwise, he might as well go back to his parents.

He had passion and ambition and naturally wasn't content.

Feeling unhappy, he drank a bit more with Dad Tang during dinner. Dad Tang went to work in his private plot after drinking, while he muttered to the moon.

Tang Yuan might not have any political acumen, but she was a time traveler, knowing the future direction, which was her greatest advantage.

Through Grandma Feng, she knew that Liu Guangming's success wasn't due to his intelligence but rather the era that shaped him.

A group of people stormed into the county government, seizing power, and later, when the military reorganized the administration, they managed to stay on.

But unlike the previous administrative personnel, who had some political aspirations, whether elected or promoted, Gao Sheng and his group climbed up purely for wealth.

They didn't know their big backer would fall in 1976, nor did they foresee the eventual reckoning.

Tang Yuan didn't directly tell Ji Hongyue these things, but she could offer some simple guidance.

"You must believe in the government and wait patiently. Perhaps in three to five years, there will be an opportunity..."

An opportunity for a top-down crackdown.

When the chaos is rectified, order will be restored.

She winked at Ji Hongyue and whispered, "The Fish Immortal asked me to tell you this."

Ji Hongyue's drunken state instantly vanished as he suddenly leaned close to Tang Yuan, scaring her so much that she recoiled, almost thinking he was going to kiss her!

She nearly died of fright!

Beside her was Feng Chen, and she leaned back right into his arms.

Feng Chen circled one arm around her, while the other hand pushed against Ji Hongyue's shoulder, preventing him from getting any closer.

Ji Hongyue's eyes were clear as he stared at Tang Yuan.

Three to five years?

In three to five years, he could accumulate experience in the countryside.

He had considered going to another county, but he knew it might not necessarily be better.

Now he wasn't a match, and neither was Shen Jiaming. So it was better to lie low and wait for an opportunity.

After these days of interaction, he already knew that Tang Bingde wasn't Tang Yuan's Fish Immortal. She must have other secrets, but he wouldn't pry, lest he lose a friend.

With this reassurance, he felt relieved and returned to his room for a sound sleep.

Tang Yuan and Feng Chen didn't rush back to the mountains but helped the team with biological pest control, soil improvement, and simple intercropping practices.

She used window paper to bind a large book and spent five days drawing the locations and shapes of Tangjia Village's fields, scaled down on its pages.

With limited tools, she could only estimate, mostly based on Tang Bingde's descriptions and corrections.

She then classified the land simply based on soil type, fertility level, and drought or flood susceptibility.

With this classification, the fields of Forward Team became clear at a glance.

She labeled the fields by area, allowing anyone besides Tang Bingde to understand the overall layout of the team's farmland.

Through this incident, Tang Yuan discovered that Tang Bingde was truly a responsible captain. He could remember every detail of nearly two thousand acres of land in the entire brigade.

Which plots were barren, which were fertile, which were deteriorating, which were improving, what had been planted last year and what would be planted this spring, summer, and autumn, and where the serious pest infestations were—all these details he remembered clearly.

None of the other production team leaders or squad leaders could remember such details, not even about the land they were directly responsible for.

However, Tang Yuan also realized that her father had great potential.

Her father hadn't had the chance to manage all the land in the brigade before, but any land he had worked on, he could describe in detail.

No wonder Tang Bingde thought highly of him.

Actually, Uncle Tang had a good memory too, but what he remembered vividly was who said something bad about him here in which year, who criticized the captain, who was dissatisfied with whom, and who failed to keep their promises—rather than the condition of the land.

The scorching sun burned the earth, distorting the air with its heat. The waves of heat made one feel drowsy.

Tang Yuan felt a bit heat-stricken and pressed her straw hat down, heading into the small hut in the fields for shade.

If it were anyone else, Tang Bingde would have immediately criticized them for being "delicate and lacking exercise." But with Tang Yuan, he was very tolerant, turning to Tang Aidang and saying, "Take your Brother Feng to the fields and find a melon for Yuan Yuan to eat."

That kind expression made Tang Aidang suspect someone was impersonating his father.

Seeing his son's dumbfounded look, Tang Bingde immediately scolded, "There are some melons planted in the sandy area to the south. Go pick a few!"

The brigade would plant some fruits and melons, mainly in poorer areas or to fill gaps where crops were missing.

The land should not be left idle; leaving it empty would feel like a sin.

Tang Aidang snapped back to reality, realizing it was indeed his father. The kindness was reserved for Tang Yuan.

He gestured for Feng Chen to follow him.

But Feng Chen wanted to check on Tang Yuan first. The girl's face was flushed red from the sun, and her bangs were sticking to her forehead. She must have been badly sunburned.

