So what if it's defective dried tofu? Jiang Baichuan often goes to markets to find bargains, specifically buying broken tofu pieces and discounted pork. Since it's all going to be chopped up for cooking anyway, the damage doesn't affect the taste at all, and it saves him a lot of money.
“My factory also gets a lot of damaged freeze-dried vegetables every day. Do you want some?” Su Peng asked, seeing that he didn’t seem to be just being polite.
"Yes! Of course we'll take it! It's just that we don't have a car right now, so the factory might need to help us get it on the shuttle bus. Of course, we'll pay for the transportation!" Jiang Xiaoman quickly agreed.
He had eaten the freeze-dried vegetables from Shangtang Village at his uncle Shanrong's house, and they were really delicious! They were also said to be very nutritious, but they were quite expensive, costing more than 30 yuan for half a jin (250g). He hadn't been willing to buy any for his dad to try.
“How could we ask you to pay for the transportation? Our company also has a charity project team. I’ll send you the contact person’s WeChat later. We’ll also arrange for the shuttle bus to bring over two bags a week, as you, Sister Tang, have arranged. It’s not worth much.” Su Peng quickly refused.
Although they weren't related to Shan Rong's family, the two families were still acquaintances. Jiang Xiaoman even called Shan Rong "Uncle." Now that they were in such a difficult situation, how could he possibly charge them a mere ten-odd yuan for shipping?
"Then I'll thank Sister Tang and her husband on behalf of Principal Jiang." Jiang Xiaoman is so shrewd; she could tell at a glance that Su Peng's eyes were full of sweetness and anticipation when he looked at Tang Xinlan. On the other hand, although Tang Xinlan and Su Peng seemed to be familiar with each other, her expression didn't look like someone in love.
Although he couldn't figure out the couple's situation for the time being, that didn't stop him from doing a good deed and helping Young Master Su.
"Haha~ No need to be so polite. You call me Uncle Shanrong Village Chief, but you can call me Brother-in-law from now on. We're all family, no need to be so formal." Upon hearing the clear and pleasant "Brother-in-law," Young Master Su couldn't help but reveal a confident smile, as if he had already gained the approval of his brother-in-law (?). He reached out and patted Jiang Xiaoman's shoulder, "If you have any difficulties, just call your brother-in-law. Come on, let's add each other as friends!"
Tang Xinlan: "..." What kind of epileptic seizure is this guy having now?
Chapter 29
Jiang Baichuan was still in class, so Jiang Xiaoman didn't dare disturb him. She moved the things Tang Xinlan had given to the school to her office, took a picture, left him a message explaining, and then took Tang Xinlan and the others up the mountain.
"Sis, is it okay for the two kids to go hiking? If not, why don't you find someone to take them and wait for them at school? It's more than a forty-minute hike to my house." Jiang Xiaoman couldn't help but feel a headache when she saw the two little ones carrying their schoolbags and wanting to go hiking.
Can those short legs climb mountains?
Tang Xinlan had originally decided to let the two little ones experience some hardship, but when she heard that it would take forty minutes to climb up, she immediately hesitated. It wasn't that she was worried that the children couldn't handle the hardship, but mainly that if the two little ones really couldn't climb up, who among them would have the strength to carry the two chubby little ones up?
"Never mind, I'll have them wait for you at school," Su Peng said after thinking for a moment. Tang Xinlan was the decision-maker for this project, so he would definitely have to go and check out the site in person. He didn't trust anyone else with the two children, so he had to stay behind.
On the way there, Tang Xinlan had already told Jiang Xiaoman that they needed to get back that day and were pressed for time. So, he didn't stand on ceremony with them. When they passed a convenience store, he bought a five-pack of instant noodles and a bag of sausages. He smiled a little embarrassedly at Tang Xinlan and said, "Sister, my old house collapsed and the kitchen is gone. I was planning to treat you to a meal at home, but the stove is buried underneath. So, I can only treat you to instant noodles for lunch."
As he spoke, he pointed to a covered, double-handled aluminum pot in his basket, which was what they used to cook lunch on the mountain.
It had rained a few days ago, and the mountain was still a bit muddy. Fortunately, they knew they were going to climb a mountain, so they wore waterproof and non-slip hiking boots. However, the climb was still quite difficult. No one expected that there were still places on Langshan Mountain without paved roads. Even though their area was the most remote mountainous area of Hongnigou, where there were no standard roads, there was at least one paved pedestrian path leading to each household. Unlike Jiang Xiaoman's area, where there was only a section of stone steps at the beginning of the climb, the rest was almost entirely a muddy path.
However, they soon forgot about their hard work because the vast expanse of wild azaleas in full bloom before them was simply too beautiful!
"I must paint this sea of flowers..." Lu Xinran murmured to herself, and unconsciously raised her camera.
