Xiao Song finally waited for Tian Jing to come up and listen to its chatter.
"Tian Tian, didn't you notice Xiao Feng's problem?"
How could she not notice? There were more than just Xiao Feng with issues.
Xiao Feng's roots had been severed, and its original naive consciousness was gone, so she stopped using her powers on Xiao Feng.
"I noticed. Who came in?"
"Don't know them. Five men, came from outside the village. One said Xiao Feng looked very much like the tree Zhao Xiao Fang mentioned, perhaps Zhao Xiao Fang remembered the location incorrectly?"
"Another person said it took them six or seven days to climb up here, and he didn't believe that woman could arrive instantly. Even the strongest Qinggong couldn't do that."
"Then they started digging Xiao Feng, breaking many of its roots. After digging Xiao Feng out, they continued to dig deeper."
"I can't see over there, I only heard them cursing as they dug, saying they would go back to trouble Zhao Xiao Fang."
"Later, one person climbed up a fruit tree to pick fruit and eat. He looked up and saw me, then asked the other four, 'Could Zhao Xiao Fang have been talking about me?'"
"Then all five of them climbed up. Seeing my appearance, they called the person who said that crazy, saying how could an old piece of firewood that even fire disdained have any juice?"
"Tian Tian, it's so scary, quickly take me away from here."
Tian Jing also felt a sense of urgency.
She really hadn't expected Zhao Xiao Fang to be so fixated on the thing that saved her life even after going to prison. She had been too hasty in saving her.
"Xiao Song, when did they arrive?"
"Not long after you left. It was after the incident with Zhao Xiao Fang and that older sister in the village."
Did they dare to come up the mountain only after finding out she wasn't in the village?
"Are Xiao Hei and the others okay?"
Mentioning Xiao Hei, Xiao Song was full of dissatisfaction. "That guy Xiao Hei is such a coward. As soon as he saw people coming, he led all the wolves deeper into the mountains."
"I told it to do that. Anyone who dares to enter the deep mountains must be carrying guns."
"Oh." Xiao Song quieted down. "They were carrying long muskets."
Long muskets?
Hunting rifles or rifles? It seemed that older sister really had some background.
She hoped Brother Zheng could find out that older sister's background.
"Where is the Misty Valley your master mentioned?"
"I don't know. I haven't asked any other plants about it."
Tian Jing looked towards the depths of the mountain range. Brother Zheng had told her that the mountain range bordered a higher mountain range.
Perhaps she should go and look at that mountain range, but not today.
In the evening, Tian Jing finally came down the mountain with Da Mai and Xiao Mai.
Li Zhengguo had already arranged for rebar and cement. Someone would deliver them in a few days.
"That older sister is from the provincial capital. She has a gang behind her, whose name is kept secret, very mysterious."
"I've already asked people to investigate that older sister's criminal evidence, and then use Zhao Xiao Fang to report her."
Tian Jing told her husband what Xiao Song had said, "I want to go and see the other mountain range."
"Alright, tomorrow, we'll go together."
...
The couple entered the mountains for two consecutive days, bringing down a large amount of stones and peeled logs.
The logs were very dry and would be usable after drying for a few more days.
The couple said they saw a patch of trees about to die on a mountaintop.
They simply cut down these trees, and they transplanted a large number of saplings from other forests.
Master Zhao was surprised by the long, straight, and uniformly thick trees, which were clearly hemlock.
Hemlock indeed was not drought-resistant, but it was unusual to have such uniformly thick trees.
Unless they were specially selected.
Tian Jing: "..." Specially selected? Why would she go through all that trouble?
Several piles of trees and stones were stacked on the land by the river.
Village Chief Ou personally helped guard them. He didn't trust others. Although the Li family had already paid for these items, he still wasn't at ease.
Moreover, he was full of hope for the siheyuan that was going to be built.
This was the entrance to their Kucun Mountain village, visible from afar.
If a unique garden-style siheyuan were built, then...
Heh, let alone the whole county or city, perhaps even the whole province wouldn't have one.