In the mountains, though tiring, it was cooler. Unlike the flat farmland in the village, there wasn't even a tree for shade.

Tang Yuan sat on the muddy ground in front of the hut without caring about her appearance, waving at him. "Phew, I almost got heatstroke. Grandpa Qi can really walk."

She was helping Tang Bingde plan the farmland, and he was so enthusiastic that he didn't even ride his bicycle, walking alongside her.

He said the sun was too hot, fearing it might age the bicycle, especially the rubber valve stem, which could become sticky.

Good grief, the bicycle is afraid of the sun, but I'm not?

Leading her on this long walk!

It was also her own fault for being naive. She only knew that Tang Bingde was an old man, not realizing he was as tough as iron!

At first, she tried to keep up, but eventually, she couldn't take it anymore and ran to the hut for shelter.

Feng Chen strode over, squatted down to look at her, and reached out to feel her forehead. "No fever."

Although it was hot, she was sweating, making her forehead cool.

This was a sign of good health in young people.

For example, Feng Chen was warm in winter and cool in summer. In the summer, his body felt cool, and he wasn't afraid of the heat.

He told Tang Yuan to wait here while he went to pick a melon to eat.

Tang Yuan: "That Ji Hongyue is really cunning; he didn't come."

She called him, but he said he had something to do and slipped away like an eel.

As slippery as an eel.

However, Tang Bingde wouldn't waste any time. He still needed to walk around and check the nearby crops for any collective diseases or pests, if there were any fallen plants, or if they were lacking water—all these things he needed to keep in mind.

He walked up to Tang Yuan and smiled. "Are you overheated? You can have some melon in a bit."

Saying this, he squatted down to fill his pipe and then asked Tang Yuan about the intercropping of trees and grains.

Tang Yuan took out a large notebook that was marked with sweat and pointed to a section. "The soil here is sandy, so we should plant more leguminous crops to improve the soil. Additionally, we can mix in some jujube trees; their fruits are more profitable than grains."

We can also plant apricot trees for their kernels.

Medicinal fruits are even more profitable than edible ones, and jujubes have medicinal uses too, so they have great economic value.

At the mention of jujube trees, Tang Bingde started thinking. "Would apples and hawthorns be more profitable? Those canned goods are quite expensive."

Tang Yuan: "Jujubes have more uses than apples and hawthorns, and they are suitable for planting alongside grains because they don't block much light."

At the mention of blocking light, Tang Bingde immediately understood. "Alright, no apples then. Blocking light won't work."

Tang Yuan continued to offer suggestions. "As long as it's not a fixed task from the commune, we can privately contact buyers who will pay significantly more than the set price."

When members sell their surplus grain themselves, the grain station pays at most thirteen fen per catty for top-grade wheat. If they want to be nasty, they might only give eleven fen, saying the moisture content is too high.

If we contact buyers ourselves, we can start at thirty fen and even get up to forty or fifty fen.

That's several times more!

Tang Bingde had never done this before. He knew how to farm and was the final say in the Forward Brigade, but outside the brigade, he had little influence.

Especially when it came to finding buyers in the city.

But now there's Ji Hongyue!

Alright!

Tang Bingde did it.

Feng Chen and Tang Aidang came back carrying a few melons.

Tang Yuan felt a bit sorry for them, these poor melons, no bigger than fists and already picked.

They were growing small sweet melons and slightly larger ones that didn't require as much fertilizer. Watermelons, which needed more water and nutrients, wouldn't grow well in the fields that weren't well-tended.

The melons, about the size of fists, had a fine layer of white fuzz on them. With no pesticides used, Feng Chen simply rubbed one on his clothes and handed it to Tang Yuan.

Tang Yuan took it and took a big bite. At first, it was slightly bitter, but then a refreshing sweetness filled her mouth.

"Wow, so sweet!" she said, squinting with pleasure. "Delicious, you guys should try it!"

Seeing that Tang Aidang still had a few more, she thought it would be perfect for each of them to have one.

Tang Aidang swallowed hard, earning a glare from Tang Bingde. I dare you to take a bite!

Tang Aidang: "Big Brother Feng, you eat."

He handed one to Feng Chen and continued holding the rest for Tang Yuan.

Feng Chen wiped it again and quietly passed it back to Tang Yuan.

Tang Yuan glanced at Tang Bingde, who had gone off to smoke, and whispered, "You eat it."

Feng Chen: "I'm not thirsty."

He had brought a water bottle and had already drunk some, though the water was warm from the sun.

He especially enjoyed watching Tang Yuan's eyes widen with delight when she tasted something delicious, and then seeing her smile. It was pure and easily satisfied.

Her vitality almost made him forget the darkness and pain of the past.