Designer Xiaoman excitedly grabbed the boss's arm: "Sister Lan, if our guesthouse were built halfway up the mountain, wouldn't we be able to see this sea of flowers? It's so beautiful! I've already figured out how to design the viewing terrace!"
“Our area of mountains and forests is undeveloped. There are not only wild azaleas, but also wild orchids and wild chrysanthemums. Whenever it rains heavily in the mountains all year round, you can often see a large sea of clouds,” Jiang Xiaoman said.
"Yes, yes! I've seen the photos of the sea of clouds you took, they're so beautiful!" Xiaoman nodded repeatedly.
"Let's go, there's still a large bamboo forest up there." Jiang Xiaoman led them up for another ten minutes or so, and they could already see his old house, but it had now become a ruin.
“Let’s rest here for a while. There’s water here, so let’s cook some instant noodles and eat them before going back up,” Jiang Xiaoman explained apologetically. “There used to be a mountain spring near my old house, but the water flow was diverted during the landslide, so we can’t find water up there now. However, once the house is built, we can build a water channel from up there to bring the spring water back down.”
As she spoke, Jiang Xiaoman put down her basket and, like Doraemon, kept taking things out of it—
First, a large bag of instant noodles and sausages was taken out and set aside. Then there was an aluminum pot. When the lid was opened, there were clean Swiss chard, several sets of disposable bowls and chopsticks, a few eggs, a bottle of chili sauce, and a bag of charcoal inside, all packed in plastic bags. Further down, several pieces of cut cardboard were also found.
"Everyone, sit down and rest here for a bit. I'll cook the noodles, and we'll be eating soon." As she spoke, Jiang Xiaoman pulled out a small hoe from somewhere and dug a hole in the hillside next to her, just the right size to place the aluminum pot on it.
Watching Jiang Xiaoman bustling around like a bee, Tang Xinlan couldn't help but smile: "Xiaoman, if you don't mind, could I film this part? If our project succeeds, this will be our main creative team's first team building activity, which will be very memorable."
“Okay, then I’ll repost it after you post it, and ride the wave of popularity, hehe~” Jiang Xiaoman deliberately stopped lighting the fire and waited for Tang Xinlan to set up the phone and gimbal before she began to cook the noodles in an orderly manner.
People in the mountains sometimes go into the mountains to collect herbs and harvest honey, and it can take them several days. They eat, drink, and relieve themselves in the forest. Starting a fire and cooking is just an essential skill. Jiang Xiaoman is quick and efficient and soon started a charcoal fire. Aluminum pots conduct heat quickly, but long-term use is not good for health. So in recent years, these aluminum pots have been phased out in many places. Only people in the mountains can buy a pot and use it for many years as long as it is not broken.
Jiang Xiaoman's kitchen was completely buried under the earth. Several pots couldn't be salvaged; one of them was borrowed from the school.
The spring water was boiled, and the instant noodles were opened and put in. Half a bag of ham sausages was also cut and put in. The aroma that everyone smelled immediately made them hungry.
Instant noodles have this kind of magic. Everyone knows that they are junk food and should not be eaten too much, but if you don't eat them for a while, you can't help but crave them. The main thing is that Jiang Xiaoman made an extra-strength version of instant noodles: he cooked them in a pot and added ham sausage, poached eggs and Swiss chard leaves. A big pot of instant noodles was almost not enough for the five of them.
"We'll have to make do with this for lunch. If you're not in a hurry to leave tonight, I'll borrow the school kitchen and cook you a nice meal." Jiang Xiaoman put the used disposable bowls and chopsticks into a plastic bag, washed the aluminum pot, and put the trash into her basket. The group continued walking up the mountain.
This time it only took about ten minutes to get there.
Looking at the old house that had been completely destroyed by the mountain and the mountainside that had collapsed halfway down, Tang Xinlan couldn't help but feel a slight pang of pain in her heart.
Looking closely, Jiang Xiaoman is actually not that old, but she has already shouldered the heavy burden of a family and has an elderly father to support in his old age. In such adversity, even she might not have the same determination and perseverance as Jiang Xiaoman.
Jiang Xiaoman didn't see the pity in Tang Xinlan's eyes. He stood at the front and carefully used a wooden stick to test the collapsed earth. Finding that it was still somewhat loose, he immediately retreated.
"Sister Tang, we can't go any further ahead. Let me explain it to you verbally."
"This area is the site of my old house. Looking at it now, it's actually a blessing in disguise. Originally, it was only a little over half an acre, but now the hill behind has collapsed into such a large area. Once the hill behind is reinforced, the backyard will have several hundred square meters more."
"The hillside in front of us is my family's vegetable garden and tea plantation. These can also be used as amenities for the homestay in the future. We can grow our own vegetables for our guests, and in the spring, they can come and experience tea picking. My dad knows how to fry tea leaves, so tourists can drink tea leaves that they have picked themselves."