...
The rebar and cement were delivered.
However, transporting them into the village was very difficult.
Li Zhengguo, with a group of young people, carried them across the river time and again.
Some people grumbled, wondering when their village would have a bridge.
Li Zhengguo knew they were grumbling for him to hear, so he pretended not to hear.
Moral blackmail was too disgusting.
Should one do charity just because one has money?
Habit was a terrible phenomenon, and he didn't want to be the village father.
But his silence didn't mean there was no trouble.
Someone slipped and fell, along with the cement on their shoulders, into the water.
Li Zhengguo stood on the bank and watched coldly.
The person quickly surfaced and repeatedly apologized to Li Zhengguo.
"It's okay, hurry up and get out."
After the person got out, Li Zhengguo cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted to the other side to stop.
He told the people on the other side to stop carrying, for everyone to return to the village, settle all their wages with Village Chief Ou, and dismiss everyone.
Someone was unhappy and directly dropped the cement from their shoulders.
"Brother Zhengguo, this is collective punishment. We know cement is expensive and hard to buy, but who isn't crossing the river carefully? Even experienced people make mistakes."
"Shut up." Li Zhengguo didn't give them a chance to continue their nagging.
"If you're not convinced, just stand aside and watch. I'll make you convinced in a moment."
Li Zhengguo called out to A Guang in the crowd, "Go and invite your Sister Tian. Tell your Sister Tian to also invite Village Chief Ou."
"Yes."
A Guang left, and the villagers started chattering again, saying that Li Zhengguo was using his wife's strength to scare them.
Li Zhengguo glanced at these people, truly ungrateful.
...
After Tian Jing heard A Guang's words, she understood what Brother Zheng wanted her to do.
"A Guang, go to the construction site and call Village Chief Ou. I'll be there soon."
Village Chief Ou had already heard the noisy commotion by the river. He thought the villagers were excited because they had work and money to earn, but he didn't expect them to cause trouble for him.
He hurried towards the river at the east end of the village road.
When Tian Jing arrived, the villagers had already lowered their heads under the village chief's scolding.
"Alright."
Tian Jing interrupted the village chief's scolding of the villagers. "Village Chief, these people are really not your sons, you don't need to worry too much."
"I know. Some of them are genuinely working, and some are doing it on purpose."
"They are convinced they ruined my materials, and I won't punish them. Yes, you guessed correctly."
"I won't punish them, but I won't hire these ancestors to work either."
"I'll do it myself, is that okay? How were the stones and timber from the mountain transported down? Are your eyes blind?"
"Play mind games with me? Heh, do I need to play mind games with you?"
"From now on, I will not hire any of you for any work on the construction site."
"Does Wang'er Village have no labor? Does Lishi Village have no labor? Does the town have no labor? Does the county have no labor?"
"If I have money, where can't I find people to work? And you complain about the lack of a bridge over this river? If there were a bridge, would I need to ask you to carry it? Wouldn't large trucks drive directly to the side of the construction site?"
"With your petty calculations that can't even make it to the table, no wonder I can't even lead you. No wonder I warned you repeatedly, and you still managed to ruin this year's harvest."
"Village Chief Ou, shamelessly leading hundreds of you, his ungrateful children, to drag me down. I gave him face, did you?"
"No one is your father or mother, who can easily forgive you after every mistake you make."
"I won't hide it from you, I've started seedlings again, but I've only started seedlings for my own family. I won't take anyone with me."
"Because as soon as I returned, I saw the pathetic little watermelons along both sides of the village road. I wasn't angry or upset, I just felt disheartened, disheartened for Village Chief Ou."
"He tries hard to pull up a group of unpromising, unfilial sons, but these unfilial sons do one thing after another that makes him disheartened."
"Do I care if you do this work? Am I paying you to waste time?"
Tian Jing turned to Village Chief Ou, "Village Chief Ou, don't blame me for not giving you face. Your group of unfilial sons don't give you face, so no matter how much face I give, it's not enough for them to disgrace you."