Upon hearing about farming, Wang Qian's expression froze. With a sigh, she said, "Our generation has toiled in the fields, facing the yellow earth and the back of the sky, working year-round just to get by. I just hope my son's life won't be like mine!"
Knowing Wang Qian had misunderstood the meaning of farming in her words, she was about to explain when her son returned.
Tall, slender, and fair-skinned, he bore a striking resemblance to the village chief, appearing to be about seventeen or eighteen years old. Zhao Jiaqi met his gaze for a moment before shifting her eyes away.
Wang Qian beckoned Li Chuang over and introduced Zhao Jiaqi, "Come, this is your brother Zehao's wife, your sister-in-law. Go on, greet her!"
Li Chuang was a man of few words. He nodded at Zhao Jiaqi and said, "Sister-in-law!"
She offered a faint smile, a subtle acknowledgment, then turned to explain to Wang Qian what she meant by farming.
"Auntie, and Chuang, you're both here. Listen to me, and I'll tell you what I envision farming to be. Then you can think carefully about whether you want to work with me!"
Upon hearing Zhao Jiaqi's words, Li Chuang, who had been about to return to his room, paused. He found a chair and sat down, listening intently.
"I plan to build greenhouses on the fertile land I intend to buy, to cultivate winter vegetables. Auntie, think about it, eating summer vegetables in the dead of winter. Do you think this method of farming is the same as the farming you imagine?"
The land was the same, but the money earned would be entirely different.
The former was about survival; the latter was about making a fortune.
It wasn't just Wang Qian who was astonished. Even Li Chuang, who had attended school, had never heard of such a thing.
Only in the heated rooms of wealthy households could a small amount of greens be grown. Large-scale cultivation of vegetables seemed utterly impossible!
Li Chuang was the first to voice his doubt, "Sister-in-law, it's not that I want to dampen your spirits, but the heated rooms of wealthy families constantly burn underfloor heating. The cost of that alone is more than the price of your vegetables. And large-scale cultivation of greens, I fear that... might be difficult to achieve!"
Zhao Jiaqi smiled, "Whether it succeeds or fails, don't we have to try to find out? What if it works?"
"Of course, the chances of failure are greater than success. But I believe that to be alive is to constantly push oneself, to see what one's true capabilities are!"
After responding to Li Chuang, she looked at Wang Qian. "Auntie, you really need to consider this carefully. Our family is just two people; at worst, we'll have no harvest this year."
"But your family is different. If you think this is too risky, perhaps wait a while longer. If I find a good business opportunity, I'll bring Chuang along. No need to rush!"
Wang Qian didn't rush to reply. She nodded solemnly. She truly hadn't expected Zhao Jiaqi's idea to be so wild, bordering on madness.
The ground was frozen in winter, and yet she thought of growing vegetables on frozen land. Wasn't that the act of a madwoman?
As silence settled in the room, Fan Zehao and Li Wencai returned.
"Wife, that Fan Zhang temporarily raised the price, an extra tael of silver per mu, so I didn't buy it!"
Zhao Jiaqi smiled and reassured him, "Then we won't buy it. We'll just buy some wasteland. It will take a little more effort, that's all!"
Fan Zehao knew his wife wouldn't scold him. The two of them bought ten mu of wasteland directly opposite their new house. This was perfect; once the greenhouses were built, they could tend to them on-site.
Meanwhile, Fan Zhang waited at home, anticipating Fan Zehao, that fool, to come and buy the land.
The next day, he went to the village chief's house to inquire. Lo and behold, they had already bought wasteland yesterday! He was so upset he wanted to cry.
His grandson was about to attend the county school, and he still hadn't scraped together enough money. If Fan Zehao hadn't married, their own family wouldn't be in such dire straits!
Ultimately, it all came down to Zhang Cuihua marrying such an arrogant and overbearing woman. Fan Zhang harbored a bone-deep hatred for Zhao Jiaqi, a hatred so intense it demanded her death!
Leaving the village chief's house, he didn't even return home. He went straight to the town.
That night, a group of 'guests' arrived at the thatched cottage, cornering Fan Zehao and Zhao Jiaqi inside.
The leader, a man with a scar across his face, toyed with his knife and said to the young couple with a smirk, "Money can avert disaster. You understand this principle, don't you!"
Fan Zehao shielded his wife. Even in his simple-mindedness, he knew these people meant trouble. "Let my wife go! Come at me!"
The scar-faced man whistled provocatively, "Oh, what a devoted lover!"
He looked up at Zhao Jiaqi, puckering his lips. "Average looks. I'm not really interested in her. But this burly fellow, I've heard some things."
"The ability to kill a dog with one punch, I wonder if that's true!"
Fan Zehao frowned and shook his head. "I'm just a farmer. I don't know any martial arts, how could I have such a skill!"
The scar-faced man looked quite disappointed. He had been eager to test his abilities, but upon hearing this, he gave up. "I was hired by someone to deal with you. If you offer me more money than he did, I'll pretend this never happened. How about it!"
It was about money, not life!
"How much did that person pay?"
The scar-faced man held up one finger and said, "One tael!"
Zhao Jiaqi almost spat blood. They were going to get beaten up for a mere one tael of silver?
If she ever found out who was behind this, she would beat them into the shape of a one!
She quickly replied, "I'll offer two taels. Just tell me who sent you!"
"This... this goes against the rules of the road!" the scar-faced man said with a troubled expression.
Rules of the road? Zhao Jiaqi nearly laughed out loud.
"In that case, we won't just surrender and take a beating. Even if I can't beat you, I'll try!"
Since there was no room for negotiation, what were they waiting for!
As soon as Zhao Jiaqi finished speaking, Fan Zehao grabbed the nearest chair and hurled it at them!
The small room erupted with a clatter and bang. Before long, the sounds of groaning also began to emanate.
The scar-faced man on the ground was bruised and battered, his eyes full of disbelief. Didn't he just say he was a farmer?
How had he suddenly become such a brute? He fought fiercely, struck with precision, knocking one down with a single punch. This was almost the skill of killing with one punch!
"Get out! If you dare to cause trouble at my house again, I'll sic my dogs on you. Whether you live or die will be up to fate!"
Fan Zehao, his face dark with rage, spoke sternly.
The dogs he spoke of were wolves, but these people completely dismissed it as a joke.
The scar-faced man got up and, leading his two subordinates, fled. Fan Zehao went down and released the wolves that had been barking ferociously in the yard. He patted their heads and instructed them, "If anyone climbs over the wall again tonight, bite them to death!"
It was unclear if the wolves understood, but they wagged their tails in response.
Inside the house, Zhao Jiaqi tidied up the broken tables and chairs, cleaned the place, and lay back on the bed. They both had lost their sleep.
"Husband, who do you think did this?"