"Sister Tang, look over that hill over there, that's the neighbor's house I told you about. Their land is all rocky, the house site is very solid, but no crops grow there. But that's okay. I have an idea. Our local honey is especially delicious. I was thinking if we leased that whole hill, we could plant honeysuckle, wild chrysanthemums, and the like. We could pick them to make flower tea and also keep dozens of beehives."
"If this flower tea and local honey are managed properly, they can be considered a product of the guesthouse, and the scenery is also beautiful when the flowers are in bloom."
“The road to my house has collapsed, so we can’t get there and I can’t take you to see it…” Before Jiang Xiaoman could finish speaking, she saw designer Xiaoman take a drone out of her backpack.
Jiang Xiaoman: "..."
Indeed, there is no problem in this world that money cannot solve. If there is, it must be because you don't have enough money.
Don't let Xiaoman's petite and delicate appearance fool you, she's incredibly skilled at handling drones! They even have a large-screen phone to watch the live feed from the drone.
Tang Xinlan had Xiaoman direct the drone to fly around the mountain a few times, taking aerial and detailed videos of Jiang Youjin's old house and the surrounding mountains and forests. She planned to take the videos back and ask an acquaintance in landscape planning and design for help.
Overall, she was quite satisfied with the mountain and forest environment.
Jiang Xiaoman's biggest worry, the inconvenience of transportation, is actually not a problem. After all, people who like meditation are looking for peace and quiet. If there could be an additional "ascetic" component, such as having to climb a mountain for an hour to get to the meditation place, or having to raise pigs, grow crops, and harvest honey during the meditation period, it would sound very appealing.
In fact, as her business has grown in recent years, Tang Xinlan sometimes wants to simply turn off her phone and go to a place where no one knows her to have some peace and quiet for a few days. Being surrounded by a bunch of people and having a lot of things to deal with every day is actually quite scary. She often works overtime and stays up late, and her hair is falling out in clumps. She believes that there are probably many people who have the same need as her.
It's better if there's no road access. After all, urgent official business can be handled online, but as for personal relationships, most people wouldn't climb a mountain for an hour just to find her, right?
After reviewing the situation, Tang Xinlan was already 50% confident. The remaining 50% required her to negotiate with the local township government to try and secure some local industrial subsidies and preferential policies. She also needed to get the mountain behind Jiang Xiaoman's homestead reinforced, which also required the local government's involvement. After all, although the homestead belonged to the Jiang family, the mountain belonged to the state, and the bottom line for private businesses was that they could not touch state property.
There were too many things involved here, far beyond what a college graduate like Jiang Xiaoman could handle. However, Tang Xinlan wanted to help him, so on the way down the mountain, she pulled him aside and explained the ins and outs to him.
“I have a team that specifically handles these matters for me. I’ll have them come over and talk to the leaders in your town later. If you have time, you can go and listen in.”
"Thank you, sister. I will definitely go and learn from you. I'd go even if it's raining knives!" Jiang Xiaoman looked at Tang Xinlan gratefully.
He knew this was something he couldn't learn no matter how many books he read in university. Tang Xinlan's willingness to guide him was the greatest favor she could do for him.
Chapter 30
It was only a little past one o'clock when they came down from the mountain. School hadn't started yet, and the students, having finished lunch, were busy helping Jiang Baichuan. Some swept the yard with brooms, while others went to the backyard to break off the old leaves of Swiss chard, chopped them up, cooked them, and fed them to the pigs. Jiang Baichuan personally led a few of the older children to harvest potatoes in the backyard.
To save money on groceries, the school deliberately planted potatoes at different times in different plots to ensure a fresh supply every month. Today, Jiang Baichuan will lead the students to dig up the potatoes in the last plot. The empty plot will then be used to plant soybeans. After the soybeans are harvested, they can be taken to the tofu shop to exchange for tofu.
Su Peng also helped Su Jin and Tang Yulin pick potatoes in the field. The two siblings were wearing old clothes that they had borrowed from somewhere, and they had taken off their stylish little leather shoes. They walked barefoot in the vegetable garden, as happy as two little field mice that had just been carried out of their nest by their mother.
Tang Xinlan squatted to one side and watched, unable to help but reveal a smile of relief. However, as she watched, the smile on her face gradually disappeared.
Tang Yulin was alright; she didn't cry this time and helped sort potatoes in the field without being spoiled at all, separating the big ones from the small ones. But Su Jin next to her was different. He was also very busy, but not busy harvesting potatoes; he was busy spreading love everywhere.
Even though all the female classmates were older than him, he still acted like a little man, running over to wipe their sweat, feeding them water, and even forcibly helping them hoe the ground and dig potatoes... Heaven knows! He wasn't even as tall as the hoe!
"Su Xiaojin, what are you doing?" Tang Xinlan grew angrier the more she looked and couldn't help but shout.
"Mom, you're back?" Perhaps because she had been scolded by her mother earlier, Su Jin felt a little guilty when she saw Tang Xinlan, and stood awkwardly in the vegetable garden, unwilling to go over.
"Come here!" Tang Xinlan shouted coldly.
Su Jin immediately looked to his father, Su Peng, for help. Unexpectedly, Su Peng took action himself, scooped up Su Jin, and handed him to Tang Xinlan.
"You're disloyal!!" Su Jin glared angrily at his father.
Su Peng didn't see the angry look in his son's eyes at all. While shoving his son into his wife's arms, he said to her ingratiatingly, "Look, after they finished eating, they helped their classmates harvest potatoes. Aren't they good children?"
My son is so well-behaved, maybe we shouldn't scold him today?
Su Peng was only doing it for his son's own good. After all, that's just how Tang Xinlan is; no matter how big the mistake, as long as you actively admit your error and repent, she'll definitely give you a chance. But what if you stubbornly resist? Heh…
Tang Xinlan, her face cold, carried her son to a secluded corner, adopting the typical stepmother's expression, and coldly questioned, "Su Xiaojin, haven't I told you that it's okay to get along with your classmates at school, but! You can't go around trying to make every girl you see happy!"
"Like today, Dad asked you and your sister to help harvest potatoes. Why did you neglect your own responsibilities and go around helping others?"
"I did it! Dad told me to separate the big potatoes from the small potatoes, and I finished separating my own before helping others..." Su Jin said, feeling wronged.
"That doesn't mean you can go around trying to fool everyone!" Tang Xinlan was furious. She thought to herself, "My dad isn't exactly a 'people-friendly' dad, so how come he had such a son? Was he switched at birth?"
"But Mom, I want them all to be happy~" Su Jin couldn't help but pout.
Upon hearing this classic playboy quote, Tang Xinlan felt a wave of dizziness. She steadied herself, worked hard to mentally prepare herself, and then gritted her teeth and said, "That's not right, son. Remember this: a boy can only make one girl happy in his entire life."
Su Jin was stunned for a moment, then protested loudly, "Mom, how can you do this? You can only appease one girl? What did the other girls in our school do wrong?"
Tang Xinlan burst out laughing.
Is it too late for her to throw the child out now?
"Alright, alright, calm down. He's still young, he doesn't understand. He'll understand when he grows up and meets a girl he likes." After eavesdropping for a while, seeing that his wife was about to start hitting him, Su Peng quickly ran out and nudged his son, "They've dug up a lot of potatoes in the field again, your sister can't handle it all, go help her!"
After sending his son away, President Su began to soothe his wife, who was on the verge of losing control.
"Xiao Jin is only in kindergarten, still a little kid, he doesn't understand anything. I think he just likes playing with girls, and it's gentlemanly for a boy to want to help a girl."
"Isn't the problem of liking to hang out with girls serious enough?" Tang Xinlan was utterly exhausted.
Just think of Jia Baoyu from Dream of the Red Chamber! Just the thought that her son will become a modern-day Jia Baoyu makes President Tang feel dizzy. What kind of sins has she committed?
"Don't be angry, don't be angry. I have a high school classmate who's now a teacher at a military academy. How about I take care of this? Let's observe him first. It would be best if Xiaojin could change this habit. If he's still like this when he grows up, I'll find a way to send him to a military academy!"
"When the time comes, he'll be surrounded by either tough guys or tomboys. Let's see how he'll show any mercy to women then?"
Most importantly, by the time his son is old enough to take the military academy entrance exam, he'll be at least eighteen, right? That's an extremely long warranty period! During that warranty period, wouldn't he, the biological father, be safe?
After all, if Tang Xinlan divorces him, who knows what will happen if he remarries and has a new family and children? Who will care about the children from his ex-wife's side then?
So raising a son who goes astray isn't entirely without its advantages. At the very least, if a child is too difficult to manage, the couple needs to work together, which means they're less likely to consider divorce!
Poor CEO Su, who was initially ambitious and wanted to win his wife's heart, now only wants to stay by her side humbly, even if it's just to be a fake couple. He absolutely cannot let any other man (or woman) take advantage of his vulnerability!
Seeing that it was still early and the weather was nice today, and the students would be going home after school, Jiang Xiaoman told Tang Xinlan to leave at four o'clock, as he wanted to make some snacks for them to take on the way.
Tang Xinlan initially wanted to say no, since they could buy food whenever they came across a market town on the way back by car. However, thinking of Jiang Xiaoman's personality, Tang Xinlan sighed inwardly, nodded and smiled: "Okay, then I'll just consider it a trial run for the tourists. I haven't tried your local snacks yet."